Before submitting, please read through all the rules and terms below. By submitting your project, you acknowledge that you have read and agreed to all of the following. All projects that have been submitted by our final deadline and that adhere to the following terms will be considered for inclusion in the 2019 Atlanta Film Festival.

If you have any further questions, please visit our FAQ at atlantafilmfestival.com. 

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

1. The Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition is open to any writer from anywhere in the world. However, the Atlanta Film Festival prides itself on highlighting the work of independent and emerging writers and filmmakers. Therefore, we prefer, but do not require, that our screenwriters have not had previous screenplays produced by non-independent companies or groups. 
2. Submitted screenplays should not have been optioned, purchased, or otherwise produced at the time of submission. If your screenplay is optioned or purchased during the duration of the competition, please contact us immediately. 
3. Writers can submit as many screenplays as they’d like to the competition. Each submission requires an application, payment and original screenplay. 
4. Once a submission has been received and processed, we do not accept updated drafts of that submission or associated screenplays. 
5. Duplicate submissions of the same work are not allowed. Any duplicate submissions of the same screenplay will be disqualified without refund. 
6. We happily accept screenplays with more than one author or contributor. Please make note of each author’s name in your submission. Should a screenplay with two or more writers be named a winner of the competition, the award will be divided equally among them.
7. Screenplays should be formatted according to current industry standards.  Pages must be numbered and typed in 12 point Courier font with standard margins. All entries must be submitted in English. Brief dialogue in another language is acceptable so long as an English translation is provided. 
8. We do not have a rule regarding title pages. But it is recommended that include the title, author(s) and any relevant registration or copyright information. 
9. Screenplays should be submitted only as a PDF. We WILL NOT accept Word .docs, Final Draft, Celtrix or any other file formats. 
10. Screenplays MUST be submitted to the correct category. Any screenplay submitted to the wrong category (based on both genre and page count) is subject to disqualification without refund of submission fees.
11. All screenplays will reviewed by festival staff, but due to the high volume of submissions we will not be able to provide feedback on entries.
12. Submissions without payment will not be considered. If the submitter fails to pay the submission fee associated with their deadline by 11:59 EDT, their submission fee will be increased to coincide with the new deadline. Any unpaid or partially paid submission at the time of submissions closing will be disqualified. Unsolicited screenplays sent by email or mail will not be considered. 

REFUNDS AND REVISIONS

• All screenplays are considered complete once the Programming Office receives them. No revisions or updated copies will be accepted. Please be sure to carefully review and edit your screenplay before submitting. 
• Once a project is successfully submitted and processed on FilmFreeway or Coverfly, we are unable to offer refunds for any reason, including (but not limited to): Submission to the wrong category, Duplicate submission, Failure to pay the full submission fee by the final deadline, Failure to provide a PDF, Project’s failure to comply with submission Rules & Terms, Rejection from the festival, Change in Option or Production Status , Withdrawing your submission for any reason (including changes of heart)

SUBMISSION CATEGORIES/PRIZES

• Feature Screenplays can be between 40-130 pages in length. Anything outside of that page range will disqualified without refund. We accept feature screenplays of any genre. 
• Pilot Screenplays can be between 10-70 pages in length. Anything outside of that page range will disqualified without refund. Upon submission, the writer must indicate the nature of the television screenplay: webisode, half-hour, hour, mini-series, comedy, drama, or any combination of the above. 
• Supplementary materials are not required for Pilot Screenplays. In addition, we cannot guarantee that any supplementary materials will be reviewed. However,  you can include them in your submission packet or email them to screenplay@atlantafilmfestival.com. Supplementary materials include, but are not limited to: concept summaries, character descriptions, and future episode summaries. 
• Short Film Screenplays can be between 5-40 pages in length. Anything outside of that page range will disqualified without refund. We accept short film screenplays of any genre. 
• Georgia Screenplays can be feature, pilot, or short film screenplays and may be of genre, but must be written by a writer that currently resides in Georgia.
• There is no separate prize for Georgia Screenplays. This category acts, instead, as a discount to Georgia based writers. Submitters to this category MUST designate the screenplay’s secondary category, either feature, pilot, or short film, in their submission information for award purposes.  
• The same page limits apply to the Georgia screenplays as other categories. Feature Screenplays can be between 40-130 pages in length. Pilot Screenplays can be between 10-70 pages in length. Short Film Screenplays can be between 5-40 pages in length.
• If this category applies to your screenplay, you may obtain the password by emailing GA@atlantafilmfestival.com. If you submit in this category without meeting the necessary criteria, you will be disqualified from consideration and will not be issued a refund.

COPYRIGHT

Feature screenplays and television screenplays must be the original work of the writer(s). If the screenplay is based on another person’s life, writer(s) must also attach a signed statement acknowledging and approving of adaptation. A screenplay containing copyrighted ideas, characters, or storylines without the proper paperwork will be disqualified without refund of submission fees. 

By submitting to the Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition you are affirming the following: 

• That the screenplay being entered is the sole work of the writer or writers who in totality contributed 100% of the contents of the screenplay. 
• That for works written by more than one writer, all writers have agreed to submit the work for consideration. 
• That for works written by more than one writer, any collaborators no longer involved and not claiming copyright privileges over the material have relinquished their claim to copyright in writing, or electronically, proof of which can be provided. 
• That the screenwriter(s) has permission to use any work included in the screenplay that they have not written themselves.

• ATLFF regularly uses private, secure third party software to organize, track, and review submissions. By submitting to our competition, you are authorizing us to include your screenplay in those third party softwares.
• In order to ensure an inclusive and pleasant experience, we do not allow any behavior that conflicts with our official Code of Conduct, including but not limited to: purposefully abusive, discriminatory, inappropriate, disruptive, or otherwise disrespectful behavior towards members of ATLFS staff or attendees of our events. Violation of this Code of Conduct may result in expulsion from ATLFF programs including the annual Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition, as well as other associated events. ATLFF reserves the right to revoke the submission, tickets, and/or credentials of any guest or group, without notice or refund, who violates our Code of Conduct. For our full code of conduct, please visit our website at atlantafilmsociety.org
• The Atlanta Film Festival reserves the right to disqualify any screenplay at any time  without refund, even after the competition has ended or prizes have been awarded, at the sole discretion of ATLFF staff.

If you have any questions, first check out our FAQ at atlantafilmfestival.com. If you still need more information, please feel free to e-mail screenplay@atlantafilmfestival.com

By entering your project for consideration to the 2020 Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition, you authorize that your work is cleared for submission and accept full legal responsibility for the intellectual property therein. The submitter and all writers associated with the project shall indemnify and hold harmless the Atlanta Film Festival, Atlanta Film Society, and any representative or affiliates from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney's fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, and loss of or damage to the contents submitted.