Kairos Prize for Spiritually Uplifting Screenplays
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About
Please read the rules carefully.
The $30,000 Kairos Prize is supported by a grant from The Timothy Plan. Established by MOVIEGUIDE® in 2005, the primary purpose of the prize is to further the influence of moral and spiritual values within the film and television industries. Seeking to promote a spiritually uplifting, redemptive worldview, the Kairos Prize was founded to inspire first-time and beginning screenwriters to produce compelling, entertaining, spiritually uplifting scripts that result in a great increase in either man's love or understanding of God.
The script may be allegorical but must refer implicitly or explicitly to Christian and/or biblical principles, values, virtues, and/or refer specifically to the Bible, the Triune God of the Bible, and/or Jesus. To define this more clearly, judges will take into account the criteria that Movieguide® uses to evaluate films and television programs. These criteria include looking at each script:
- Aesthetically by looking at the artistic value of the script, and by looking at how well the script is written.
- Emotively by looking at how it captures and amuses the audience as entertainment and amusement.
- Semantically by looking at the individual elements and their meanings, just as many parents do.
- Syntactically by looking at how the elements come together and how the characters relate to each other, just as many teenagers and young adults do.
- Propositionally by looking at what the script is communicating, as summarized in its premise.
- Generically by comparing it to other scripts in its genre.
- Thematically by looking at the themes that are present in the script.
- Morally by looking at its moral perspective and content.
- Biblically by looking at the biblical perspective and principles in the script.
- Systematically by looking at how the script relates to other scripts.
- Intellectually by looking at how the script fulfills its goals and premise.
- Sociologically by looking at how the script relates to culture and society.
- Politically by looking at the political perspective of the script.
- Cognitively by looking at the age group to whom the script is marketed, the age group for whom it is suitable, and how it will impact a particular age group.
- Psychologically by looking at how the script deals with mind and soul.
- Historically by looking at how accurate the script is in presenting history.
- Sexually by looking at how the script deals with sex and sexual relationships.
- Philosophically by looking at the philosophical perspective and worldview of the script.
- Ontologically by looking at how the script deals with the nature of being.
- Epistemologically by looking at how the script deals with the nature of knowing.
- Spiritually by looking at how the script deals with God, faith, and religion.
Benefits
$30,000 in Cash Grants
This year the prize is awarded to two winning screenwriters (One first time screenwriter, and one professional) who will be recognized in the presence of the top mass media of entertainment leaders, producers and talent at the 28th Annual Movieguide® Awards Gala and Report to the Entertainment Industry on January 24, 2020.
In addition to the prizes, key entertainment industry studio executives will review the winning scripts. The Kairos Prize® has generated a tremendous amount of interest over the last 14 years. That interest continues to grow based on the caliber of scripts Kairos has attracted. In addition, winners receive:
- The screenplay name and log line of the winner and all finalists will be announced via press release to the media, trade publications, studios, agents and producers and will be posted at www.movieguide.org, which is viewed by more than 2 million people a year!
- Key entertainment industry studio executives will review the winning script and/or hold a pitch meeting with their creative development team.
- A prize package from InkTip.com to include: InkTip Script Listing: A 6-month listing of your script on InkTip so that producers and reps can find you and InkTip Magazine: Publication of your logline in InkTip’s bi-monthly publication sent to 4,000+ producers, agents, and managers. InkTip helps writers sell their scripts and get representation. Producers have made more than 200 films from scripts and writers they found through InkTip.
- One discounted registration in a comprehensive 'How to Succeed in Hollywood Without Losing Your Soul' workshop.
Announcements
Rules
1. Entrants must submit (per entry): all items on the ENTRY CHECKLIST. Entrants must provide all the information requested on the Official Entry Form or risk disqualification. If disqualified, the entry fee will not be refunded. No submitted scripts will be returned. Acknowledgment of each submission will be sent to the email address that you provide. Once submission has been received, no alterations of the submission is permissible.
2. Entrants must be 18 years or older to enter the contest. Misrepresentation of age, upon discovery, will forfeit entry and fees to the contest.
3. Submissions must be in US Motion Picture industry standard screenplay format and approximately 87-130 pages in length. Submissions with a page length greater than 150 pages will be charged an extra fee. Work must be in English.
4. All entries must be the original, and unpublished, un-produced, un-optioned work of the entrant. The entrant ensures that he or she is the sole author of the work and that it does not infringe on any existing copyright. Additionally, the rights to the submitted screenplay must not have been previously optioned or sold.
5. All entrants shall retain the rights to their submitted scripts.
6. Entries must be spiritually uplifting. A detailed definition of this is located within the GUIDELINES and CRITERIA, but simply put, entries must refer implicitly and/or explicitly to biblical principles, values and virtues, and/or refer specifically to the Bible. Preference, however (especially regarding the final decision of the judges), will be given to works that are explicitly biblical in some important way.
7. Collaborative work is accepted. One of the writing partners should be selected as the prime contact. Writing partners selected as winners will divide the award equally. Entrants must read, understand and accept all items on the RELEASE STATEMENT posted on the web site (kairosprize.com). It is implicitly understood that the receipt of entrant’s submission signifies such understanding and acceptance.
9. Entrants are prohibited from contacting the judges during the competition. Any entrant who attempts to contact a judge will be disqualified and their entry fee forfeited. The decision of the judges is final.
10. MOVIEGUIDE® accepts no liability whatsoever for any claims of damages, real or perceived, by any entrant(s) as a result of their participation in this contest.
11. Entry fees will not be returned under any circumstances.
12. All winners are responsible for their own U.S. income tax withholding.
13. Employees and contractors of MOVIEGUIDE® Magazine and their families are prohibited from entering this contest. Judges, family members, and coworkers of the judges are also prohibited.
14. Because all Kairos Prize Finalists are read by entertainment industry professional’s and receive exposure during and after the contest, from the date your script was submitted and for the duration of three years, in the event your script is sold, The Kairos Prize shall receive 6% of the purchase price in order to fund the continuation of the screenwriting contest. It should be noted that the Kairos Prize is part of a not-for-profit 501(c)3 company, Good News Communications, Inc.
15. The interpretation and adherence of these rules are left to the judges’ discretion, and the decisions made by the judges on all matters are final and may not be challenged.