The CWA contest is open to any screenwriter worldwide who meets the enclosed criteria. Entry into the competition is void where prohibited by law.

Competition is open to all writers 18 years or older. We will accept collaborative work, but by no more than two authors. Each writer, however, must fill out and sign the online entry application and release form individually. If selected as a winner, the prize money will be split equally between them.

Submissions must be the original work of the applicant(s) and may not be based, in whole or in part, on any other fiction or nonfiction material, published or unpublished, produced or un-produced that is not already in public domain.

Each script entered is allotted one genre category in the price of the submission. Please do not enclose letters, resumes or photos with your submission. They will not be forwarded to our partners or the judges.

Writers are free to enter their submitted material to other contests; however, they must not have already received a screenwriting prize that includes a “first look” clause, an option, or any other quid pro quo involving the writer's submitted entry to Creative World Awards LLC. If a submitted screenplay becomes optioned or purchased between the time of submission and the end of the Creative World Awards judging period, the applicant must notify us and that screenplay will no longer be eligible for an award.

Scripts must be typed in English, with pages numbered; be headed by the title page, which includes title of work and WGA registration date/number if applicable; font must be 12-point Courier, Courier New or Courier Final Draft (no exceptions).

Scripts should attempt to adhere to standard lengths. No entry will be disqualified but these lengths are considered the norm throughout the industry.

Feature length screenplays: approximately 90-120 pages
Original TV Sitcom Pilot: 50 pages or less
Original TV Drama Pilot: 70 pages or less
Short Film Scripts: up to 40 pages

The writer's name should not appear on the title page, and not on any other page of the script. No other information outside of title of work and WGA registration (if applicable) should appear on the title page. CWA reserves the right to return the script if the above procedures are not followed. If the script is based on a true story, please note it on the title page.

Submissions must be transmitted electronically on or before the deadline, and the entry fee paid in order to qualify for the respective submission rate. Online entries may be submitted up until midnight Pacific Time on the final deadline date. Any entries transmitted or payments postmarked after the final deadline will be disqualified. Creative World Awards, LLC reserves the right to extend the entry deadline.

Submission fees are encouraged online through the submission service's secure payment system, however, they can be submitted by mail. If paying by mail, we accept money orders only. It must be mailed via a delivery method that does not require a signature. If sending by mail, the address is:

CREATIVE WORLD AWARDS
4712 Admiralty Way, #268
Marina del Rey, CA 90292

Online script submissions must consist of a standard script format (Final Draft or a PDF). *Please note, PDF files are the recommended format file to send, and Final Draft or other software programs allow you to convert your script easily to a PDF file. Once your script file is open, simply click on the ‘File/Save or Export as PDF’ option. If you do not have one of the above, you may submit in a Word .doc as a last option, but it must contain the industry standard format.

Resubmissions: Once a script has been submitted, no revised drafts or corrected pages will be accepted to the original unless you pay a separate resubmission fee of $45 through the CWA site or FilmFreeway. If through CWA, you must notify us via email to discard the original entry, and we will treat your revised draft as a new eligible submission. Email us at info@creativeworldawards.com for any further instructions.

The competition is not responsible for submissions that are lost, stolen, or damaged in transit.

All entrants understand and agree that there are a diverse amount of story contexts and ideas, and in no way is Creative World Awards LLC responsible not now or in the future of borrowing or stealing from an idea, copy written concept, or storyline from a script entry.

All winners will be responsible for their own U.S. income tax withholding. Creative World Awards LLC is not responsible for withholding any taxes or payments to any government agency, at any level, be it state, local or federal.

Contest applicants must accept without reservation the decisions rendered by the jurors.

Entry fees are payable by Credit Card (online) or US Money Order (by mail). Entry fees are nonrefundable.

Employees and the relatives of Creative World Awards LLC are not eligible, nor are competition judges and their immediate families.

Each applicant will receive an e-mail notifying them of the competition results. All writers must keep their personal contact information on file with us updated and current. Creative World Awards has no responsibility for correspondence that is misdirected as a result of writer(s) failure to provide us with current contact information. We also highly encourage entrants to add CWA to your email address list to ensure email correspondence is not sent to your spam or bulk mail.

Following the close of the season, the Grand Prize Winner will be given a choice to either receive $1,000 additional cash prize money, or elect to use that $1,000 as payment in full for writing a short version of their winning feature script (the short script will be fifteen pages or less). If Creative World Awards (CWA) produces the short script, it will be used by CWA as a tool to help promote the Grand Prize Winner’s feature script, and also give the writer imdb credit once it premieres at the Richmond International Film Festival. The Grand Prize Winner agrees that if they elect to forgo the additional $1,000 cash and instead choose to use that money as payment in full for their writing contribution on the short film production, that The Moving Image Xchange LLC and CWA will have ownership of the produced film, however, the writer will still retain full and ownership of their feature script. The short production will have no impact on the ownership of the writer’s feature length script; the writer will maintain complete ownership. The Grand Prize Winner also understands that should they elect to use the additional $1,000 for payment in full for writing the short version of the script rather than as cash, that they are responsible for working with the CWA Co-Founders in a timely manner to create the content of the short script. The Moving Image Xchange and CWA may elect not to produce the script if the genre or content isn't a good fit for the new short format or if the writer does not meet the deadlines in a timely fashion. If offered the opportunity to the writer, CWA Co-Founders will work with the writer to develop the short script in the months of September-October with a tentative shoot date set for December or January each year. The film will then premiere at the Richmond International Film Festival in late April, and be used for promotional purposes for the writer to garner interest in the writer's feature script as well as on the contest’s behalf. Producing the short script is at the sole discretion of CWA and The Moving Image Xchange, LLC. Should CWA and The Moving Image Xchange elect not to produce a short version of the Grand Prize Winner’s feature script, the Grand Prize Winner will still receive the additional $1,000. If the Grand Prize Winner consists of more than one writer, it is up to the writers to split the additional $1,000 between them.

Please read and understand the above Rules and Regulations. Failure to adhere to the Creative World Awards contest guidelines could result in disqualification and forfeiture of an entry fee and/or eligible prize.

Terms, Conditions & Release

Creative World Awards LLC Materials submitted to Creative World Awards LLC at this or any future time are accepted by Creative World Awards LLC only on your acceptance of the following conditions: 1. Applicant (s) testify to be at least 18 years or older and warrant as the author of submitted material that they are the sole and exclusive owner(s) of all legal and equitable rights thereto with the full and exclusive rights to submit material to the competition. 2. Applicant (s) has retained at least one copy of the submitted material as Creative World Awards LLC will not be responsible for any loss or destruction of the materials submitted to it. Applicant understands that it is their sole responsibility to copyright and protect their own submitted material. 3. All entrants understand and agree that there are a diverse amount of story contexts, plots, themes and formats and in no way is Creative World Awards LLC, its officers, employees, representatives, sponsors, judges and affiliates responsible not now or in the future of borrowing or stealing from an idea, copy written concept, or storyline from a submitted entry. 4. Creative World Awards LLC exists for the purpose of a competition. Through various phases of the judging process, submitted material will be exposed to a network of influential third parties, included, but not limited to those companies and individuals listed on the Creative World Awards LLC website. All such third party participations in the judging process are not guaranteed. Creative World Awards LLC will provide, though not obligated, applicant's contact information to interested parties. However, Creative World Awards LLC does not attest to or guarantee the validity of any subsequent agreements between applicant (s) and said parties. 5. Applicant (s) indemnify and hold harmless Creative World Awards LLC, its judges, sponsors and partners, individually and collectively, from and against all claims, demands, losses, damages, costs, liabilities and expenses (including legal fees) arising out of or in connection with any and all claims, or third party claims based on stories submitted to Creative World Awards LLC. 6. All Creative World Awards LLC entrants will permit Creative World Awards LLC to use their name and/or likeness, title of the work submitted, its logline and their results in pre & post-competition advertising for publicity & promotional purposes. Applicants hereby agree that their submitted contact information may be released to interested parties hereunder. 7. Providing false or misleading information on this application, or failing in any other way to comply with the rules of the competition, is subject to disqualification, forfeiture of prize money and/or other penalties. 8. Creative World Awards LLC reserves the right to remove submitted material from the competition, with or without cause. Applicant (s) will be notified by Creative World Awards LLC. If without cause, the entry fee alone will be reimbursed and the submitted material destroyed. 9. All decisions by the judges are final and cannot be contested. 10. By signing this form I/we have read, understand and agree to, and will abide by all the terms and conditions of submission of materials to this competition, which are listed in this release form and in the following guidelines and rules. 11. Dispute Resolution; Governing Law; Forum: That contestants expressly acknowledges and agrees that Creative World Awards shall be entitled to injunctive or other equitable relief (an "Injunction") to restrain, prevent or enjoin any breach by a contestant under this screenwriting contest, and the contestant hereby waives any right to notice of any action or proceeding for an Injunction and consents to and accepts entry of an Injunction in any court which may have jurisdiction in connection therewith. The prevailing party in any legal proceeding brought pursuant hereto shall be entitled to recover all of its attorneys' fees and all other costs related to such a legal proceeding. Unless otherwise stated herein, this Agreement shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of California (without regard to the conflicts of law provisions thereof), and the contestant hereby submits to the jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Los Angeles County, California.