
Criteria, Rules, Terms & Conditions
Please review all four tabs in full. All participants will be asked to attest that they have done so and that they agree to all our rules, terms, and conditions as part of their entry.
Eligibility Rules
- All writers at least 18 years of age are eligible. However, a writer who has a) earned more than $50,000 (or equivalent currency) from professional writing services for film or TV in the preceding 12 months, or b) earned more than $500,000 (or equivalent currency) from professional writing services for film or TV in the preceding 10 years is not eligible. (Contest winnings not included.)
- All persons from anywhere in the world are eligible; however the material submitted must be in English (occasional dialogue in other languages is acceptable, if translation is provided).
- All material submitted to other competitions or contests are eligible for this contest.
- The material may have been written at any time.
- Material should be submitted in standard screenplay format, font, spacing and margin.
- All material must be submitted electronically as a PDF. If the file cannot be read PageCraft and the Grey List will not judge the submission.
- Prize winners may be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility and proper tax documentation before prizes are released.
- Scripts or projects based on underlying material not owned by the writer are acceptable, so long as the script itself is indisputably written by the writer and that the script does not contain any plagiarism.
- Scripts or projects created through the use of any generative software such as AI are ineligible for this competition.
- The Grand Prize winner is responsible for having a valid passport and for being available and able to travel internationally.
- By entering the competition, users attest to their eligibility for the competition based on the criteria above. PageCraft and The Grey List may verify all eligibility requirements during the competition and before distributing any prizes.
Selection Criteria
Winners will be chosen based on the following criteria:
- Voice
- Concept
- Story
- Structure
- Characters
- Dialogue
In addition to the scoring criteria above, PageCraft and The Grey List will conduct interviews at the Finalist stage to learn more about the entrant, their voice, perspective, and goals to help identify the winning project. Jurors vote for their favorite scripts at their sole discretion.
Any entrant may be deemed ineligible as a Finalist or Winner at the sole discretion of PageCraft and the Grey List. All recognition, placements, and winners are chosen at the sole discretion of PageCraft and the Grey List.
Finalists may be required to sign and return within seven (7) business days of receipt an Affidavit of Eligibility and a Release and Indemnification, as well as proof of valid passport and any other documents that the contest or any partner may require before receiving prizes. Failure to respond to the initial notification within ten (10) days or return of notification may result in disqualification.
We reserve the right to amend these rules at any time.
Contest Rules
- Submissions are accepted via electronic submission only. All submissions must be made in PDF format.
- Entry fees are as listed on the site and submission form. Any discounts that may be offered are not applicable on submissions already made.
- Full scripts will be solicited from the Quarterfinalists. Failure to submit a full script by the deadline renders a contestant ineligible to participate further. At this stage, optional feedback may be requested from PageCraft at a $50 discount from regular PageCraft prices. Contestants who choose this option must pay for the feedback within 7 days of invoice, and should note that PageCraft’s normal turnaround times will be delayed due to competition volume.
- Failure to adhere to the specified word and character limits renders an entry ineligible for consideration. Full scripts, which will be solicited from the selected quarterfinalists, cannot be over 125 pages in length and must be in industry standard formatting. Entries that do not adhere to these standards will be ineligible for consideration. In the event of an entry being deemed ineligible, no refunds will be given.
- There is no limit to the number of projects you may submit.
- Entries must be received on or before the deadline dates by 11:59pm Pacific Time, and submission fee payment must be made in full at time of the submission. All entry fees are non-refundable, regardless of the eligibility of the submission.
- All submitted material must be owned by the writer(s), however the material may be based on other works not owned by the writers.
- Material must be submitted by the writer. Material written by writing teams must be submitted by one of the writers, with consent of the other(s).
- If a writing team is chosen as a winner, prizes will be given to the person who submits the project. Each team is responsible for dividing or sharing any prizes awarded as they deem fair.
- Please proofread your script carefully before submitting. Resubmissions will incur the full entry fee.
- It is recommended that original material be registered with the WGA or The Library of Congress before submitting to any competition; however we do not require registration.
- Contact info may be included on the cover page of the screenplay; however it is not required.
- Neither PageCraft nor The Grey List claim any ownership or option on your work. All ownership and rights to the scripts submitted to this contest remains with the original rights holders.
- The decision of the judges will be final and cannot be contested in any manner. There is no score on a scorecard that guarantees advancement to the next level; advancement will be based on all scores in the competition.
- In the event a juror, partner organization, or prize partner is no longer able to serve in their specified capacity, the contest will make its best effort to secure a replacement. The contest is not responsible for the failed delivery of any prize package by a juror, sponsor, or partner organization.
- PageCraft and the Grey List reserve the right to substitute any prize for a prize of approximate equivalent value.
- The amount of the travel stipend offered to the contest winner will be up to $3,000. The actual amount will be determined at the sole discretion of PageCraft and the Grey List, and will vary based on prevailing market costs and the winner’s place of residence. This stipend is not considered part of the grand prize value for the purposes of paragraph 16, above.
- To participate in the PageCraft Screenwriting Lab in Italy or PageCraft’s Concept To Pages workshop, prize winners will be expected to adhere to all applicable PageCraft terms and conditions, including PageCraft’s Code of Conduct. PageCraft reserves the right to remove any participant from any program in the case of non adherence to any part of these terms and conditions. In such an event, PageCraft and the Grey List are not responsible for any costs incurred by a participant, nor are they responsible for replacing the prize or providing an alternate prize.
- PageCraft and The Gray List reserve the right to change deadline and announcement dates at any time, as well as the right to amend these rules at any time.
Additional Legal
- COPYRIGHT AND OWNERSHIP: PageCraft, The Grey List, and any other partner, employee or agent associated with this contest claim no ownership nor first right of option to any original screenplay submitted to this contest. All ownership and rights to the scripts submitted to this contest remain with the original rights holders until and unless other agreements are made.
- SIMILARITY OF MATERIALS. You acknowledge that PageCraft and The Grey List, together with their affiliated companies, prize contributors, judges, screenplay readers, sponsors, and any other organizations responsible for administering, advertising or promoting the Contest, and every one of their respective members, directors, employees, agents, and representatives past and present (collectively, “The Released Parties”) receive, review, and independently generate a large volume of creative material, and that similarities between submissions and other works are common and frequently coincidental. You acknowledge and agree that the Released Parties shall have no obligation or liability to you arising from any material they develop, acquire, produce, finance, or release that is similar or identical to your Entry in idea, theme, premise, format, character, setting, plot, or other element, regardless of when such material was created, and that you waive any claim of idea theft, breach of implied contract, unfair competition, or the like on that basis. Nothing in this paragraph waives a claim for actual infringement of copyright in protectable expression; however, you agree that mere similarity between your Entry and any other work shall not, by itself, establish access or copying.
- PUBLICITY: Except where prohibited by law, participation in the contest constitutes each entrant’s consent to PageCraft, The Grey List, and their representatives’ use of entrants’ names, likenesses, photographs, and/or personal information for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration.
- REFUND POLICY: All entries are non-refundable.
- SITE TERMS OF SERVICE. All PageCraft and the Grey List Terms of Service apply in addition to these rules and eligibility criteria.
- DATA MANAGEMENT AND PRIVACY. Entries for this competition are managed via third-party technology and data management tools to securely manage your information and data. PageCraft and the Grey List are not accountable for any data hacks (internal or external) or user errors that may release scripts or writer data unintentionally.
- MAILING LIST. Contest entry email addresses will be added to PageCraft’s email distribution list and The Grey List’s email distribution list. You may unsubscribe from either distribution list at any time using the unsubscribe link provided in each email.
- ENTRY CONDITIONS AND RELEASE: BY ENTERING THE CONTEST YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO THESE CONDITIONS. You agree to release, indemnify and hold harmless The Released Parties from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liability, including but not limited to damages and negligence to property and persons, including but not limited to invasion of privacy, defamation, slander, libel, violation of right of publicity, copyright, infringement of trademark or other intellectual property rights relating to a participant’s Entry, participation in the Contest and/or acceptance or use or misuse of Prize; provided however, that such release will not apply to any commercial exploitation of the script by a Released Party in violation of your rights under applicable copyright law; and (c) indemnify, defend and hold harmless PageCraft, The Grey List, and their representatives and employees from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liabilities (including reasonable attorney fees) relating to an entrant’s participation in the Contest and/or entrant’s use or misuse of Prize. Employees of PageCraft or The Grey List, and their immediate families, are ineligible to participate in this contest. Any such submission will be immediately disqualified.
- ENTRY TO THIS CONTEST IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED or restricted by any Federal, State or Local law. Voided entries will be refunded. Recipients’ eligibility will be verified before the grant is awarded and the winner may be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility. By entering the contest, you authorize us to use any trusted third-party online and cloud-based services and databases for hosting, managing and/or transmitting your submission file(s). The governing law is California.