1. Eligibility:
a. The competition is open to individuals who are 18 years of age or older at the time of entry.
b. Employees, contractors, and affiliates of United Filmmakers, LLC and their immediate family members are not eligible to participate.
2. Submission Requirements:
a. Submissions must be original material, copyrighted and owned by the filmmaker or the filmmaking team prior to submission and not under consideration for production by any other production company or party. Published novels, books, previously produced stage plays, and short films are accepted. Previously produced feature-length films, however, are not eligible unless they are adaptations or sequels and the copyright is owned by the filmmaker or the filmmaking team prior to submission.
b. Scripts, novels, books, plays and other submitted material must be written in English.
C. Short film submissions must be produced in English or with English subtitles.
d. Each participant may make an unlimited number of submissions, however, a separate entry fee is required for each submission.
e. Submitted scripts must not exceed 140 pages.
f. All submissions must be made online through the specified submission portal.
g. Scripts must be formatted in 12-point Courier font, with only the title provided on the cover page—no author-identifying information should be included.
3. Entry Fee:
a. Early Bird Deadline December 31, 2024: $149.99 USD
b. Regular Deadline March 31, 2025: $199.99 USD
c. Late Entry Deadline June 30, 2025: $249.99 USD
4. Representations and Warranties:
a. By submitting a script, novel, book, play, or short film to the competition, participants represent and warrant that:
i. They have the legal right and authority to enter the competition.
ii. The submitted material is their original work and has not been copied, in whole or in part, from any other work.
iii. The submitted material does not infringe upon the intellectual property, privacy, or publicity rights of any third party.
iv. They have not granted any rights to the submitted material to any other party that would conflict with the rights granted to United Filmmakers, LLC under these terms and conditions.
5. Ownership and Rights:
a. Participants retain the copyright and all other rights to their submitted material.
b. By entering the competition, participants grant United Filmmakers, LLC a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, distribute, and publicly display the submitted material for the purposes of the competition, promotion, and any related activities.
6. Infringement Release:
a. Participants acknowledge and agree that United Filmmakers, LLC shall not be liable for any claims of copyright or intellectual property infringement related to the submitted material.
b. Participants expressly release United Filmmakers, LLC, its affiliates, and representatives from any and all liability arising out of or in connection with any alleged infringement of copyright or other intellectual property rights.
7. Indemnification:
a. Participants agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless United Filmmakers, LLC, its officers, directors, employees, agents, and affiliates from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, losses, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorney’s fees) arising out of or in connection with:
i. Breach of any representation, warranty, or obligation under these terms and conditions.
ii. The submitted material infringing upon the intellectual property or other rights of any third party.
iii. Any other violation of these terms and conditions.
8. Limitation of Liability:
a. To the maximum extent permitted by law, United Filmmakers, LLC shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenues, whether incurred directly or indirectly, or any loss of data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses, resulting from participation in the competition.
9. Submission Deadlines:
a. Early Bird Deadline: December 31, 2024
b. Regular Deadline: March 31, 2025
c. Late Entry Deadline: June 30, 2025
10. Missing Pages or Updates:
a. Participants may submit missing pages or updates to their scripts after the initial submission for an additional fee of $49.99 USD per submission.
b. The additional fee must be paid through the specified payment platform.
11. Selection Process:
a. Scripts, novels, books, and short films will be judged based on creativity, originality, storytelling, and overall quality by a panel of judges appointed by United Filmmakers, LLC.
b. The decision of the judges is final and binding.
12. Winner Announcement:
a. The winner will be notified by email within 60 days of the competition closing date.
b. The winner must confirm acceptance of the prize within 7 days of notification.
13. Prize Categories:
a. The film contest has three prize categories: First Prize, Second Prize, and Third Prize. SEE CONTEST PRICES & DEADLINES FOR DETAILS
14. Production Agreement:
a. The first prize winner agrees to enter into a comprehensive production agreement with United Filmmakers, LLC. The production agreement will cover, but is not limited to, the following:
i. Budget: The agreed-upon budget for the production of the film (not to exceed $100,000.00).
ii. Timeline: A mutually acceptable timeline for pre-production, filming, and post-production activities.
iii. Creative Control: The extent of the winner’s creative control over the production, including involvement in key decisions.
iv. Distribution: Terms related to the distribution of the completed film, including release strategies and territories.
v. Compensation: Details regarding compensation for the winner, including any profit-sharing arrangements.
15. Film Credits:
a. The winner will receive appropriate writing credits in the film as determined by industry standards.
b. United Filmmakers, LLC will retain the right to determine other credits, including but not limited to director, producer, and actors.
16. Publicity:
a. The winner agrees to participate in publicity and promotional activities related to the competition and the production of the film.
b. Participants acknowledge and agree that United Filmmakers, LLC may announce and promote selected scripts and other materials across social media platforms and networks owned and operated by United Filmmakers, LLC.
18. General Conditions:
a. United Filmmakers, LLC reserves the right to disqualify any entry that violates these terms and conditions.
b. United Filmmakers, LLC is not responsible for lost, late, or incomplete entries, or for technical issues that may affect the submission process.
19. Modification or Termination:
a. United Filmmakers, LLC reserves the right to modify or terminate the competition at any time, for any reason, without notice.
20. Governing Law and Arbitration:
a. These terms and conditions are governed by the laws of the state of Maryland.
b. Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or in connection with these terms and conditions, or the breach, termination, or invalidity thereof, shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA).
c. The arbitration shall be conducted in Washington, D.C., and judgment upon the award rendered by the arbitrator(s) may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof.