How To Enter

CONTEST CLOSED. The contest entry period was April 23, 2015 to June 30, 2015.

The contest will accept entries of short film screenplays (English language only) up to 10 pages in length (in PDF format) from the first 100 aspiring Canadian writers to enter the contest. No contest entry fee!

Our entry guidelines and official rules can be found below. All entrants must read and accept the official rules before submitting an entry.

The contest launches and begins accepting entries on April 23, 2015 and will close on June 30, 2015 or when 100 entries are received (one entry per person), whichever comes first.

The Top 3 contest winning scripts are as follows:

1st place: Posted (Wendy Chan)

2nd place: Wild Abandon (Dawn Prato)

3rd place: The Snow Fort (Stefan Cap)

OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES - THE 2015 SCREENWRITER MENTOR EXPERIENCE CONTEST

THIS CONTEST IS OPEN TO CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY (EXCLUDING QUEBEC) AND IS GOVERNED BY CANADIAN LAW.

1. CONTEST PERIOD:

The Contest begins on April 23, 2015 at 12:00:01 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET’) and ends on June 30, 2015 at 11:59:59 p.m. ET, or as soon as one hundred (100) Entries (defined below) have been received, whichever comes first (the “Contest Period”).

2. ELIGIBILITY:

Contest is open to all legal residents of Canada (excluding residents of Quebec) who:

have reached the age of majority in their province/territory of residence at the time of entry;
have never optioned, sold, or have had a screenplay produced by a third party, as determined by Aspiring Canadian Writers Contests Inc. (the “Sponsor”) at its sole discretion (ex. a production fully funded by a third party producer and/or for which the writer received cash award or payment for the screenplay from a third party producer);
have never had any original creative writing published (self-publication is permitted; other writing for the screen is permitted - restrictions for screenwriting are listed in the above eligibility point regarding screenplays); and
are not employees, representatives or agents (and those with whom such persons are domiciled, whether related or not) of Sponsor, its prize suppliers, the Judges (defined below), the Mentor (defined below) or advertising/promotion agencies (collectively, the “Contest Parties”).

For ease of reference, the following lists the age of majority in each province (excluding Quebec) and territory:

Alberta: age 18
British Columbia: age 19
Manitoba: age 18
New Brunswick: age 19
Newfoundland and Labrador: age 19
North West Territories: age 19
Nova Scotia: age 19
Nunavut: age 19
Ontario: age 18
Prince Edward Island: age 18
Saskatchewan: age 18
Yukon: age 19

3. HOW TO ENTER:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. To enter, go to www.screenwritermentorexperience.org (the “Website”), click on How To Enter, read the official rules and at the bottom of the rules, click on the blue hyperlink, which links to the email address for contest submissions, at which point you will:

type the words, Contest Entry, in the subject line of your email
provide your first name, last name, phone number and valid email address in the text area of your email;
attach your maximum 10 page short film screenplay in PDF format (English language scripts only). Do not include your name or contact information on the title page or anywhere on your screenplay entry. We will match your entry to your email to find your name, email address, and phone number if you are one of our top 3 winners. Any screenplays that include the screenwriter's name and/or contact information will have that information omitted before the screenplay is reviewed by our judge(s); and
send your message. You will receive an automated message confirming receipt of your entry.

There is a limit of one (1) Entry per person/email address permitted during the Contest Period. For greater certainty, you can only use one (1) email address to enter the Contest. If it is discovered that any person has attempted to: (i) obtain more than one (1) Entry per person/email address during the Contest Period; and/or (ii) use (or attempt to use) multiple names, identities and/or more than one (1) email address to enter the Contest; then (in the sole and absolute discretion of the Sponsor) he/she may be disqualified from the Contest.

The Releasees (defined below) are not responsible for late, lost, misdirected, delayed, incomplete or incompatible Entries.

All Entries (and each individual component thereof) are subject to verification for compliance with these Rules at any time. The Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to require proof of compliance with these Rules in a form acceptable to the Sponsor (for example, Sponsor may request proof of identity and/or eligibility in the form of government issued photo identification). Failure to provide such proof in a timely manner may result in disqualification, as determined by the Sponsor at its sole discretion. The sole determinant of the time for the purposes of a valid Entry in this Contest will be the Contest server machine(s).

4. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

By participating in the Contest, each entrant agrees to be bound by these Rules and by the interpretation of these Rules by the Sponsor, and further warrants and represents that his/her Entry:

is completely original to him/her. As the sole screenwriter, the entrant shall retain copyright in and to his/her screenplay;
should not be a previous winning entry in another contest or competition;
does not violate any law, statute, ordinance or regulation; and
will not give rise to any claims of infringement, invasion of privacy or publicity, or infringe on any rights and/or interests of any third party, or give rise to any claims for payment whatsoever.

The entrant agrees to release and hold harmless the Contest Parties and each of their respective agents, employees, directors, successors, and assigns, the Sponsor, the Judges (defined below), the Mentor (defined below), and any other person or entity involved in the organization, implementation and execution of this Contest (collectively, the “Releasees”) from and against any and all claims based on his/her participation in this Contest and/or the awarding and use/misuse of a Prize (if applicable) or any portion thereof, a misrepresentation by the entrant with respect to his/her entry, publicity rights, defamation, invasion of privacy, copyright infringement, trade-mark infringement or any other intellectual property related cause of action that relate in any way to the Entry, including, without limitation, any claim that a future work by a Judge, Mentor or any of the Releasees is substantially similar to the Entry.

5. THE PRIZES:

There are three (3) Grand Prizes (collectively, the “Grand Prizes”).

The Grand Prizes consist of the following: one (1) first place prize (the “First Place Prize”); one (1) second place prize (the “Second Place Prize”); and one (1) third place prize (the “Third Place Prize”).

The First Place Prize consists of:

three (3) separate online script editing sessions (each a “Mentoring Session”), each totalling one (1) hour of mentoring time, with Geneviève Appleton, the Contest Mentor (the “Mentor”)
one (1) online session via a voice-over-IP program with Industry Mentor, Navin Ramaswaran, on bringing a script to life. The steps involved in taking a script from page to film, from tips on funding an indie film, to collaborating with cast and crew, director, and producers.
a mention of the First Place Prize winner’s name and the title of his/her winning screenplay on the contest website (for the amount of time determined by the Sponsor)
an interview with Aspiring Canadian Writers Contests Inc. posted on the Website (the “Interview Post”) and/or the interviewer’s website (if any) or a publication of the Sponsor (to be discussed with the First Place Prize winner)
one (1) complimentary ticket to the 2016 Toronto Screenwriting Conference (accommodation and travel not included). A cash prize of $329, the price of a TSC early bird ticket in 2015, can be substituted for this prize if the winner cannot attend the 2016 conference.
Stephanie Palmer’s e-course, How To Be A Professional Writer

The Second Place Prize consists of:

two (2) separate online script editing sessions (each a “Mentoring Session”), each totalling one (1) hour of mentoring time, with Geneviève Appleton, the Contest Mentor (the “Mentor”)
a mention of the Second Place Prize winner’s name and the title of his/her winning screenplay on the contest website (for the amount of time determined by the Sponsor)
Stephanie Palmer’s e-course, How To Be A Professional Writer

The Third Place Prize consists of:

one (1) separate online script editing session (each a “Mentoring Session”), each totalling one (1) hour of mentoring time, with Geneviève Appleton, the Contest Mentor (the “Mentor”)
a mention of the Third Place Prize winner’s name and the title of his/her winning screenplay on the contest website (for the amount of time determined by the Sponsor)
Stephanie Palmer’s e-course, How To Be A Professional Writer

In the event that the Contest Judge & Mentor (Geneviève Appleton) cannot conduct any or all of the Mentoring Sessions, the Sponsor will find a suitable replacement, as determined by the Sponsor at its sole discretion. The Contest Judge & Mentor has the right to include a panel of Finalists Judges to determine the top 3 Grand Prize Winners from the top 6 screenplays. Any judges that join the Finalist Judging Panel will be listed on the Contest website.

In the event that the Industry Mentor (Navin Ramaswaran) cannot participate in the Discussion, the Sponsor will find a suitable replacement, as determined by the Sponsor at its sole discretion.

All characteristics and features of a Prize element, unless otherwise explicitly described above, are at the Sponsor’s sole discretion.

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the duration and timing of the Interview Post shall be selected by the Sponsor, Judge or Mentor (as applicable) at its his/her sole discretion.

Each Prize must be accepted as awarded and is not transferable or convertible to cash, with the exception of the 2016 Toronto Screenwriting Conference ticket for the First Place Winner, which is exchangeable to $329 Canadian dollars if the First Place Winner cannot attend the conference.

No substitutions except at Sponsor’s option.

Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to substitute a Prize or a component thereof with a prize of equal or greater value, including, without limitation, but at Sponsor’s sole and absolute discretion, a cash award.

Each Prize will only be awarded to the person whose full name and valid email address appears in the entry.

BEFORE BEING DECLARED A CONFIRMED PRIZE WINNER, each potential Prize winner must sign and return a declaration and release prepared by the Sponsor, which, among other things:

confirms compliance with these Rules;
acknowledges acceptance of the applicable Prize as awarded;
agrees to release the Releasees from any and all claims, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses arising from any liability in connection with this Contest, his/her participation therein and/or the awarding and use/misuse of the applicable Prize or any portion thereof;
agrees to the publication, reproduction and/or other use of his/her name, title of his/her entry, statements about the Contest and/or photograph or other likeness without further notice or compensation, in any publicity or advertisement carried out by or on behalf of the Sponsor in any manner whatsoever, including print, broadcast or the Internet;
with respect to the First Place Prize winner, grants to the Sponsor, in perpetuity, a non-exclusive license to publish, display, reproduce, modify, edit or otherwise use the content of the Interview as required to give effect to the Interview Post.

If a potential Prize winner:

(a) fails to return the properly executed Contest documents within the specified time; and/or

(b) cannot accept the applicable Prize for any reason, then in the event of a disqualified Grand Prize winner, he/she will forfeit all rights to the applicable Grand Prize and the Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to bump up each Finalist by one position to award the Grand Prizes as described above, with the necessary amendments.

7. GENERAL CONDITIONS:

The Releasees will not be liable for:

any failure of the Website during the Contest;
any technical malfunction or other problems relating to the telephone network or lines, computer on-line systems, servers, access providers, computer equipment or software;
the failure of any entry to be received by the Contest Parties for any reason including, but not limited to, technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website;
any injury or damage to an entrant’s or any other person’s computer or other device related to or resulting from participating or downloading any material in the Contest; and/or
any combination of the above.

Entrants are forbidden from attempting to contact a Judge or Mentor in any way whatsoever and, in the event an entrant attempts to contact a Judge or Mentor, he/she may be disqualified, as determined by the Sponsor at its sole discretion.

No details regarding the Prize winner selection process will be provided.

Subject to the licences provided herein, each entrant shall retain copyright in and to his/her entry.

In the event of a dispute regarding who submitted an entry, entries will be deemed to have been submitted by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at the time of entry. “Authorized account holder” is defined as the person who is assigned an email address by an Internet provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g. business, educational institute, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address. An entrant may be required to provide proof that he/she is the authorized account holder of the email address associated with the Entry at issue and, if applicable, that he/she has all necessary consents, permissions and/or licenses as required by these Rules.

The Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to withdraw, suspend or amend this Contest in any way, in the event of an error, technical problem, computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failure or any other cause beyond the reasonable control of the Sponsor that interferes with the proper conduct of this Contest as contemplated by these Rules.

The Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to substitute a Judge and/or the Mentor with a suitable replacement, as determined by the Sponsor at its sole discretion in the event the Judge and/or Mentor (as applicable) cannot or will not perform any of his/her obligations as contemplated in these Rules and the Releasees will bear no responsibility for such a substitution.

Any attempt to deliberately damage any website or to undermine the legitimate operation of this Contest is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, the Sponsor reserves the right to seek remedies and damages to the fullest extent permitted by law.

The Sponsor, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to cancel, amend or suspend this Contest, or to amend these Rules, without prior notice or obligation, in the event of any accident, printing, administrative, or other error or any kind, or for any other reason.

This Contest is subject to all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws. The decisions of the Sponsor, Judges and Mentor with respect to all aspects of this Contest are final and binding on all entrants without right of appeal, including, without limitation, any decisions regarding the ranking/eligibility/disqualification of entrants and/or entries.

The Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, and without prior notice, to adjust any of the dates and/or timeframes stipulated in these Rules, to the extent necessary, for purposes of verifying compliance by any entrant and/or entry with these Rules, or as a result of technical problems, or in light of any other circumstances which, in the opinion of the Sponsor, in its sole and absolute discretion, affect the proper administration of the Contest as contemplated in these Rules.

The Sponsor respects your right to privacy. By entering this Contest, each entrant expressly consents to the Sponsor, its agents and/or representatives, storing, sharing and using the personal information submitted with his/her Entry only for the purpose of administering the Contest.

In the event of any discrepancy or inconsistency between the terms and conditions of these Rules and disclosures or other statements contained in any Contest-related materials, including, but not limited to: the Entry method, Website and/or point of sale, television, print or online advertising; the terms and conditions of these Rules shall prevail, govern and control.

If you accept these Official Rules, click on the blue hyperlink below, which will lead to the email address, entry@screenwritermentorexperience.org, where you will:

type the words, Contest Entry, in the subject line of your email;
provide your first name, last name, phone number and valid email address in the text area of your email;
attach your maximum 10 page short film screenplay in PDF format (English language scripts only). Do not include your name or contact information on the title page or anywhere on your screenplay entry. We will match your entry to your email to find your name, email address, and phone number if you are one of our top 3 winners. Any screenplays that include the screenwriter's name and/or contact information will have that information omitted before the screenplay is reviewed by our judge(s); and
send your email. You will receive an automated message confirming receipt of your entry.

I read, accept, and agree to be legally bound by the terms and conditions of these Official Contest Rules

All entries are date & time stamped and should only be submitted during the contest entry period of April 23, 2015 at 12:00:01 AM Eastern Time

to June 30, 2015 at 11:59:59 PM Eastern Time or until 100 eligible entries are received, whichever comes first.

ENTRIES SUBMITTED OUTSIDE THE CONTEST ENTRY PERIOD WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.