01All submitted material must be original and must be owned or lawfully controlled by the applicant(s) at the time of submission. Where a screenplay has multiple writers, all relevant writers must be identified and must have the necessary rights and authority to submit the screenplay. Adaptations are eligible only where the applicant(s) own or lawfully control the underlying rights, or where the underlying work is in the public domain.
02There are no age or nationality restrictions. Applicants may be from any country and may submit an unlimited number of screenplays, subject to the applicable entry fees. Entries must be received before the applicable deadline and the entry fee must be paid in full at the time of submission.
03Screenplays must be written in English or Romanian, submitted in PDF format and written in standard industry screenplay format, preferably using Courier 12 pt or an equivalent screenplay font.
04Applicants are responsible for taking any steps they consider appropriate to document or protect their authorship before submitting their work. Registration with the WGA, the U.S. Copyright Office or any other organization is not required for participation.
05The competition awards are structured in three steps:
06STEP 1 — CATEGORY WINNERS: 9 Category Winners, one for each category, will be selected. Each will receive one two-page written screenplay analysis from one reader and will become eligible for the Grand Winners awards.
07STEP 2 — GRAND WINNERS: From the 9 Category Winners, three Grand Winners will be selected:
08Golden Nib — USD 200 + production opportunity
11The total cash prize is USD 350.
12STEP 3 — RISING STAR WINNERS: After the Category Winners and Grand Winners have been selected, 10 Rising Star Winners will be selected at random from the pool of eligible submissions that have received no previous prize or placement. One winner will receive a one-hour online meeting with producers/directors George Ganea and Horia Cucuta, including feedback on the submitted screenplay and an opportunity to discuss the film industry and ask questions. Nine additional winners will each receive one written feedback letter.
13Rising Star Winners will be selected using Random.org. Each eligible screenplay will be assigned a number for the purpose of the random selection. The selection will take place only from submissions that have received no previous prize or placement.
14All prize-related communication will be conducted by email. For cash prizes and Rising Star prizes, the organizers will send one initial email followed by a maximum of two reminder emails if there is no response. If the recipient does not respond after the original email and two reminders, the prize will be considered forfeited and no further attempts to contact the recipient will be required.
15Cash prizes will be paid by 30 June 2028, provided that the recipient has supplied the information reasonably necessary to make the payment. The Rising Star meeting will also be organized by 30 June 2028. The meeting will normally take place online by video call unless otherwise agreed.
16The Grand Winner Golden Nib will receive an opportunity to have their winning screenplay developed and produced by MC PATRAT FILM S.R.L. The production opportunity is available exclusively to the Golden Nib Winner. If the Grand Winner Golden Nib declines the opportunity, fails to sign the required agreement within the specified period, cannot legally grant the required rights, or otherwise does not become available for production, the production opportunity will lapse for that edition.
17The production opportunity is not a guaranteed production budget. MC PATRAT FILM may use its own resources and may seek additional financing through public funding, grants, co-producers, investors, broadcasters, distributors, sponsors, cultural funds or other lawful financing sources. MC PATRAT FILM may determine the production budget, financing structure, production schedule and production partners, and may engage external production companies, studios, artists, animators, visual effects companies, post-production companies, writers, translators, script editors, dramaturgs, consultants and other specialists.
18MC PATRAT FILM will not acquire ownership of the Grand Winner Golden Nib's original screenplay. The screenplay will remain the property of its writer(s). In order to receive the production opportunity, the Grand Winner Golden Nib must enter into an Exclusive Licence and Adaptation Agreement with MC PATRAT FILM S.R.L.
19The agreement will grant MC PATRAT FILM the exclusive rights necessary to develop, adapt, localize, translate, finance, produce, complete, distribute, license, sell, promote and otherwise exploit the audiovisual work based on or derived from the winning screenplay and/or any audiovisual work developed or produced from it, worldwide and through all lawful media, platforms, territories and methods of exploitation.
20These rights will also include the right, where applicable, to develop and produce further audiovisual works, including sequels, prequels, spin-offs, remakes, reboots, adaptations, feature-length versions, additional films, series, episodes and further seasons, as well as other works set in or connected to the same fictional universe.
21Where the winning screenplay is a short film, MC PATRAT FILM may develop and produce a feature-length film based on or derived from the short film, as well as sequels, prequels, spin-offs or other films connected to or set within the same fictional universe.
22Where the winning screenplay is a pilot or other material intended for a series, MC PATRAT FILM may develop and produce the complete series based on the winning screenplay and/or resulting pilot, including additional episodes and subsequent seasons.
23MC PATRAT FILM may determine the format, number and length of episodes, seasons and other audiovisual works according to the creative, production, financing and commercial requirements of the project.
24The rights granted to MC PATRAT FILM may also include the right to develop, adapt or transform the winning material for other media and formats, including, where applicable, stage productions, audio productions, podcasts, interactive or digital works, publishing, games, graphic novels, animation, merchandising and other derivative or ancillary works, to the extent permitted by applicable law.
25MC PATRAT FILM may exercise these rights directly or through co-producers, partners, licensees, distributors, publishers, broadcasters, platforms, studios, financiers or other authorized third parties.
26MC PATRAT FILM will have primary creative, production and commercial control over the resulting audiovisual work and any authorized derivative works, including script development, writers and script editors, director, cast, crew, music, production design, budget, financing, production partners, editing, post-production, final cut, title, distribution, sales, festivals, marketing, publicity and release strategy.
27The writer may be consulted during development when MC PATRAT FILM considers it useful, but such consultation does not constitute approval or veto rights unless separately agreed in writing.
28The writer's moral rights will be respected to the extent required by applicable law. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the writer agrees not to exercise any non-waivable moral rights in a manner that would unreasonably prevent or interfere with the development, adaptation, production, distribution or exploitation of the authorized works.
29The writer will receive an appropriate writing or source-material credit for the original screenplay, subject to applicable law, customary industry practice and the requirements of co-producers, broadcasters, distributors, platforms, festivals and other exploitation partners.
30The Golden Nib Winner will not be required to contribute financially to the development, production, marketing or distribution of the film unless separately agreed in writing.
31No upfront acquisition or licensing fee will be payable to the Grand Winner Golden Nib for the rights granted under the production agreement. The Grand Winner Golden Nib will receive 5% of the Net Profit generated by the resulting film/pilot, as defined in the Exclusive Licence and Adaptation Agreement.
32Net Profit will generally mean amounts actually received from exploitation of the film after applicable taxes, customary distribution and sales fees and commissions, financing costs and interest, development costs, production and post-production costs, fees payable to additional writers and other creative contributors, marketing and publicity expenses, insurance, legal and business affairs costs, festival and delivery expenses, and other reasonable costs and amounts directly or indirectly related to the development, financing, production, completion, distribution and exploitation of the film.
33Amounts properly payable or recoupable by financiers, co-producers, production partners and other participants under applicable financing, co-production, distribution or exploitation agreements may be taken into account before calculating Net Profit.
34No profit participation is payable if the film does not generate Net Profit.
35The 5% participation does not give the writer ownership of MC PATRAT FILM, the production company, the film production entity or its financing or commercial structures, and does not create a partnership, joint venture, employment or agency relationship.
36MC PATRAT FILM will have until 31 December 2033 to commence production of the Golden Nib project. Production will be considered to have commenced when principal photography begins or, where the production does not use conventional principal photography, when substantial production activities constituting actual production have commenced, including animation production, documentary filming or other substantial production activity under an established production plan, and MC PATRAT FILM has committed material production resources.
37If production has not commenced by 31 December 2033, the exclusive production rights granted to MC PATRAT FILM will expire unless the writer agrees in writing to an extension. MC PATRAT FILM may request an extension where development, financing, co-production, commissioning, production or other substantial progress concerning the project is ongoing.
38If production has commenced before 31 December 2033, the production deadline will be considered satisfied and the rights necessary to complete, edit, finalize, distribute, sell, license, promote and exploit the resulting film and authorized derivative works will continue after that date, even if production or release takes place later.
39Films and pilots produced through the competition will normally be produced in Romanian. If the winning screenplay is written in English, MC PATRAT FILM may translate, adapt and rewrite it for Romanian language and cultural context, including changes to dialogue, characters, names, locations, cultural references, social context, chronology, scenes, narrative structure, tone, duration and ending.
40Such changes are included in the rights granted under the Exclusive Licence and Adaptation Agreement.
41If the Grand Winner Golden Nib winning screenplay is a pilot or other material intended to form part of a television or streaming series, MC PATRAT FILM may further develop the series, including additional episodes and subsequent seasons. If the series is subsequently financed, commissioned, licensed or sold, the writer's financial participation and credit will be governed by the Exclusive Licence and Adaptation Agreement and any applicable financing, production, commissioning or distribution arrangements.
42MC PATRAT FILM may discuss the writer's possible participation in the writing team but cannot guarantee such participation.
43The Golden Nib Winner must respond to the production agreement within 14 calendar days of receiving it. If the winner declines the production opportunity, fails to sign the agreement within that period, expressly refuses its terms, or otherwise does not become available for production, the production opportunity will be considered declined.
44This does not affect the winner's eligibility to receive the Golden Nib cash prize, provided that the requirements for payment have been fulfilled.
45By submitting a screenplay, the applicant represents and warrants that they have the right to submit it; that it does not knowingly infringe third-party rights; that all necessary co-writers and rights holders have been identified; that any underlying work used for an adaptation is lawfully available; and that they are not knowingly subject to any option, licence, assignment, pledge, agreement or other obligation that would conflict with the rights contemplated by these Rules or the Exclusive Licence and Adaptation Agreement.
46The Golden Nib Winner further represents and warrants that they will be able to grant the rights required under the Exclusive Licence and Adaptation Agreement. The writer will be responsible, subject to applicable law, for losses, damages and reasonable legal costs arising directly from a material breach of these representations and warranties.
47The organizers may withdraw a screenplay or award if the entry is found to be ineligible, based on plagiarism, fraud, false information, rights infringement or another material violation of these rules. Applicants are responsible for the accuracy of all information submitted.
48The organizers may also take appropriate action, including withdrawal of an award, in cases of serious abusive, threatening, harassing, fraudulent or unlawful conduct directed at the organizers, judges, readers, other participants or collaborators where such conduct materially affects the competition or its administration.
49The organizers determine the composition of the jury and reading teams and may use external readers, judges, consultants and other professionals. The organizers' decisions regarding Category Winners and Grand Winners are final, subject to applicable law. The organizers may correct obvious administrative or clerical errors in competition communications, results or published materials.
50By entering the competition, applicants authorize the organizers to publish the screenplay title, writer's name, country and other non-confidential information relating to the competition and awards. Category Winners, Grand Winners and Rising Star Winners may be announced through the competition's website, social media, press releases and promotional materials.
51The organizers may use short excerpts, loglines, synopses, writer biographies, photographs and other promotional information supplied by the applicant for competition-related promotion. These promotional rights do not transfer ownership of the screenplay.
52The organizers are not required to promote any particular winner or project for any minimum period, through any particular channel or in any particular format.
53The organizers will make reasonable efforts to treat submitted screenplays as confidential during judging, but submissions may need to be shared with judges, readers, consultants and others involved in evaluating entries. The organizers are not responsible for unauthorized disclosure by third parties outside their reasonable control.
54Current employees, competition judges, readers and direct collaborators of the LET'S MAKE IT! Screenwriting Contest or MC PATRAT FILM S.R.L., as well as their immediate family members, are not eligible to enter. Former judges, readers and employees may also be excluded where their previous involvement could reasonably create a conflict of interest.
55The organizers may make reasonable administrative changes to deadlines, categories, judging procedures or other competition details where circumstances require it, provided that such changes do not materially alter awards already granted. The organizers will not be liable for failure or delay caused by circumstances beyond their reasonable control, including natural disasters, war, governmental restrictions, epidemics or pandemics, serious illness, death, technical failures, cyberattacks, strikes, infrastructure failures or other force majeure events. Force majeure does not automatically create an obligation for MC PATRAT FILM to produce the winning film or provide an alternative production award.
56Submission of a screenplay constitutes acceptance of these Rules and Regulations. These Rules are governed by Romanian law. Disputes will first be addressed through good-faith communication and, if unresolved, by the competent Romanian courts, subject to mandatory applicable law. Applicants concerned about the rights granted to the Golden Nib Winner are encouraged to seek independent legal advice before entering the competition. In the event of a conflict between these Rules and a subsequent written agreement signed between MC PATRAT FILM S.R.L. and the Golden Nib Winner, the signed agreement will govern their relationship to the extent permitted by applicable law.
57An event organized by:
MC PATRAT FILM S.R.L.
EUID: ROONRCJ40/13245/2020
Bucharest, Romania
