AITAF Bridge Award for Screenwriting
Official Competition Rules
Arts in the Armed Forces (“AITAF”) is pleased to announce the launch of the 2023 AITAF Bridge Award Contest (the “Contest”). This year, AITAF invites eligible screenwriters to submit screenplays that address original, compelling ideas, and that demonstrate both ability and skill in the art of cinematic storytelling. As in years past, AITAF hopes that the Contest will create an opportunity for the winner(s) to gain industry entry, validation, and advancement in the artistic world, helping them to bridge their military and civilian-artist experiences and to draw mainstream attention to the vital voices and exceptional talents within this diverse community. By participating in the Contest, each entrant hereby unconditionally agrees to these Official Contest Rules.
PARTICIPATION DATES AND PROMOTION STRUCTURE:
The 2023 Competition will open at 12:00:01 AM Eastern Standard Time on November 8, 2022 and ends on 11:59:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on January 12, 2023 (“Submission Period”). One (1) Winner will be selected from among all eligible submissions received during the Submission Period and announced on or approximately on May 1, 2023.
ENTRANT ELIGIBILITY:
- All Contest entrants must be legal residents of one of the fifty United States or the District of Columbia (or stationed on a United States military base overseas), must be age 18 or over, and must currently serve or have previously served in the United States military at the time of entry.
- Employees, representatives, agents, officers, and directors of AITAF (including Contest judges) or AITAF’s affiliates, or of its or their advertising, promotion and fulfillment agencies (“AITAF and Promotion Parties”), and those individuals who are immediate family members of AITAF and Promotion Parties, or persons living in the same household as, or domiciled with, AITAF and Promotion Parties, are not eligible to participate in the Contest. “Immediate family” means parents, siblings, children and spouse.
- For clarity, screenplays may be written by either: (A) a single screenwriter who is eligible under these Contest Rules, or (B) a pair of screenwriters who jointly enter the Contest, provided that each screenwriter agrees to these Contest Rules and is eligible under these Contest Rules.
- Each entrant or pair of co-entrants may submit one screenplay. Multiple submissions by any entrant (even if with a different pair) are not allowed.
- All selected finalists will be required to submit proof of eligible military service. Failure to submit proof of eligible service as required by AITAF may result in disqualification of both co-entrants for the screenplay.
SCREENPLAY ELIGIBILITY:
- Screenplays must be feature-length works, submitted in standard form and formatting in the English language.
- Screenplays must be the original work of the entrants.
- Screenplays may be adaptations of works previously authored by the entrants. This includes adaptations of plays submitted by the entrants to the AITAF Bridge Award Program in previous years. This also includes feature-length expansions of short films previously produced by the entrants.
- Screenplays may not be adaptations or translations of works owned (in whole or in part) by anyone other than the entrants. This includes works of fan fiction.
- Screenplays may not infringe or otherwise violate the intellectual property rights or privacy rights of any person or entity.
- Screenplays may not be screenplays for musicals or children’s movies.
- Screenplays need not address military subject matter. All topics and approaches are welcome.
- Screenplays that have a producer or financing attached at any time during the Contest are ineligible.
- Screenplays will be considered without regard to financial producibility.
- Submissions may not be pilots, teleplays, or spec scripts for already extant television shows; only screenplays for feature films will be accepted.
HOW TO SUBMIT AN ELIGIBLE SCREENPLAY:
During the period commencing on 12:00:01 AM Eastern Standard Time on November 8, 2022 and ending on 11:59:59 PM Eastern Standard Time on January 12, 2023 (the “Submission Period”), entrants may electronically submit (through Submittable) one feature-length, completed screenplay meeting all of the requirements set forth in these Contest Rules to the following website: aitaf.org/the-bridge-award-for-screenwriting. Entrants must submit the screenplay as a single PDF file with the title in the following format: “Title of Film.PDF.” Any entries submitted before or after the Submission Period will not be accepted. Entries will not be returned.
Each screenplay must be accompanied at the time of entry with a brief statement (not exceeding 250 words per entrant/screenwriter) describing each entrant’s prior and current military service, including dates of service, military branch, and foreign countries served in, if applicable. No other method of entry is accepted. Each entrant (or co-entrant, as applicable) must complete the required supplementary documentation on the entry form.
All screenplay submissions are final. Once a screenplay has been submitted, no further drafts or revisions will be accepted.
REVIEW AND AWARD PROCESS:
Eligible screenplays will be read and assessed by a panel of judges comprised of industry professionals. This panel will select 5-10 finalist screenplays and submit them to one Head Judge for a final decision on the winning screenplay, which will be publicly announced on or about May 1, 2023. Two runners-up will also be selected.
Screenplays will be assessed based on artistic merit, including qualities such as character development, originality of voice, story, structure, dialogue, and emotional and thematic resonance. The Contest is a contest of skill, and the odds of winning depend on the number of eligible screenplays submitted and the relative merit of the screenplays, as determined by the Contest judges.
GRAND PRIZE:
The eligible entrants for the winning screenplay will receive a cash prize of USD $10,000 (to be split amongst the winning co-entrants, if applicable), and an award ceremony celebrating the winning screenplay (which may take place in-person or virtually).
Active-duty military personnel must be granted approval to receive the grand prize by their chain of command. No alternative prizes or substitution is permitted. The grand prize is not transferable or convertible to cash. The winning screenplay is subject to verification as to all matters described in these Contest Rules. Taxes of any kind, including all federal, state and local taxes, are the sole responsibility of the winning entrant(s).
OTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS:
In order to be awarded the grand prize and declared the winner, in addition to the other requirements of these Contest Rules, the entrant or each of the co-entrants (as applicable) for the applicable screenplay must:
- Pass a background check;
- Submit a short bio, headshot and description of the screenplay, for display in AITAF promotional materials and on the website;
- Execute a General Release and Nondisclosure Agreement, with terms that may include (but may not be limited to) an affirmation of the release set forth in these General Terms and a photographic and videographic release; and
- Return the completed and executed General Release and Nondisclosure Agreement to AITAF within 10 days of the date of receipt.
Screenplays may be disqualified if the screenplay or the entrant does not meet all the criteria set forth in these Contest Rules, fails to pass the background check, or fails to timely confirm that the entrant or both co-entrants (as applicable) for the screenplay will claim the prize.
AITAF shall not be liable for late, lost, misdirected, or unsuccessful efforts to deliver any notification to any selected finalists. It is the responsibility of each entrant to promptly inform AITAF if any of their contact information changes. AITAF is not responsible for any undeliverable prize due to change of contact information.
All decisions regarding these Contest Rules will be made by AITAF in its sole discretion, and are final.
AITAF IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR AND SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR: (I) TELEPHONE, ELECTRONIC, HARDWARE, SOFTWARE, NETWORK, INTERNET, OR COMPUTER MALFUNCTIONS, FAILURES, OR DIFFICULTIES OF ANY KIND; (II) FAILED, INCOMPLETE, GARBLED, OR DELAYED COMPUTER TRANSMISSIONS; (III) ANY CONDITION CAUSED BY EVENTS BEYOND THE CONTROL OF AITAF (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO PANDEMICS) THAT MAY CAUSE THE CONTEST OR THE AWARD CEREMONY TO BE DISRUPTED OR CANCELLED; (IV) ANY INJURIES, LOSSES, OR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH OR AS A RESULT OF ANY PRIZE, OR ACCEPTANCE, POSSESSION, OR USE OF ANY PRIZE, OR FROM PARTICIPATION IN THE CONTEST; OR (V) ANY PRINTING OR TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS IN ANY MATERIALS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONTEST.
AITAF reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend or cancel the Contest, change any element of the Contest, or change any of these Contest Rules, with or without notice, at any time and for any reason. AITAF also reserves the right to disqualify, in its sole discretion, any person tampering with the entry process or the operation of the website, or who is otherwise in violation of these Contest Rules.
All disputes arising out of the Contest will be resolved in the appropriate courts in the state of New York, exclusively, and subject to the laws of the state of New York, unless otherwise required by law.
Personal information regarding entrants is subject to AITAF’s privacy policy, available on their website at www.aitaf.org.
Each entrant agrees to release and hold AITAF and its employees, officers, directors, agents, representatives, parents, members, affiliates, subsidiaries, legal advisors, and advertising, promotion, and fulfillment agencies harmless from any losses, damages, rights, claims, and actions of any kind arising in connection with the Contest or resulting from acceptance, possession, or use of any prize, including without limitation, personal injury, death, property damage, and claims based on publicity rights, defamation, or invasion of privacy, in each case to the maximum extent permitted by law.
Void where prohibited. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply.
CONTACT US:
If you have any questions, comments or complaints regarding the Contest, please contact AITAF through the “Contact Us” page on AITAF’s website, aitaf.org/contact, or by mail at 220 36th Street, B520, Brooklyn, NY 11232.
