The competition’s mission is to open doors to all US-based contestants of any nationality, to create compelling cinematic stories centered around Beijing and its rich, multifaceted culture. In doing so, we hope to foster artistic collaboration between China and the US.

As the first of its kind, this groundbreaking initiative will set a new model for future culturally collaborative events.

The high-profile nature of this competition provides an unprecedented opportunity for gifted US-based writers, and we anticipate strong attention to the competition in both countries.

The competition offers US writers a unique opportunity to obtain international recognition. There is no entry fee! Don’t miss out submit now!

View Press Release

Vice mayor of Beijing, Mr. Wei Lu serves as the competition’s honorary president.

View the welcome letter from Governor Lu.

Feature Film Competition

Please note: This information on applying to the Feature Film Competition and about its Prizes, and the FAQ below are provided solely as a courtesy for prospective contest participants and is not intended to, and will not, modify or amend the Official Rules. Please make sure you read the Official Rules carefully as they alone govern this contest. We may update this information on Applying and the FAQ from time to time.

YOU COULD WIN A WEEK IN BEIJING!

Submit a 5-11 page proposal for a feature film set in Beijing by April 7th, 2013. FIVE winners will get an expense-paid week in Beijing plus $1,000. Plus–the FIVE winners will have the opportunity to compete for a $15,000 Grand Prize for a completed screenplay!

The contest is open to anyone currently living in the U.S., regardless of nationality. Submissions will be welcome from students, professionals, and everyone else who would like to enter.
Competition open for submissions March 4, 2013.
Submissions should consist of a cover sheet with a brief synopsis, and a 5-11 page proposal for a feature film (for a total page count of 6-12 pages). The proposal can be organized in whatever way the writer prefers, but must convey the complete story (beginning, middle, end). The inclusion of sample dialog is strongly encouraged. The cover sheet and the proposal should be in a single file, with the cover sheet as the first page. The name and contact information should NOT be present anywhere on the cover sheet or the proposal (this information will be collected separately during the submission process). For more on the format of proposals, see the FAQ section of this website.
All proposals must prominently feature Beijing as a location.
All proposals must be for films that are appropriate for public screening in the U.S. and China.
All submissions must be written in English.
Submissions will be accepted beginning on March 4, 2013. All proposals must be submitted through this website.
Acceptable file formats are: Microsoft Word (doc and docx) and PDF.
There is no entry fee.
The deadline for all submissions is April 7, 2013.
After the trip to Beijing, the First Prize winners will each be invited to write a complete draft of a screenplay based on their winning proposals. These screenplays will be due on August 20, 2013. The Grand Prize winner will be announced on or about September 20, 2013.
To travel to Beijing, you will need a passport that is valid until Febuary of 2014 . We strongly recommend that all entrants make sure now that their passports will meet this requirement. A Chinese entrance visa will also be required. The Competition will apply for these visas and pay the required visa application fees, but entrants will need to fill out a visa application which will be sent to them by the Competition.
For additional information, see the FAQ below.

Short Film Competition

Submit early–100 Early Bird Prizes, each consisting of a $100 AMC Theater Gift Card, will be awarded to Short Film submissions received by March 29, 2013!

Please note: This information on applying to the Short Film Competition and about its Prizes, and the FAQ below, are provided solely as a courtesy for prospective contest participants and is not intended to, and will not, modify or amend the Official Rules. Please make sure you read the Official Rules carefully as they alone govern this contest. We may update this information on Applying and on the Prizes and the FAQ from time to time.

YOU COULD WIN A WEEK IN BEIJING!

Submit a 3-11 page script for a short film set in Beijing by April 20th, 2013. TEN winners will receive an expense-paid week in Beijing. SEVEN of the winners will have their short films financed for production in Beijing. Plus Early Bird Awards — 100 Gift Cards for $100 each will be awarded to winners chosen among screenplays submitted by March 29!

The contest is open to all full-time students, of any nationality, currently enrolled in a college, university, or film school in the U.S. It is also open to recent graduates of such schools, who have graduated on May 1, 2007 or later.
Competition open for submissions March 4, 2013.
Submissions should consist of a cover sheet with a brief synopsis, and a short 3-11 screenplay for a short film.
All screenplays must prominently feature Beijing as a location.
All screenplays must be for films that are appropriate for public screening in the U.S. and China.
All submissions must be written in English and should be in standard screenplay format.
Submissions must be made through this website. No e-mail or other submissions will be accepted. Acceptable formats are PDF and Microsoft Word (doc or docx).
There is no entry fee.
Submissions made by March 29, 2013 will be eligible for a special Early Bird Prize. 100 Early Bird Prizes, each consisting of a $100 AMC gift card, will be awarded.
The deadline for the Early Bird Prizes will be March 29, 2013.
The final deadline for submissions will be April 20, 2013.
The 3 First Prize winners will receive a 7-day expense-paid trip to Beijing, including round-trip transportantion, hotels, and meals, to attend the Award Ceremony in Beijing on June 9, 2013, plus a cash award of $1,000. Two groups will visit Beijing, one from June 3, 2013 to June 10, 2013, and the other from June 7, 2013 to June 14, 2013. No cash substitute for the trip to Beijing will be offered, and no rescheduling will be possible.
To travel to Beijing, you will need a passport that is valid until Febuary of 2014 . We strongly recommend that all entrants make sure now that their passports will meet this requirement. A Chinese entrance visa will also be required. The Competition will apply for these visas and pay the required visa application fees, but entrants will need to fill out a visa application which will be sent to them by the Competition.
For additional information, see the FAQ below.

Prizes & Awards

5 First Prizes will be awarded. Each First Prize will be a 7-day 6-night expense-paid visit to Beijing to attend the award ceremony on June 9, 2013, plus a cash award of $1,000.
Two groups will travel to Beijing, one going from June 3 to June 10, 2013, and the other going from June 7 to June 14, 2013. No cash or other substitution for the trip to Beijing will be allowed, and no rescheduling will be possible.
The First Prize winners will be announced on or about May 20, 2013.
The First Prize winners will be eligible to compete for a Grand Prize of $15,000.

Prizes & Awards

There will be 3 First Prize winners and 7 Grand Prize winners. Winners will be notified on or about May 20, 2013.
In addition, there will be 100 Early Bird Prizes awarded to submissions received by March 29, 2013. Each Early Bird Prize will consist of a $100 AMC Theater gift card. Winners will be notified on or about May 20, 2013.
The 3 First Prize winners will receive a 7-day expense-paid trip to Beijing, including round-trip transportantion, hotels, and meals, to attend the Award Ceremony in Beijing on June 9, 2013, plus a cash award of $1,000.
The 7 Grand Prize winners will receive a 10-day expense-paid trip to Beijing, including round-trip transportantion, hotels, and meals, to attend the Award Ceremony in Beijing on June 9, 2013, plus a cash award of $1,000. During this visit, their films will be shot in Beijing, with a production budget of $10,000 for each short film. Because they will be needed in Beijing for the shooting of their films, any Grand Prize winner unable to travel to Beijing will be downgraded to a First Prize winner, and another Grand Prize winner will be selected in that person’s place.
Two Grand Prize groups will visit Beijing, one from June 3 to June 13, 2013, and the other from June 7 to June 17, 2013.
First Prize winners who are unable to visit Beijing for the Award Ceremony will receive the cash award of $1,000. But no cash substitute or rescheduling of the Beijing trip will be allowed.

Read official rules for feature film

Read official rules for short film

FAQ

I write with a writing partner. Are collaborations accepted in these competitions?
No, every proposal and screenplay must be the work of a single writer. Collaborations are not eligible.

What should I put in my synopsis?
The synopsis is purely for administrative purposes. If, for example, in the midst of judging, a judge asks “What was that submission about the bicycle repairman who wants to open a restaurant?”, the synopsis should make it easy to locate that submission without having to read through a whole pile of submissions from end to end. That’s all it’s for, so put your energy into the submission itself, not the synopsis. A few sentences making it easy to identify your submission is all that’s needed for the synopsis. You can see a sample synopsis at the end of FAQ section.

I’m entering the Short Film Contest. How should I format my screenplay?
You can find a good simple guide to screenplay format at the website of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, at http://www.oscars.org/awards/nicholl/resources.html

I’m submitting to the Feature Film Competition. What format should I use for my proposal?
We want writers to have the flexibility to communicate their visions for the films in whatever way they feel will be most effective. For some writers, this will be a standard short treatment format. Other writers may want to think of their proposals more informally as “pitches”–perhaps a page and a half telling the story, a page or two about the characters, something about the background. We do ask that your proposal convey a sense of the complete story–beginning, middle, and end. And we strongly encourage including some sample dialog, either integrated into the story or as a section of its own. Your proposal can be as short as 5 pages or as long as 11 pages (6 to 12 total when you count in the cover page with synopsis)–whatever length lets you best communicate your vision is the “right” length.

I have several great ideas. Can I enter more than one submission?
Yes, we’re happy to take multiple submissions. Just be sure to do a separate submission for each idea–if you try lump them all together into one submission, the judges will get confused!

I can’t find the entry fee in the rules! How much do I have to pay to enter?
The reason you can’t find it, is that there is NO entry fee for this competition!

How are the submissions evaluated?
All submissions are evaluated based on:
Originality;
Imagination;
Potential audience appeal;
Quality of writing; and
Overall impression.

Must Beijing be the ONLY location in my Feature Film Proposal or Short Film Screenplay?
No–Beijing does not need to be the ONLY location. But it does need to be an IMPORTANT location in your proposal or screenplay.

I’m an international student, studying in the U.S. Your rules say that the contest is open only to “legal residents”. I don’t have a green card. Am I eligible to enter?
YES! For purposes of our competition, “legal resident of the U.S.” means anyone who is legally living in the U.S, such as foreign students who are studying in the U.S. We look forward to receiving your submission!

I’d like to do a contest submission based on a published short story by another writer, for which I’ve purchased the film rights. Will this be eligible?
No. Proposals or screenplays based on a story or novel by another writer are not eligible, even if you have purchased the rights.

I am enrolled as a full-time student. However, I’ve taken this semester off. Am I eligible for the Short Film competition?
Yes! For purposes of this Competition, if you’re enrolled as a full-time student, even if you’re taking this semester, or even the whole year, off, we will regard you as a currently enrolled full-time student, and you are welcome to enter the Short Film Competition. We look forward to your submission.

SAMPLE SYNOPSIS

Please read the sample synopsis.

For additional questions, please contact info@writebeijing.org.