• Open to Sydney residents only
• Applicants must be aged 18-30
• Must have or be willing to obtain a Working With Children Check (WWCC)

• A 5-page script sample (excerpt from any part of your script)
• Cover page including script title, author’s name, and contact details
• Formatted to industry standards (Final Draft, Celtx, or similar)
• A concise logline (1-2 sentence summary of your story)
• Story outline (1-2 paragraphs summarising the full narrative)

• Complete the online submission form (linked below).

• Upload your script as a PDF following the submission guidelines.

• Ensure your submission includes:

  • 5-page script sample (excerpt from any part of your script)

  • Short logline (1-2 sentence summary)

  • Cover page (script title, author’s name, contact details)

  • Formatted to industry standards (Final Draft, Celtx, or similar)

By submitting your script to the Young Actors Assembly Emerging Screenwriters Competition, you agree to the following terms and conditions:

1. Eligibility

1.1. Entrants must be residents of Sydney, Australia.
1.2. Entrants must be aged 18-30 at the time of submission.
1.3. Only one submission per entrant is allowed.
1.4. Entrants must have or be willing to obtain a Working With Children Check (WWCC).

2. Submission Guidelines

2.1. All scripts must be formatted to industry standards (Final Draft, Celtx, or similar) and submitted as a PDF.
2.2. Submissions must include:

• A 5-page script sample (excerpt from any part of the script)
• A short logline (1-2 sentence summary)
• A cover page (script title, author’s name, contact details)

2.3. Scripts must be 12 pages in total, with the first full draft submitted by Monday 28th April if selected as the winner.
2.4. Scripts must adhere to the following competition parameters:

• One primary location (+ 200-metre perimeter)
• 8 characters aged 8-13, each with equal screen time

2.5. Scripts must be original, unpublished, and not previously produced or awarded in any other competition.

3. Ownership & Rights

3.1. Entrants retain full ownership and copyright of their submitted script.
3.2. By submitting, entrants grant Young Actors Assembly (YAA) a non-exclusive license to develop, produce, and showcase the winning script as part of this competition.
3.3. YAA reserves the right to edit the script (in collaboration with the winning writer) for production purposes.
3.4. YAA may use excerpts, images, and footage from the produced film for promotional and marketing purposes.

3.5 All submissions must be the entrant’s original work. Scripts that are plagiarised, adapted from copyrighted material without permission, or entirely generated by AI tools will be disqualified.

3.6 The winning writer acknowledges that all creative and production decisions rest with YAA and its film production team. While YAA will collaborate with the winning writer, final edits, casting, direction, and production choices are at YAA’s discretion.

3.7 The winner grants YAA the right to distribute the final film through its platforms, festivals, and promotional channels without requiring additional permission from the writer.

3.8 YAA reserves the right to submit the final produced film to film festivals, industry events, and online platforms. The writer will be credited accordingly but will not receive separate financial compensation for festival participation.

4. Judging & Selection Process

4.1. Scripts will be evaluated based on:

• Originality & concept
• Character development & dialogue
• Suitability for a young cast
• Screenplay structure & formatting

4.2. A panel of industry professionals (TBA) will judge the submissions.

4.3 YAA reserves the right to not select a winner if no submitted scripts meet the required standards of content, quality, or suitability for production.
4.4. All judging decisions are final, and no correspondence regarding the outcome will be entered into.

5. Prizes & Winner Obligations

5.1. The winner will receive:

• $250 cash prize is paid within 24 hours upon completion of final draft  
• Their short film professionally produced and performed by YAA’s pre-teen actors
• Industry recognition and an IMDB credit

5.2. The winner must submit their finalised script for production by Monday, May 26th, or Wednesday, May 28th.
5.3. The winner must be available for collaboration with the production team and actors on Thursday 15th and 22nd May or Saturday 17th and 24th May.

5.4 The winner may be invited to participate in creative discussions, but they will not be required to be on set during production. Final script revisions and production decisions will be at the discretion of the YAA film team.

5.5. The winner will be invited to a special cinema screening on 15th December 2025 to see their film on the big screen.

6. Disqualification & Rule Violations

6.1. YAA reserves the right to disqualify any entrant who:

• Submits plagiarised work.
• Fails to adhere to submission guidelines.
• Provides false or misleading information.

6.2. Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.

7. Liability & General Conditions

7.1. YAA is not responsible for technical issues, lost submissions, or incomplete entries.

7.2. YAA reserves the right to modify, cancel, or suspend the competition if unforeseen circumstances arise.

7.3. By entering, participants agree to be contacted by YAA for competition updates and promotional opportunities.

7.4 Only the selected winner will be notified. Non-selected scripts will not receive feedback and will not be retained for future consideration.

7.5. The winning entrant must not publicly announce their selection until YAA has officially announced the winner.

7.6. Entrants agree to keep details of their submission confidential until the official winner announcement.

8. Contact Information

For any questions, please email [email protected].

Submissions close Monday, 24th March. Good luck!