Tinta oscura contest 2023

Purpose

The production company DEL TORO FILMS SRL invites interested parties to participate in the 2023 Film Screenplay Competition in Spanish or English language, from authors over 18 years of age, with the purpose of awarding and/or selecting one (1) screenplay for its possible and subsequent film production of a feature film that will average 90 minutes in length, and its subsequent international distribution by any means and support, according to the general rules and conditions detailed below. Participation in the Competition is subject to the following rules and conditions, which shall be considered known and accepted by the mere fact of submitting the work.

DEL TORO FILMS S.R.L. will be in charge of the production of the script.

Registration

1. Interested screenwriters must register their scripts through the registration form provided in the terms and conditions. The call for entries will remain open from July 21st to August 31st, 2023, inclusive, until 23:59 Argentine time. The Organizer reserves the right to extend the submission deadline as deemed appropriate.
2. Registration implies the knowledge and full acceptance of all the rules and conditions of the contest. The simple registration for this Contest constitutes a sworn statement by the participants affirming themselves as the legitimate authors of the work.

Requirements

1. Feature film scripts should be identifiable within the horror and/or science fiction genre, including fantastic elements in their plot, and must be live-action.
2. International screenwriters who submit original and unpublished works in Spanish or English may participate in this contest. The submitted scripts must be original and unpublished; otherwise, they will be excluded from participation in this call, even if they have won previous awards. In case of non-compliance with this rule, the winners will be personally responsible for any claims regarding the originality, ownership, and total or partial plagiarism of their work. Furthermore, works by individuals who have passed away before the announcement of this call are excluded.

1. Film scripts that have not been disclosed or awarded may participate, considering as disclosed those that have been reproduced or made public to the general audience through any means. It is also required that the scripts are not under consideration in any other national or international contest or with any film producer who has sufficient priority over the work. The exploitation rights of the submitted scripts must be free from encumbrances, not assigned or committed to any third party in any form, and be the exclusive property of the author(s) who submit it to the contest.

1. Scripts registered in the previous edition of the Dark Ink contest are not eligible.

1. Participants should send the script in a PDF file, written in Spanish or English, in A4 format. It is explicitly clarified that scanned scripts or handwritten manuscripts will not be accepted. The PDF file should include the following identification on the first page:

Name and surname of the author(s)

Title of the film; on the following pages

Plot synopsis (up to two pages)

In a separate PDF file, the author should also include their personal information (name, age, nationality, identification document, address, postal code, phone number, email address) and a scanned copy of the registration of the work with the National Copyright Office or the relevant entity in their country of origin. If the work is preselected, an original copy of the work’s registration with the registered entity or copyright in the USA will be requested.

1. Both individuals and teams of screenwriters can participate. Only one script per screenwriter or team of screenwriters will be accepted. Additionally, a screenwriter may submit one individual script and another as a co-writer in a group.

Prize

1. The prize will consist of the sum of USD 10,000 (ten thousand dollars) as the sole prize. The awarded authors will receive, in addition to the money, a certificate of the awarded prize. Co-writers will share the prize, and the organizers will deliver it to one of them based on written authorization from the other authors, absolving themselves of any responsibility towards the remaining members of the co-writing team.
2. The results of the contest will be announced during the Ventana Sur event from November 27th to December 1st. The Organizer or the Selection Committee may modify the award delivery dates or the publication of the results without prior notice.

1. The Selection Committee reserves the right to expand the number of finalists if the quality of the scripts so requires. The prize may be declared void. The selection of the script will be based on criteria of quality, originality, feasibility, and commercial viability. The jury’s decision will be final and cannot be appealed.

1. If necessary, the winner will allow for script rewriting and/or adaptation to the production needs. DEL TORO FILMS S.R.L. reserves the right to change the title of the work if it is selected for production, either on its own or in association with third parties.

6. The functions of the Selection Committee are established in section 6. The names of the members of the jury who will make the final selection will be communicated in due course, once the submission deadline has passed. If required by the Jury and/or the Selection Committee, additional presentations or clarifications of any kind may be requested from the screenwriters.

1. The Organizer reserves the right to publish the name and/or images of the winner(s) and their associates through the media and communication channels it deems appropriate, for as long as necessary and without any obligation to provide compensation. The name of the winner may be published by the Organizer in any possible format. By submitting their works, the participants in the prize give their consent regarding the disclosure of their image.

Contest Derivatives

1. The authors who receive the prize will grant DEL TORO FILMS S.R.L. exclusive rights to use the complete synopsis and original script for the purpose of producing a film in any format (film, digital, virtual, or any other created in the future). This authorization is exclusive for the 4 (four) years following the public announcement of the results. If, after that period, DEL TORO FILMS S.R.L. or its designated entity has not completed the shooting of the audiovisual work, the rights will revert to the original authors. If DEL TORO Films resolves, within the specified deadlines, not to produce the awarded script, the awarded author(s) will not have any right to claim, considering that the prize, original option, or option renewal (if applicable) received is the only income for their participation in the contest.
2. The authorization granted by the author(s) also includes the right of DEL TORO FILMS S.R.L. to internationally exploit the produced film without any time limit, through all audiovisual exhibition means invented or to be invented. DEL TORO FILMS S.R.L. reserves the right to produce the film for release on any other media, even if it decides not to premiere it in traditional exhibition theaters.

1. DEL TORO FILMS S.R.L. may transfer to third parties the filming rights of the awarded script.

1. The authors reserve the right to collect the economic copyright royalties that correspond to them, which are accrued from the exhibition of the film directly in cinemas or through other means of communication in countries where such legislation exists.

1. Contestants and awarded authors release the Organizer and its associates, including co-producers if any, from any responsibility and provide total indemnity regarding any claims that may be made by third parties concerning the rights of the works.

Event Bodies

1. A Selection Committee composed of members appointed by BLOOD WINDOW and DEL TORO FILMS S.R.L. will conduct an initial pre-selection by choosing the finalist scripts.

1. The subsequent selection will be carried out by the Jury composed of specialists designated by BLOOD WINDOW and DEL TORO FILMS S.R.L., who will announce their verdict within thirty days of its formation, issuing a report with the list of winners. The decisions of the Jury are final and cannot be appealed.

Mandatory Conditions

1. The awarded authors must accept the granted benefit in writing before receiving the prize amount via bank transfer. For this purpose, they must provide written notification of their Unique Bank Account number.

1. It is expressly clarified that, in the event of the selected script being produced, DEL TORO FILMS S.R.L. will appoint the entire film crew, including artistic, technical, and any other production roles involved in the making of the feature film. The selection of the production and shooting team includes DEL TORO FILMS S.R.L.’s authority to choose the film’s Director. Contest participants acknowledge this condition by the mere submission of the scripts.

Miscellaneous

1. Any circumstances not foreseen in the preceding rules will be resolved by DEL TORO FILMS S.R.L. and its resolution, after being communicated through the most appropriate means, will be considered accepted and complied with by all contest participants, with no possibility of rejection or recourse against them.

1. In the event of any dispute that needs to be settled through legal means, the parties (i) will voluntarily enter into a 15-day period of understanding to personally resolve their differences, and (ii) after that period, will submit to the ordinary jurisdiction, competent according to the subject matter, of the National Courts based in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina, expressly waiving any other jurisdiction that may correspond to them.
2. DEL TORO FILMS S.R.L. reserves the right to modify any aspect of the contest that involves organizational improvements and its procedures.
3. In the case of a project with multiple authors winning, both DEL TORO FILMS S.R.L. and BLOOD WINDOW will not mediate disputes between them if any conflicts arise. Such conflicts will remain unrelated to the current event, and participants commit to comply with these rules without altering their proposed objectives.
4. The winning screenwriter(s), who hold the rights to the works registered in the contest, and/or third parties who submit to this contest, accept and agree that, for the purposes of this contest, DEL TORO FILMS S.R.L. will be the sole and exclusive entity responsible for the prize and all consequences of the contest. They also legally agree to hold harmless the owner of the BLOOD WINDOW brand, the INCAA (National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts of Argentina) institution, and the VENTANA SUR event against any claims.