Participant Agreement and Guidelines
Submission Guidelines and Agreement between Stowe Story Labs, Inc. (The Labs) and participants submitting material to a program run by The Labs:
As author(s) or owner(s) of the submitted material, my/our submission attests to the following:
To the accuracy of all information I/we have entered herein.
That I/we are 18 or older.
That the submitted material is my/our original work, with all rights to said work held by me/us.
That I/we will indemnify The Labs, hold it harmless and defend it against all claims, demands, losses, costs, damages, judgments, liabilities, and expenses arising out of or in connection with any and all claims of third parties, whether or not groundless, based on any stories submitted to The Labs or on any screenplay developed out of such stories.
That I/we understand that The Labs judges, directors, officers, employees or agents may be exposed to or may develop materials and ideas that may be similar to those of the submitted material. I/we understand and acknowledge that I/we will not be entitled to any compensation from such similar material that is independently conceived and created.
That I/we agree that I/we will never assert against The Labs (or any of its judges, directors, officers, employees or agents) any claim based on an assertion of plagiarism, idea theft, confidential or fiduciary relationship or any other theory relating to the submitted material.
That I/we understand that individual feedback on submissions is not provided except when offered by The Labs as a separate service. Further, I/we understand that decisions by The Labs on admission to The Labs are final.
That I/we have read, understood and complied with all guidelines and rules herein, and failure to do so may result in disqualification.
Script Submission Guidelines
Screenplays must have a CLEAN COVER PAGE. This means the title only on the cover, no author’s name/contact information. Scripts may be submitted electronically only. Hard copies of scripts mailed to The Labs will be placed in the recycling bin at the post office, unread and unloved!
Submit one copy of a script (feature or TV Pilot), treatment or story (you do not need a polished script to be admitted; you need a good story and the ability to turn it into a great script). Attach only PDF Files. Please make sure you have registered the script with the WGA and/or US Copyright office. You may include WGA or US Copyright registration numbers on the cover page. We will not accept later drafts as part of the application process.
Note Specific For Irish Writers: In Ireland, copyright automatically belongs to the writer. So if you are an Irish writer applying to the program with work you wrote, your acknowledgement of this participation and submission agreement on your application will serve as certification that you are the author of the submitted project.
The author's name must not appear anywhere within the body of the script.
Body pages must be numbered.
No additional materials, artwork, illustrations etc. should be submitted unless requested.
Scripts must be properly formatted (both theatrical and TV). Consult any screenwriting text or format guide.
Screenplays must be in English.
Official Rules & Guidelines
Entrants must be 18 or older.
Any screenplay from any genre will be considered.
Multiple entries are accepted, provided a signed entry form and appropriate entry fee is attached to each submission.
Admission to The Labs is for the applicant only. Admission of teams of two are typically under separate registration, subject to discussion with our team.
Beyond teams of two, if all writers wish to attend a Lab or Retreat they must individually apply and register.
Screenplays must be the original work of the author. If based on another person's life story or work, a statement attesting to the rights obtained must be attached. Submitting content generated by someone other than you, or that was created or assisted by an A.I. generative tool, is in violation with our participation agreement and will not be considered for any placement in our programs.
No adaptations of other written work will be accepted unless the writer owns the rights to the original material.
There must be no dispute about the ownership of submitted screenplays or the writer's right to submit a screenplay.
Again, the Labs recommends registering your screenplays with the WGA or the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress.
The Stowe Story Labs review team (“Judges”) decisions on projects/submissions are final and no correspondence will be entered into. Sorry, we cannot provide individual feedback from the reviews except when offered as a specific service.
Entrants acknowledge that The Labs, its judges, readers, mentors, and officers may be exposed to or may develop materials and ideas that may be similar to those of the submitted material. Entrants acknowledge they will not be entitled to any compensation because from such similar material which is independently conceived and created.
Entrants agree to never assert against The Labs (or any of its judges, readers, mentors, directors, officers, employees or agents) any claim based on an assertion of plagiarism, idea theft, confidential or fiduciary relationship or any other theory relating to the submitted material.
Entries that fail to follow competition rules and guidelines will be disqualified.
No refunds for entries that do not comply with competition rules and guidelines.
Winners will be responsible for their own U.S. income tax withholding.
Entering a project into a Stowe Story Labs’ program constitutes permission to use the applicant's/admittees/participants names and likenesses for publicity and promotions with no additional compensation. (Specific note regarding programs run in conjunction with the New Mexico Film Office (NMFO)): Participating in a NMFO training program constitutes permission to use the applicant's/admittee’s/participant’s names and likenesses for publicity and promotions with no additional compensation.)
All entries must be emailed by the appropriate deadline.
The Labs reserves the right to extend the final deadline, however an extended deadline is not guaranteed.
Participants at the Labs and / or Retreats run by Stowe Story Labs, Inc. acknowledge and agree that they will use a 'Stowe Story Labs Accepted Project' tag and a 'thank you' or 'developed with support from' credit on completed work on a single opening or end credit title card.
If admitted to a Lab or Retreat, deposits are required upon acceptance and are non-refundable. All participant fees are due twenty days prior to the commencement of the event and are non-refundable as of twenty days prior to the event.
How to Contact Stowe Story Labs
Mailing address is: Stowe Story Labs, Inc. P.O. Box 513 Stowe, Vermont 05672
The email address is: info@stowestorylabs.org
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