National Competition Seeks to Disrupt Hollywood

Movieguide® and Timothy Plan® are pleased to announce the opening of the 2022 Kairos Prize® script competition.

“What our world needs now is these uplifting screenplays that remind us that compassion, forgiveness and redemption will always win,” says Robert Baehr, Movieguide® chief executive officer. “The Kairos Prize® is an opportunity to remind Hollywood that inspirational screenplays with biblical values will bring audiences back to theaters and have them tune in with their streaming services. People crave good news right now, and there’s no other scriptwriting contest that allows you to celebrate the good, true, pure and lovely.”

The Kairos Prize will award $15,000 total in prizes to a grand prize winner.

“When you consider all the negative messages that have bombarded us over the last year-plus, audiences are starving for stories with a positive message,” says Gerald Hanks, the co-winner of the 2021 Kairos Prize®. “The benefits of funding projects that deliver that kind of message will likely go beyond any box office receipts or streaming subscriptions. These stories can impact viewers’ lives for the better. How’s that for a return on investment?”

The screenplay name and log line of the winner and all finalists will be announced via press release to the media, trade publications, studios, agents and producers and will be posted at movieguide.org, which is viewed by more than 2 million people a year!

Key entertainment industry studio executives will review the winning script and/or hold a pitch meeting with their creative development team.

“I think that one aspect that makes the Kairos Prize stand out comes from the quality of the judges,” Hanks says. “Each of these judges share the mission of wanting to deliver faith-based messages, while they also come at that mission from different perspectives within the industry.”

Unlike mainstream script competitions, the Kairos Prize focuses on spiritually uplifting screenplays.

For a full list of guidelines, click here.

The contest will officially close on Oct. 31, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

The other deadlines and pricing are as follows:

Sept. 30 – Regular Price ($75) – Analysis option still available

Oct. 20 – Late Entry ($100) – Analysis option closed

Oct. 31 – Last Call Entry Fee ($150)

Oct. 31 at Midnight – Closed

Established by Movieguide® in 2005, the primary purpose of the Kairos Prize is to further the influence of moral and spiritual values within the film and television industries. Seeking to promote a spiritually uplifting, redemptive worldview, the prize was founded to inspire first-time and beginning screenwriters to produce compelling, entertaining, spiritually uplifting scripts that result in a greater increase in either man’s love or understanding of God.

Since its inception in 2005, the Kairos Prize for Spiritually Uplifting Screenplays has given a voice to new and beginning screenwriters worldwide who endeavor to create stories that are compelling, entertaining and spiritually uplifting.

Movieguide® presented its first Kairos Prize in 2006 at the 14th Annual Movieguide® Awards in Beverly Hills, California. Seeking to promote positive change in the motion picture industry, the primary purpose of the prize is to further the influence of moral and spiritual values within the entertainment industry as a whole. Movieguide®: The Family Guide to Movies and Entertainment has been on the forefront for more than 30 years, advocating positive and redeeming values in Hollywood.

The Movieguide® Awards, now in its 30th year, recognizes the top films and television programs which reflect the best that the entertainment industry has to offer. While much attention has been granted those who are “in” the industry, Dr. Ted Baehr, founder and publisher of Movieguide®, wanted to bring encouragement and hope to new voices who would one day be writing Hollywood’s blockbusters—hence the Kairos Prize for Spiritually Uplifting Screenplays.

Since its inaugural year in 2006, the Kairos Prize has helped to open doors for its winners as they have gone on to sign with top agencies and have their scripts optioned and produced. The prize, now in its 12th season, has witnessed several winning scripts head into production. The year 2012 alone saw the completion of principal photography for two previous winners; both are set for release by year’s end.

Coupled with the fact that another one is currently in the final stages of preproduction and two others are on the same path, the Kairos Prize is quickly becoming one of the most successful screenwriting competitions (faith-based or secular) with an exceedingly high winner to production ratio. The future of the Kairos Prize is bright as we continue in our efforts to bring scripts to Hollywood that result in a greater increase in either man’s love or understanding of God.

To submit your project, click here.

For past winners, click here.

For more information on Movieguide®, click here. {eoa}

Watch the video here and worship with Munday Martin. {eoa}

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