THE HUMANITAS PRIZES FAQs

When are you accepting submissions?

February 1 - April 1, 2024 at 11:59pm PST.

What type of material does Humanitas look for?

To learn more about what we look for in a script, you may wish to read this article on on our website about the art of screenwriting and exploring the human condition.

I’m not sure which category I should submit my script under. Do you have any guidance?

While it is up to individual applicants for the Humanitas Prizes to decide which category their work best falls under, the descriptions below may help them make that determination:

— Drama Teleplay: Scripts for television episodes of any length whose tone is predominantly dramatic, though not necessarily exclusively, and is intended for general or adult audiences.

— Comedy Teleplay: Scripts for television episodes of any length whose tone is predominantly comedic, though not necessarily exclusively, and is intended for general or adult audiences.

— Children’s Teleplay: Scripts for television episodes of any tone and length which are intended for younger viewers (i.e.: teens, toddlers, pre-teens, grade school aged children) and/or their families.

— Limited Series Teleplay: Scripts for episodes of an anthology series, miniseries, and limited-run series of any tone or runtime.

— Comedy Feature: Scripts for feature-length projects whose tone is predominantly comedic, though not necessarily exclusively, and is intended for general or adult audiences.

— Drama Feature: Scripts for feature-length projects whose tone is predominantly dramatic, though not necessarily exclusively, and is intended for general or adult audiences.

— Family Feature: Scripts for feature-length projects of any tone intended for families and/or younger viewers (i.e.: teens, toddlers, pre-teens, grade school aged children).

— Documentary: Non-fiction films or episodes of television.

— Short Film: Scripts for fiction films with a runtime shorter than 40 minutes and are not part of a television or web series.

The film/episode I am submitting will release or air after the eligibility window (June 1, 2023 and May 31, 2024). Is it eligible?

Only scripts for films and television episodes that release or air during the eligibility window are eligible for the 2024 Humanitas Prizes. 

Can I submit a preferred script?

No, please submit your final shooting script.

The film/episode I would like to submit does not have an official confirmed air date. It will, however, be airing before the end of the submission window. Can I put the tentative air date and follow-up if they end up moving it earlier or later in the season?

Yes, please put the tentative air date in the application and update us.

The film/episode I am submitting will release or air after the submission window. Will it be kept confidential?

Yes, all of our judges sign confidentiality agreements. If there is a concern about a specific script, please email us.

For documentaries that do not have credited writers, should I list the director and/or producer in the writer section?

Please list whoever would receive credit for creating the documentary. If there aren't credited writers, most entrants list the director. Some list a producer if they are involved in the creative process.

Do I have to submit a script for my documentary?

No. Please submit the film via direct file upload or a link via YouTube, Vimeo, or other video hosting service. If the link is password protected, please be sure to list the password in the correct field in the application and ensure the link will be active to August 30, 2024.

Do you accept docuseries episodes in the documentary category? Do I need to submit a separate entry for each episode?

Docuseries are eligible, but judges only review one episode per submission; submissions are made on an episode-by-episode basis. Judges do not view the totality of a docuseries. If an applicant provides a link to a full docuseries and does not specify an episode in the application, only the first episode will be viewed.

Applicants submitting an episode of a docuseries in the documentary category are able to include additional story information in an optional section of the application form. It is, however, strongly advised that submitted episodes be self-contained experiences which tell a story encompassing a beginning, a middle, and an end.

What does “redacted” mean? When submitting a script do I only redact the writer’s name or do I also redact the name of the show and network as well? Producer, director?

It means to remove the writer’s name from the script. We ask that writer names be redacted to provide unbiased judging.

Do you accept a feature screenplay that has not been sold or produced? It has, however, been written and registered with the WGA.

No, we only accept screenplays that have been produced and released. Unproduced feature-length screenplays and pilots may be eligible for the New Voices Fellowship. 

Do applicants for the Humanitas Prizes in the feature film, teleplay, documentary, or short film categories have to be members of a professional guild and/or labor union, or a particular guild or union, in order for their work to be eligible for a Humanitas Prize?

Humanitas's mission is to honor and empower writers whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced and meaningful way. In order to be inclusive of stories created by early career writers and filmmakers who may not be able to be members of a union for any number of reasons, Humanitas does not use the guild status of writers or their projects as an eligibility requirement for the Humanitas Prizes.

Is there any circumstance in which a judge would view a film/episode?

Outside the documentary category, Humanitas judges only review scripts.

Is submitting a film/episode script something that should be done by the writer or can it be done on behalf of the writer?

Materials may be submitted by either the writer, a representative of the writer, or by companies involved with the creation of the project and their awards campaign teams. 

Do you accept film/episode scripts written in foreign languages?

Scripts originally written in a language other than English are eligible for the Humanitas Prizes, but you must submit an English translation of the script.

What kind of entries qualify for your short film category?

We accept live-action and animated material that is less than 40 minutes long which has either aired as part of a collection or series of shorts or that was screened at a film festival. 

This is different from an episode of a television show. For our purposes, a short film that is part of a collection stands on its own as a story, and all the episodes, before and after it, are not necessary to understand its context, nor do they feature the same characters or settings.

Can you waive the submission fee?

Humanitas has a limited number of submission fee waivers it can offer annually. Please email us if the submission fee presents a barrier to entry.