Cinechicks has made a conscious decision to help empower writers around the world, by accepting unsolicited material. This is uncommon in “Hollywood” but we’d like to support the process openly. After all, we are grateful to those who gave us our own start and understand how difficult it can be to get your screenplays into the “right” hands.

Here’s the deal. If you follow our guidelines below, and ensure that you’ve got a project that fits within our mandate, we’ll read it and get back to you. We won’t necessarily produce it. And while it may be a wonderful, commercial project, we may conclude that it isn’t something in which we can contribute.

Rejection is difficult in any area of life. But it isn’t “rejection” if we don’t take on your project. The fact is getting the right combination of people on board will be the most difficult part of your process. If we don’t think we’re right — we aren’t. It probably has nothing to do with your genius, talent, or project.

By the way, if you don’t follow the guidelines below, to a tee, we won’t read your project and we won’t get back to you. We respect you. We want you to respect yourself, too, by presenting your work in the strongest possible manner.

Here are the Steps:

1. Make sure your project fits within the scope of the material we are interested in producing. Do not submit things outside of our mandate for it will waste everyone’s time and resources. We will not be interested. Do not submit books, or projects in which you do not own the rights.

2. Write a proper cover letter including a log line for the project, why you are passionate about it, and a short biography on you and your film-making experience. Keep it concise and professional. Make sure your screenplay is presented in the proper format or it will not be read. It should not be bound, nor should casting lists be included. This is a highly competitive business, and you want to make sure you present yourself as professionally as possible.

3. Download the legal release letter from this link, fill it out and sign it, and include in your package. This gives us permission to accept unsolicited material. If we do not receive this letter, we will not read your project.

4. If you want to get your script back, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope with it. If you are sending it to another country, replace a stamp with an International Reply Coupon to cover the postage. This is available from most Post Offices. NO MATERIAL WILL BE RETURNED WITHOUT THIS!! No material will be kept indefinitely. And we do not take responsibility for lost screenplays so absolutely keep an original copy for yourself.

5. Address envelope to:
Cinechicks, Submissions
c/o Nikki Zimbler
Independent Talent
Oxford House, 76 Oxford Street,
London W1D 1BS
ENGLAND

NO SUBMSSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED VIA E-MAIL.

Checklist before sending:

Screenplay
Completed and Signed Legal Release Letter (downloaded from this link)
Cover Letter
Self addressed return envelope and Pre Paid postage if you want your screenplay back.

Scope of Material:

1. Positive Themes only

2. Within three particular areas of interest: Africa, Women, Youth

3. Themes involving empowerment, the disenfranchised, over coming personal or societal obstacles

4. No genre movies (horror, sci fi, gangster, fantasy etc). No killings, sex, or violence