"Come to the bowl! The race is more than halfway through, and prizes and investors are waiting for you!"

The first "CWAA Cup" Global Micro Drama Collection Literary Screenplay Grand Prix Chair of the organizing committee answers journalists' questions（2024/7/30）

The first "Sino-American Writers Association Cup" Global Micro Drama Collection Literary Screenplay Grand Prix is more than halfway through its schedule. Although many contestants have already submitted their entries to the organizing committee, many audiences have also written to the editorial department of this magazine inquiring about many details of the competition. To help the audience thoroughly understand the competition rules, our magazine's reporter, Vanessa, interviewed Dr. Li Xian, chair of the organizing committee for the first "Sino-American Writers Association Cup" Global Micro Drama Collection Literary Screenplay Grand Prix via a cloud meeting platform on July 30, 2024, PST.

Reporter: Chairman Li, why has the Chinese Writers Association in the USA decided to hold this event? Li Xian: With the rapid development of the internet and short videos, along with the proliferation of portable HD devices, micro dramas have emerged and gradually become a phenomenon in film and television culture and the cultural industry. To promote innovation and development in micro dramas, and to provide a platform for scriptwriters to showcase their talents and enrich the creation of micro drama scripts, the Chinese Writers Association in the USA, in cooperation with the American Dreamood Pictures film company and supported by the World Micro Drama Research Association, organized this competition. This is an event specifically designed to discover and showcase outstanding micro drama scripts and to include the winning entries in the "Sino-American Writers Association Cup" First Global Micro Drama Collection Literary Screenplay Winners anthology. We also hope to facilitate the filming of the winning works.

Reporter: Chairman Li, micro dramas are very popular now, and there are many related activities. What makes this first "Sino-American Writers Association Cup" Global Micro Drama Collection Literary Screenplay Grand Prix different? Li Xian: Our event emphasizes "film and television micro drama collections" specifying the type of entries; it focuses on "literary screenplays" emphasizing the form of the entries; and unlike many events, our organizing committee offers cash prizes to encourage micro drama playwrights to participate, and we also invite Hollywood film investors to judge and invest. It is well-known that due to the special form of micro drama collections, the production process has shifted from a director-centered system to a writer-centered system, highlighting the importance of scriptwriters. I myself was a full-time scriptwriter at a TV station in China and have a special affection for scripts. Launching this global competition is also a kind of sentiment.

Reporter: Could you tell us about the prize settings and how you help playwrights find investors? Li Xian: The evaluation method involves preliminary, secondary, and final reviews to award a first prize of $1,000; two second prizes of $500 each; and five third prizes of $300 each; plus 20 special awards such as Best Newcomer, Most Creative, and Excellence Awards, which receive no cash but are honored with certificates. The specific arrangements are: 1. The Chinese Writers Association in the USA and American Dreamood Pictures film company hold the rights to publish, promote, and publish the entries online. Anyone who submits their work to this competition is deemed to have confirmed and voluntarily complied with the related copyright and creative requirements; 2. Contestants agree to the committee publishing the collection of winning works or translating them into other languages (applicable only to the submitted text, not the entire drama); 3. If a script is accepted and contracted by a film company, the author will negotiate script fees and related matters directly with the film company, independently of the organizing committee. In other words, the competition prize money is unrelated to the script fees paid by the film companies; contracts are directly between authors and the relevant film companies.

Reporter: What kind of themes should the contest entries have? Li Xian: To standardize the evaluation criteria, we have set five themes that best fit the current trends of micro dramas for participants to choose from: 1. Life Reversal - intertwining setbacks and adversities, dramatic rebirth and reversal. The protagonist struggles against fate, rising from the ashes even in dire situations, against all odds. 2. Personal Growth - evolving from ordinary to extraordinary, achieving value through transformation. The protagonist grows step by step from an ordinary person to achieve remarkable success. 3. Romantic Love - exploring the multi-dimensional expressions of love through passionate first encounters, long-term deep connections, tacit companionship, and steadfast vows. 4. Feminism - the protagonist breaks free from constraints, pursuing equality and freedom, unleashing female power. 5. Cultural Clash - depicting interactions and exchanges between characters from different cultural backgrounds, exploring cultural conflicts and reconciliations, showcasing the charm and beauty of multiculturalism.

Reporter: Who and what kind of works can enter the contest? Li Xian: Micro dramas initially appeared in China, but they are no longer limited to China. They have become popular in Europe, America, Northeast Asia, and Southeast Asia. To promote this industry, this competition is open to submissions globally. Submissions can be in Chinese or English. Additionally, this competition is supported by over thirty literary organizations from around the world, highlighting the competition's inclusivity.

Reporter: For such a world-class competition, how does the organizing committee ensure its standards and authority? Li Xian: That's a great question. To ensure the evaluation process withstands public scrutiny, we have hired top industry experts as consultants to participate in organizing, setting evaluation standards, and supervision. We have hired Ye Xin, a renowned writer, Vice Chairman of the 9th China Writers Association, and scriptwriter of TV series such as "Debts of Sin" and "Wasted Years", and Lisa Yang, a member of the International Committee of the Hollywood Women's Film Association, scriptwriter, producer, and chief producer of the Hollywood Oscars The Oscar Team, as chief consultants; along with Cao Wenxuan – Professor at Peking University, doctoral supervisor, film scriptwriter, winner of the international Hans Christian Andersen Award; Ling Dingnian – President of the World Micro Fiction Research Association, visiting professor at the Asian Micro-Film Academy, deputy editor-in-chief of Writers.net; Zheng Zi – Executive Vice Dean of the Asian Micro-Film Academy, executive director of the China Literary and Art Center, vice chairman of the China Film Editing Society's Short Film and Micro Video Art Committee; Chen Ruilin – Overseas Chinese critic, president of the European and American Film Association; Zheng Nanchuan – President of the World Sinology Society Canadian Association; Wei Haijun – Founding Partner of Daguan Capital, former Investment General Manager of Cheetah Mobile, Investment Head of Shanda Innovations Academy, Investment Director of Tongchuang Weiyi TMT; Zhang Zefan – Producer of the TV drama "Origin", producer of "Dusk"; Liu Siran – Famous screenwriter, with works like "Along the River During the Qingming Festival Password", "Mi Xiaoquan Goes to School", "You Are My Sweetest Heart", among others, ensuring the competition's authority and fairness.

Reporter: What are the requirements for submissions from the organizing committee? Li Xian: We have three requirements for submissions: 1. They must be original works. Any suspicion of plagiarism will result in the author bearing all legal responsibilities; 2. Each episode should last 1-2 minutes, totaling 60-80 episodes, with an overall duration not exceeding 90 minutes; 3. Submissions should include a synopsis of a one-minute micro drama episode, character biographies, and scripts for 20 episodes.

Reporter: What is the deadline for submissions? Li Xian: Submissions are accepted from May 15, 2024, until August 30, 2024, and we are now past the halfway mark of the schedule. We encourage all playwrights interested in participating to hurry and submit their entries. Now is the opportunity to turn your scripts into a series, produce it, disseminate it, and reap the benefits! How does the M&M's chocolate ad go again? "Come to the bowl!"

Reporter: That's a generous reward! How do I submit my entry? Li Xian: You can submit the application form through the QR code of the first "Sino-American Writers Association Cup" Global Micro Drama Collection Literary Screenplay Grand Prix and email your work documents to support@chinesewritersusa.org

Furthermore, the organizing committee plans to invite experts from the World Micro Drama Research Association to study the major winning works, exploring the creative patterns and industry development of micro drama collections.