The competition is open to screenwriters around the world and writing the 12-minute pilot episode could lead to further writing assignments for the kids series.
AMT Editorial Staff
Open Screenplay, in partnership with MPAC’s Hollywood Bureau, is holding a screenwriting contest for talented screenwriters to write a pilot episode for Muslim Kids TV’s new animated children’s show, “Time Hoppers: The Silk Road.”
The Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Open Screenplay, Sami Alsabawi, said this competition allows writers worldwide to “pitch their story ideas” and to potentially be hired on for more episodes.
“Writing for this series requires a writer familiar with or who can research Muslim Scholars, the ability to write for children’s animated programming, and cultural sensitivity to Islamic values: skills that are not readily available in a traditional Hollywood agency model,” he said. “So, Open Screenplay affords the opportunity to cast a wide net to writers from all over the world to compete and pitch their story ideas and screenplays, with the winner receiving a cash award, having their screenplay produced, and potentially being hired to write more episodes.”
"Sue Obeidi, Director of MPAC’s Hollywood Bureau, said the partnership with Open Screenplay and Muslim Kids TV came from wanting to help as many Muslim writers as possible.
“MPAC’s Hollywood Bureau wants to provide Muslim screenwriters as many opportunities as possible,” she said. “To this end, MPAC entered into the screenwriting competition with Open Screenplay and Muslim Kid TV.”
“Time Hoppers” — made for children between six and nine — follows a group of friends who travel through time to rescue Muslim scientists during the Golden Age of Islam. The underlying message of the show will shed light on the accomplishments of the Muslim scientists.
The submission calls for “an exciting 12-minute pilot that takes our cast of characters on an adventure in the world described in the series synopsis, while adhering to the story arc and episode formula provided.” Each episode will feature characters named Khalid, Dr. Fasid, Aysha, Layla and Abdullah.
Open Screenplay is an online platform and marketplace that helps businesses connect with a diverse community of storytellers looking to publish their work. To combat the lack of diversity in television, Open Screenplay helps empower new voices to “disrupt the status quo” and bring diverse stories on screens worldwide.
“Open Screenplay came to be as a result of our recognition that stories are the most powerful way to convey messages, and that the people who control most of the stories we see in film and on TV lack diversity and don’t accurately represent the world we live in,” Alsabawi said. “Our mission at Open Screenplay is to empower new voices in storytelling, and to give them the skills, tools and opportunities to disrupt the status quo, and bring diverse, authentic stories to the screen.”
Since Open Screenplay’s launch in January 2019, the company now has a community of nearly 21,000 writers. They are proud to say that over the last two years, 77% of their 10 contest winners were women.
Prizes for the event are as follows:
- Grand Prize: $1,000 plus the chance to be hired for multiple episodes
- 2nd Place: $500 plus the chance to be hired for multiple episodes
- 3rd Place: $250 plus the chance to be hired for multiple episodes
- 4th Place: $100 plus the chance to be hired for multiple episodes
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