2010 Screenplay Contests Deadlines & New Links
The following are the deadlines and links to the best 2010 screenwriting competitions.
Nantucket Film Festival Showtime’s Tony Cox Awards Screenplay Competitions
March 1, 2010
Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Competition
May 1, 2010
Austin Film Festival Screenplay And Teleplay Competitions
May 15, 2010
Samuel Goldwin Writing Awards Competition for Theater, Film and Television
June 1, 2010 — University of California Students only!
Zoetrope Screenplay Contest
September 7, 2010
For more information about each of these contests, please read last year’s post that includes writers’ discussion in comments section:
Top 8 Screenplay Contests of 2009 and the Scams
Good luck!
You may review other contests or add your own screenwriting competition to the comments section here. Thank you.
Top 8 Screenplay Contests of 2009 and the Scams
by Jaden
photo credit: pareeerica
‘Tis the season for preparing and entering your scripts into feature screenplay competitions.
This list is specifically tailored for writers who are trying to break into Hollywood and want to submit feature length screenplays of 90 to 120 pages (90-minute to 2-hour movies) that are intended for the cinema screen.
The top 8 screenplay contests that will earn you the greatest prizes and help you break into Hollywood are:
1. Nicholl Fellowships
Up to 5 people will each win $30,000 fellowships from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the folks who do the Academy Awards and give out the Oscars. This is the cream of the crop of screenwriting competitions.
Deadline: May 1, 2009 ~ Fee: $30
2. Samual Goldwyn Writing Awards UCLA
For students in the University of California undergraduates system only. This is an exceptional opportunity. First place wins $15,000. Second place wins $7,500. Other prizes as well. Great recognition.
Deadline: June 1, 2009 ~ No Fee
3. Zoetrope Screenplay Contest
Francis Ford Coppola’s motion picture production company Zoetrope offers $5,000 to the grand prize winner of its Screenplay Contest, plus excellent Hollywood industry exposure and opportunity.
Early Deadline: August 3, 2009 ~ Fee: $35
Final Deadline: September 8, 2009 ~ Fee: $50
4. Slamdance Film Festival
$5,000 grand prize and industry exposure.
Early Deadline: April 27, 2009 ~ Fee: $40
Final Deadline: June 15, 2009 ~ Fee: $50
5. Austin Film Festival
Drama and comedy feature screenplays win $5,000 each. Other prizes available for other categories of scripts.
Early Deadline: May 15, 2009 ~ Fee: $40
Final Deadline: June 1, 2009 ~ Fee: $50
6. Final Draft’s Big Break International Screenwriting Competition *
Big Break Final Draft Screenwriting Competition offers the winner $15,000 plus other prizes. Prizes for runner-ups too.
Deadline: June 1, 2009 ~ Fee: $50
* Since this post was written a couple years ago, several complaints have been made about the unprofessional manner and lack of organization of this competition. It was listed for its prize money and notable place in the entertainment community, not for its reputation. Screenwriter beware.
7. Disney ~ ABC Writing Fellowship
$50,000 annual salary to be mentored on location at the studios and networks for a year. There are other writing fellowships as well: Creative Development, Daytime Television, Latino / Hispanic, and Native Americans / American Indian Arts (IAIA).
Deadline: Summer
8. Nantucket Film Festival
Showtime’s Tony Cox Award for Screenwriting receives $2,000 plus a month long, all-expenses-paid retreat on the island of Nantucket. A select number of writers are invited to workshop their feature screenplay projects with guidance from industry mentors. Participating writers live together in an atmosphere of secluded creativity at picturesque Almanack Farm, perched on the edge of Nantucket’s cranberry bog conservation land. In addition to intensive one-on-one feedback sessions, writers and advisers enjoy a sociable colony experience over dinners and island outings.
Deadline: March 13, 2009 (Passed) ~ Fee: $50
Script Contest Scams
There are lots of script competitions that charge a high entrance fee, give a small (if any) award, and make empty promises they do not keep. There is no point in wasting your time and money on them.
Submitting films to film festivals is much different than scripts into screenwriting competitions. With a film in a small local film festival, the potential for gain is there because, if nothing else, you have a fun theatrical venue to show your film to friends, family, and strangers.
With scripts, you really ought to target agents, producers, actors, and studios; so if none of them are remotely connected to the the contest, then there is really no point in entering it. You can stage your own reading amongst your loved ones.
Even with big competitions like the ones I list in this post, your script may never actually be read just because of the large volume of scripts and the assigned readers who may never actually read your script.
Recently, a heated debate and small claims lawsuit arose with the well-know Fade-In Magazine. The 4-page article with lengthy comments quote contest winners who report getting stiffed. This article, Fade-In Magazine claims, was the result of an unsound finalist who was already under criminal investigation.
Like all things in Hollywood, despite your talent, it takes a significant amount of luck to win a script contest. Real winners do exist — I have met some.
Hard work, determination, and connections deliver more successful results to writers than any contest, but every now and then, you just have to take risks in life and say, “Eh, what the heck!”
CLICK here for:
2010 Screenplay Contests Deadlines & New Links
*If you have had a positive or negative experience with any of these or other script competitions, to benefit our fellow writers, I beg you to please share your experience in the comments section. Thank you.
$13,000 in Cash Prizes: Slamdance Teleplay Competition
Do you have a new television show idea typed and ready for sale?
THE SLAMDANCE TELEPLAY COMPETITION
$13,000 IN CASH PRIZES
FINAL DEADLINE: MARCH 17, 2009
TOP TEN FINALISTS CONSIDERED FOR OPTION AGREEMENTS WITH
THE GREIF COMPANY AND ACT III PRODUCTIONS!
SPONSORED BY:
THE GREIF COMPANY
Leslie Greif is one the most prolific writer/director/producers in the business. He is creator and executive producer of Gene Simmons’ Family Jewels, Discovery Channel’s Planet Green Series, Battleground Earth: Ludacris Vs. Tommy Lee, and most recently Female Forces, Rookies, and Eddie Griffin: Going for Broke. Greif executive produced and directed the Emmy nominated documentary Brando, an Official Selection at the Cannes and Tribeca Film Festivals.
and
ACT III PRODUCTIONS
Norman Lear has had a distinguished career as a producer, director, comedy writer, screenwriter, political and social activist, and philanthropist. Mr. Lear’s numerous television credits include Archie Bunker and All in the Family, Sanford and Son, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons, Mary Hartman, Fernwood 2Nite, and Palmerstown U.S.A. His motion picture credits include Cold Turkey, Divorce American Style, Fried Green Tomatoes, Stand by Me, and The Princess Bride.
SLAMDANCE AND SPONSORS ARE LOOKING FOR ORIGINAL, UNIQUE AND INDEPENDENT PILOTS IN DRAMA, COMEDY, GAMESHOW COMPETITIONS AND UNSCRIPTED FOLLOW DOCUMENTARIES.
Please visit the website for details: http://slamdance.com/writing/teleplay.html
20 Best Film Festivals to Enter Your Film or Script
by Jaden
Got big dreams?
Submitting to film festivals is one of the best ways for an unknown person with no connections to break into the film industry. It’s a relatively painless procedure that could change your life forever. What if you get accepted? What if you win an award? What if you receive an offer? You’ll never know unless you try.
The objective of entering a film festival is to be recognized for your talents — preferably by someone from Hollywood who has the power to jump-start your career, right?
With so many film festivals vying for your attention, which ones do you choose to spend the time and money entering?
The following 11 film festivals are legitimate big time film festivals where lots of Hollywood powerhouses, professionals, and celebrities will be in attendance.
8. São Paulo International Film Festival
For more intimate and supportive niche film festivals, check out these:
3. San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival
7. American Black Film Festival
8. San Diego Asian Film Festival
9. Screamfest Horror Film Festival
What are your experiences with film festivals and which are your favorite?
Good luck with your entries!
And The Nominees Are…
Here are the Screenplay, Actor, and other Nominations for the 81st Academy Awards that will air February 22, 2009.
______________wireimage.com___________________'Tis Kiss-Off season: Brad Pitt and Sean Penn duke it out.
Adapted screenplay
- “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
- “Doubt” (Miramax), Written by John Patrick Shanley
- “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Screenplay by Peter Morgan
- “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Hare
- “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy
Original screenplay
- “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Courtney Hunt
- “Happy-Go-Lucky” (Miramax), Written by Mike Leigh
- “In Bruges” (Focus Features), Written by Martin McDonagh
- “Milk” (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black
- “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter
Best motion picture of the year
- “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), A Kennedy/Marshall Production, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
- “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers
- “Milk” (Focus Features), A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers
- “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production, Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack, Donna Gigliotti and Redmond Morris, Producers
- “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A Celador Films Production, Christian Colson, Producer
Performance by an actor in a leading role
- Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor” (Overture Films)
- Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
- Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features)
- Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
- Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
- Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features)
- Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
- Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax)
- Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
- Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)
Performance by an actress in a leading role
- Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics)
- Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal)
- Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics)
- Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)
- Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
- Amy Adams in “Doubt” (Miramax)
- Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (The Weinstein Company)
- Viola Davis in “Doubt” (Miramax)
- Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
- Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)
Best animated feature film of the year
- “Bolt” (Walt Disney), Chris Williams and Byron Howard
- “Kung Fu Panda” (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount), John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
- “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton
Achievement in art direction
- “Changeling” (Universal), Art Direction: James J. Murakami, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
- “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
- “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Peter Lando
- “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Art Direction: Michael Carlin, Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
- “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Art Direction: Kristi Zea, Set Decoration: Debra Schutt
Achievement in cinematography
- “Changeling” (Universal), Tom Stern
- “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Claudio Miranda
- “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfister
- “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
- “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle
Achievement in costume design
- “Australia” (20th Century Fox), Catherine Martin
- “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Jacqueline West
- “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Michael O’Connor
- “Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Glicker
- “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Albert Wolsky
Achievement in directing
- “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Fincher
- “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Ron Howard
- “Milk” (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant
- “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Stephen Daldry
- “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle
Best documentary feature
- “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)” (Cinema Guild), A Pandinlao Films Production, Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
- “Encounters at the End of the World” (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment), A Creative Differences Production, Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
- “The Garden” A Black Valley Films Production, Scott Hamilton Kennedy
- “Man on Wire” (Magnolia Pictures), A Wall to Wall in association with Red Box Films Production, James Marsh and Simon Chinn
- “Trouble the Water” (Zeitgeist Films), An Elsewhere Films Production, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal
Best documentary short subject
- “The Conscience of Nhem En” A Farallon Films Production, Steven Okazaki
- “The Final Inch” A Vermilion Films Production, Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
- “Smile Pinki” A Principe Production, Megan Mylan
- “The Witness – From the Balcony of Room 306” A Rock Paper Scissors Production, Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde
Achievement in film editing
- “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
- “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lee Smith
- “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
- “Milk” (Focus Features), Elliot Graham
- “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Chris Dickens
Best foreign language film of the year
- “The Baader Meinhof Complex” A Constantin Film Production, Germany
- “The Class” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haut et Court Production, France
- “Departures” (Regent Releasing), A Departures Film Partners Production, Japan
- “Revanche” (Janus Films), A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production, Austria
- “Waltz with Bashir” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production, Israel
Achievement in makeup
- “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Greg Cannom
- “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullivan
- “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (Universal), Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)
- “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Alexandre Desplat
- “Defiance” (Paramount Vantage), James Newton Howard
- “Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Elfman
- “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman
- “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Thomas Newman
Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)
- “Down to Earth” from “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Lyric by Peter Gabriel
- “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar
- “O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman and Maya Arulpragasam
Best animated short film
- “La Maison en Petits Cubes” A Robot Communications Production, Kunio Kato
- “Lavatory – Lovestory” A Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company Production, Konstantin Bronzit
- “Oktapodi” (Talantis Films), A Gobelins, L’école de l’image Production, Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand
- “Presto” (Walt Disney), A Pixar Animation Studios Production, Doug Sweetland
- “This Way Up” A Nexus Production, Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes
Best live action short film
- “Auf der Strecke (On the Line)” (Hamburg Shortfilmagency), An Academy of Media Arts Cologne Production, Reto Caffi
- “Manon on the Asphalt” (La Luna Productions), A La Luna Production, Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont
- “New Boy” (Network Ireland Television), A Zanzibar Films Production, Steph Green and Tamara Anghie
- “The Pig” An M & M Production, Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh
- “Spielzeugland (Toyland)” A Mephisto Film Production, Jochen Alexander Freydank
Achievement in sound editing
- “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Richard King
- “Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
- “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Glenn Freemantle and Tom Sayers
- “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
- “Wanted” (Universal), Wylie Stateman
Achievement in sound mixing
- “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
- “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
- “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
- “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
- “Wanted” (Universal), Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt
Achievement in visual effects
- “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
- “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
- “Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan
PLUS the WINNERS
of the
Screen Actors Guild Awards
January 25, 2009
THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
SEAN PENN Harvey Milk “MILK” Focus Features
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
MERYL STREEP Sister Aloysius Beauvier “DOUBT” Miramax Films
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
HEATH LEDGER Joker “THE DARK KNIGHT” Warner Bros. Pictures
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
KATE WINSLET Hanna Schmitz “THE READER” The Weinstein Company
Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Motion Picture
“SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE” Fox Searchlight Pictures
RUBINA ALI Youngest Latika
TANAY HEMANT CHHEDA Middle Jamal
ASHUTOSH LOBO GAJIWALA Middle Salim
AZHARUDDIN MOHAMMED ISMAIL Youngest Salim
ANIL KAPOOR Prem
IRRFAN KHAN Police Inspector
AYUSH MAHESH KHEDEKAR Youngest Jamal
TANVI GANESH LONKAR Middle Latika
MADHUR MITTAL Oldest Salim
DEV PATEL Older Jamal
FREIDA PINTO Older Latika
Screen Actors Guild Awards 45th Annual Life Achievement Award
James Earl Jones
Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
“THE DARK KNIGHT” (Warner Bros. Pictures)
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