EXPOSING YOURSELF FOR MONEY

A Quality List of Real Opportunities For Breaking Into The Film Biz

There are a lot of bull shit Lists for Screenplay Competitions out there on the Web that by all appearances have been created for no other reason than to put the Film Freaks eyes in front of a bank of Click Through Advertisements. Many such Lists are filled with crap that will only prove to be a waste of your time. To help you in your journey dear Film Freak, I’ve compiled a List that has real value for you. All meat; no bones. Except for one that I included just for a fuck'n laugh.


ESTABLISHED FILM FEST SCREENPLAY COMPETITIONS

Remember: Entering a quality Screenplay into a Festival Competition is a good thing. Being there in person and rubbing up against the people who can make a career a reality is a powerful thing.

Austin Film Festival
(Find Submissions Links down left hand column)

Rhode Island International Film Festival
You may ask, "Why the hell would I ever want to go to Rhode fuck'n Island?" You would want to go to Rhode fuck'n Island because it's only a couple of blocks down the street from New York fuck'n City; that's why. And Industry types from New York will be there in attendance; a big why for.

I'm giving you the Submissions Link due to the fact that their web site, though beautifully designed, doesn't make the Submissions Link easy to find. FYI, they have a separate Horror Competition now, which is cool.

Vail Film Festival
Really a Foxy Website this one. If you can afford the flight and the high cost accommodations out there, I'd go just for the babes (boys; whatever you're into), if nothing else. Point of fact: If you know you are at present less than a Rising Star, save your money for less expensive alternatives like posting your work on Ink Tip and/or Script Pimp (see below).

Slam Dance (Click on the Writing Link)
Quoting: “Slamdance Film Festival has joined forces with Angel Baby Entertainment and Executive Producer Michael Malagiero to annually produce a feature film based on that year's prize-winning entry culled from the newly-created Slamdance Horror Screenplay Competition. In addition to having their screenplay guaranteed to be made into a feature motion picture, the winning writer will receive an upfront payment of $10,000 against 5% of the film's budget, plus net profits participation on the movie and payments for any sequels made of the motion picture. Production of the completed script will occur during the ensuing months, with the intent of having the film's World Premiere during the follow year's Slamdance Film Festival.”

Sundance Film Festival – Screenwriters Lab
Quoting: “In addition to the annual festival, the Institute puts on a Screenwriters Lab (a five-day workshop for developing scripts) twice a year in January and June. Those chosen to participate develop their films under the concentrated guidance of veteran filmmakers and actors.”

Eerie Horror Film Festival
Got to admit, this one’s iffy. I read that they take Screenplay Submissions, but couldn’t find a Link anywhere on their site. I sent an email to the President, and will update you when I get a reply. If you write horror, you may want to contact them yourself.


Moon Dance Film Festival
I almost left this one out because I hate bigots and their web site looks like shit. I feel strongly that no one should trust people like this, and I’m only including it so I can rag on it. Though they never say “No Cocks Allowed” on their site, I’ll tell you, if you swing a dick I’d stay clear of this one. If you’re a Daddy damaged, ugly, fat ass cat hugging rug muncher, this one’s designed just for you. Quoting just one line of the overwritten, pseudo-intellectual crap they spout on their Missions Page, they write:

“Our work on reaching out toward women film-makers and women writers everywhere in the world is primary and ongoing.”

Makes me want to fuck'n blow chunks.



NON-FESTIVAL OPPORTUNITIES


<>Competitions

Scriptapalooza
Heralded in the press for excellence, Screenplays are judged by Industry Professionals, and sometimes deals are made and Representation secured. Beside these all important facts, Marc, the President, has proven to me to be a really cool guy worth an Atta Boy, a Back Slap, and a Beer on me.

Final Draft Big Break
Put on by the same people who make the Industry popular Script Writing/Formatting Software. Their entry fee is a bit higher than most.

<>The Nicholl’s Fellowship
Associated with The AMPAS, the people who put on The Oscars, The Nicholl’s Fellowship is unique in that it is not related to a Festival, and is markedly different from all other Screenplay Competitions.

Quoting: “We typically select ten finalists, occasionally fewer, and twice we’ve selected eleven. But there is no set number. It’s a matter of making a determination based on the judges’ scores and comments. --- The winners receive $30,000, spread over a one-year period. It’s distributed in five $6,000 checks, paid quarterly – the first installment on day one and the second through fifth at the end of each quarter.”

The thing that I find troubling is that, Quoting: “Of the 106 scripts that have earned their writers fellowships from 1986 to 2008, 14 have been produced.’ --- They go on to state that there is one presently in Production, the fifteenth.

Winning the Nicholl’s may put some much needed money in your pocket, and would be a nice little feather in your cap. But it doesn’t make for a career.

There are better ways. The following are two are worth your time and consideration.


<>Expose Yourself

Here are two very unique opportunities worth your consideration. For a reasonable fee you upload your Script onto their server. You post your Bio and a pitch for each of your Screenplays. Producers and Agents are grant free access to their data base of Scripts. If they like your pitch they read the Script. If they like the Script they give you a call. It really is a brilliant concept and opportunity

Ink Tip
Quoting them: “Every week, up to eight screenwriters sell or option their scripts on our site. Sell your script. Get your screenplay seen by producers.”

Script Pimp
They’re quite similar.


<>Sell Your Shit

The American Film Market
This is as powerful an opportunity as a Serious Film Freak will ever find. The AFM is an annual Market providing Screenwriters and Filmmakers alike an opportunity to meet face to face and pitch what they have to Production Executives and Distributors from the US and around the world who assemble annually there for that purpose.



ATSA RAP

Now go out there and KICCASS