Screenplay Festival

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Do I have to customize the Cover Page of my entry?
Can I enter Screenplay Festival online?
If I'm sending my script electronically, what should the file name be?
Who are the judges for Screenplay Festival?
What exactly is the judging process?
How do I enter Screenplay Festival?
Can I submit more than one screenplay?
What are the Prizes?
Can writers who live outside the USA enter Screenplay Festival?
What happened to the "Arthouse/Experimental" category?
What happened to the "Romance" category?
Where can I get a banner for Screenplay Festival?
What is the Screenplay Festival mailing address?
If I am submitting for Script Analysis as well as the competition, do I send two scripts?

Do I have to customize the Cover Page of my entry?
Please submit your script with a standard cover page. After receiving your script Screenplay Festival will make a customized "blind" cover page for the judges. However, so that we can easily identify your script when we receive it please submit your script with a standard cover page.

Can I enter Screenplay Festival online?
The people at Screenplay Festival understand how expensive it is to mail scripts over and over again. And what about paying to photocopy your scripts all the time? To help, Screenplay Festival allows you to submit your screenplay via e-mail to save money on postage on envelopes. All scripts submitted via e-mail must be Adobe Acrobat (PDF), Scriptware, Final Draft or Microsoft Word documents (Windows or Macintosh). Screenplay Festival does require your signature on the entry form. When scripts are sent electronically, their corresponding entry forms can be faxed, sent in the mail, or sent as a scanned file. By scanned file, we mean that the writer has printed out the entry form, signed it, and then scanned it so that it may be sent as an e-mail attachment with the writer's signature on it. Check out the application page for more information.

If I'm sending my script electronically, what should the file name be?
Sending your screenplay as an e-mail attachment is a great way for a writer to save money on postage. If you intend to send your script as an e-mail attachment, we recommend that you name your script's computer file with your first initial, last name, and script title (shortened if necessary). For example, John Smith's screenplay, "Great Script" written in Final Draft would be best sent with the file name, "jsmith_GreatScript.fdr".

Who are the judges for Screenplay Festival?
This is the second most frequently asked question. The readers who will be judging the scripts for Screenplay Festival are all industry professionals from the festival's sponsors. This includes literary agents, literary managers, and development executives from production companies. Additionally, one feature-film Music Supervisor is reading scripts for Screenplay Festival because she loves to read scripts and we know she has good taste. Look at our sponsors for a better idea of who the judges will be.

What exactly is the judging process?
During the first round, each judge grades the scripts on a scale from 1 to 100 and then the grades are tallied to see which scripts continue to the next round. Judges are not assigned to specific categories or genres to prevent one judge's bias from affecting the results in a particular category. In the second round, the top scripts in each category are read by all the judges who missed them in the first round, again being given a 1 to 100 grade. At the end of the second round, the grades are calculated and the judges have shouting matches until the Grand Prize and Honorable Mention Winners are decided.

How do I enter Screenplay Festival?
Screenplay Festival is easy to enter. If you want to receive an application in the mail, you can have a brochure sent to you or you can print one right now. The brochure provides you with all the information that you need. You may also enter Screenplay Festival entirely online.

Can I submit more than one screenplay?
Yes, you can. Each screenplay submitted must be accompanied by its own entry form and payment. For everyone's convenience, multiple screenplays may be submitted in the same envelope or attached to the same email.

What are the Prizes?
In each category, the Grand Prize Winner will receive a $1,000.00 cash prize. Additionally, every Grand Prize Winner and every Honorable Mention in each category will be announced and openly available to agents, producers, directors and investors. In all cases, the writer will be contacted either by Screenplay Festival or the inquiring party when interest is expressed in their material. Only Feature Length Screenplays are eligible for prizes. Short Length Screenplays are not eligible for prizes. There are additional prizes given to writers by our sponsors.

Can writers who live outside the USA enter Screenplay Festival?
Yes. If you live outside the USA, you are welcome to enter Screenplay Festival. All Entree Fees must be paid in United States Dollars.

What happened to the "Arthouse/Experimental" category?
The Arthouse/Experimental category was once included to ensure that non-traditional scripts could still receive recognition. However, due to the excessive confusion about what constituted an "Arthouse/Experimental" script, as well as the fact that not many writers seem to be writing terribly experimental material, the category has been dropped.

What happened to the "Romance" category?
The Romance category was intended to give a fair opportunity to those scripts that are intended to be love stories, often called date movies. These stories generally appeal more to women and rarely receive the attention they deserve. However, the vast majority of writers did not consider their work "Romance" and therefore our attempt to recognize an often ignored genre failed.

Where can I get a banner for Screenplay Festival?
Maybe you want Screenplay Festival banner for your website. Stranger things have happened. Please visit our banners page.

What is the Screenplay Festival mailing address?
Submissions re only accepted at the mailing address. Walk-ins to the Screenplay Festival office are not permitted. The Screenplay Festival mailing address is:
   Screenplay Festival
   11693 San Vicente Blvd., # 806
   Los Angeles, CA 90049

If I am submitting for Script Analysis as well as the competition, do I send two scripts?
If you want written feedback on your script by submitting your script for Script Analysis and you want the script entered into the competition as well, you only need to send one copy of your script. The person who reads your script and provides the written feedback will be instructed to make certain that your script goes directly into the competition after they are done with it.

"Being a winner in the Screenplay Festival has been truly inspirational, and the professional attention it brings is extremely valuable. Having your scripts read and recognized is key. We recently signed with a great manager."

Per Mühlow & Anders Rasmusson, Tight
Honorable Mention Winner, 2006

"Winning the Grand Prize from Screenplay Festival is the best thing that has happened to my career. I have a new agent and manager, and we are making great progress with my script."

Travis Kurtz, #1 Party School
Grand Prize Winner, 2004

"What a ride it has been! With the placement of my Honorable Mention award on Inktip, I have had more than 400 producers or directors checking out my work. And to top it off, because of you I now have a great agent who is putting Felix in the right hands."

Chris Canole, Felix the Flyer
Honorable Mention Winner, 2004

"After years of knocking on doors to promote my screenplay, now – as a winner in the Screenplay Festival – producers are knocking on my door."

Steven Schwab, The Adventures of Captain Paragon
Honorable Mention Winner, 2004

"Keep writing, everybody, and then keep putting what you write out there for people to read. Sometimes they like it. Thanks, Screenplay Festival."

Steve Harper, Quantum Forces
Grand Prize Winner, 2004

"Thanks for your wisdom and generosity in providing a forum that gives emerging writers the opportunity for recognition in a range of distinct and equally valuable categories."

Spencer Beglarian, Present Perfect Continuous
Grand Prize Winner, 2002

"I can honestly say that I have found that your contest is one of the best contests out there in terms of professionalism. Your emails, website and regular postings of contest information was always timely."

Maggie Franks, Stagemom
Honorable Mention Winner, 2003

"Thanks for the good news!! I'm thrilled to receive an honorable mention in the comedy category for my screenplay. You made my day!!"

Kathryn Pratt, Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll
Honorable Mention Winner, 2002

"I was a minister for 10 years and now I am teaching philosophy. Screenwriting is a relatively new interest for me. I enjoy writing high concept films."

Don Ashe, A Great Idea
Honorable Mention Winner, 2002

"The Paper Route is a very personal project that explores difficult feelings about parents and siblings and growing up, and so it is especially gratifying to have it recognized in the family category of this contest. Screenplay Festival has done a wonderful thing in spotlighting screenplays from such a variety of genres and for giving encouragement to writers whose works are a little outside of the mainstream.

Danny Howell, The Paper Route
Honorable Mention Winner, 2004