So there's this feature-length script I wrote and I want to start sending it to screenwriting competitions. Maybe from there, it can help facilitate the pitch or perhaps even get a grant… This is my very first attempt at competing. I don't want to come off as naive or unrealistically ambitious, so who out there is willing to share some wisdom/advice with me, or point me to some good websites to which I can submit my work?
Thanks in advance, fellow filmmakers!
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I am no expert, but the consensus around here seems to be that contests are unlikely to get you anywhere, even if you win. That said, for some writing gigs, they do ask you to list any contest wins.
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There are so many competitions that they have in someone’s become meaningless. There a two I consider big “Nicol” and the “Austin Film Festival”. I don’t send my work to comps, but they can be fun, and some give free feedback.
Just don’t set your dreams on them.
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If you can place high enough in one of those like Craig mentioned, it might help you get more reads. Otherwise, it probably won't help much. If you did well in one that Stage 32 offers, it might help more because they do try to promote their winners. I never enter any contest, so I am just repeating what I've heard other people say. Good luck!
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One or two competitions rock; most are money-making business models. You win at a festival. Then what? Your goal is to sell your script or get it made. Put your energy there. If I were going to spend money submitting to festivals, I'd 1) pay the membership to film freeway (which saves you money each time you apply), and 2) the money would be better spent getting a professional reader/analyst to give you notes. Good luck.
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In my opinion, 2022 is the year we really start to see screenwriting competitions die off and it can't come too soon. They are rapidly being replaced by coverage which is more detailed, gives back results faster, often comes from more experienced readers, can be used to support a pitch, give a degree of feedback, and still link into aggregators or have some sort of potential exposure component for the scripts that get recommends.
Regardless it's really weak strategy if done alone. Please make sure you're main focus is on networking and only "gamble" if you can afford to lose the money.
Please also understand that a lot of amateur screenwriters will claim a completion is "legit" without any insight to back it up. They just want you to drink the same Kool Aid.