MOVIEMAKER.COM SPRING 2020 51LEFT: PHOTOGRAPH BY JAKE GILES NETTER / WARNER BROS.; RIGHT: PHOTOGRAPH BY ALIA AZAMAT
As far as access to the industry, BlueCat
sends winner and finalist loglines to literary
representatives. Directly after being named
a finalist in 2012, Ashleigh Powell sold her
submission Somacell to Warner Bros., and
more recently wrote The Nutcracker and the
Four Realms for Disney.
Years before Ana Lily Amirpour became an
in-demand writer-director, known for the
films A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night and
The Bad Batch, she was just dreaming of being
a professional filmmaker. Winning the Blue-
Cat grand prize in 2007 was the first stepping
stone in a career that continues to heat up.
“The second script I wrote, I entered into the
BlueCat screenwriting contest, and honestly
had no expectation or anything,” she said in a
2012 BlueCat interview. “And then when I won,
it was just suddenly everything became really
real... It was the first thing to make me believe
that it could happen. And it did happen.”CINESTORY
ENTRY FEE: $60-$80
2020 DEADLINES: JANUARY 19 – APRIL 19This screenwriting competition combines gen-
erous cash prizes with industry networking and
mentorship. All finalists and semifinalists are
invited to attend the CineStory Feature Retreat
in October for a discounted price.
Writers at this exclusive four-day event
are treated to three 90-minute one-on-one
sessions with working agents, managers,
producers, development executives and other
professionals, discussing the script and overall
career strategy. One grand-prize winner gets
a free ride to the retreat and a $10,000 check.
There’s also a year-long fellowship with two
Hollywood professionals hand-picked to help
the winner advance his or her craft and career.
The runner-up scores $1,000 plus discounted
retreat tuition, and the third-place contestant
gets $500 in addition to the discount.
While film festivals are a great place to
mingle with industry professionals, they’rebig, loud, and busy. Meaningful connection be-
tween writers and mentors is more likely to be
sparked in the intimate setting that Cinestory
provides. The retreat takes place in the beauti-
ful Southern California mountain town of
Idyllwild, which is a treat in itself.CINEQUEST
ENTRY FEE: $45-$70
2020 DEADLINES: JULY 10-NOVEMBER 13This Silicon Valley film festival bridges tech-
nology and creativity. Still, good ol’ fashioned
writing is a huge priority for the organizers,
who empower screenwriters through discov-
ery, recognition, and opportunity.
There are supremely rewarding opportuni-
ties to build relationships with influential
industry professionals. Top 10 finalists in the
feature category get passes to the Cinequest
Film & Creativity Festival and the exclusive
Writers Celebration, plus exposure to Holly-
wood players and inspiring luminaries. Final-
ists are presented on stage at the event with
Maverick Spirit attendees, who are industry
icons being honored for their work.
Maverick Spirit Award winner
Neil Gaiman (Coraline) said in a testimonial
featured on the organization’s website:
“I think the most important thing about
Cinequest is it’s definitely the first time I’ve
ever come to a festival where my immediate
reaction is, ‘What do I have to do to be invited
back?’ and that’s not normally my reaction. It’s
a perfect film festival in a glorious place.”
In another testimonial highlighted by
Cinequest, 2016 feature screenplay winner
Jeremy Rush said: “The Cinequest judges’
feedback and scorecards have always been
top notch, and Cinequest is a respected and
known festival. I had a fantastic experience
attending this year.” He started entering in
2013, and the third time proved to be the
charm. His spec Wheelman was sold to
Netflix the same year he won.
Past winner Matthew Dixon, whose script
The Glass Hotel was optioned by HBO, praised
the organization for continued support long
after the festival. “They get behind you, they
stay behind you and continue to do everything
they can to help push your project forward,”
he said.FILM INDEPENDENT
SCREENWRITING LAB
ENTRY FEE: $45-$65
2020 DEADLINES: CLOSED. 2019 DEADLINES
WERE AUGUST 13 AND 27This isn’t a screenwriting contest in thetraditional sense, but only a handful of fellows
will be selected for this intensive, week-long
winter workshop in Los Angeles. So it’s still
a competition, but there are no cash prizes.
Instead, applicants are competing for
individualized story and career development
through one-on-one coaching with a personal
creative advisor affiliated with parent organi-
zation Film Independent, which runs the
Los Angeles Film Festival and the Spirit
Awards. The Screenwriting Lab also intro-
duces participants to industry veterans for
guidance on both craft and business, and
concludes with a pitch event providing the
fellows with individualized feedback and
discussions with industry executives.
Those who value education and experience
over prize money should keep this opportu-
nity on their radar and apply when they’re
ready to really workshop a script, with an eye
toward production.
A Film Independent blog post announcing
the 2020 class of fellows perfectly summed
up the benefits of this program.
“The support is three-fold: in the valida-
tion of one’s talents that participation in the
program confirms, in the resources and skills
it helps provide its writers, and in the net-
work it helps the writer to further develop.”