MOVIEMAKER.COM SPRING 2020 55
THE MOST
IMPORTANT RULE
FOR ENTERING
SCREENPLAY COMPETITIONSBY CRAIG JAMES
Running the International Screenwriters’ Association, I’m often asked, “What’s
the fast track to selling a screenplay for an emerging screenwriter?” My response
is to make sure your script is at its absolute best, because the cream always rises
to the top.
So, how do you know if your script is ready? By testing the market—with lesser-
known, less-expensive screenplay competitions that provide quality feedback,
even if you end up paying a little extra for it. Use screenplay competitions, don’t
let them use you.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t test the waters with the bigger competitions, but
please do not be discouraged when you don’t win or even place. Think of it like
Major League Baseball: Can you return a 90 mile-an-hour fastball from the best
pitchers in the world? That’s who you’re competing against when you submit to
the major competitions.
Are you putting your best foot forward
against all the other writers dreaming the
same dream as you are? Are you sure?
Some contests, labs and fellowships
receive upwards of 10,000 entries, some
of them from writers who have developed
their craft and their voice for years, if not
decades. They’ve probably lost far more
contests than they’ve won, but they took
their time, worked their way up the ladder,
took the notes and improved along the way.
Contest readers do want to find great
scripts, and they do want to discover the
next Greta Gerwig. So, trust that readers
from legitimate contests know what they’re doing, and that they want you to get
better. Trust the notes, do a rewrite and submit to another three or four contests
until you either stop getting bad notes, or, better yet, win. From there, you can
advance to the bigger competitions and see how you do.
Once you start winning, you could win some incredible prizes including thou-
sands in cash, trips to major festivals, introductions to high-level producers,
agents and more. And you’ll receive additional encouragement to elevate your
craft, improve your story, develop your voice, make some new contacts and build
up a pedigree that demonstrates to the industry that you are in fact a career-
minded screenwriter. This is what professionals do, and you are a professional on
the rise.
Remember, Vince Gilligan (creator of Breaking Bad) launched his career from
a small competition in Virginia. There’s nothing wrong with starting small.
For more tips from the ISA, please visit: NetworkISA.org/ProTipsISA RECOMMENDS:- Creative Screenwriting
Unique Voices Screenplay
Competition - Emerging Screenwriters
Competitions - Fresh Voices Screenplay
Competition - Hollyshorts Screenplay
Contest - Table Read My Screenplay
short and sweet constructive criticism from a
reader, including a genre suggestion, a logline,
and a paragraph outlining the strengths and
weaknesses of the screenplay.
Founded in 1995, the festival prides itself on
showcasing raw and innovative filmmaking,
guided by the mantra “By Filmmakers, For Film-
makers.” So naturally, the screenplay competition
favors bold voices. “We are looking for scripts
that take risks, refuse compromises, and go places
where Hollywood hacks fear to tread,” organizers
state in their call for entries.SUNDANCE
SCREENWRITER’S LAB
ENTRY FEE: $40
2020 DEADLINES: APPLICATIONS OPEN IN APRILHere’s another opportunity to workshop
a script with some of the best in the business.
Every year, the Sundance Institute invites
a small class of screenwriters to advance their
projects at the January Screenwriters Lab at
the Sundance Mountain Resort in Utah.
2020 participants will be paired with
creative advisors, including Michael Arndt
(Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens),
Scott Frank (Logan), Andrea Berloff
(Straight Outta Compton) and Nicole Perlman
(Guardians of the Galaxy). Not only do accepted
screenwriters get an incredible education from
incredibly talented people, but they also build
a bond with the organization behind the
Sundance Film Festival.
“Our Labs are the beginning of a long-term
commitment to these writer/directors, who we
will continue to advance with a robust, ongoing
suite of customized support,” Sundance Institute’s
Feature Film Program founding director
Michelle Satter said last year.
Joe Talbot’s drama The Last Black Man in
San Francisco was nurtured here in 2016 before
it wowed critics in 2019. For anyone thinking
about entering, please be advised: The bar has
been set very high. MMJOE TALBOT (L), A 2016 SUNDANCE LAB FELLOW,
ON THE SET OF HIS DEBUT FEATURE
THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO