Screenwriting Festivals
Screenwriting Festivals
Screenwriting festivals are very important to the screenwriter because it means that their work will finally be showcased and critiqued. There are festivals in virtually every part of the world, so that means there are endless opportunities for screenwriters to have their work seen by audiences and judges alike. Below are some screenwriting festivals from around the world.
Toronto Feedback Female Film Festival
Submission Deadline: March 21,2019
Submission Fee: $55
Location: Toronto, Canada
TOFFFF’s goal is to achieve a lot of success and then fold into oblivion simply because there is no need for this festival. This festival was created by the Feedback Film & Writing Festival as a simple reaction to a strong need to showcase female talent from around the world in a more profound way.
American Screenwriting Conference
Submission Deadline: March 25, 2019
Submission Fee: $40
Location: Sacramento, California
Held May 5th at the beautiful Delta King, a genuine 1860's riverboat and floating hotel located in historic Old Sacramento, the conference will educate new and experienced screenwriters on the state of the art today.
Fantasy/Sci-Fi Film & Screenplay Festival
Submission Deadline: March 27, 2019
Submission Fee: $55
Location: Ontario, Canada
Fantasy and Sci-fi stories used to be a fringe market. Now they are in the mainstream now and forever as movies, television shows, and stories in fantasy/sci-fi are a gigantic multi-billion-dollar market. This portion of the Film & Writing Festival serves the Fantasy and Sci-Fi filmmakers and writers from all over the world.
London Independent Film Awards
Submission Deadline: March 27, 2019
Submission Fee: $50
Location: London, UK
London Independent Film Awards is a monthly competition with annual screenings, recognizing and awarding the work of independent filmmakers worldwide. The aim is to give the directors, writers, animators, and actors involved a helpful step forward in their future careers. All monthly winners will receive a digital certificate to commemorate their achievement. A selection of best films will be shortlisted to compete in the Grand Jury competition and screened at London Independent Film Awards annual festival held on 25th October 2019 in London.
Feedback Animation and Screenplay Festival
Submission Deadline: March 28, 2019
Submission Fee: $45
Location: Ontario, Canada
Festival geared to showcase the best of new animation films and screenplays from around the world. Accepted works get their film showcased at the popular Feedback Film Festival. Animation films are becoming so profound, Feedback has decided to showcase 2 festivals from 2 different countries at the festival.
Submission Deadline: March 25-April 14,2019
Submission Fee: $25-30
Location: Madrid, Spain
Feature fiction films and documentaries of any genre and length above 45 minutes. EuropeNow Film Festival 2019 follows but is not limited to the theme of the 26th Conference for Europeanists which is 'Sovereignties in Contention: Nations, Regions and Citizens in Europe'. The films submitted can have any broad connection to the theme and be featuring any burning topic about Europe in 2019. Few examples are refugee crisis, Brexit, changes in political environment, economy, education, art forms and movement, and anything related to the culture of the entire European continent.
Submission Deadline: March 22-April 19,2019
Submission Fee: $45-50
Location: Santorini, Greece
SFF is run in association with Close: Up, a collection of international film festivals supporting indie filmmaking. By establishing a working network among filmmakers, producers and marketing professionals, we share one common goal: to forge productive and lasting relationships between independent filmmakers and audiences. Santorin Film Festival, the first international independent film festival on the island is open to any indie filmmaker, regardless of budget, style or genre, who is looking for a platform to share their work with an audience eager to see great films.
Grace International Film Festival
Submission Deadline: March 20- April 30,2019
Submission Fee: $25-30
Location: Berlin, Germany
GRACE! International Film Festival & Cinema Awards is an annual international event focusing on independent filmmakers. Located in the center of Berlin, GRACE looks forward to hosting a unique event at Arsenal cinema theatre. The Festival’s mission is to support independent filmmakers and to bring them to wider attention. The aim is to give the talented filmmakers a helpful step in their future careers and to provide them an alternative to the commercial film experience. The Festival will showcase some of the excellent international short films in Narrative, Documentary, Experimental, Animation, Debut, Student, Woman-Filmmaker, Drone Film, Music Video. The GRACE IFF accepts screenplays as well.
Sunlight International Film Festival
Submission Deadline: March 20-April 30,2019
Submission Fee: $25-30
Location: Berlin, Germany
Sunlight International Film Festival shows an amazing mix of short and feature length films, the best independent films on the festival circuit, before they come to cinema. SIFF will be screening films from all over the world and honoring emerging filmmakers from every age, religious, ethnic and cultural perspective. The mission is to bring worthy filmmakers to a wider attention, and to provide a platform for appreciative and informed discussion of their work. The Sunlight International Film Festival attempts to cultivate spaces for independent filmmakers to create and display their stories without commercial pressure, in order to discover and celebrate extraordinary films and develop independent filmmaking. The Sunlight International Film Festival strives to set a standard for excellence in recognizing the important work of emerging talent and masters of the cinema craft.
Submission Deadline: March 22-May 29,2019
Submission Fee: $35-55
Location: Los Angeles, California
Storyline believes that every great picture starts with a great screenplay and sets out to honor those writers who are committed to the craft in delivering such work. From new worlds, rich characters, and compelling conflict, STORYLINE celebrates long and short format narratives that will forever change us.
Submission Deadline: March 22-May 30,2019
Submission Fee: $35-55
Location: Los Angeles, California
Like many festivals, the DVFF sets out to honor the best in independent cinema from around the world and do so by considering the full-scope of creative integration in any given project. From performances to color correction; score to sound design, the jury is tasked with assessing each film based on an overall cohesiveness as it relates to storytelling. In addition, DIFF shines a very important light on screenwriting through sister-brand, STORYLINE℠ with quarterly and annual competitions.
Submission Deadline: March 21-June 15,2019
Submission Fee: $65-95
Location: Los Angeles. California
This feature film script contest will award an outstanding screenplay that fully exemplifies a well-rounded and entertaining FEATURE story that is poised to be the next "green-lit" feature film in Hollywood. 20 Top Finalists will be chosen, and other accolades will be awarded for various genres, themes and topics. It will be read by professional script-readers with a discriminating eye for plotline, structure, and marketability. It must be submitted with the intent of putting it into consideration with prominent film professionals eager to find their next project. This is open to screenwriters worldwide but must be submitted in English to qualify.
Filmmatic Short Screenplay Awards
Submission Deadline: March 20-June 20,2019
Submission Fee: $25-39
Location: Studio City, California
The Filmmatic Short Screenplay Awards were created to locate and expose up-and-coming screenwriters, as well as to empower and promote those talented writers still waiting for their invitation to the mainstream industry.
Submission Deadline: March 27-July 17,2019
Submission Fee: $50-65
Location: Teaneck, New Jersey
Now in its seventh year, the Northeast Film Festival showcases top independent films from filmmakers, as well as new talent. The diverse array of films, selected by a committee, includes features and shorts from all genres, as well as documentaries and screenplays. The festival is hosted in Teaneck New Jersey at the historic Teaneck Cinemas; with planned parties to kick off the festival in style and spirit. In addition, we offer an atmosphere for the film enthusiast to interact with filmmakers as well as filmmakers being able to interact and network with each other and industry professionals.
Submission Deadline: March 22-July 19,2019
Submission Fee: $40-50
Location: Wexford, Ireland
A film festival run by filmmakers for filmmakers and movie fans in one of the most beautiful parts of Ireland, Wexford Town. Now entering its 4th year, the Wexford Film Festival invites submissions from filmmakers all over the world and in every genre. The Wexford Film Festival all about story and visual storytelling. The festival will select the films that tell the best stories and connect with the audience the best.
Submission Deadline: March 26- July 23, 2019
Submission Fee: $45-60
Location: Liverpool, UK
The Liverpool Independent Film Festival is excited to announce its very own uncommissioned Screenplay competition. The winner of the award will receive expert consultation from both a leading executive producer of UK independent film and a commissioned screenwriter. The entitlement will help the worthy recipient to develop and package their project to industry standard. The consultation is exclusive to LIVIFF and will help gain pre-sale distribution, Production interest and aid in attaching directing and casting talent alike for the chosen narrative. This is an amazing opportunity for any ambitious screen writer looking for that elusive breakthrough.
Submission Deadline: March 24-September 10,2019
Submission Fee: $10-25
Location: United Kingdom
The MFF loves monochrome film and really wanted to create a short film festival showcasing some of the best works from around the world. There's just something about the choices made when mixing the shades of a single colour and bringing it to life on screen. It really highlights the art of storytelling, cinematography and lighting in its purest form. Alongside the film competition will be a short script contest. The work will be reviewed by seasoned industry professionals, including guest judges. From award winners to veterans of their respective crafts. We want each project to be successful, and that's why the MFF is handpicking the judges, people who will review each work with the care and respect it deserves.
WILDsound Feedback Film and Screenplay Festival
Submission Deadline: March 26-September 10, 2019
Submission Fee: $50
Location: Toronto, Canada
WILDsound is a feedback festival where submissions will actually hear what people and film lovers think of the film. The festival has been sold out 68 out of our last 70 events. The film is screened and then talked about with the audience, led by a professional industry moderator.
STORYTELLA: Los Angeles Storyteller Film Festival
Submission Deadline: March 25-September 16,2019
Submission Fee: $35-75
Location: Los Angeles, California
Presented by the esteemed Parajanov-Vartanov Institute, STORYTELLA will screen and award Fiction films in an official sidebar of the institute’s signature annual festival DOC LA, which has traditionally programmed fictional stories alongside the documentary competition. Storytella are enthusiastic about discovering outstanding fiction films by students, emerging auteurs, and established masters, especially those that our city's other important festivals overlook. Storytella are also interested in unusual, strange and unclassifiable films, since the festival presenting institute is named after the renowned nonconformists Sergei Paradjanov (1924-1990) and Mikhail Vartanov (1937-2009), who overcame censorship, persecution and low budgets, and earned praise for their daring point of view from some of cinema’s greatest luminaries.
LA Under the Stars Film Festival
https://www.launderthestars.com/
Submission Deadline: March 27-December 4, 2019
Submission Fee: $10-25
Location: Los Angeles, California
LA Under the Stars is an international film festival held at the historic El Cid Theater on West Sunset Boulevard in the heart of the Silver Lake neighborhood. Unpretentious and atmospheric, the iconic theater, restaurant, and bar offers guests a new experience while retaining its original passion and soul. This is the best showcase for indie films! Network with the top filmmakers, discuss projects during the Filmmaker Q&A, vote for your favorite film, & close the evening with an Award Ceremony. The international panel of judges will select several films to showcase during the annual event. All selections will be showcased on the website, social media, & given coverage during the highlight reel. As an IMDB-accredited festival, LA Under the Stars Film Festival takes pride in being competitive while distinctly worth the price of submission.
Submission Deadline: March 20,2019-February 20, 2020
Submission Fee: $40-80
Location: Los Angeles, California
Mindfield showcases features, shorts and music videos by filmmakers from around the world, celebrating and supporting independent, new and alternative filmmakers not just during the annual Film Festival but throughout the year with monthly competitions. A number of selected award winners of the bi-monthly online competition will automatically be considered to be in the official selection of our annual festival. Mindfield aims to show the very best in new independent cinema and to give filmmakers a place to show their work to people who appreciate it.
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