Screenwriting Competitions

[Matt W.]

Which are worth entering?

I've heard the following recommended, online mostly:

Sundance Labs
Slamdance
Bluecat
Scriptapalooza

I'm not expecting to win (or even place) so the festivals that offer notes seem most compelling to me simply because I will get something for my money... And I want to waste as little money as possible, but still apply to those competitions that are worthwhile. I know of people who've used accolades from really low-end competitions to help promote their scripts, and even get financing, so if there's anything super cheap and not competitive but worthwhile for genre, I'm down with that, too.

Also, what are the best communities online for screenwriters? I am a super beginner, so I have a lot of questions and need to find somewhere to get feedback on drafts, beat sheets, etc.

Thanks!

 

[Zack Birlew]

Stage32.com may be of interest to you. It's a social network dedicated to filmmaking and acting communities and it's growing rapidly. There's a large community of writers on there and they may have more examples to share than what's normally on REDUser, which is more about cinematography and camera stuff.

Other than that, I seem to hear about WorldFest a lot. I haven't looked into it much myself but that's just one that comes to mind at the moment. Try looking into magazines like Script and Moviemaker, they usually have listings of cool festivals and advice in general.