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Cinequest Screenwriting Competition
Cinequest
Contact
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 638-0644 (voice)
Web:
Click here
Email:
screenplay@cinequest.org
Contact: Angela Ostermeier, Screenwriting Competition Coordinator
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(4.6/5.0) |
| Professionalism: |
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(4.2/5.0) |
| Feedback: |
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(4.4/5.0) |
| Signficance: |
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(4.3/5.0) |
| Report Cards: |
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Have you entered?
Submit a Report card
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Categories
Objective
Cinequest voted Best Film Festival by USA Today Readers.
Cinequest voted Best Film Festival by USA Today Readers. The Cinequest Screenplay Competition empowers global screenwriters through discovery, recognition, and opportunity. Cinequest loves writers, and we welcome you to submit your screenplay or teleplay to our renowned competition. The Top 10 Finalists receive many empowering benefits including: passes to the Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival and the exclusive Writers Celebration, plus exposure to leading industry players and inspiring luminaries.
Finalists are presented alongside high profile Maverick Spirit awardees like: J.J. Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan, Chuck Palahniuk, Neil Gaiman, Philip Kaufman, Michael Arndt, Diablo Cody, Dennis Lehane, Jason Reitman and more at the highly anticipated Writers Celebration during the Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival. Show More
Rules
All genres accepted. Especially seeking drama, comedy, thriller/mystery, action, drama, sci-fi, action, bio-pic, rom-com, horror, and highly original material.
Script must be submitted in English and must be properly formatted according to industry standards.
Length (not including title page):
- Feature-Length Scripts must be between 70 -125 pages
- Short Film Scripts must be 40 pages or fewer
- Teleplays (60 minute) must be between 45-70 pages
- Teleplays (30 minute) must be 45 pages or fewer
Only PDFs will be accepted for submission. Printed scripts are not accepted.
Script must be properly formatted according to industry standards.
Please include ONLY your script’s title on the cover page so that readers may remain unbiased in their decisions. Your FilmFreeway tracking number will automatically be assigned to your uploaded script.
Maintain your full contact information in your FilmFreeway registration. Do not include any contact information on your submitted script.
RESTRICTIONS
Once the entry is received no rewritten/corrected pages will be accepted.
Submission fees are collected by FilmFreeway. Cinequest does not accept payment by cash, check, or money order. There is no entry fee refund for any scripts submitted.
Winning scripts by more than one writer will have the prize split evenly between members of the writing team.
Any script that becomes purchased, optioned, goes into production, or is produced before the final Jury decision will be eliminated from the competition with no entry fee refund. Scripts written as adaptations of other works must have secured rights before being submitted.
FEEDBACK & NOTIFICATIONS
Contestants will receive 3 lines of consolidated reader feedback on their script if requested.
Writers will be notified on their status in the competition via the email address provided at time of registration. Please include screenplay@cinequest.org in your contact lists to receive these notifications. See below for selection process:
Awards
FEATURE-LENGTH SCRIPTS:
1st Place
(1) Receives $5000 USD cash prize. Winning script by more than one writer will have cash prize split evenly between members of the writing team. (2) Presented with an inscribed Crystal Award during Cinequest Film & VR Festival. (3) Amenities listed in Finalist sections.
Cash Award Value: 5,000 U.S. Dollar
Top Three Finalists
1) Opportunity to have script read by top level industry producers and writers
2) All of the amenities of the Top 10 Finalists
Top Ten Finalists
(1) Recognition (script title, genre and tagline) on Writers Celebration event page on Cinequest Film & VR Festival website. (2) Recognition (script title, genre and tagline) in printed Cinequest Film & VR Festival Guide (3) Invitation to Cinequest Film & VR Festival with two Artist festival passes (passes valued at $1,000). (4) Exclusive invitation to Writers Celebration, which includes a BUSINESS OF WRITING FORUM, WRITER MEETS PRODUCER MIXER to connect with industry leaders, PITCH TRAINING & CHALLENGE to a panel of industry powerhouses, and an inspiring MAVERICK SPIRIT luminary event. (5) Special discounts and rates on accommodations during Cinequest Film & VR Festival.
SHORT FILM SCRIPTS:
1st Place
(1) Receives $1000 USD cash prize. Winning script by more than one writer will have cash prize split evenly between members of the writing team. (2) Presented with an inscribed Crystal Award during Cinequest Film & VR Festival. (3) Invitation to screen winning short at a future Cinequest Film & VR Festival. Film is limited to a 20-minute run time (maximum). Cinequest is not responsible for the production of the film. (4) Amenities listed in Finalist sections.
Cash Award Value: 1,000 U.S. Dollar
Top Three Finalists
1) Opportunity to have script read by top level industry producers and writers
2) All of the amenities of the Top 10 Finalists
Top Ten Finalists
(1) Recognition (script title, genre and tagline) on Writers Celebration event page on Cinequest Film & VR Festival website. (2) Recognition (script title, genre and tagline) in printed Cinequest Film & VR Festival Guide (3) Invitation to Cinequest Film & VR Festival with two Artist festival passes (passes valued at $1,000). (4) Exclusive invitation to Writers Celebration, which includes a BUSINESS OF WRITING FORUM, WRITER MEETS PRODUCER MIXER to connect with industry leaders, PITCH TRAINING & CHALLENGE to a panel of industry powerhouses, and an inspiring MAVERICK SPIRIT luminary event. (5) Special discounts and rates on accommodations during Cinequest Film & VR Festival.
TELEPLAYS (60 MINUTES):
1st Place
(1) Receives $1,000 USD cash prize. Winning script by more than one writer will have cash prize split evenly between members of the writing team. (2) Presented with an inscribed Crystal Award during Cinequest Film & VR Festival. (3) Amenities listed in Finalist sections.
Cash Award Value: 1,000 U.S. Dollar
Top Three Finalists
1) Opportunity to have script read by top level industry producers and writers
2) All of the amenities of the Top 10 Finalists
Top Ten Finalists
(1) Recognition (script title, genre and tagline) on Writers Celebration event page on Cinequest Film & VR Festival website. (2) Recognition (script title, genre and tagline) in printed Cinequest Film & VR Festival Guide (3) Invitation to Cinequest Film & VR Festival with two Artist festival passes (passes valued at $1,000). (4) Exclusive invitation to Writers Celebration, which includes a BUSINESS OF WRITING FORUM, WRITER MEETS PRODUCER MIXER to connect with industry leaders, PITCH TRAINING & CHALLENGE to a panel of industry powerhouses, and an inspiring MAVERICK SPIRIT luminary event. (5) Special discounts and rates on accommodations during Cinequest Film & VR Festival.
TELEPLAYS (30 MINUTES):
1st Place
(1) Receives $1000 USD cash prize. Winning script by more than one writer will have cash prize split evenly between members of the writing team. (2) Presented with an inscribed Crystal Award during Cinequest Film & VR Festival. (3) Amenities listed in Finalist sections.
Cash Award Value: 1,000 U.S. Dollar
2nd Place
1) Opportunity to have script read by top level industry producers and writers
2) All of the amenities of the Top 10 Finalists
Top 10 Finalists
(1) Recognition (script title, genre and tagline) on Writers Celebration event page on Cinequest Film & VR Festival website. (2) Recognition (script title, genre and tagline) in printed Cinequest Film & VR Festival Guide (3) Invitation to Cinequest Film & VR Festival with two Artist festival passes (passes valued at $1,000). (4) Exclusive invitation to Writers Celebration, which includes a BUSINESS OF WRITING FORUM, WRITER MEETS PRODUCER MIXER to connect with industry leaders, PITCH TRAINING & CHALLENGE to a panel of industry powerhouses, and an inspiriting MAVERICK SPIRIT luminary event. (5) Special discounts and rates on accommodations during Cinequest Film & VR Festival.
Cinequest
Contact
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 638-0644 (voice)
Web:
Click here
Email:
screenplay@cinequest.org
Contact: Angela Ostermeier, Screenwriting Competition Coordinator
Report Card |
||
| Overall: |
|
(4.6/5.0) |
| Professionalism: |
|
(4.2/5.0) |
| Feedback: |
|
(4.4/5.0) |
| Signficance: |
|
(4.3/5.0) |
| Report Cards: |
|
|
|
Have you entered?
Submit a Report card
|
||
Categories
Contest Comments
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First-time user? Register now to receive FREE email contest updates, news, results, deadline reminders and more. Rest assured, information submitted here is held in strict confidence. MovieBytes never sells or in any way distributes email names or addresses. We promise!
Cinequest Screenwriting Competition
Contact
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 638-0644 (voice)
Web:
Click here
Email:
screenplay@cinequest.org
Contact: Angela Ostermeier, Screenwriting Competition Coordinator
Report Card |
||
| Overall: |
|
(4.6/5.0) |
| Professionalism: |
|
(4.2/5.0) |
| Feedback: |
|
(4.4/5.0) |
| Signficance: |
|
(4.3/5.0) |
| Report Cards: |
|
|
|
Have you entered?
Submit a Report card
|
||
Categories
Contest News
MovieBytes Interview:
Screenwriter M. Rowan Meyer
An interview with screenwriter M. Rowan Meyer regarding the Cinequest Writing Competition.
M. Rowan Meyer
A: "Patient" is a half hour dark comedy about Adrian Irons, a razor-witted, bisexual, self-destructive standardized patient at a NYC teaching hospital. He has the unique ability to recreate the symptoms of any disease, which he uses to help train med students and new doctors. Chaos ensues, however, when the symptoms start to stick.
Q: What made you enter this particular contest? Have you entered any other contests with this script? If so, how did you do?A: I found this contest through Withoutabox while I was searching for contests that accept teleplays. I've entered about 20. Still waiting to hear back from most with later deadlines, but I was just named a finalist for the Screencraft Screenwriting Fellowship, and am currently a semi-finalist for the SeriesFest Teleplay Competition.
Q: Were you satisfied with the administration of the contest? Did they meet their deadlines? Did you receive all the awards that were promised?A: Cinequest, and Antonea Colon in particular, were great. Everything went smoothly and they couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating.
Q: How long did it take you to write the script? Did you write an outline beforehand? How many drafts did you write?A: I wrote the first draft in two days. There was no outline, just an idea. The stars aligned for this project, and it just happened to come at a particularly creative time. I made several big changes in later rewrites over the next year.
Q: What kind of software did you use to write the script, if any? What other kinds of writing software do you use?A: I use Celtx.
Q: Do you write every day? How many hours per day?A: I ideally like to write for an hour every day, but if I'm not feeling inspired I will at least write for 10 minutes. As long as I can get one solid line, plot point, or transition, that's enough sometimes.
Q: Do you ever get writer's block? If so, how do you deal with that?A: I absolutely get writer's block. The best thing to do is not stress about it. Just keep going, no matter how slowly. Or work on something else, as long as it serves your creativity.
Q: What's your background? Have you written any other screenplays or television scripts?A: I have a MFA in Acting from Rutgers University. I've written 6 episodes for "Patient" thus far, a spec script for "Brooklyn Nine-Nine", and many short comedic films. I also a few plays that occasionally get produced, and a novel.
Q: Do you live in Los Angeles? If not, do you have any plans to move there?A: I live in New York. I'd be happy to move to LA, but only if I have something solid lined up.
Q: What's next? Are you working on a new script?A: I'm currently writing a feature, a short film, two new sketches, and a new pilot. I know it sounds like I have too many projects up in the air, but very happy to say I actually work on all of them pretty regularly.
Posted Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Cinequest Screenwriting Competition
Contact
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 638-0644 (voice)
Web:
Click here
Email:
screenplay@cinequest.org
Contact: Angela Ostermeier, Screenwriting Competition Coordinator
Report Card |
||
| Overall: |
|
(4.6/5.0) |
| Professionalism: |
|
(4.2/5.0) |
| Feedback: |
|
(4.4/5.0) |
| Signficance: |
|
(4.3/5.0) |
| Report Cards: |
|
|
|
Have you entered?
Submit a Report card
|
||
Categories
Submit Report Card
You must login to read or submit report cards.
First-time user? Register now to receive FREE email contest updates, news, results, deadline reminders and more. Rest assured, information submitted here is held in strict confidence. MovieBytes never sells or in any way distributes email names or addresses. We promise!
