Sleeping with the Lutefisk by Wenonah Wilms (Minneapolis, MN) - The black sheep of a Minnesota organized crime family seeks revenge with the help of her family after her lover is mistakenly killed in a hit intended for her.
Pansy by Sean Patrick McCarthy (New York, NY) - When the parents of a gay teenager discover his relationship with an older man he met online, the revelation sends the troubled Catholic school boy on a downward spiral.
Child in the Dark by Ian Ogden (Brooklyn, NY) and Damian Lahey (FL) - As her neighborhood rapidly loses its grip on a virus turning the infected into raving psychopaths, a blind ten-year-old must fend for herself until a rescue convoy can reach her at dawn.
Refresh, Refresh by James Ponsoldt (Los Angeles, CA) - Three teenage boys, whose Marine reservist fathers are unexpectedly off fighting a distant war, must prove to themselves their worth as men.
Wanderlust by Blaire Baron-Larsen (Los Angeles, CA) - True story of the writer's notorious and romantic 1930s era vagabond grandparents, Edwin Williams and Gwen Van de Kik. REDS meets Dr. ZHIVAGO.
Miller's Pond by Max Forstater (Atlanta, GA) - A young man, looking for meaning in his life, uncovers a mysterious artifact from his grandfather's barn and is thrust into the center of a small town conspiracy.
"I'd take the retreat over a cash prize any day and I can use the cash. Having someone who works in the industry read my script and then spend time giving honest objective feedback was incredible. Molly Mayeux, one of my mentors, is a producer so in addition to her very insightful script analysis she was a great resource about the steps I need to take to get Apparition into production. She had a lot of practical real world advice which you can't really find in a book." - Steven Brooks, 2007 Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition Finalist
"The weekend went by wicked fast, I felt like I've made some excellent contacts with all [the Atlanta Film Festival Staff] and the writers and mentors. I only wished it could've lasted longer." - Yarrow Wayman, 2007 Atlanta film Festival Screenplay Competition Finalist
The weekend of November 14-16, six (6) finalists will attend a weekend retreat in Atlanta, GA at the Margaret Mitchell House and the Wyndham Midtown in one-on-one and group mentoring sessions with industry professionals.
Selected portions of the six (6) finalist screenplays will also be performed at a public reading.
MISSION & OBJECTIVE
The Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition looks to discover high quality screenplays and then help the writer further develop and refine their script through an intensive workshop retreat with professional writers and filmmakers. ABOUT THE FESTIVAL The Atlanta Film Festival has a 32 year history of discovering and nurturing new filmmaking talent, including showing early works by Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee, and Victor Nunez. Beyond showing completed films, the Atlanta has been involved in helping filmmakers at various stages of the filmmaking process through programs such as Perfect Pitch, the Southeastern Media Award, and Fiscal Sponsorship. All films start with a screenplay, so the Atlanta Film Festival wanted to help screenwriters develop their screenplays by awarding winners of the Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition the opportunity to workshop their script with industry professionals at a weekend retreat. The first screenplay competition was held in 2007 where the winners received dedicated feedback from Traci Carroll, Joy Lusco Kecken, Michael Lucker, Molly Mayeux, Kent Osborne, and Doug Sadler. The first year was an overwhelming success for winners and mentors and was called "the single most productive and educational experience I've ever had, in terms of developing a screenplay and plotting a film career." by one of the winners.
2008 MENTORS
Joel Zwick, Director
MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING, FAT ALBERT
Stephen Israel, Producer
SWIMMING WITH SHARKS, BOY CULTURE
Traci Carroll, Writer/Director/Producer
2005 Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting Semi-Finalist; Creative Director at Warner Brothers
Joy Lusco Kecken, Writer/Director/Producer
HBO's The Wire; NBC's Homicide Life on the Street
Kent Osborne, Writer/Actor
HANNAH TAKES THE STAIRS; DROPPING OUT; Emmy Nominated for Nickelodeon's Spongebob Squarepants and Ca 0mp Lazlo
Doug Sadler, Writer/Director
RIDERS; SWIMMERS
Michael Lucker, Writer
MULAN II, VAMPIRE IN BROOKLYN
Molly Mayeux,
producer, DANDELION, EASY
Submission Deadlines and Fees:
Earlybird: June 27, 2008
Features: Standard - 35.00, Student - 30.00, Atlanta Film Festival Member - 30.00
Shorts: Standard - 30.00, Student - 25.00, Atlanta Film Festival Member - 25.00
Screenplay with Coverage: Standard - 145.00, Student - 135.00, Atlanta Film Festival member - 135.00
Regular: July 25, 2008
Features: Standard - 40.00, Student - 35.00, Atlanta Film Festival Member - 35.00
Shorts: Standard - 35.00, Student - 30.00, Atlanta Film Festival - 30.00
Screenplay with Coverage: Standard - 155.00, Student - 145.00, Atlanta Film Festival - 145.00
Late: August 22, 2008
Features: Standard - 50.00, Student - 45.00, Atlanta Film Festival Member - 45.00
Shorts: Standard - 40.00, Student - 35.00, Atlanta Film Festival Member - 35.00
Screenplay with Coverage: Standard - 165.00, Student - 155.00, Atlanta Film Festival Member - 155.00
Extended: September 5, 2008
Feature: Standard - 65.00, Student - 60.00, Atlanta Film Festival Member - 60.00
Shorts: Standard - 55.00, Student - 50.00, Atlanta Film Festival Member - 50.00
Screenplay with Coverage: Standard 180.00, Student - 170.00, Atlanta Film Festival Member - 170.00
Feature Screenplay
Feature screenplays are unproduced screenplays that are over 50 pages in length in standard screenplay format.
Short Screenplay
Short screenplays are screenplays that are 25 to 50 pages in standard screenplay format using 12-point courier font.
Screenplay with Coverage
The Screenplay with Coverage category is for screenplays of any length up to 130 pages. In addition to eligibility for the contest and prizes, entrants in this category will receive coverage by an industry professional covering areas such as storyline, character development, and format.
In general, coverage will be provided 6 to 8 weeks after receipt of screenplay. If coverage will be more than 8 weeks, writers will notified by email.
GENERAL RULES
1) Screenplays must not have been previously optioned, purchased or produced.
2) Entrants must also submit a logline/summary of the screenplay, no longer than one page.
3) Screenplays must be in English, formatted with 12-point courier font.
4) Screenplays shorter than 25 pages or longer than 130 pages will not be accepted.
5) Screenplays must be copyrighted or registered material.
6) Please note that the prize for the Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition is a workshop retreat to further polish the screenplay with guidance by industry professionals. The retreat will take place in Georgia November 14-16, 2008.
The Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition will provide travel from within the U.S., Canada, or Mexico as well as room and board for one for the retreat.
