Call for submissions: Worldwide Short Film Festival's Screenplay Giveaway

The Worldwide Short Film Festival is open for submissions for its next Screenplay Giveaway, a short film screenwriting contest with a prize package of goods and services worth over $60,000. If you buy at least one industry panel ticket ($20), you may submit a screenplay of no more than 40 pages that will be read by an industry jury.

This contest is open to all Canadian residents. The winner will be announced during the Awards ceremony on the last day of the festival.

The Worldwide Short Film Festival is the largest short film festival in North America. It generally takes place in early June. It also runs a symposium which provides filmmakers and those in the industry an excellent opportunity to learn and to network.

Filmmakers should note that Worldwide Shorts has extended its deadline for film submissions to February 21, 2011. This is not a postmark deadline, but rather the film must arrive at their Toronto office by that day. They are also hiring in preparation for the coming festival.

The deadline for submissions for the Screenplay Giveaway is Monday, May 9 at 6pm. This year's Worldwide Short Film Festival runs from May 31 to June 5, 2011.
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Screenplay Giveaway- Short Scripts Win Big Prizes!

Submit your short script and win a fantastic filmmaking package worth over $60,000, including:

• Post Production services by Deluxe Laboratories
• Studio time at Cinespace Studios
• Kodak film stock
• Two Programming passes for WIFT-T
• Legal counsel from Heenan Blaikie Barristers and Solicitors
• Story editing services by one of Canada'a top story editors Marguerite Pigott, Creative Development Group Lead, Super Channel
  

Send us your short script & if you win, we’ll give you a filmmaking package to help you with your short film! Your short film script will be judged by established working directors and filmmakers from across Canada.

Deadline for submissions is Monday, May 9, 2011 at 6 p.m.

The winner will be announced at the Festival awards ceremony on June 5, 2011.

To qualify for the Screenplay Giveaway, you must:

• Be a Canadian resident
• Pay the submission fee by purchasing at least one $20 Symposium ticket. If you are not planning to attend the festival, you can pay the submission fee HERE.

NOTE: Please include a copy of the email confirming your order or a photocopy of your ticket, your Do-It-All pass, Symposium pass, or proof of entry fee payment with your screenplay.

APPLICATION CHECKLIST

In addition to your script, your Screenplay Giveaway Application must include the following:

• Cover letter with contact details (name, phone number and email address) and a short 100 word synopsis of your film. NOTE: If you send a PDF of your script, please do not include your cover letter in the same document as the script: separate your cover letter from the script.
• A resume of the writer(s)
• NO identifying markers - please do not list your name, production company or any other information on the title page or in the body of your script. The Screenplay Giveaway Contest is a blind read; your identity is not revealed to the judges or adjudicators.

HOW TO APPLY

Enter your application (40 pages or less) by mail or in person to:

WSFF Screenplay Giveaway
Canadian Film Centre
2489 Bayview Ave.
Toronto, ON
M2L 1A8

or email a PDF version of your application to:shortfilmfest@cfccreates.com, with the subject heading “Screenplay Giveaway 2011” to be eligible.

No faxes please.

Please consult the Screenplay Giveaway FAQS and checklist before submitting your entry.

FAQs ABOUT WSFF's SCREENPLAY GIVEAWAY CONTEST

I did not write the script, but I am the director/producer of the film, can I still enter the contest?
You may enter on behalf of the film, but you must provide written, original signed consent from the writer. Likewise, if you are entering a script based on a short story that the author has agreed to option, you must submit a letter of agreement from the author.

Who are the judges and how does the selection process work?
Your script will be read by several industry readers (story editors, buyers, producers, filmmakers) who will be judging it on its creativity, originality, your writing skills, and the overall story. Then selected scripts will be put in front of a jury of some of the top filmmakers in Canada who will select one winner. Judges will be announced by March 1.

Can I enter more than one script?
No, the contest mandates one script per person, regardless of the number of panel tickets purchased.

Can I enter the same script more than once?
No.

I plan to attend a Symposium panel; can I enter my script first and buy a ticket later?
Yes, but to qualify for the contest, you must provide proof of Screenplay Giveaway submission fee payment. The submission fee is $20, and can be paid HERE.

How can I buy advance tickets for Symposium panels?
Tickets and passes are available online at www.shorterisbetter.com.  Purchase can also be arranged in person at the CFC:
call 416 445 1446 x227 for more information.

Can my entry be postmarked for the deadline?
Sorry, entries must physically arrive at the Canadian Film Centre by 6:00 p.m. on Monday, May 9th 2011.

Please send applications to:
WSFF Screenplay Giveaway
Canadian Film Centre
2489 Bayview Ave
Toronto, ON
M2L 1A8.

Do I have to be a Canadian citizen to enter?
The services of the Screenplay Giveaway prize are valid only in Canada and are non-transferable, therefore applicants must be legal residents of the country.

I am a selected filmmaker for this year’s festival, and my pass allows me access to Symposium for free, can I still enter the contest?
Yes, although in order to enter the Screenplay Giveaway contest, you must still purchase a panel ticket.  This is a means of covering basic administrative costs incurred by the contest. See Question 4 on where to purchase.

I do not live in Toronto and I would like to submit a script.  Do I still have to buy a panel ticket?
Yes, see above answer.

If I want to drop off my application in person, where do I go?
The Canadian Film Centre is located at 2489 Bayview Ave, south of York Mills, on the east side of Bayview. From York Mills subway station, take any eastbound 95 or 122 bus to Bayview Ave, then walk south.

http://worldwideshortfilmfest.com/symposium/screenplay_giveaway.html