2011 Atlanta Film Festival – Why Go? - 101 Reasons

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 (December 9-11, 2011) with professional writers and filmmakers.

SUBMISSION DEADLINES
Earlybird Deadline: June 27, 2011 (Lowest Fee)
Regular Deadline: August 15, 2011
Late Deadline: September 19, 2011
WAB Extended Deadline: September 26, 2011

Find submission fees, including ATLFF member and student discounts, for each deadline on AtlantaFilmFestival.com

PRIZE 
Three (3) winning screenwriters will be invited to participate in a weekend retreat (December 9-11, 2011) where they will workshop their screenplay with industry professionals. Value of Goods/Services: 2,500 U.S. Dollar Twelve to Fifteen finalists will be named, from which the three winning screenplays will be chosen.

ABOUT THE ATLFF SCREENPLAY COMPETITION
The Atlanta Film Festival has a 4 decade long history of discovering and nurturing new filmmaking talent, including showing early works by Robert Rodriguez, Spike Lee, and Victor Nunez. The Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition offers the winners the opportunity to workshop their script with industry professionals at a weekend retreat. Past Mentors have included Kent Osborne (HANNAH TAKES THE STAIRS, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS), Morgan J. Freeman (HURRICANE), Anne Hubbell (THANKSGIVING), Carly Hugo (PETER AND VANDY, HOT COFFEE), Stephen Israel (SWIMMING WITH SHARKS), J.T. Petty (THE BURROWERS, SPLINTER CELL: CHAOS THEORY), Joel Zwick (MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING) Amy Dotson (Producer & Managing Director for IFP NY), and Rob Long (CHEERS, GEORGE & LEO). The retreat brings the writers of the winning screenplays together not only with established writers, but also with producers and directors who can provide a different perspective on the script and advice on how to move forward towards getting the project produced.

Comments from participants in the Screenwriter’s Retreat:

“Attending the Screenwriters Lab was invigorating and made me feel completely alive as an artist!”

“This competition offers you what very few can, a personal and relaxed atmosphere to meet with professionals who are willing to take the time to not only get to know your writing but you as a person.”

“Not only did I absolutely have a blast down there, as we were all treated like VIPs for the weekend, but more importantly, the workshop proved to be invaluable, as I received a lot of great notes and feedback that should definitely help me in making this next draft even more compelling.”

“The writer’s retreat, meeting all of the mentors and the amazing ATLFF staff continues to stand as a highlight in my career as a screenwriter.”

CATEGORY RULES
Feature screenplays must be 60 to 140 pages long in standard screenplay format with 12-point courier font. Screenplays longer than 140 pages will not be accepted. Entrants must submit one hard copy version of the screenplay or an electronic copy, as a Word Document and/or PDF file, available for judging. For your own protection, we recommend that you copyright or register your work. Finalists must be available for a phone interview during the week of October 17th, and please note that the award for winning the competition is a trip to Atlanta for a Screenwriting Retreat the weekend of December 9-11, 2011. Travel (from within the United States) and lodging will be provided for the weekend.