Attention screenwriters and actors! From our co-hosts of Filmmaker Fusion, we are happy to present a new challenge sure to spark your creativity in these socially distanced times! We are going virtual for this challenge, so there will be three online events including a kickoff panel with screenwriters, live actor auditions, and it will all culminate as a live table read on Zoom of the winning scripts. Registration for the screenwriting portion of the challenge is now open. Read on for specific details about each portion of the challenge.
SCREENWRITING CHALLENGE
On Wednesday, August 5th at 7pm, IFP Phoenix will be hosting a Screenwriting Filmmaker Fusion virtually on Zoom where we’ll have a brief screenwriting Q&A with local writers followed by the kickoff to our screenwriting challenge! At this Fusion event, screenwriters will be given the requirements for a short screenplay that needs to be finished by Wednesday, September 16th. The top two screenplays will be part of a live table read event on Wednesday, October 14th. Key details for the screenwriting challenge:
Entry Fee: $10 for non IFP Phoenix members and $5 for paid IFP Phoenix members (half of the entry fees will be given to winner of the challenge and the other half goes to support the Student Education Programs of the Phoenix Film Foundation and IFP Phoenix)
Prizes:
1st place – Half of all proceeds collected, part of the live table read event, and a free entry into the 2021 Phoenix Film Festival short screenplay challenge.
2nd place – Part of the live table read event and a free entry into the 2021 Phoenix Film Festival short screenplay challenge
3rd place – A free entry into the 2021 Phoenix Film Festival short screenplay challenge
Dates:
Kickoff: Wednesday, August 5th
Entry Deadline: Friday, August 14th
Submission Deadline: Wednesday, September 16th
Judges:
Jeff Breuer – Filmmaker, Screenwriter, Professor at GCU
Diane Dresback – Screenwriter, Filmmaker, and Author
Heather Hale – Screenwriter, Filmmaker, Author
Chris LaMont – Founder of the Phoenix Film Festival, Screenwriter, Professor at ASU
Susan Slonaker – Former Head of Production at Miramax
MORE TBA
ACTING AUDITIONS
Actors, show us what you’ve got! On Wednesday, September 2nd, IFP Phoenix will be hosting Acting Filmmaker Fusion virtually on Zoom where we’ll have a brief acting Q&A with local professionals followed by the kickoff to our acting portion of the challenge! At this Fusion event, actors will be given the requirements for a self tape audition that needs to be submitted by Wednesday, September 23rd. Actors will then be chosen by a panel to be part of a live table read event on Wednesday, October 7th. Key details for the acting auditions:
Prizes: To be determined based on the number of actors needed to read the winning scripts. Based off their auditions, selected actors will take part in the live table read of the winning scripts on Zoom. Selected actors will also all receive a free one year membership to IFP Phoenix.
Audition Kickoff: Wednesday, September 2nd
Audition Submission Deadline: Wednesday, September 23rd
Judging: We are putting together a panel from local acting professionals and they will offer feedback on all auditions.
Deborah Lee Hall
Is there a participation fee for actors (members and non-members)?
Aaron Kes
Hi Deborah!
There will not be a participation fee from the acting side of things.
Thanks!
Marcelo Dietrich (@https://twitter.com/MarceloDietrich)
When will the judges/panelists be announced?
What are the requirements of being a judge/panelist?
Thank you, and thank you for offering this opportunity for screenwriters.
Aaron Kes
Hi Marcelo! We’re working on finalizing judges this week. We have a couple locked in and they are listed here. We will add the others as we get it updated. We are looking for professionals with a tie to our local community who have an established background in getting work sold and/or education.
Aaron Kes
And I’ve added them to this page here since there are some judges who may not be at the panel part.