2005 Screenplay contests

Question

'Tis the time of year for screenplay contests. Are there any reputable ones out there? The most prestigious one, so far as I know, the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting sponsored by the Academy of Motion Pictures, seems to have collapsed. The contest was supposed to have begun in January but they can't even get applications out this year. Now they're saying they won't be available until March. I was thinking of entering the Final Draft contest, until I saw the application form. Warning signs: They're encouraging electronic submissions in FD or Adobe format. Do they seriously think judges are going to read a whole 120 page script on a computer? If I spend more than a hour reading text on a screen, my eyes burn up. Also, the section for entering credit card information is about three times larger than the rules section. I think they're much more interested in seeing your fifty bucks than your script. So, if you were only to enter one quality contest among those available this year, which would it be? Does someone want to put together a list of the available contests and whether or not they're worth entering?

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]The most prestigious one, so far as I know, the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting sponsored by the Academy of Motion ... in January but they can't even get applications out this year. Now they're saying they won't be available until March.[/nq]
This is what one might call an overreaction.

Applications are going to be out a month late. That's hardly a sign of "collapsing."

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]The most prestigious one, so far as I know, the ... year. Now they're saying they won't be available until March.[/nq]
[nq:1]This is what one might call an overreaction. Applications are going to be out a month late. That's hardly a sign of "collapsing." The Oscar Moore just announced a winner in the UK.[/nq]
http://www.screendaily.com/omf.asp

M

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Applications are going to be out a month late. That's hardly a sign of "collapsing."[/nq]
Two months late, and then some. In December, the rules section said applications would be available in January. Naively, I checked the website on January 1st. They didn't even bother to update the site until Jan. 15 saying the application would be available in February. Then they pushed it back to the end of February. Within the last few days, it has been changed to "some time in March." Forgive my cynicism, but I'm not optimisitic it'll ever show up. If they keep pushing the date back, they may get so few entries before the deadline that the whole contest won't be worthwhile. In effect, collapse. Yeah, it's a long shot, but c'mon guys, get it in gear.

Aside from that, anyone want to comment, favorably or not, about the quality or integrity of the Final Draft or Scriptapalooza or other contests?

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Two months late, and then some. In December, the rules section said applications would be available in January. Naively, I checked the website on January 1st. They didn't even bother to update the site until Jan. 15[/nq]
The Nicholl applications usually go out around the third week of January, so a January 15 web update is not untimely.

The Nicholl gets about half of their entires in the last week before the deadline, and about half of those arrive postmarked on the last day. Delaying the front end of the entry period isn't creating a problem for anyone.
[nq:1]Forgive my cynicism, but I'm not optimisitic it'll ever show up.[/nq]
Then maybe you should just let this one go and spend your money on a more reputable contest.

2005 Screenplay contests

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