CineStory Feature Retreat and Fellowship
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About
Founded in 1995, the CineStory Foundation is a nonprofit mentoring organization dedicated to mentoring talented emerging screenwriters and television writers regarding the craft and business of writing for the screen through its TV writing and screenwriting contests, retreats, fellowships, and events. These mentoring programs are designed for emerging writers with a high level of craft who are ready to enter or are in the early stages of navigating the entertainment industry.
Winners of our competition have gone on to pen films such as:
· CAKE
· IRON MAN
· THE CHILDREN OF MEN
· BALLAST
· KING OF CALIFORNIA
· 11:14
To earn the opportunity to attend the Feature Retreat, writers must submit a feature screenplay to the Feature Retreat & Fellowship Contest. The winners, finalists, and semifinalists will all be invited to the retreat, which costs an additional retreat fee to attend. Any remaining spots will be offered to quarterfinalists.
The CineStory Feature Retreat takes place over four days in the beautiful mountains of Idyllwild, California. Attendees receive three 90-minute one-on-one sessions with CineStory mentors. During these sessions, mentors will give attendees feedback on improving the craft of the script(s) they submitted in advance and will also discuss with writers various aspects of the business of screenwriting to help attendees better understand the screenwriters’ role in the entertainment industry.
When not meeting in one-on-one sessions, attendees participate in “informal rooms,” which are interactive sessions run by two to three mentors. Informal rooms educate attendee on topics ranging from pitching like a pro to the state of filmmaking in the digital age. In addition, attendees and mentors gather for meals, drinks, film screenings, and other special events.
Our mentors are all committed industry professionals and include key creative personnel behind such films as COWBOYS AND ALIENS, IRON MAN, THE CHILDREN OF MEN, FRACTURE, MAD MONEY, THE DANGEROUS LIVES OF ALTAR BOYS, FIREWALL, FINDING NEVERLAND, BAND OF BROTHERS, THE PACIFIC, WIT, NINE LIVES, PETER PAN, EVENT HORIZON, FINAL DESTINATION and many others.
CineStory is solely a nonprofit educational organization. It is not a talent representation service of any kind. It does not, nor does it seek to, manage and/or direct the development of writers’ careers in any way. Additionally, it does not, nor does it seek to, procure representation and/or employment of any kind for writers. Its sole purpose is to educate emerging writers about the craft and business of writing for the screen.
Benefits
The Grand Prize Feature Fellowship winner receives approximately $20,000 in cash and prizes,* including:
- $10,000 cash award
- Free tuition and housing for the Retreat (all Fellows must provide their own transportation to and from the Retreat)
- 12-month educational fellowship program with two industry mentors ($9000 value)
- At the retreat, a private educational session with all the mentors, who include working Hollywood agents, managers, producers, development executives, writers, and other pros
- At the retreat, three 90-minute one-on-one sessions with working Hollywood agents, managers, producers, development executives, writers, and other pros during which mentors will give the Fellow feedback on improving the craft of the script(s) submitted in advance and will also discuss various aspects of the business of screenwriting to help the Fellow better understand the screenwriters’ role in the entertainment industry
- At the retreat, open access to 15+ hours of small group educational sessions covering a wide rage of creative and business topics
- Free retreat film screenings and other events
*Grand Prize Fellowship winner must attend the Retreat in order to receive the prizes.
The second prize winner receives approximately $1,500 in cash and prizes, including:
- $1,000 cash award
- Discount on Retreat tuition
- At the retreat, three 90-minute one-on-one sessions with working Hollywood agents, managers, producers, development executives and other pros during which mentors will give the writer feedback on improving the craft of the script(s) submitted in advance and will also discuss various aspects of the business of screenwriting to help the writer better understand the screenwriters’ role in the entertainment industry
- At the retreat, open access to 15+ hours of small group educational sessions covering a wide rage of creative and business topics
- Free retreat film screenings and other events
The third prize winner receives approximately $1,000 in cash and prizes, including:
- $500 cash award
- Discount on Retreat tuition
- At the retreat, three 90-minute one-on-one sessions with working Hollywood agents, managers, producers, development executives and other pros during which mentors will give the writer feedback on improving the craft of the script(s) submitted in advance and will also discuss various aspects of the business of screenwriting to help the writer better understand the screenwriters’ role in the entertainment industry
- At the retreat, open access to 15+ hours of small group educational sessions covering a wide rage of creative and business topics
- Free retreat film screenings and other events
All Finalists and Semifinalists receive an invitation to the CineStory Feature Retreat as well as prizes worth over $200, including:
- Discount on Retreat tuition
- At the retreat, three 90-minute one-on-one sessions with working Hollywood agents, managers, producers, development executives and other pros during which mentors will give writers feedback on improving the craft of the script(s) submitted in advance and will also discuss various aspects of the business of screenwriting to help writers better understand the screenwriters’ role in the entertainment industry
- At the retreat, open access to 15+ hours of small group educational sessions covering a wide rage of creative and business topics
- Free retreat film screenings and other events
Writer Success
Announcements
Rules
At the program's request, Coverfly will automatically remove your title page for you if you include one when submitting to this program.
Formatting Guidelines:- Screenplays must be PDFs.
- Screenplays are judged anonymously; therefore, they must have CLEAN COVER PAGES (i.e., title only on the cover, no author’s name/contact information) and no identifying information anywhere in the body text or in the PDF file name.
- Screenplays must be feature film screenplays from 85 to 125 pages in length (excluding cover page).
- Body pages must be numbered.
- No additional materials, artwork, illustrations etc. should be attached to the script.
- Screenplays must be in English.
- Materials will not be returned under any circumstances.
- No teleplays of any kind will be accepted.
- No substituted pages or other revisions will be accepted once you have submitted your script. A new version of a script may be resubmitted by filling out a new entry form and paying a new entry fee.
- Entries that do not satisfy all Rules & Guidelines will be automatically disqualified and the submission fee WILL NOT be refunded.
As author(s) of the submitted material, I/we attest(s) to the following:
- All information I/we have entered herein is accurate.
- I/we are 18 years or older.
- the submitted material is my/our original work, with all rights to said work held by me/us.
- I/we will indemnify CineStory, hold it harmless and defend it against all claims, demands, losses, costs, damages, judgments, liabilities, and expenses arising out of or in connection with any and all claims of third parties, whether or not groundless, based on any stories submitted to the CineStory Screenwriting Awards or on any screenplay developed out of such stories.
- I/we understand that CineStory judges, directors, officers, employees or agents may be exposed to or may develop materials and ideas that may be similar to those of the submitted material. I/we understand and acknowledge that I/we will not be entitled to any compensation from such similar material that is independently conceived and created.
- I/we agree that I/we will never assert against CineStory (or any of its judges, directors, officers, employees or agents) any claim based on an assertion of plagiarism, idea theft, confidential or fiduciary relationship or any other theory relating to the submitted material.
- I/we understand that individual feedback is not provided and that CineStory notifies winners only.
- I/we have read, understood and complied with all guidelines and rules herein, and failure to do so may result in disqualification.
- Entrants must be 18 or older.
- The Grand Prize Feature Fellowship winner must attend the Feature Retreat in order to receive the cash award and other prizes. If a Fellowship winner cannot attend the Retreat, that person will be disqualified and a new winner will be determined.
- Replacement pages and/or new versions of a script WILL NOT be accepted once the script has been submitted. A new version of a script may be resubmitted by filling out a new entry form and paying a new entry fee.
- Promo/discount codes may only be used in the CineStory Store. No promo/discount codes may be used with the Early Bird Submission Fee. Only one promo/discount code per submission is allowed. Failure to comply with these promo/discount code guidelines will automatically disqualify a submission and there will be no refund of the submission fee.
- Any feature film screenplay from any genre will be considered.
- Entrants must not have sold and/or produced (or had produced by a third party) a feature-length screenplay or pitch for a feature-length screenplay in the last 5 years. Entrant also must not have written any first draft feature-length screenplays as a work-for-hire writer for third parties in the last 5 years. Performing rewrites or polishes of feature-length screenplays originally written by someone other than the Entrant does not exclude the Entrant from entering the contest.
- CineStory notifies winners only. Entrants are advised to check CineStory’s website and e-newsletter for judging announcements.
- Entered screenplays must not be optioned, sold or produced at the time of entry.
- Multiple entries are accepted, provided a signed entry form and appropriate entry fee is attached to each submission.
- Multiple authorship is acceptable. However, if the screenplay wins an award, only one award will be given and it will be divided equally among the writers.
- Screenplays must be the original work of the author. If based on another person’s life story, a statement attesting to the rights obtained must be attached. No adaptations of other written work will be accepted unless the writer owns the rights to the original material and a statement attesting to such ownership is attached; provided, however, that any adaptation of written work that is in the Public Domain is eligible for submission.
- There must be no dispute about the ownership of submitted screenplays or the writer’s right to submit a screenplay.
- CineStory recommends registering screenplays with the WGA or the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress.
- Judges’ decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into. Sorry, we cannot provide individual feedback from the judges.
- Entrants acknowledge that CineStory, its judges, mentors and officers may be exposed to or may develop materials and ideas that may be similar to those of the submitted material. Entrants acknowledge they will not be entitled to any compensation from such similar material which is independently conceived and created.
- Entrants agree to never assert against CineStory (or any of its judges, directors, officers, employees or agents) any claim based on an assertion of plagiarism, idea theft, confidential or fiduciary relationship or any other theory relating to the submitted material.
- Winners will be responsible for their own U.S. income tax withholding.
- Entering the contest constitutes permission to use the winners’ names and likenesses for publicity and promotions with no additional compensation.
- Retreat fees are determined per individual retreat based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to then-current vendor estimates, valuations of mentor sessions determined by then-current entertainment industry standards (e.g., mentor sessions as of 2020 valued at $500), and then-current valuations of comparable retreats.
- CineStory does not issue refunds of submission fees and/or retreat fees that have become nonrefundable under the terms of retreat invitations. Any and all such payments made to CineStory are not refundable for any reason, including, without limitation, withdrawal or disqualification of a screenplay for any reason, withdrawal from or failure to attend a retreat due to illness, acts of God, travel-related problems, acts of terrorism, and/or loss of employment.
- All entries must be uploaded by the appropriate deadline.
- CineStory reserves the right to extend the final deadline; however, an extended deadline is not guaranteed. CineStory will not accept revisions of previously submitted screenplays if it chooses to extend the deadline unless the screenplay is accompanied by an additional submission fee as stated in these Rules & Guidelines.
- CineStory is not responsible for entries lost, stolen or damaged in transit.
- Finalists are required to submit a letter and video as part of the finals judging process.
- Entries that do not satisfy all Rules & Guidelines will be automatically disqualified and the submission fee WILL NOT be refunded.
