Vail Film Festival Screenplay Competition
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About
The Vail Screenplay Competition is a vehicle for aspiring screenwriters to have their scripts recommended to established film producers, managers, and agents who are actively working at the top level of the film industry.
The top finalist screenplays will be shared with industry executives from Miramax, Cold Iron Pictures, Fremantle, Untitled Entertainment, Paper Street Pictures, LD Entertainment, Anonymous Content, Spyglass Media Group, Imagine Entertainment, Village Roadshow, NBC Universal, and MGM.
Past Vail Film Festival special guests include Olivia Wilde, Aaron Paul, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Smith, Michelle Monaghan, Harold Ramis, Zach Braff, Julie Delpy, Jane Seymour, Christina Ricci, Tim Daly, Jesse Eisenberg, Luke Wilson, Allison Janney, Tate Taylor, Josh Lucas, Aya Cash, Michael Imperioli, Sophia Bush, Krysten Ritter, among others.
The Vail Screenplay Competition is a signature program of the Colorado Film Institute, producer of the annual Vail Film Festival, now entering its 21st year. The Colorado Film Institute is a 501(C)3 nonprofit organization, supported by sponsorships, donors, and grants, including support from Colorado Creative Industries and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Benefits
The top finalist screenplays will be shared with industry executives from Miramax, Cold Iron Pictures, Fremantle, Untitled Entertainment, Paper Street Pictures, LD Entertainment, Anonymous Content, Spyglass Media Group, Imagine Entertainment, Village Roadshow, NBC Universal, and MGM.
1st place, 2nd place and 3rd place feature, short, and television screenplay winners will be included in a national press release, and will have their scripts recommended to key decision-makers at leading entertainment companies. All top placing screenplays will also be listed on the Vail Film Festival website as the top placements of the 2024 Vail Screenplay Competition. All semifinalists and quarterfinalists will also have their scripts listed on the Vail Film Festival website.
Announcements
Rules
The Vail Film Festival Screenplay Competition welcomes Feature Screenplays, Short Screenplays, and Television Pilots.
Feature Screenplays must be between 60-140 pages in length, Short Screenplays must be between 3-59 pages in length, and television screenplays must be between 20 and 70 pages in length. All screenplays must be unproduced.
GENERAL RULES
1. You may enter as many scripts as you like, but each must be accompanied by a separate entry and the required entry fee.
2. Entries must be written in English. The screenplay(s) must be original and unproduced at the time of submission. Optioned scripts are acceptable for entry.
3. All scripts must conform to standard screenplay format.
4. Judging is solely on the screenplay. Do not include the following information or materials as they will be disregarded: logline, synopsis, treatment, or any additional materials not specifically requested.
5. Script collaborations are allowed and the work must be the sole and exclusive property of the collaborators.
6. Once a screenplay has been submitted, substitutions of new drafts will not be accepted under any circumstances.
7. Writer(s) retain ALL rights for their entry(ies) when entering our competition.
8. Adaptations are acceptable for entry in our competition only if you have all the appropriate and/or required approvals/waivers/permissions from any and all right holders. If you are unsure, please consult an entertainment attorney for your own protection.
JUDGING & NOTIFICATION
1. Judging will be anonymous. Upon receipt, your screenplay(s) will be assigned corresponding numbers, and your screenplay(s) will be identifiable to the judges by number only.
2. Judges' decisions are final.
3. Individuals active in the film and screenwriting community will conduct preliminary judging. A panel of industry experts and screenwriting professionals will conduct the final round of judging. Semifinalists and Finalists will be announced.
4. Every entrant will receive an email confirmation upon receipt of his/her script.
5. Quarterfinalists, Semifinalists, and Winners will be notified by email and on the web at www.VailFilmFestival.com. An announcement will also be sent out in the Vail Film Festival newsletter. Winners will be included in a Vail Film Festival press release.