Sure, you get a little exposure and a few scripts have been sold as a result but no careers have been launched off any contests except the Nicholl and the Chesterfield. So for the rest of the contests, you’re basically just competing for cash. That being said, the contests with a large cash prize give you poor odds of winning because of the sheer number of entries. And since screenwriting contests are judged based off of subjective criteria, you’re probably better off going to Vegas to try to win money.

That being said, there are a few contests that are worth entering. One of them is the filmmaking festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico known as the Duke City Shootout. Although Albuquerque may be best known as the place where Bugs Bunny should have made a left turn…

…aspiring filmmakers should get acquainted with the city as the Duke City Shootout could become a fertile training ground and launch pad for writer-directors.

Launched in 2000 as the Flicks on 66 Wild West Digital Shootout, the idea of this film production festival was to take an entrants script in one week from the page to the screen. The first festival produced ten 10 minute shorts. The festival changed its name to the DigiFest SouthWest in 2003 and finally to its current name the Duke City Shootout in 2005.

What makes this contest stand out is from other screenwriting contests is that the finalists actually get produced. The way the contest works is filmmakers submit a script for a short film 12 minutes or less. Using the industry standard estimate of 1 page equals 1 minute of screen time, your script should be no more than 12 pages. If your script is over 12 pages, you will get penalized per page over the limit. The deadline to submit your script is May 15th.

Once all the entries have been received, the judges will then pare down the entries to ten finalists who will be given script notes and suggestions for revisions to help rewrite and strengthen their stories. Then the finalists will be given five days to re-write their script. The judges and producers will then select 7 of the 10 final scripts to be produced.

The Duke City Shootout will then fly each of the seven finalists out to Albuquerque where they will each be assigned a producer and creative team to help them film their short. The contest will pay for all costs of equipment rentals and labor and supply each filmmaker with $1500 for location expenses, expendables and other expenses. Filmmakers will then have from the crack of dawn on July 26 to midnight of August 1st to shoot and edit their films. The Gala Premiere for all the films will be on August 2nd.

From watching the finalist films of the past two years, I can tell you that the production value of the Duke City Shootout films can be quite impressive. Some of the films have a little CGI and others have used aerial photography from a small plane or helicopter

While the production value of the films made through the Duke City Shootout are high, the quality of the writing and filmmaking leave a lot to be desired. After watching the films and reading the scripts, I have to say that the bar has been set pretty low. Many of the scripts are one note or just one joke.

I think this is largely because the Duke City Shootout contest is still relatively young and not as well known as other contests that have been around longer like Scriptapalooza. That’s good news for you as it means that you’ll have a better chance of becoming a finalist. None of the finalists that I have read or seen so far actually has a story with any resonance. If you can write a story with a beginning, a middle and an end with even a little bit of resonance, I think you would easily make the finalist stage.

I’m so sure that the Moose is going to write and submit a short script for this contest this year. I will keep you updated on the progress and results from my entry, but I urge all you aspiring writer-directors and filmmakers to write and enter your own script. This year is the first year where all the films will be shot in hi-def. With this contest, you can shoot a short film or calling card on someone else’s dime using toys and other fancy equipment and techniques that might not be available to you on your own. That’s a pretty sweet deal if you think about it.

Table of contents for Cinemoose Guide To Film Festivals

1. Sundance and the Major Film Festivals
2. International Film Festivals
3. Film Festivals Guide Part Three: The Indie Festivals

You missed the Sundance deadline and don’t have the budget to travel to any of the international film festivals. Still, you need to promote your little indie film. What are you to do? Luckily for you, there’s a whole slew of film festivals that cater to the independent spirit and support the independent filmmaker. Here’s a list of the major independent film festivals to keep an eye on and enter.

PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Where: Palm Springs, California, USA
When: January
Deadline: Ocobter
Entry Fee: $75

Top Prize: Audience Award

Film lovers flock in droves to Palm Springs for this annual festival of more than 230 movies from 65 countries. The audience is appreciative and with a good mix of indie films and foreign language films this festival is a good place to start a good word-of-mouth buzz campaign.

SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

Where: Park City, Utah, USA
When: January
Deadline: August/ October
Entry Fee: $40/ $60

Top Prize: Grand Jury Prize

What started out as a film festival for filmmakers who didn’t get into Sundance, Slamdance has quickly become one of the top festivals for independent filmmakers. Describing itself as a film festival “by filmmakers for filmmakers”, Slamdance is open to all genres and Hollywood has started to take notice of this growing festival that’s no longer the red-headed stepchild of Park City.

SXSW FILM FESTIVAL

Where: Austin, Texas, USA
When: March
Deadline: November/ December
Entry Fee: $35/ $45

Originally a music festival that started with the Austin Battle of the Bands, SXSW has become the premiere indie film festival in America focusing on emerging directing talent. Filmmakers attending this festival can also attend the many conferences held here. This festival is more indie than Hollywood so don’t expect to run into your favorite A-lister here.

VAIL FILM FESTIVAL

Where: Vail, Colorado, USA
When: April
Deadline: November/ December
Entry Fee: $45/ $50-60

Top Prize: Best Feature

Held at one of the largest ski resorts in North America, the Vail Film Festival was rated by MovieMaker magazine in 2007 as one of the ten best destination film festivals in the world. This festival attracts international media attention to the films shown and donates 25% of pass sales to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa.

SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Where: San Francisco, California, USA
When: Late April-May
Deadline: November

Top Prize: Golden Gate Award

This is the longest, continuously held film festival in America and has played a major role in introducing foreign films to America. The 15 day festival shows close to 200 films from over 50 countries with an emphasis on movies that have not yet secured U.S. distribution. The SKYY Prize, a $10,000 cash award, has been given out each year since 1997 to the best first feature film.

SEATTLE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Where: Seattle, Washington, USA
When: Late May-June
Deadline: February
Entry Fee: $100

Top Prize: Golden Space Needle

The largest film festival in the United States, this festival runs for 24 days and showcases independent films, foreign films and documentaries. The audiences here have a reputation of appreciating movies that don’t fit into traditional niches. Unique to this film festival is a four film “Secret Festival” in which those attending are not told in advance the movies shown and are asked to sign an “Oath of Silence” promising not to disclose any details or information about the movies shown in the “Secret Festival”.

LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL

Where: Los Angeles, California, USA
When: June
Deadline: November/ January/ March
Entry Fee: $50/ $60/ $70
Requirements: No previous Los Angeles showings, Premieres preferred

Top Prize: Best Dramatic Feature

The Los Angeles Film Festival showcases the best of American and international cinema. Set in the hometown of the American film industry, you can be sure that there will be many A-listers here to see the films and promote their own movies. This is festival is the successor to the old IFP/West Film Festival and is a great place to be discovered by the industry.

TELLURIDE FILM FESTIVAL

Where: Telluride, Colorado, USA
When: Late August-September
Deadline: July
Entry Fee: $95

This small and friendly film festival is designed for film enthusiasts and features a mix of forgotten films and independent films having their North American premiere. There are no prizes or competition as being accepted into the festival is the honor here. Different from other festivals, the film program is not released to the public in advance so ticket buyers will only know the line-up the day before the festival begins.

NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL

Where: New York City, New York, USA
When: Late September-October
Deadline: July
Entry Fee: None

This non-competitive festival showcases feature and short films from all over the world. The movies are selected by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and features many avant-garde and experimental films.

Table of contents for Cinemoose Guide To Film Festivals

1. Sundance and the Major Film Festivals
2. International Film Festivals
3. Film Festivals Guide Part Three: The Indie Festivals

Ok, so you’ve hit all the major film festivals with your movie. Sundance, Venice, Berlin, Cannes, and so on. What happens if you don’t get in? Don’t despair, you can always try to enter one of the larger international film festivals to stir up attention for your little film. Here is a quick guide to all the major international film festivals you should consider. A few of them even have no entry fee. How about that?

INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ROTTERDAM

Where: Rotterdam, The Netherlands
When: Late January-February
Deadline: November
Entry Fee: None

Top Prize: Tiger Award

One of the biggest and most significant film festivals in Europe, Rotterdam also features a film market and is a hub for discovering emerging film talent. The festival places an emphasis on films with high cultural and artistic value.

SHANGHAI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Where: Shanghai, China
When: June
Deadline: April 1, 2007
Entry Fee: None
Awards to win: Jin Jue (Golden Cup)

One of the newer film festivals, this has quickly become one of the largest film festivals in Asia and is the only international film festival in China. This festival offers excellent exposure for filmmakers and can serve as a gateway for filmmakers into China and Asian cinema.

MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Where: Moscow, Russia
When: June
Deadline: May
Entry Fee: None

Awards to win: Golden St. George

This is the second oldest film festival in the world after the Venice Film Festival. Earn international accolades here while enjoying the vodka and Russian nightlife in the most expensive city in the world.

KARLOVY VARY INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Where: Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic
When: July
Deadline: April
Entry Fee: None

Situated in the spa resort town of Karlovy Vary, you can enjoy a night of films and partying and then relax during the day in one of the many mineral spas the city is known for. This is one of the oldest film festivals in the world and the most significant one in Central and Eastern Europe.

Top Prize: Crystal Globe

MONTREAL WORLD FILM FESTIVAL

Where: Montreal, Canada
When: Late August-September
Deadline: July
Entry Fee: $75 CAD

Top Prize: Grand Prix des Amériques

This is a high profile international film festival where many films are discovered. The focus here is on world cinema and there are many competitions at this festival reflecting that focus. This festival features very few studio films from Hollywood.

LONDON FILM FESTIVAL

Where: London, UK
When: October
Deadline: July

This is the largest film festival in the UK and one of the largest public film events in Europe. While there is no top prize, awards given of note include:

• The Times BFI London Film Festival Grierson Award- For the best feature-length documentary.

• FIPRESCI International Critics Award- Advancing the art of cinema and rewarding talent.

• The Sutherland Trophy- For the most original and imaginative first feature.

• The Annual Satyajit Ray Award- For a first-time feature director whose film best captures the artistry, compassion and humanity of Ray’s vision.

SAN SEBASTIÁN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Where: San Sebastián, Spain
When: September
Deadline: July

Top Prize: Golden Seashell

Set in the Spanish city of San Sebastián, this film festival has been an “A” status film festival since 1957. San Sebastián serves as a showcase for innovative films and has been called one of the most beautiful film festivals in the world.

Table of contents for Cinemoose Guide To Film Festivals

1. Sundance and the Major Film Festivals
2. International Film Festivals
3. Film Festivals Guide Part Three: The Indie Festivals

Ah, the Sundance Film Festival. For independent filmmakers, it’s the holy grail of film festivals. Why?

It’s because this is where independent filmmakers go to sell their films. Without access to massive marketing budgets and studio distribution deals, independent filmmakers need a way to get exposure for their films so that they can find an audience. Film festivals are a great way to do this. Win a prize at a festival and you’ll receive tons of free publicity. You might even sell your film to a major distribution company (i.e. the studios).

But which festivals are worth submitting your film to? From major players like the Sundance Film Festival to niche festivals like the New York City Horror Film Festival, there are hundreds, maybe thousands of film festivals out there. How do you know which one is right for your film?

You could Google and Baidu your way through the endless sea of festivals, or you could sit back, pour yourself a nice glass of single malt scotch, light up your favorite cigar and let old Cinemoose help you find the best film festivals for your independent film.

The “A-List”

These are the festivals that will help you to either sell your film or launch a campaign for your film for the awards season.

SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

Where: Park City, Utah, USA
When: January
Deadline: August/ Mid- September/ Late September
Entry Fee: $35/ $50/ $75
Requirements: Must be World Premiere

Top Prize: Grand Jury Prize

Like it or not, the Sundance Film Festival is more a film market now than a celebration of the independent spirit and works of filmmakers working outside the studio system. This festival is where the studios go to buy their Juno’s, their The Blair Witch Project’s, their Napoleon Dynamite’s and their Little Miss Sunshine’s. And their willing to shell out big bucks for them too.

BERLINALE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Where: Berlin, Germany
When: February
Deadline: November
Entry Fee: 125 Euros

Top Prize: Golden Bear

If you want exposure, the Berlin International Film Festival is one of the largest and most attended film festivals in the world. The European Film Market, the European counterpart to the AFM, coincides with the film festival for all your business and pre-sales needs.

TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL

Where: New York City, New York, USA
When: April
Deadline: November/ December/ January
Entry Fee: $45/ $65/ $95
Requirements: Must be North American premiere

Top Prize: Best Narrative Feature Film

Founded by Robert De Niro and his producing partner Jane Rosenthal to contribute to the recovery of downtown New York after the terrorist attacks in 2001, this festival has grown in a short amount of time to one of the more prominent film festivals in North America. Although largely seen as just a venue for debuting big studio films, it can be good for the independent filmmaker to have their film shown alongside the star-driven studio films shown here.

CANNES FILM FESTIVAL (Festival de Cannes)

Where: Cannes, Cote d’Azur, France
When: May
Deadline: March
Entry Fee: 300 Euros

Top Prize: Palme d’Or

Both a film festival and a film market, Cannes is a unique experience filled with movies, stars and power deals. The most glamorous of festivals, the studios and stars come here to debut their major films out of competition and to buy the competition winners. Click here for a list of previous Palme d’Or winners. You might just recognize a few.

LOCARNO FILM FESTIVAL (Festival del Film Locarno)

Where: Locarno, Switzerland
When: August
Deadline: June
Top Prize: Golden Leopard
This festival is known for its magnifacent giant screen, one of the biggest in the world, hosted in a Renaissance square plaza that can accommodate up to 8,000 viewers. Seated at the foot of the Alps by the banks of Lake Maggiore, Locarno offers a beautiful back drop to go with the many film screened here.

VENICE FILM FESTIVAL (La Beinnale di Venezia)

Where: Venice, Italy
When: August/ September
Deadline: June
Entry Fee: 60 Euros
Requirements: Must not be screened in Italy or outside country of origin

Top Prize: Golden Lion

One of the oldest film festivals in the world, many consider Venice one of the best as well. The main prize is the Golden Lion and a win here will almost assuredly lead to bigger and better things. Plus, what could be better than spending time wandering around the canals of Venice?

TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Where: Toronto, Canada
When: September
Deadline: June
Entry Fee: $75 CAD
Requirements: North American premiere

Top Prize: People’s Choice Award

This is the biggest film festival in North America and second only to Cannes for its influence. Film executives fill the streets of Toronto every September looking for the year’s breakout hits. Toronto is one of the big “launch-pads” for building Oscar buzz for a film.