nofilmschool » opportunities

Time's Up, Pencils Down: 2013 Academy Nicholl Fellowships Final Deadline is May 1

Christopher Boone — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:17:05 +0000

By now, if you’re planning on submitting a screenplay to the Academy Nicholl Fellowships, hopefully you’ve already done so. If not, your time to submit is quickly dwindling. The final deadline for the 2013 Academy Nicholl Fellowships is 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time, Wed. May 1, but don’t wait until the last minute. Get your screenplay submitted now so you’re not freaking out about whether your submission made it into the system on time. Check out the details on how to submit below. (more…)

Finish That Rewrite: 2013 Academy Nicholl Fellowships Regular Deadline is April 10

Christopher Boone — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 18:28:05 +0000

This is a combination PSA/light a fire under your a** post to make sure you are writing, rewriting, and rewriting some more to get your screenplay ready for the Academy Nicholl Fellowships regular deadline of Apr. 10. I’ll be honest, my latest script will not be ready by that deadline (needs a little more seasoning – okay, a lot more seasoning), but if you’ve been diligent, hopefully your script will be ready. Otherwise, it will cost you another fifteen bucks for the late deadline on May 1. Check out current stats on this year’s competition and details on how to apply below. (more…)

First-Time Narrative Feature Filmmakers: Don't Forget to Submit to IFP Labs, Deadline is April 5th

Micah Van Hove — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 21:44:30 +0000

Many films get stuck in the finishing phase due to lack of resources for important services such as Sound Mixing, Sound Design, and Color Correction, to name a few. In comes the Independent Filmmaker Project Labs, a program that aims to help first-time directors finish and distribute their films. Though the deadline for documentary submissions has passed for this year, narrative submissions are open until the end of the week. Each year they select 10 films for their narrative labs, and you can find out how to submit below. (more…)

Film Independent's 2013 Screenwriting Lab Deadline is April 1st (No Joke)

Christopher Boone — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 14:37:17 +0000

Speaking of opportunities to further your screenwriting career, screenwriting labs that work with writers extensively on their screenplays as well as introduce them to professional screenwriters and producers as advisors are worth exploring. At NFS we’ve discussed the Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab, perhaps the most well-known of the screenwriting labs here in the U.S. For writers living in the Los Angeles area, Film Independent’s Screenwriting Lab offers a five-week program that meets two to three evenings a week in September and October to help writers improve their current screenplays as well as their overall craft. Plus, Film Independent helps lab fellows advance their careers with the help and guidance of film professionals. Check out the details below, but take note: the submission deadline is Apr. 1, 2013. (more…)

Equal Writes Competition Wants to Make Your Rebellious, Diverse Genre Film for $250K

Christopher Boone — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 16:00:44 +0000

As I’ve mentioned on NFS before, I think screenwriting contests should be evaluated on what they offer entrants to launch and further their careers. Many won’t really help a new screenwriter launch or further a career, so when a new competition is announced, I’m always a bit skeptical. Nevertheless, the new Equal Writes competition presented by We Make Movies and Duly Noted has me intrigued as they are looking for smart, rebellious, diverse genre films that can be produced for $250K or less, and they want seven finalists to pitch their movies in seven minutes in front of three producers and a live audience for the chance to get their movies made. Want to know if this contest is for you? Check out the details below. (more…)

Making Your First Feature Film? IFP Supports Rough Cuts with Narrative/Documentary Labs

Ryan Koo — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 20:13:58 +0000

Every year I make sure to post about this, as New York-based IFP’s Labs are designed for first-time feature directors at the rough cut stage — a stage at which filmmakers can often use help, but especially first-time feature directors (as you can imagine, if the timing is right I’m definitely going to apply once MANCHILD is in the can). It takes a village to make an independent feature, and IFP can bolster the support structure around your project, as well as give you valuable feedback and mentorship. If you’re a first time feature director and you’ve got a rough cut, think about applying to the Documentary Lab or Narrative Lab — you have until March 8 and April 5, respectively. (more…)

Need to Keep Track of Major Film Festival Deadlines? There's an iFilmfest App for That

Justin Minich — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 23:54:20 +0000

Every once in a while I am reminded that I live in an age with an eerie yet delightful attribute: I can ask why isn’t there a device or piece of software that does a certain thing, and then usually within 6 months the thing I wanted becomes a reality. Case in point: I was wondering how a friend of mine went about keeping track of a bunch of major film festival deadlines. The most obvious answer was that he probably spends time on Withoutabox and enters in deadlines into some calendar software. Still, I couldn’t help but ask myself “why isn’t there an all-in-one app that helps filmmakers keep track of film festivals?” As if on cue, a few days later iFilmfest popped up on my digital radar. (more…)

Make a Dead Can Dance Music Video for a Chance to Win £3,000/$4,700 (and Additional Prizes)

Justin Minich — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:31:02 +0000

Dead Can Dance has been making their particular kind of mesmerizing, hauntingly beautiful music ever since I was but a tot. After disbanding for about 7 years, they reunited in 2005 for a world tour, and last year they released their first studio album in 16 years, Anastasis. Now the band is teaming up with Genero and reaching out to filmmakers everywhere to create a music video for the opening track of the album – Children of the Sun -- and compete for a chance to win £3,000 ($4,740). (more…)

Focus Forward Documentary Winners Announced, Watch All 5 Including the $100K Grand Prize Film

Joe Marine — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 05:08:23 +0000

It was announced all the way back in February 2012, but the Focus Forward documentary short film competition has finally come to a close, and they’ve announced the winners at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The contest, sponsored by General Electric and Vimeo, and in partnership with Cinelan, has awarded $200,000 in prize money to five short films around the theme of invention or innovation. Check out all of the winners below, plus a new short film from Morgan Spurlock. (more…)

Make a Short Film in Northwest Louisiana for a Chance to Win $50,000

Justin Minich — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 18:00:48 +0000

Last year, 86 teams competed in the first annual Louisiana Film Prize, and one lucky team walked away with $50,000. Now, the 2013 iteration of the LAFP has just kicked off, and once again they’re offering a cool $50,000 for the best short film shot in the northwestern section of the Bayou State, as well as $500 prizes for each of the 20 finalists. Here’s the details on the competition’s rules and how to enter: (more…)

Win $1,000 from the Alamo Drafthouse by Making a No Talking, No Texting PSA

Joe Marine — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 02:14:03 +0000

Some of you have had problems with it, some of you haven’t, and some of you might even do it, but Alamo Drafthouse has a strict policy against it. What am I referring to? Talking and texting during movies of course. The Alamo is a specialty theater that serves real food and beer during the film, and they take their no talking or texting policy very seriously. There have been some great PSAs that have played in the theater and online that reiterate this policy, and now the Alamo Drafthouse is asking you to create your own PSA, with a chance to win $1,000. Check out the video below for an introduction. (more…)

Win a $10,000 Film Grant in 'The Cabin in the Woods' Spoof Horror Film Competition

Justin Minich — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 00:17:08 +0000

It’s that time of year when people are thinking up costume ideas, picking out pumpkins for carving, making party plans, and if you’re a filmmaker with a penchant for horror, you’re probably also thinking about making a film. And really there’s no better time to do it. Vimeo and Lionsgate are putting on The Cabin in the Woods Spoof Horror Film Competition which is offering a $10,000 Grand Prize to the best satirical or comedic horror short. (more…)

Planet5D Short Film Challenge: Enter a Film Under 30 Minutes for a Chance to Win over $2,000 in Prizes

Joe Marine — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 05:48:33 +0000

Short film contests are often very restrictive in terms of their rules and the material you can submit. But what if you could enter any film you’ve ever made, regardless of genre, under 30 minutes? That’s exactly what Mitch over at planet5D is doing with the planet5D Short Film Challenge. The rules are as simple as they sound, and the rewards total over $2,000, including a Redrock DSLR shoulder rig. Here is Mitch introducing the challenge: (more…)

Couch Fest: A Film Festival Happening in Living Rooms Around the World with a Top Prize of $500

Justin Minich — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 15:00:16 +0000

In 2008, Seattle filmmaker Craig Downing had an idea: Take a film festival out of theaters and put it into the more intimate, communal venue of peoples’ living rooms. What resulted was the self-described “awkwardly awesome” Couch Fest. Now in its fifth year, Couch Fest has grown from a Seattle-based festival to one that happens in homes and idiosyncratic venues world-wide, spanning North America, South America, Europe, and even as far as Oman. This year the Golden Couch award for best short is $500, and there are other goodies on offer as well: (more…)

Great Opportunity: Cinereach Awarding Grants of Up to $50K to Fiction and Documentary Film Projects

Ryan Koo — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 14:00:56 +0000

Cinereach, who we’ve covered previously, is a not-for-profit film organization that awards grants and fellowships to filmmakers in addition to producing a select few films (the most prominent current example of which is the terrific and touching Beasts of the Southern Wild). Documentary and fiction films from anywhere in the world are eligible for their grants, which range from $5,000 – $50,000 per project. Since 2006 they’ve awarded close to $5 million in total funds, and they’ve just opened their 2012 grant cycle; if you’re interested in applying for such a great opportunity (as am I), you’ve got a month. Here are the details of how to apply: (more…)

American Zoetrope Screenplay Contest Offers Chance to Win $5,000 from Francis Ford Coppola

Christopher Boone — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 13:49:24 +0000

Screenplay contests abound. Notices for new screenplay contests arrive via email daily. Aspiring screenwriters could certainly go broke applying to the multitudes of contests in the hope of some sort of recognition. So, before handing over cash to a screenwriting contest, writers should really identify the value they get from a contest for the money they spend. Francis Ford Coppola’s American Zoetrope Screenplay Contest offers a chance to win $5,000 plus consideration for representation from major agencies and management firms as well as the possibility of optioning your screenplay to several notable production companies and studios. (more…)

Create an Original Sigur Rós Video for a Chance to Win $5,000

Joe Marine — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 14:43:32 +0000

Some of you may have already seen the video that was posted over the weekend (which starred Shia LaBeouf), but if you haven’t, it’s quite a heartbreaking trip. Sigur Rós, whose members hail from Iceland, has been asking specific filmmakers to make videos for their new album Valtari. The project, called the Mystery Film Experiment, has made the biggest news with the Alma Har’el directed experimental video, but there have been a few others released so far — with more being released throughout the summer and fall. Since the band is a bit outside the mainstream when it comes to much of their work, it’s no surprise that they are encouraging filmmakers from any and all backgrounds to make a video for a chance to win $5,000 and be a featured video in the Mystery Film Experiment. (more…)

Power to the Pixel's Pixel Market Now Open for Submissions, £6,000 Prize Up for Grabs

Ryan Koo — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 16:36:16 +0000

I had a project selected for Power to the Pixel a few years ago and the event, which takes in London in October, was a great and educational experience. If you’re got a project that seeks to push the boundaries of a what a traditional film is — call it transmedia or interactive or cross-media — I definitely recommend checking out the submission details, which are below. Deadline is July 20 and it’s open to entries from all over the world; if selected, you pitch your project at the Pixel Pitch during the BFI London Film Festival, and the winner takes home a £6,000 ARTE Pixel Pitch Prize. There are also a few new prizes this year. (more…)

Focus Forward Filmmaker Challenge Offering Largest Short Documentary Prize Ever: $100K to the Winner

Justin Minich — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:27:34 +0000

Alright NoFilmSchoolers, it’s time to fire up your brains, set up your lights, check your mic levels, and turn on your cameras! GE and Cinelan are joining forces to bring you Focus Forward, a contest that challenges you to make a short non-fiction film on the theme of invention and innovation. There’s some serious money up for grabs, with $200k in cash prizes in all. Morgan Spurlock has more info: (more…)

48 Hour Guerilla Film Challenge Starts in a Week -- Here's an Interview and Discount

Ryan Koo — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:29:57 +0000

The 2012 Guerilla Film Challenge (formerly the 48GFC) starts in a little more than a week — May 18, 2012, to be exact — and challenges indie filmmakers to write, direct, shoot, and edit a topical short film in 48 hours. There’s a $5,000 grand prize and other goodies, and I’ve got a discount code for you below. I’m also one of the judges this year, along with Mitch from planet5D, and we just recorded a podcast with Nick and Clint (the duo behind the contest), wherein we talk about, what else, filmmaking: (more…)