Palm Springs Women in Film & Television & Stage 32 Short Script Competition

Contest Info

THE WINNER HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED!

SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW THE WINNER AND ALL PLACEMENTS

 

Your Short Screenplay PRODUCED for a GUARANTEED budget of $10,000!

 

Getting your short script produced is the quickest way into the industry. Many famous writer/directors have started with short films like Damien Chazelle with WHIPLASH, Wes Anderson with BOTTLE ROCKET, Taika Waititi with TWO CARS, ONE NIGHT, Christopher Nolan with DOODLEBUG and Martin Scorsese with THE BIG SHAVE and the list goes on... and with this competition, we hope the same success for you.

That is why our Grand Prize is your Short Screenplay PRODUCED for a GUARANTEED budget of $10,000!

In honor of screenwriters everywhere, Palm Springs Women in Film & Television (PSWIFT) has partnered with Stage 32 to launch the first of its kind Short Script Competition open to filmmakers from all countries from around the world.

The winning script will be produced by PSWIFT’s “Filmmakers Lab” (https://www.filmmakerslab.org/) for a guaranteed budget of $10,000. The Filmmakers Lab has produced three short films, two are award-winning and the third is in post production, and a season of a variety talk show, “PS After Dark”, starring Tristan Rogers. The members of the Lab will judge the projects and the winner will be announced August 15. The Project will be produced in the Fall of 2023.

Our Grand Prize Winner will:

  • Have your short screenplay produced by Palm Springs Women in Film & Television for a guaranteed budget of $10,000!
  • Be mentored by Steve Desmond, the writer of M. Night Shyamalan's new film KNOCK AT THE CABIN and director of MONSTERS, which won the Stage 32's Short Film Program.
  • Have your completed project screened alongside the Stage 32 Short Film Program at our partner festival Hollyshorts, the California Independent Film Festival and the Garden State Film Festival!
  • Have your completed project streamed on Roku's ZPTV
  • Receive a free membership to the Stage 32 Writers’ Room, a private, virtual community of writers from around the world the meet and learn from industry professionals like Meg LeFauve (INSIDE OUT, CAPTAIN MARVEL) and Aimee Riviera, VP of Motion Picture Production at Skydance Media (TOP GUN: MAVERICK), Tripper Clancy (STUBER) and managers & agents from WME, CAA, Gersh, Circle of Confusion, Zero Gravity & more!
  • Free access to Stage 32’s educational webinar library, which includes over 2,000 hours of content featuring top industry professionals

All 15 Finalists will:

  • Receive an exclusive, one page of written coverage from one of Stage 32's professional industry readers
  • Get a free one month membership to the Stage 32 Writers’ Room,a private, virtual community of writers from around the world the meet and learn from industry professionals like Meg LeFauve (INSIDE OUT, CAPTAIN MARVEL) and Aimee Riviera, VP of Motion Picture Production at Skydance Media (TOP GUN: MAVERICK), Tripper Clancy (STUBER) and managers & agents from WME, CAA, Gersh, Circle of Confusion, Zero Gravity & more!

 

About Palm Springs Women in Film & Television

Palm Springs Women in Film & Television (PSWIFT) is a nonprofit organization, founded in 2001, dedicated to empowering, promoting, educating and nurturing its members – both women and men – involved in the entertainment, communication and media industries. PSWIFT is also focused on educating, inspiring and bringing in more production work to the Coachella Valley.

 

 

Congratulations to our Winner!

NAME TITLE
PAT SEMLER EXIT INTERVIEW

 

Congratulations to our Runner Up!

NAME TITLE
JESS HENDEL EM UPGRADED

 

 

 

Congratulations to our Finalists!

NAME TITLE
CATHY TROPE 10 WEST
AMANDA SCOTT BURN.
JESS HENDEL EM UPGRADED
PAT SEMLER EXIT INTERVIEW
JOANNA STARK LEO
TIMOTHY GRANT LIFE AFTER DEBT
KELVIN WONG MISHA'S VISIT
SHERRY HALPERIN MISTRESS MOLLY
JAMES PAPA RAY OF HOPE
GRACIE VAN DIJK SORRY WRONG NUMBER
KATHLEEN E BARTH SUNDOWN
STEPHANIE JO FIEGER TEACHABLE MOMENTS
AMANDA SCOTT THROUGH MY LENS
MEREDITH YANNUZZI WITHOUT PROXIMITY
SAMANTHA COGGIN YEEHAW

 

 

Congratulations to our Semifinalists!

NAME TITLE
CATHY TROPE 10 WEST
SIMONE GERBER A GIRL NAMED WES
RASHEL MASTERS A LETTER TO REMEMBER
AMANDA SCOTT BURN.
JESS HENDEL EM UPGRADED
PAT SEMLER EXIT INTERVIEW
JOANNA STARK LEO
TIMOTHY GRANT LIFE AFTER DEBT
KATIE DIXON LIVING WITH MY GHOST
KELVIN WONG MISHA'S VISIT
SHERRY HALPERIN MISTRESS MOLLY
MOLLY QUINLAN NEARLY DEPARTED
JAMES PAPA RAY OF HOPE
CARRIE WACHOB SAWBONES
DAVID TERMUHLEN SIGN OFF
CYBELLE KAEHLER SLEEPAWAY
GRACIE VAN DIJK SORRY WRONG NUMBER
KATHLEEN E BARTH SUNDOWN
STEPHANIE JO FIEGER TEACHABLE MOMENTS
JESSICA ASH THANKS JOHN HUGHES
LINDSAY HEISER THE TRUNK
SERGIO HODAR THE WISHING MACHINE
AMANDA SCOTT THROUGH MY LENS
JENNIFER MILNE UNJUSTICE
MEREDITH YANNUZZI WITHOUT PROXIMITY
SAMANTHA COGGIN YEEHAW

 

 

Congratulations to our Quarterfinalists!

NAME TITLE
Cathy Trope 10 West
Frank Scott A Dream Come True
Simone Gerber A Girl Named Wes
Rashel Masters A Letter to Remember
Brandi Hoffman Banana Cream Pie
Veronica Felicity Felicity Johnson Blood Market
Amanda Scott Burn.
Madeline Poeta Chickentown
Katy Dore Dandelion
Maile Klein DE-NILE
Annisa Belonogoff Drunk Stupid
Jess Hendel Em Upgraded
Pat Semler Exit Interview
Frank Van Der Meijden Get the bloody money
Sarah Ceballos Hero
Amanda Scott I'm Okay
Shelly Cassivi It Had To Be You
Cecily Koplin LEAVE NO TRACE
Ilene Morgan Leftovers Gone Bad
Joanna Stark Leo
Timothy Grant Life After Debt
Katie Dixon Living With My Ghost
Vaughn Roste LOSS
Wayne D Burdette Jr Love in Palm Springs
Isabella Madrigal Menil and Her Heart
Kelvin Wong Misha's Visit
Sherry Halperin Mistress Molly
Kristin Johnson Murderbox
AYSER \SALMAN MY SO CALLED IRAQI AMERICAN WEDDING
Molly Quinlan Nearly Departed
James Moran Phobophobia
Christina Igaraividez Rafael
James Papa RAY OF HOPE
Carrie Wachob Sawbones
Kristin Johnson See the Pyramids
Jessica Jiji She is One Star
David Termuhlen Sign Off
Cybelle Kaehler Sleepaway
Gracie Van Dijk Sorry Wrong Number
Maximilliano W.C. Del Rio SPIKED
Katie Dixon Stints of Treatment
Nicole Gharghoury Sunday at the Lake
Kathleen E Barth Sundown
Stephanie Jo Fieger Teachable Moments
Jessica Ash Thanks John Hughes
Joseph Van Blargan The Christmas Dragon
Amanda Scott The Daily Struggle
Kenneth Whitted The Decision?
Cindi Maciolek The Extraction
Bria Thomas The Silhouette
Lindsay Heiser The Trunk
TavieAnna Bee The Unseen Enemy
Sergio Hodar The Wishing Machine
Amanda Scott Through My Lens
Jennifer Milne UNJUSTICE
Joy Balanag Velvet
Hilliard Meeks Viewfinder
Samantha Coggin Yeehaw
Meredith Yannuzzi Without Proximity

 

 

 

 

Rules & Requirements

Please make sure that your entry adheres to the following requirements:

  • Short Scripts should be within 2 - 15 pages.
  • All scripts must be written in English.
  • Story location must be conducive to the Palm Springs Area.
  • We welcome submissions from screenwriters and filmmakers from all countries around the world.
  • Material submitted must be written and owned by the person submitting.
  • There is no age limit. All ages can enter.
  • There is no limit on the number of scripts a writer may submit. You are allowed to submit as many entries as you like with a respective fee for each entry.
  • Palm Springs Women in Film & Television claims no ownership of your work. All ownership and rights to the scripts submitted to this competition remain with the original rights of the person(s) that submitted.
  • Palm Springs Women in Film & Television will act as a Production Company for a Short Film project. Therefore Palm Springs Women in Film & Television will have the final call on funding, cast, crew, and edit of the Short Film.
  • All decisions of Palm Springs Women in Film & Television are final. By applying to this competition each participant agrees to hold Palm Springs Women in Film & Television our judges and sponsors immune from any competition disputes, claims, liabilities, and expenses.

 

Important Dates to be Aware Of

 

Early Bird Deadline: February 16th, 2023

Regular Deadline: March 17th, 2023

Final Deadline: April 18th, 2023

 

Quarterfinalist Announcement: July 1st, 2023

Semifinalist Announcement: July 7th, 2023

Finalist Announcement: July 14th, 2023

Winner Announcement: August 1st, 2023

 

If you have any questions regarding this contest, check out frequently asked questions here or email contests@stage32.com.

 

Contest Judges

Winner Announcements

* Announcement dates subject to change.
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