Sit Rep

Today I got form letter e-mails telling me that my script entries to the Nicholls Contest didn't advance to the next round.

I'm eking through with my script rewrites and still waiting for Interzone to respond to my "Ra-Gho-Zu" story, which is apparently buried in a pile at the editor's desk.

Hailing freqs closed.

Sit Rep

This evening I subbed online two film scripts to the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting.

The Nicholls is the most prestigious film script contest there is. Placement even as a quarter-finalist could get a body some attention and script read requests. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

The deadline was May 1, 2009. Ideally, I would've liked to have subbed the scripts in January 2009 when competition first opened, but I hadn't been planning on subbing to begin with. When I finished rewriting the scripts, I felt they were damn fine. Hopefully, the judges'll think the same. :-)

I subbed "Ra-Gho-Zu: Heaven's Sword."

Storyline: A peacemaker descended from samurai sworn to protect the innocent must save the Empress Apparent from the galaxy's deadliest shadow assassin, an immortal spirit.

It's based on my short story "Ra-Gho-Zu," which placed in the semifinals of the 1st qtr of the 2008 WOTF contest and is currently being read at Asimov's. I plan on novelizing the script before I market it.

The second script is "Destiny."

Storyline: When Eris, Goddess of Strife, saves Alexander the Great, Lucius Julius, an obscure ancestor of the famous Caesar, must save Rome from antiquity’s mightiest conqueror.

I plan on novelizing this script, too, before I market it.

I now have some novels to read for recreation, 3 more scripts, and 1 fantasy short story to rewrite.

Hailing freqs closed.

Austin Film Festival Results

Earlier this week, I got the results for the scripts I subbed to the Austin Film Festival (AFF).

"Stars and Stripes Forever" didn't advance to the Second Round.

"Heaven's Mandate" made it to the Second Round and almost advanced to the Semi-Finals.

I'm told that Second Round scripts fall in the top 10-12% of the 4000+ scripts submitted this year.

And I'm told that if I'm able to attend the conference this year, I'll get a badge that'll give me producer-level access to panels, parties, film viewings, etc. and that us Second Rounders and higher will be feted by the AFF and we'll get a chance to say "Hi" to major Hollywood players.

Nice.

Two sticking points are getting enough time away from work (Oct 11-18) and getting the money. Even with the discounts I'd get from the AFF for lodging and travel, it won't be cheap. After going to Taos, I hadn't been planning on going anywhere for a long time.

I'll have to see if I can swing this AFF trip.

But since I have the feeling that "Heaven's Mandate" is more of a foreign film project that Hong Kong would like better than Hollywood, I wonder how benficial going to AFF will be for me?

PAGE AWARDS UPDATE

I just learned that the finalists for this year's PAGE Awards Contest were announced.

I'm not one of 'em. :-/

Shigata ga nai.

I had a good run. At the very least, I can use it as a credit on a query letter. I'm told that some of this year's quarter-finalists and semifinalists will be approached by judges who're interested in optioning, producing, or representing them.

It'll be awesome if one of those fringe benefits spill over my way.

Anyhoo, I have ideas in mind for the next draft of my "Stars and Stripes Forever" script and I'm moving on with other stories.

Later.

PAGE AWARDS 2007 SEMIFINALIST

Hey all,

I just learned that my "Stars and Stripes Forever" script advanced to the semifinals in the "Historical Film" category for the PAGE 2007 Awards.

Finalists will be announced on 8-30-07 and winners will be announced on 9-15-07.

I don't know how to feel at this point. I wonder if semifinalists will get script read requests from production companies, agents, etc?

I'll learn soon enough.

On the flip side "Stars" didn't make it to the quarterfinals of Blue Cat, Scriptapalooza, & Nicholls. I'd subbed "Heaven's Mandate" to Scriptapalooza & Nicholls also, but it didn't make the cut neither.

Interesting to see how different contests have different responses.

Shigata ga nai.

"It can't be helped" as a Japanese saying goes.

Must get on with my fiction now.

2007 PAGE Screenwriting Contest Quarterfinalist

I just got the news that my "Stars and Stripes Forever," made it into the quarterfinals of this year's PAGE contest.

I was told that 3,411 entries were received. My script made it into the top 25% (a total of 872 scripts). Because so many excellent historical epics and biopics were entered, the contest created a new Historical category; so my story is entered as both a Drama and Historical script.

It's an American "Master & Commander" tale about a real-life navy lieutenant who struggles to destroy an American frigate captured by pirates before it's used against the United States.

Incidentally, I wrote the first draft of this script in a Winter 2005 UCLA screenwriting class under Jack Sowards.

Thanks Jack.

Semifinalists will be announced on July 30.

I've also entered a bunch of other contests. I'll look forward to the reports. :-)

Boris