Just Take the Win, Damn It!
“Never trust a laurel with a vinyl floor backdrop.”—Wayward
Navigating Film Festivals in a World of Online Scams (Part 1)
BEST SCREENWRITER
On May 23rd, 2023, I received an email from Enjoy Film Festival for my submission of Wayward, the screenplay I wrote that’s set on the Camino Ingles in Spain.
“We write on behalf of Enjoy Film Festival,” it said. “We have great news, you are nominated in the category of: -Best Screenwriter.”
I entered the competition hoping to connect with a European producer who might be interested in a co-production deal for my script, Wayward. It would include Canadian, Irish, and Spanish actors and would be filmed mostly in Northern Spain. The script had already been a finalist in one competition, rated highly on Coverfly, and was a semi-finalist — top hundred — in one of the biggest competitions out there: Scriptapalooza. After paying to enter six scripts in various competitions, I was also relieved that the entry fee for Enjoy Film Fest was quite low. 🚩
In addition to announcing my nomination, the email added: "Our team is preparing a special laurel for your project so you can use it on your social networks."
My response: Thank you so much for the great news! I'm over the moon with joy. What an honour!
Days later, I received a laurel with my photo, the category, and the script title rather than my name. That seemed odd, as did the brown vinyl floor background. It read “Best Screenwriter!” I’d won! The dream that my script, maybe writing a sequel, and being involved in production began to grow even as doubts crept in.
I decided to check some of the links Enjoy Film listed on Film Freeway, one of the portals used to upload scripts and films. They are an administrative hub that film festivals run competitions through. It’s a business that provides an important service to both creators and the film industry who need content. Of course, they get a cut of what filmmakers pay to enter, but we hope for due diligence. 🚩
As I investigated, I began to wonder why, if my script was that good, it wasn’t chosen for “Best Screenplay.” Why did a first-time screenwriter win in two categories, for short scripts at that, and not get the best screenwriter title instead of me? The doubt festered. Then I received an email encouraging me to fill out my review on Film Freeway. I wasn’t ready. 🚩
First, I asked them if they’d mind putting my name on the laurel instead of the script title because the screenplay hadn’t written itself. Then I went on the site where winners can design their laurels with the winning information and made this industry-standard one…
I sent them a copy of it, and they explained they didn’t have access to my name because it wasn’t on the script. That’s only half true. 🚩
I explained that standard laurels look more professional. They also better matched the others in my collection. Yes, I was a bit cheeky about it.
They still wanted their review. I soon realized that to provide it for the one category I felt I could honestly judge — communication — I had to rate categories that didn’t apply. Ranking them low didn’t seem fair. I could light up all six rows of stars just to be done with it and wondered if others had done just that. But I didn’t.
In addition to the stars, there were a few short, flowery comments. My gut told me to dig deeper. To start with, I asked Film Freeway to investigate because, it seems, film festivals are rife with scams. Who'd a thunk?
According to Max Goldbart, writing for Screen Daily:
‘Scammers’ are believed to set up fake festivals, upload them to portals such as FilmFreeway and take small submission fees for filmmakers to submit their work. But the ‘scammers’ allegedly never watch the films and there is no proof the festivals even exist.
I still feel incredibly proud of writing Wayward, and of my win — for whatever that’s worth. It was a passion project, a tip of the hat to the Camino pilgrimage experience and to the cult classic movie, The Way. But I’m also proud of trusting my gut and wanting to be an instrument of change in the film festival business we hang our hopes of being discovered on.
The takeaway:
Google film festivals before you enter — no matter what they charge — but particularly the cheap ones.
Read the festival portal’s reviews
Scrutinize the festival’s communication with you.
Trust your gut
Stay tuned for more tips in the next installment.
Have you been suspicious of any dealings with festival competitions? I’d love to hear about them. Feel free to leave me a note in the comments section.
