KITFR Online Screenwriting Competition Finalists 2010

Way back in October, I started the Kid In The Front Row Online Screenwriting Competition.

The rules were:

• Your script must be no longer than FIVE pages (six including a cover page)
• You must write in industry-standard format.
• The DEADLINE for the competition is THURSDAY 21st OCTOBER 2010. No exceptions.

Those are the technical rules, here are the STORY RULES.

• You must have these THREE characters: Margaret, Abdul and Regina.These are the ONLY characters you can have.
• Your story takes place at the Headquarters of: 'The Equal Rights Committee.' The only locations (within the headquarters) are: Meeting Room, Kitchen, Secret Shelter.
• You must include this line of dialogue somewhere in the script: "Who the hell is Mark Flamstein?"
  
  

There were 25 entries --- and it was amazing how great the screenplays were; given the restraints in terms of deadline, characters and locations, and of course; the page count limitation.

FIVE SCREENPLAY FINALISTS

"28 Slides Later" by CAROLINE COXON

"Ahimsa" by C E STEWART

"Equal Wrongs" By PATRICK O'RILEY (2009's Winner)

"Health Concerns" By Z. Z. FRANKEL

"Triple Standards" By MICHELLE GOODE

The FIVE finalist screenplays have been sent to JOE LEONARD ("GLEE" Editor, "HOW I GOT LOST" Writer/Director") who will be judging the competition. The KITFR Online Screenwriting Competition Winner will be announced before the end of the year.

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Film Industry Interviews

The good thing about working in film is that anything you want to do - has probably been done by someone else before. And that's why I love interviewing people in the industry. If there's something you want to achieve, there are people you can learn from who've been there and done it.

I try to mix technical questions, like "What camera did you use?" with more personal questions, like "What made you want to do this for a living?" --- and most importantly, I like to try and delve into that mysterious thing that makes some people succeed, and some people not. I think it was most clear in the recent interview with David Schneider. I asked him what people need to make it as a writer; and within a beat of me finishing the question he said "self belief." And it's true - ask someone who is struggling to make it and they'll probably have a tale of a lack of confidence or a feeling of 'not being ready.'

These are the interviews so far - and a lot more are lined up for the coming months. I hope you like them.

Jake Pushinsky

FILM EDITOR

"A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints"

"Fighting"

"Howl"

My first interview was one of my favourites - Jake Pushinsky, whose editing style in 'A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints" (my favourite film of the last decade) was original, raw and exciting. He's Dito Montiel's editor - as well as doing some fascinating projects like the Jazz documentary "Chops" and the film "Howl" which is premiering this year at Sundance.

READ JAKE PUSHINSKY INTERVIEW HERE

Aaron Sorkin

SCREENWRITER

"A Few Good Men"
"The American President"

"The West Wing" (TV)

"Charlie Wilson's War"

Okay, I don't really know Aaron and it wasn't an interview, as such - but I got to ask him one question, and his answer was pretty amazing.

READ AARON SORKIN INTERVIEW HERE

Noah Timan

SOUND MIXER

"Capote"

"Awake"

"Fantastic Mr. Fox"

Noah is amazing - his knowledge of sound and passion for what he does is incredible, it's no wonder he's one of the most prolific sound guys in the industry.

READ NOAH TIMAN INTERVIEW HERE

David Schneider

WRITER

"All The Queen's Men"

"Uncle Max" (TV)

ACTOR

"28 Days Later"

"I'm Alan Partridge" (TV)

One of my favourite comedic actors from Britain -- and someone with whom I share a lot of the same interests (namely, an obsession over Woody Allen films.) The interview is great because we spoke the same language and had many of the same ideas.

READ DAVID SCHNEIDER INTERVIEW HERE

Joe Leonard

WRITER/DIRECTOR

"How I Got Lost"

EDITOR

"Glee"

Joe's debut feature film is exactly the type of film I love. A small story with a lot of heart, shot in New York. What could be better than that? I got to meet Joe at the Big Apple Film Festival when 'How I Got Lost' closed the festival - but this interview was done a few months before that. A fascinating insight into what it is to direct a low-budget indie.

READ JOE LEONARD INTERVIEW HERE

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