It's no secret that we're living through unprecedented and complicated times, but there is always hope to be found and a new day ahead. This month's challenge invites you to envision what the future holds when we reach the other side of the pandemic and begin to experience connection in new ways.
It's no secret that we're living through unprecedented and complicated times, but there is always hope to be found and a new day ahead. This month's challenge invites you to envision what the future holds when we reach the other side of the pandemic and begin to experience connection in new ways. Write a scene/sequence of your ideal day post Covid-19. Who would you be with? Where would you go? What would you be doing? The scene should set up the characters and location of this imagined day, but include a turning point that creates conflict where you must find a way to overcome an unforeseen challenge. The story should ultimately lead to a lesson learned and/or a positive resolution. Your submission can be written for any genre (drama, comedy, action, horror) and should be no more than 10 pages.
SUBMISSION LIMITS
Your written work cannot exceed 10 pages.
Deadline to submit: September 30, 2020 at 2PM PT.
CHALLENGE RULES
Our monthly challenges are open to everyone in the Sundance Co//ab community. One entry per person, per challenge. All submissions will be viewable to the community. All submissions will be given equal consideration and the final winner will be determined by the consensus of the designated Sundance judges.
Only those submissions that meet the criteria outlined in the submission guidelines can be selected as the winner.
The challenge closes on September 30, 2020 at 2PM PT.
If you have questions regarding the challenge, please email collab@sundance.org. Please do not contact members of the jury directly.
PRIZES
Winner will receive:
- The winner will have their work featured on Sundance Co//ab
- One-on-one mentorship session with a Sundance Advisor
- Sundance Co//ab Annual Membership (12 months) which includes:
- Invitation to monthly Member-only Advisor Q&A Live webinar
- Opportunity to receive feedback from a Sundance Advisor on work-in-progress you post to Share Your Work
- Eligible to participate in online Writing Groups (coming soon)
- Final Draft screenwriting software (12-month license)
Runners-up (two will be selected) - Sundance Co//ab Annual Membership (12 months)
Jurors
Sheldon Candis
Juror
Baltimore native Sheldon Candis is a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts. Candis recently created and directed the docu-narrative series ‘I WILL WHAT I WANT’, a cinematic portrait of ballet phenom Misty Copeland for Under Armour. Candis’ documentary THE DWELLING, chronicles the lives of two homeless men living along Tokyo's Sumida Gawa. The film is being distributed by Scion and Giant Robot magazine.
Candis’ feature directorial debut LUV (which he also co-wrote) was an official selection in the 2012 Sundance Film Festival Dramatic Competition. He assembled an incredible cast including Common, Charles S. Dutton, Dennis Haysbert, Danny Glover, Meagan Good, Michael K. Williams and a wonderful 11-year-old breakout talent named Michael Rainey Jr.
Within television, Candis developed the ABC event series A SLAVE IN THE WHITE HOUSE, adapted from Elizabeth Dowling Taylor’s New York Times best-selling book based on the true story of personal valet Paul Jennings and his unique relationship with President James Madison. Jennings would write the first White House memoir along with historically saving George Washington’s portrait during the War of 1812. Jennings would become a ‘subversive abolitionist’, helping slavesacquire freedom twenty years before the establishment of the Underground Railroad.
Candis directed and produced the feature length documentary BALTIMORE BOYS for the prestigious ESPN 30 for 30 original films. The inspiring story of the greatest high school basketball team ever; the 1981’-83’ Dunbar Poets that achieved a 59-0 record over two undefeated seasons and produced four NBA players in David Wingate, Reggie Williams, Boston Celtic great Reggie Lewis, and a 5’3” tiny dynamo named Tyrone ‘Muggsy’ Bogues.
Candis directed WHO WILL SURVIVE AMERICA for the Sundance Now Doc Club original series Take 5: Justice in America. The short documentary chronicles America's love affair and easy accessibility to guns.
Candis penned THROW LIKE MO!, with Debra Martin Chase attached to produce. An upbeat music driven bio-pic on baseball wonder girl Mo’ne Davis who historically broke the gender barrier and dominated the all boys in the Little League World Series.
Candis teamed with Rocnation and Dreamville Grammy nominated artist J. Cole for the short film CROOKED SMILE. Crooked Smile is nominated for the MTV Video Music Award for ‘Best Video With A Social Statement.’ Candis is a prolific commercial director, having directed multiple branded shorts for Under Armour, Honda, Ford, Overstock, and Microsoft.
Candis’ first foray into Virtual Reality Documentary filmmaking comes with the BUS TO CANTON, the underdog story of Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Fame Running Back Jerome ‘The Bus’ Bettis. Thefilm is the first long form sports documentary captured in VR. Produced by Guy Primus and Joel Newton for VRC.
Recently, Candis directed episodes on the John Singleton produced Detective Noir series REBEL, starring Giancarlo Esposito and Mykelti Williamson.
Currently, Candis is shooting WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE BRIGHTEST, the next chapter of the cult following video game series NBA 2K for Springhill Entertainment and 2K Studios. Executive Produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter, starring Idris Elba, Rosario Dawson, Thomas Middleditch, and Lamorne Morris.
Benjamin-Shalom Rodriguez
Juror
BENJAMIN-SHALOM RODRIGUEZ is a queer, Mexican-Israeli-American writer, director, and comedian. He’s the child of a right wing Zionist mom, and a liberal formerly undocumented Mexican dad...They’re divorced.
Ben just wrapped production on season 2 of STONED BREAKUPS, is in post on his feature directorial debut, AMERICA'S NEXT TOP IMMIGRANT, which he collaborated with Blackmagic Collective on, and is developing a half-hour animated project with Sony. He's also an alumnus of Sundance Screenwriters Intensive, Ryan Murphy’s HALF, NHMC TV Writers Workshop, Fox Writers Intensive, CBS Diversity Showcase, Project Involve, and a recipient of Will & Jada Smith's Family Foundation feature development grant for his film, BAR MITZVAH BOY. He's also written/directed the award-winning short BETTAS ("Best LGBTQ Short," IFS LA Film Festival), and the Apollo Award nominated short, ALPHA; his comedy works DIET & EXERCISE, STONED BREAKUPS: DANIEL, and STONED BREAKUPS: BONNIE have also screened at fests.
Before coming out as a full-blown artist, Ben assisted the producers of DJANGO UNCHAINED, was a talent manager in Miami for telenovela stars, and a features exec for the Lionsgate-backed, 3Pas Studios. He currently serves as a Filmmaker Mentor with Edward James Olmos' Latino Film Institute.
Hannah Pearl Utt
Juror
Hannah Pearl Utt is a director, writer, and actor whose feature directorial debut, BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, premiered in competition at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. The film, which also stars Utt, alongside co-writer, Jen Tullock, was theatrically released by 1091 to critical acclaim and is now streaming on Showtime. Hannah directed the hit series DISENGAGED for SuperDeluxe (RIP), which she and Tullock also co-wrote and starred in, after their short film, PARTNERS premiered at Sundance in 2016. In 2017, Hannah participated in Sundance’s inaugural Catalyst Women Initiative, as well as the Sundance Screenwriter and Director Labs, and received a 2018 Adrienne Shelly Foundation Women Filmmakers Grant. In 2019, Hannah was listed as one of IndieWire's "25 Female Filmmakers to Watch." Hannah recently participated in Sundance’s 2020 Film Two program with her upcoming feature, GOLDILOCKS. She is currently attached to direct and is writing on First 30, a branching narrative series for Eko, with Sharon Horgan producing.