Challenge is closed
Winner

The Sting

Emily Shesh

writer, director

Two friends road trip to collect a medicinal plant, leading one to spiral out in her own existential dread and the other to find clarity through choosing hope.

RUNNERS-UP


Training Wheels by Margaret Waggoner

Together Again by Anna Robins

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) 

Submission Guidelines

One entry per person, per monthly challenge. The limits for monthly challenge submissions are the following: scripts – 10 page limit.

Technical Details

Scripts: PDF format only, please



Other: If your file format fits outside these formats, please contact us and we will see if we can accommodate it.



(Please do not use copyrighted material without permission as part of this monthly challenge.)

Sheldon Candis
Juror
New York, New York, United States
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. more...
Benjamin-Shalom Rodriguez
Juror
Los Angeles, California, United States
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. more...
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. more...

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