2019 SEMIFINALIST OPPORTUNITIES (stay tuned for 2021!)
ROUNDTABLE SESSIONS
One of the highlights for our Semifinalists each year is our exclusive Roundtable Session where we put you directly in front of various agents, managers, producers, and established writers in an intimate setting. We’ll notify you before the sign-up opens, just remember that you must have already registered for a badge to reserve your place!
You can sign-up for only ONE of the two following Semifinalist Roundtable Sessions:
*Panelists are confirmed but still subject to change
SESSION 1: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25, 3:15PM – 4:30PM
Roundtable: The Art, Craft, and Business of Film and Television
Panelists* include:
David Berenbaum – writer Elf, The Haunted Mansion, The Spiderwick Chronicles
VJ Boyd – writer/producer S.W.A.T., Justified
Tripper Clancy – writer Stuber, Four Facing the Bank
Matt Dy – Manager, Lit Entertainment Group; Former Director of Script Competitions, Austin Film Festival
Lindy Goldstein – producer The Nutcracker and The Four Realms
Christina Hodson – writer Transformers: Bumblebee, Birds of Prey (2020)
Jewerl Ross – Manager/Producer, Silent R Management
Karen Schaler – writer A Christmas Prince, Christmas Camp, Every Day is Christmas
Carly Wray – writer/producer Westworld, The Leftovers, Mindhunter, Mad Men
This sign up is now closed
SESSION 2: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 3:00pm – 4:15pm
Roundtable: The Art, Craft, and Business of Film and Television
Panelists* include:
Taylor Allen – writer/executive producer Chappaquiddick; editor The Simpsons
Julie Benson – writer Wu Assassins, The 100, DC Comics Batgirl, Birds of Prey comic, Green Arrow comic; co-producer Untitled Star Trek Animated Series for Nickelodeon
Shawna Benson – writer/co-producer Wu Assassins, The 100; writer DC’s Batgirl, Birds of Prey comic, Green Arrow comic; co-producer Untitled Star Trek Animated Series for Nickelodeon
Steven Canals – creator/executive producer POSE
Akela Cooper – writer Nun 2, Jupiter’s Legacy, Hell Fest; writer/producer Luke Cage, American Horror Story: Roanoake, producer Witches of East End, The 100, Grimm
Charmaine DeGraté – writer/ co-executive producer Hello Sunshine/Amazon’s Daisy Jones and The Six, The 100, Netflix’s Chambers
Dana M. Jackson – Literary Manager, Fineman Entertainment; producer Park, Typewriter Days
David Klawans – producer Argo, Nacho Libre
Karen Schaler – writer A Christmas Prince, Christmas Camp, Every Day is Christmas
This sign up is now closed
*Panelists are confirmed but still subject to change
How It Works:
Show up for your Roundtable Session and you will be seated at a table with a small group of registrants and a veteran screenwriter, executive, or producer. The rest is up to you. After 25 minutes, panelists will get up and move to another table. This happens twice, so you will get to meet with at least 3 industry professionals during each session. These are not pitch sessions, but rather casual table meetings where you are encouraged to ask specific questions about the business of screenwriting and filmmaking. You are encouraged to come with questions in mind and business cards in hand.
PLEASE NOTE: This roundtable requires advance sign-up and you must have already purchased a Semifinalist (Producers) badge to sign up or your sign up will be immediately voided.
SCREENWRITERS HAPPY HOUR PRESENTED BY NICKELODEON WRITING PROGRAM
Only those who place in the competition are invited to attend this invite-only party with representatives from Nickelodeon along with select panelists and judges from the Competition!
SEMIFINALIST EXCLUSIVE PANEL SESSIONS
A full track of panels programmed specifically for Semifinalists including an “AMA” style panel with lit managers and agents, working with the right producer, along with other panels that cover the production process and hooking readers in your first act. Here are just a few of the panels we have planned this year:
These panels are only open to those who advanced in this year’s competition and most only to those whose Badges are designated with “Semifinalist,” or “Finalist.” Badges must also be the proper tier for the respective Conference day. Roundtables require advance sign-up through the Screenplay Department.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24
From Page to Production – A Workshop with Michael Grillo
2:45pm – 4:00pm
What happens to your script once it’s been green lit? What does production look like for the writers, and what is the collaborative process for getting your script in shape for a shoot? In this workshop, executive producer of Marvel mega-hits like Avengers: Endgame and Infinity War Michael Grillo will examine 3 preselected scripts from AFF’s script competition and discuss next steps for the script as it moves into production.
This panel is open to Second Rounders and above only.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25
Ask Them (Almost) Anything
9:00am – 10:15am
Join this panel of seasoned literary managers and agents for an “Ask Me Anything” style discussion on the nuts and bolts of finding, maintaining, and making the most of your representation as a working writer. Come prepared with questions for managers and agents who make a living helping writers find success and learn the business basics for taking the next steps in your career.
The First Ten Pages
1:30pm – 2:45pm
Join Academy Award-nominated producer Lindsay Doran (Stranger than Fiction) as she explains – using the first ten pages from pre-selected Second Round feature screenplays – how those crucial first ten pages can either hook industry professionals right away or make them close the script without reading the rest. How can you make sure they get to page 11?
Roundtable: The Art, Craft, and Business of Film and Television
3:15pm – 4:30pm
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the art, craft, and business of screenwriting. This session offers Semifinalists and above from the Screenplay Competition exclusive access to writers, executives, studio reps, agents, managers, producers, and attorneys in an informal setting. Take advantage of this invaluable opportunity to ask those burning questions: What’s the best way to overcome writer’s block? Or risk taking a new direction after established success? How do I find representation? Are studios buying spec scripts? What are the emerging trends in the industry? Don’t miss your chance to ask all this and more without being charged by the hour or forgoing a percentage of your script sale.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26
The Writer/Producer Relationship
9:00am – 10:15am
So you’ve written your screenplay. Now what? Finding a producer is key for taking your story from the page to the screen. In this panel, we’ll cover everything you need to know about approaching producers and getting them invested in your script’s journey.
Roundtable: The Art, Craft, and Business of Film and Television
3:00pm – 4:15pm
Get in-depth answers to your questions about the art, craft, and business of screenwriting. This session offers Semifinalists and above from the Screenplay Competition exclusive access to writers, executives, studio reps, agents, managers, producers, and attorneys in an informal setting. Take advantage of this invaluable opportunity to ask those burning questions: What’s the best way to overcome writer’s block? Or risk taking a new direction after established success? How do I find representation? Are studios buying spec scripts? What are the emerging trends in the industry? Don’t miss your chance to ask all this and more without being charged by the hour or forgoing a percentage of your script sale.