Gordy Hoffman, founder of BlueCat screenplay competition, shares why screenwriters need screenplay competitions.

Written by Gordy Hoffman at BlueCat Screenplay Competition – read the full article, titled The Rogue Knight of Cinema: Why Screenplay Contests Matter

Screenplay contests are changing cinema. Coming from a person who runs one, your first reaction to this statement is most likely, “The only reason you’re saying that is you want me to enter yours.”

Or more frankly, “You just want my money.”

Well, coming from one who runs one, I’ll say you’re right. Sorta.

I want you to enter any contest. If you are an unknown, amateur writer, one who’s had a taste of success, or even the millionaire living in hills of Silver Lake, your entry to a screenplay competition stirs a monster.

And while I’m sure my partner in my competition would hate for me to saying this, you don’t even have to enter ours. Enter any contest. The more entries contests receive, the the louder the miracle in the picture business today. Does that sound crazy? Is it sane to enter screenplay contests? How do they help?

When I was entering contests, before starting BlueCat in 1998, they served a very, conventional function: they gave me a deadline. If I knew I had to mail something on June 10th, it gave me structure. For me, it usually forced me to finish a first draft. Without a contest deadline, I’m not sure if I would’ve finished my first screenplay or not, but I do know that with the deadline of a screenplay contest, I did eventually finish one. BlueCat receives tons of first screenplays from writers, and even when the feedback we give them reflects how far they are from a genuinely, developed screenplay, these entrants are usually the most grateful because they finished, finally, their first script … [read the full article, titled The Rogue Knight of Cinema: Why Screenplay Contests Matter]

Bio of Gordy Hoffman

Winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival for LOVE LIZA, Gordy Hoffman made his feature directorial debut with his script, A COAT OF SNOW, which world premiered at the 2005 Locarno Intl Film Festival. A COAT OF SNOW made its North American Premiere at the Arclight in Hollywood, going on to screen at the Milan Film Festival and the historic George Eastman House. The movie would go on to win the 2006 Domani Vision Award at VisionFest, held at the Tribeca Cinemas in New York City. Gordy is the founder and judge of the BlueCat Screenplay Competition, and has conducted workshops all over North America and London. He recently taught screenwriting at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, and is now attached to direct a movie in 2009 in Europe.