SWW Feature Contest 2018 Results
The winners of the SWW 2018 Feature Contest are:
1st Tim Franz The Queen’s Messengers
2nd Matt Belcher Screwdriver
3rd (Tie) Randy Holland Big Buck Bally Hoo
3rd (Tie) Troy Kelley Indian Country
Thank you to those who participated.
SWW 48 Hour Film Project Team Has Successful First Experience
On June 1-3, a Screenwriters’ Workshop-sponsored team of 16 writers, actors and technical crew members competed for the first time in the 48 Hour Film Project competition. Their short film, titled Hero Maker, will be screened on June 14, 7:00 pm at the Riverview Theater in Minneapolis. The team was assigned the genre of “superhero or martial arts” film on Friday night. The team wrote the script from scratch Friday night, filmed it Saturday, edited it the remainder of the weekend and managed to turn it in on time by 7 pm Sunday evening. Team organizer Dick Zonneveld accomplished all three goals he set out for the team: don’t kill or maim anyone, have fun, and get it done on time. After the successful event, the SWW board agreed to sponsor at 48 HFP team every year. If you missed participating this year, stay tuned for information about next year’s team.
In Memoriam: Alvin Easter
Our hearts were broken earlier this week when we found out that longtime friend and Sunday Script Group member Alvin Easter had died. Those familiar with Al’s work agree that he was one of the best screenwriters to pass through SWW. For years a faithful contributor to Second Tuesdays, Al had a deep, resonant voice and could read narration flawlessly. An avid filmgoer, Al saw more films that most could imagine and published a booklet of his own award winning films going back to 1963. At one time he even published his own film magazine and had many letters from famous stars across many decades. Mostly, however, he is remembered for his flawless scripts which made him a runner up for the Nichols Fellowship several times, and even earned him a trip to Dubai as one of six finalists in an international screenwriting competition. To honor Alvin, SWW will be sponsoring an open house in the Fall complete with readings of his work. Watch for further details.
Board and Committee Meetings—July 14th: Join Us!
If you want to get involved in exciting, upcoming screenwriting activities, come to FilMNorth (550 Vandalia in St. Paul) at 11:30 AM. We will start with lunch for half an hour of networking, then break into committee meetings (Member Services, Fundraising, PR, and Educational Programs) for an hour. The SWW board meets at 1:00 PM. The board will be looking for new members in the months to come, so if you are interested in having a voice in the direction of our organization, the committees are a place to start.
Haven’t Checked Out Our New Website Yet? Give It a Gawk!
The Public Relations Committee just completed an overhaul of its website. The first thing you will notice is it features videos of short film winners the SWW sponsored “Script-to-Screen” Contest. It offers members one more opportunity to highlight their projects. Other features have been added to make navigation easier and update functionality behind the scenes. Many thanks to web administrator Randy Holland for spending more than 100 hours on the overhaul!
Haven’t Renewed Your Membership in a While? You’ll Want To!
With all the exciting changes going on, you will want to be part of a collaborative community that will support you in your work. Whether it is professional development, contests, or simply companions with you on your writing journey, come be a part of Screenwriters’ Workshop. Contests and some events are only available to members. We can help make your dreams a reality. Go to our website and click on the PayPal button to start your $50 annual membership fee. It will be worth your while.
