Upcoming Events and Contests
A Tribute to Al Easter
November 14th at 7:30 PM at the Gremlin Theater in St. Paul
Annual General Membership Meeting
POSTPONED TO JANUARY, DETAILS TBA. Read more by clicking here.
December 1st from 9:30 AM to noon at the Trylon Microcinema in Minneapolis
Pop-Up Screenwriting Studio
Saturday (UPDATE–click here for final details), December 15, 10am-noon, at Diamonds Coffee Shoppe in Minneapolis
SWW 2019 Short Script Challenge
Deadline: January 15, 2019 (Midnight)
Start the new year off right by jumping into your screenwriting with the annual shorts contest. The rules will be the same as last year with scripts of all genres welcomed with no theme requirements. The entry fee is $15 per script. The Grand Prize winner will take home $500. You can enter up to three times. You must be a paid member of Screenwriters Workshop to enter. Watch the website in December for further details, but start writing now.
SWW 2019 Feature Contest
Deadline: March 15, 2019 (Midnight)
After your short is done, start thinking BIG for the 2019 Feature contest. Feature screenplays must be in standard screenplay format between 90 and 120 pages in length. Your feature entry can be on any topic. First prize is $500, second prize is $300 and third prize is $200. Entry fee is $50 for each screenplay up to a maximum of two. Students entries are $25 for each screenplay up to a maximum of two. You must be a paid member of Screenwriters Workshop to enter. Watch the website in December for further details, but start writing now.
Informational Meeting on the 48 Hour Film Project
February / March 2019
Watch the calendar for an organizational meeting of the SWW sponsored team for the 48 Hour Film Project that is held annually in early June. Start thinking about taking a weekend away to get in touch with your inner filmmaker!
Exciting News from Our Members & Friends
Since our last newsletter went out in the summer, a lot of exciting things have been happening for our members. If case you haven’t been paying attention, here’s the skinny:
• The Screenwriters’ Workshop-sponsored team for the 48 Hour Film Project had a premier of its short film at the Riverview Theater in Minneapolis on June 14th. A large group showed up to cheer on our filmmakers and see a lot of other innovative short productions. SWW will make this an annual event.
• The film Black, written and directed by SWW member David Buchanan, also had a showing at the Twin Cities Film Festival on October 20, 2018. Black, filmed in Minnesota during 2017-2018, is about a black man who begins an uprising after his brother is killed by police during a routine traffic stop. Click here to see the trailer on the Screenwriters’ Workshop website.
• Last but not least, Wenonah Wilms’ feature screenplay Horsehead Girls! earned her one of the four 2018 Academy Nicholl Fellowships. Click here to see the SWW website for a more complete description of Wenonah’s accomplishments.
Congratulations to all our active filmmakers! Do you have a project in the works? If so, let us know at mnscreenwriters@gmail.com. We cannot publicize every project, but we do want to shine the light on major events in our members’ careers.
In Memoriam
A Changing of the Guard




In addition to Perry leaving the board in July due to illness, longtime SWW President Hafed Bouassida retired from the board. He will continue to support the board bringing his wisdom and experience to the educational programs committee. Julie Meyer, facilitator for the Sunday Script Group, was elected the new president. Also elected to the board were Dick Zonneveld and Kelly Lamphear-Dash. The board now consists of Julie, Dick, Kelly, and Ed Leschke. The board is considering adding a fifth member to assist with ongoing operations. Please click here to contact one of these board members if you are interested in serving.