Objective

The Cary Theater launches BEYOND: The Film Festival, a celebration of the many facets of the art of storytelling through film. BEYOND: The Film Festival will highlight all aspects of filmmaking, featuring a short film competition and screenplay writing competition (length – 30 minutes or less). Each year, the festival will explore a new theme and focus on some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of the filmmaking process. The theme for this first year is “Hometown Stories.” The screenwriting competition, also for short films, is based on the same theme and will explore the foundational aspect of filmmaking – the script. A focus of this new four-day event is to bring the community together to experience the best films they’ve never seen. Screenplays must have been completed after January 1, 2016. Submitted screenplays should be for short films and should not exceed 40 pages in length and written in English.

Deadline/Entry Fees

Expired. Previous Deadline: 04/15/2018

Notification: May 15, 2018 - finalists announced

Rules

BEYOND: The Film Festival:

• reserves the right to refuse screenplays depicting excessive nudity and/or gore
• holds no responsibility for lost scripts
• requires that screenplays should not have been optioned, purchased or produced at the time of submission
• accepts screenplays with multiple authors
• will be granted the right (by the applicant) to use excerpts from the screenplay to promote the festival
• will contact all screenwriters with acceptance or non-acceptance information

All entries must be accompanied by a brief synopsis and/or artist statement. When submitting, please do not include writer’s name on the cover page. Format: Top, bottom and right margins = 1". The left margin = 1.5". The entire document should be single-spaced, typed in 12 point Courier font. Page numbers in the upper right-hand corner. Applicant stipulates that he/she is authorized to submit the screenplay, being the sole rights-holder or authorized representative thereof. FOR ALL APPLICATIONS: I (the entrant) have read and agree to all BEYOND: The Film Festival rules and procedures. Further, I warrant that I am the owner of the submission; I have not infringed upon or violated any copyright, privacy rights, or publicity or similar rights; I have obtained all rights, licenses, or necessary permissions thereto; to the fullest extent permitted by Laws and Regulations, Filmmaker shall indemnify and hold harmless the Town, its officers and employees, from and against all claims, costs, civil penalties, fines, losses, and damages (including but not limited to professionals’ fees and charges and all court or other dispute resolution costs), by whomsoever brought or alleged, arising out of, resulting from, or in connection with (a) any breach by Filmmaker of any term or condition of Contract, (b) any breach or violation by Filmmaker of any applicable Law or Regulation, or (c) any other cause resulting from any act or failure to act by Filmmaker under this Contract, but only to the extent cause by any negligence or omission of Filmmaker. This indemnification shall survive the termination of Contract. Neither party shall discriminate on any prohibited basis.

Awards

• Each official selection will receive laurels
• The grand-jury winning script will receive a table read at the film festival
• The Festival will assist with transportation to bring the screenwriter to the festival
• The grand-jury winning script writer will get two (2) VIP Passes to attend screenings and events
• Other prizes are currently being negotiated.