MovieBytes Interview: Krasimir Karamfilov

An interview with Krasimir Karamfilov regarding the Story Aid Writing Competition.

A: The contest is sponsored by Story Aid, an organization I founded in 2007, which provides help to writers. We manage Storyaid.com (screenwriters), Shortstoryaid.com (short story writers), and Novelaid.com (novelists). Although half of the award money for these competitions comes from the entry fees, we have set up funds that generate the rest of the award money.

My background is in the arts - music, acting, and writing. I hold a MFA in Acting from the National Academy for Theater and Film Arts in Sofia, Bulgaria, and a MFA in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. Also, I have been playing music since I was 14. In 2005, I won the second grand prize at the Hartley/Merrill International Screenwriting Competition, which made me think about how writers get into the film industry. In 2006, I interviewed 35 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting winners to see what made a good script great. That led to an article I wrote for Written By magazine. Then, in 2007, Story Aid was created.

A: I am the director of the contest. I oversee all stages of its administration - from website development to reading of scripts and emailing. I try to answer all email questions personally.

A: The Story Aid Screenwriting Competition is very young. We have not had a winning script yet. We hope to have a winner, or winners, in 2009. Upon winning the competition, we don't promise anything to the writer(s). They get their check and that's it. The film industry is too unpredictable and too many writers have been let down by empty promises.

A: All scripts pass through me, from the first to the last round, the way a film critic watches all movies he/she critiques.

A: I have read many, many scripts, and it takes me no more than 30-40 pages to recognize a good story and to identify a good writer. In the first round, all scripts are read up to page 30-40. When I see 14 typos by page 8, I don't need to read further. Bad grammar is also a read flag. Lack of film story structure is another problem. I encourage writers to Tolstoy they screenplays. What I mean is: Write your very best writing. Write as if you'll give your script to be read by your favorite author - Tolstoy, or whoever. If bad grammar is your very best, the script won't get far.

A: We are not looking for any specific type of story. We are looking for good stories told well.

A: We list all winners on our website. Whoever is interested in reading/optioning/producing their winning script, they can email Story Aid and we will connect them with the writer(s).

A: Work on your craft. Coming up with a good story is not enough. It has to be written well to be effective.

Posted Friday, January 16, 2009