TO SUBMIT PLEASE VISIT OUR FILM FREEWAY PAGE:

https://filmfreeway.com/BtchFestFilmFestivalandScreenplayContest

Welcome to the 1st annual B!TCHFEST: An International Women’s & LGBTQIA+ Film Festival & Screenplay Contest with a groundbreaking in-person event for both Filmmakers and Screenwriters in the heart of Los Angeles. At B!tchFest we’re not just breaking glass ceilings; we’re shattering them into a million pieces by unleashing the Power of Female and LGBTQIA+ Voices in Film and Television!

Get ready for a cinematic celebration that’s not just a festival – it’s a movement. B!tchFest is on a mission to redefine the narrative by proudly showcasing the BEST Independent Films, Feature Films, Short Films, Documentaries, Animated Films, Student Films, Music Videos, TV Pilots, Web Series, Screenplays, TV Scripts, and Stage Plays crafted by the most Badass Women and LGBTQIA+ Creators in the industry.

In a world where only 26% of key production roles belong to women and a mere 16% of major studio films flaunt LGBTQIA+ characters, B!tchFest is determined to rewrite the script. We invite you to be a part of a whirlwind Film Festival featuring empowering stories, fierce creativity, and unapologetic voices at the forefront of cinema.

By providing a platform for recognition, awards, and promotion; we aim to break barriers, amplify voices, and pave the way for a more inclusive entertainment industry. Join us for a festival that goes beyond screenings—promote yourself and your projects during live panels, flaunt your creations to cheering audiences, walk the red carpet, and forge connections with leading industry trailblazers who share our commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Our esteemed panel of award-winning industry professionals including directors, producers, agents, managers, executives, and casting directors will meticulously assess all film and screenplay submissions. Expert script readers, filmmakers and story analysts are slated to carefully review all entries. The top contenders are then forwarded on to our executive industry judges, from various sectors within the entertainment and publishing industries, for final evaluations to determine the winners for each category.

The B!tchFest Film Festival & Screenplay Contest is set to take place at the WhiteFire Theatre on Ventura Blvd in Los Angeles on November 24, 2024.  We're gearing up for an in-person event that shines a spotlight on films and screenplays submitted by the most talented Women and LGBTQIA+ Creators from around the world. The winning screenwriters and filmmakers will join our red carpet event, screen their creations in front of a live audience, snag trophies at our awards ceremony, participate in panel discussions that are recorded and streamed on our website for promotion, and engage in an industry meet-and-greet event aimed at making new connections.

Your story starts here— together we can make cinema HERstory! Submit your film or screenplay today and be part of a revolution that refuses to be silent. We welcome you to the B!tchFest family — where Badass B!tches reign supreme!

AWARDS & PRIZES

SCREENWRITING AWARDS:

Best Feature Screenplay (60 - 140 Pages)

Best Short Screenplay (Under 60 Pages)

Best LGBTQIA+ Screenplay (Any Length)

Best First-Time Screenwriter Screenplay (Any Length)

Best TV Pilot Script (1/2 Hour or 1 Hour Script Format)

Best Web Series Script (Up to 60 Pages)

Best Stage Play Script (Any Length)

FILM AWARDS:

Best Feature Film (60+ minutes)

Best Short Film (1 - 60 minutes)

Best Documentary Film (Any Length)

Best Student Film (Any Length)

Best LGBTQIA + Film (Any Length)

Best Animation Film (Any Length)

Best TV Pilot Episode (1/2 Hour or 1 Hour Format)

Best Web Series Episode (Up to 60 minutes)

Best Music Video (1 - 30 minutes)

Best Short Social Content Video (5 minutes or less)

The entry fee is applicable per category. By submitting your film to the categories of Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Best Documentary Film, Best Animation Film, Best Student Film, Best LGBTQIA+ Film, Best Music Video, Best TV Pilot Episode, Best Web Series Episode, and Best Social Content Video, it not only qualifies your project for festival consideration but it also enables your Cast and Crew to be considered for additional accolades, free of charge.

CAST & CREW AWARDS:

Best of Festival / Grand Jury Award Winner

Best Actress / Actor

Best Supporting Actress / Actor

Best Director

Best Producer

Best Edit/VFX

Best Cinematography

Best Production Design

Best Costume

Best Hair & Makeup

Best Original Score

Winners of all Film Category Awards will have a live screening of their film at the in-person festival on November 24, 2024 at the WhiteFire Theatre in Los Angeles.

Trophy’s will be awarded in-person to all winners of the Film Category Awards, Screenplay Category Awards, and Cast and Crew Awards during the Festival Awards Ceremony. These winners will also be invited to speak about their project during the Festival’s Live-Recorded Panel which will stream on our website, take professional photos on the Red Carpet and attend the Industry Meet-And-Greet Event aimed at making new connections. Additionally, all Official Selections and Winners will receive two complimentary tickets to the festival.

The Best of Festival / Grand Jury Award Winner & Best Feature Film Winner will receive a 1-Hour Zoom Mentorship Meeting with one of our Executive Film Industry Judges.

The Best Feature Screenplay Winner & Best Short Screenplay Winner will receive a 1-Hour Zoom Mentorship Meeting with one of our Executive Screenwriting Industry Judges where they will get feedback on their script and advice on how to move the screenplay into production.

The Winner of Best Actress/Actor and Best Supporting Actress/Actor will receive a 1-Hour Zoom Meeting with a Casting Director from Tiffany Company Casting and free admission to TCC’s next scheduled Virtual Acting Workshop.

For consideration, projects should feature at least one WOMAN in a key production role, such as the Director, Writer, Producer, Cinematoprapher, Lead Actress, ect. Screenplays authored by WOMEN are preferred; however, if written by a man, the script must include at least one FEMALE lead character for submission. While projects helmed by men are welcome, they must either showcase a female protagonist or revolve around women's isues and themes to be eligible.

For LGBTQIA+ category submissions, projects should feature at least one LGBTQIA+ person in a key production role, such as the Director, Writer, Producer, Cinematoprapher, Lead Actor/Actress, ect. Screenplays, to qualify, must either include one LGBTQIA+ character, be authored by a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, or the storyline must prominently involve LGBTQIA+ issues and themes.

TO SUBMIT PLEASE VISIT OUR FILM FREEWAY PAGE:

https://filmfreeway.com/BtchFestFilmFestivalandScreenplayContest

We wish you a B!TCHIN' time on your filmmaking & screenwriting journey and we hope to see you at the the 1st annual B!tchFest!!!

www.bitchfestla.com

https://filmfreeway.com/BtchFestFilmFestivalandScreenplayContest

This year's edition of the festival was planned as seventh days event with two film competitions: students' etudes from art and film schools all over the world-ETIUDA COMPETITION and short animation, equally professional, student and independent one-ANIMA COMPETITION.

Festival's competitions programme will be enriched by many accompanying events - one of them are Animators' self-portraits (during which, while the artists are present, the audience will get to know works of: Piotr Dumała, Paul Bush and Joanna Quinn). Also festival programme will show the artists of artistic animation who after a long time making only short films started to make long feature films: T. Burton, W. Borowczyk, Brothers Quay,  J. Svankmajer and others.   At the beginning of the festival there are going to be announced results of plebiscite being prepared since March – 50 Animated Films for 50th Jubilee of ASIFA (Association Internationale du Film du d’Animation).
Finally, at the festival, there will appear long expected point of program:  comics and animation. They are two separated disciplines of art which however have a few common essential features. At present there is boom for them and more and more people of different age are interested in them.

Within seven days, for the fourth time, there will take place animation, screenplay, directing, camera and editing workshops. It is very important point of program of the festival which has good number of participants. It is directed especially to young people (pupils and students) but it doesn't exclude any of age group. For the workshops' leaders we try to invite the best lecturers and artists working in film and art schools abroad but especially in Poland.

Fantoche is one of the most prominent festival for animation film. With a program containing over 70 events, along with screenings of 220 short and long films from all over the world, the last edition of Fantoche proved to be a great celebration of animated film-making, attracting over 34,000 fans of the genre.
Since its first appearance in 1995, Fantoche offers the best in entertainment for cinema-goers of all ages and brings together visual media from a variety of sectors.

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established in 1955, competition for documentary and animated films, prizes with a total value of Euro 58.500, competitions, retrospectives and special programmes as well as industry offers (co-production meeting, digital market, discussions).

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The International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film - DOK Leipzig – is the largest German and one of the leading international festivals for artistic documentary and animated films.

It was founded in 1955 by the 'club of film-makers of the German Democratic Republic' (Club der Filmschaffenden der DDR) under the title “All-German Leipzig Week for Cultural and Documentary Film”, as the first independent film festival of the GDR. During the Cold War, the festival was a unique place of encounter and exchange for film-makers from East and West. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Leipzig Festival has developed into one of the most dynamic festivals for documentary and animated film, providing a high-quality programme and – since 2004 – additional industry offers.

Artistic animated film is an integral part of the festival for decades and is represented with its own, independent competition since 1995. This ‘twin-track character’ makes Leipzig unique in the festival landscape.

Traditionally, the Leipzig Festival stands for films advocating peace and human dignity. In view of its varied and exciting history, it celebrates freedom of mind and speech, as well as pointedly illustrated images. High-quality art house cinema, superbly narrated stories, a critical eye, subtle observation, tracing back history and scrutinizing the "memory of images" shape the Leipzig Festival’s character and diversity.

The DOK Festival’s film programme includes:

* International Competitions Documentary and Animated Film
* German Competition Documentary Film
* International Young Talent Documentary Competition
* Information and Special Programmes
* Retrospectives


DOK Industry Offers

Alongside the festival, DOK Leipzig organises a number of industry offers for film-makers, producers, commissioning editors, theatrical exhibitors, distributors, journalists and documentary newcomers. Under the title "DOK Industry" the festival provides networking opportunities for film-makers, producers and international industry professionals, financing opportunities for new film ideas, arranges co-productions and presents recently completed productions to festival programme organisers, distributors and TV buyers.


DOK Industry offers include:

* DOK Market Digital
* International DOK Leipzig Co-production Meetings
* DOK Summit – Panel Discussions
* Leipzig Screening
* Workshops and Master Classes