SWF Thought of the Day: "Screenwriters' Festival 2009 was the biggest and best yet! Let's do it again sometime!" So say we all!

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Frequently Asked Questions...

Q: Why do I have to buy a ticket?
A: Why would you want to miss anything? Attending the Festival provides fantastic opportunities to meet prospective producers, directors, broadcasters, writers, agents and developers, and sessions that can raise your game. We are giving away a great set of chances with Script market.

Q: Why a four day ticket, can I not just buy a two day ticket?
A: Delegate feedback tells us that spending more time at the Festival improves the chances of delivering the best results and not missing anything from the many sessions, screening and networking events. The meetings for the 30 finalists will be spread over the four days, we won’t know until close to the festival exactly when the Meeting Group is available. There will also be sessions during SWF 2009 about the Scriptmarket..

Q: Does this exclude me from the ‘Group 10’ deal?
A: No, but you’d need to sort your ten out before April 30th.

Q: Are there any other costs for entering the Scriptmarket?
A: Apart from your ticket you will need while at SWF to secure and pay for accommodation, and have money for food and drinks which are available at the Festival and nearby.

Q: Why only 30?
A: The industry figures who are taking meeting are donating their time and are very busy, we have to cap it to make it possible.

Q: Who is on the Selection Panel?
A: We will gather together 7 of the industry’s best, to reflect the most appropriate categories involved in getting a script to screen and there will be a director, a producer, an agent, a writer, a developer, a broadcaster and a script editor.

Q: Who will be on the Interviewing Panel at the Festival?
A: We have a list of possible industry professionals with a similar range as the Interviewing Panel, but our Interviewing Panel will be made up AFTER the workshop in June when you will have a beter idea of who you should talk to at the Festival.

Q: What are the Script Lengths?
A: Rule of thumb - 1 page = 1 minute

Q: I have an Agent, so can I still enter a script?
A: Absolutely, the idea of the Scriptmarket is to get your script into the hands of people who can help progress it, not necessarily commission it

Q: I have co-written the script can my co-writer also come?
A: Yeap, but they will need to purchase a ticket also. If the script has multiple writers, or a producer or director, then each person must purchase a ticket otherwise the one Delegate who has bought a ticket when entering will get the meeting if chosen.

Q: Do I have to be a writer?
A: No, you could be a producer who has purchased a script and is looking for a writer or a director and producer with an optioned script.

Q: If I am chosen and do not live in the UK, I cannot benefit from the workshop in London, what will happen?
A: If you are not based the UK, and are one of the 30 finalists, we will get your contact details and on the same day as the Workshop in London one of the panel will contact you and discuss your script further on the phone.

Q: If my script is not chosen, I don’t know if I should bother coming, so can I have a refund?
A: No refund if you purchase a ticket and entered Scriptmarket, as you will be subject to our terms and conditions, which are different for Scriptmarket. Remember if your script is not chosen as part of the 30 there is still the possibility, through the Script Library, that a visiting Producer or Developer may like your idea and will contact you direct.

Q: Copyright, what protection do I have that no one will steal my idea?
A: Ideas can’t be copyrighted, but your script can. Make sure you have your name and copyright logo on the front page. We will make all reasonable efforts to ensure that only the Scriptmarkets’s Selection Panel and Meetings Panel see your scripts and that we record everyone who requests to read your first ten pages at the Script Library during the Festival and will put them in touch with you. It is for you to decide if they can have a copy of the script. Anyone accessing the Script Library cannot print out or copy a script. If they want to get a copy of the script they will have to contact you direct. SWF takes no responsibility for what happens to scripts that you circulate as a result of the Script Library.

Q. Why can't I just send the script to a reading company myself?
A. You can and they will charge you. We are offering you a free 5 page report, based on the format that was admired before, and the opportunity of sitting down with an Agent, a Producer, a Developer or an Executive who could, possibly, if they liked the script enough, open discussions leading to funding or lead you to someone else who can.