Big Break™ is an annual, global screenwriting contest designed to launch the careers of aspiring writers. Big Break™ rewards screenwriters with cash, prizes, and A-list executive meetings. Winners and finalists alike have had their screenplays optioned and produced and have secured high-profile representation as well as lucrative writing deals.

At the Second Annual Hero Complex Film Festival, Warren Beatty, John Favreau, Nicholas Meyer, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, Mike Mignola, and Richard Donner gathered to celebrate filmic (Wrath of Khan), comic (Superman), and screenwriting (Tom Mankiewicz) heroes. Ray Morton was there.

As much as a screenplay evolves – changing dramatically (and hopefully for the better) from initial concept to first draft, through rewriting on through the development, pre- and production processes, so, too, should your indie film “package” constantly be refined as you further clarify your project and hone in on your hit list targets…

In the January/February 2011 issue of Script, Jim Cirile covered the top four pitchfests – Great American Pitchfest, Hollywood Pitch Festival, Golden Pitch Festival and Inktip Pitch Summit. As a supplement to the original article, here are a few other pitchfests, and alternatives to pitchfests, worth mentioning…

Sheila Kogan recaps her experience and reviews a few of the films from this year’s New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center.

Big Idea Writers Challenge is a Bi-monthly contest that will take your script to the hands of Producers, Investors and Studios.

The AAA Screenplay Contest aims to get talented writers through the door to Hollywood.

The SFFS/KRF Filmmaking Grants support films that through plot, character, theme or setting significantly explore human and civil rights, antidiscrimination, gender and sexual identity and other urgent social justice issues of our time.

Sponsored by the the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, the Djerassi Residency Award/SFFS Screenwriting Fellowship will provide a one-month residency at the Djerassi Resident Artists Program for an emerging or established screenwriter; open to both U.S. and international screenwriters.