The first annual 2019 Your Script Produced! Worldwide Screenwriting Competition launched recently, sponsored by Doval Bacall Films, who will fully fund, develop, package and produce the Grand Prize winning film script for $250,000 USD. There is also over $25,000 available in cash prizes for the winner.

Part of Coverfly’s mission is to curate a selective list of screenwriting competitions, and to promote transparency by interviewing the administrators behind screenwriting competitions.

Doval Bacall grew up in the inner city of Detroit, Michigan. His appetite for learning, and burning desire to succeed motivated him to educate himself and learn the foundation and skills necessary to become a successful businessman. He believes that you can never think of yourself as a master of any trade or skill, as it stands in the way of improving yourself.

After a successful run in real estate acquisitions and developments, and creating what is known today as Bacall Capital, Doval Bacall has shifted his attention to the Film & Entertainment Industry, which has always has been his passion.

We interviewed Doval and asked him some questions about Your Script Produced! Competition — See his answers below:

Coverfly: Thanks for doing an interview with us about your inaugural screenwriting competition. Why did you start the Your Script Produced! Screenwriting Competition? 

Doval Bacall: I have always loved films and the business and wanted to produce films. I’ve studied screenwriting and I’ve read hundreds of screenplays. After spending a year researching how films get made, I decided to simply learn by doing. This is why I’m fully financing a feature film. And to find a screenplay, I decided to create an opportunity for up-and-coming talented writers.

This is why “Your Script Produced!” Worldwide Screenwriting Competition was launched.

CF: Who’s judging this inaugural competition and how will you select the winner? 

DB: We have several Hollywood veterans who joined our team to discover and launch writers worldwide including:

• Sheila Shah (Known for Saw V, Rambo V… 14+ more credits to her name.)
• Shannon Makhanian (One of Hollywood’s best casting directors for 20+ years with 200+ feature film credits.)
• Bruno Chatelin (Former film distributor for Sony & UGC Fox, Founder of Filmfestivals.com, Launched 200+ films.)
• Tim Abell (Known for: Sniper: Special Ops, We Were Soldiers and 150+ credit to his name.)
• Al Maddin (Music/Film Producer working with Def Jam, Lionsgate and Paramount. Known for working with Jam Master Jay, Mary J Blige, and 50+ more celebrity artists.)
• Tim Lounibos (Known for: Bosch, Hawaii Five-O, JAG, The West Wing, and 50+ TV/Film Credits to his name.)
• Mike Beckingham, brother of Simon Pegg (Known for: Subconscious, AMS Secrets, Black Site, and 12+ credits to his name
• Rob Van Dam, world-famous Wrestler/Hollywood actor (Known for: Sniper: Special Ops, Time Toys, 3-Headed shark attack, and dozen-plus credits to his name.)
• Angela Harvey (Known for: Teen Wolf – MTV, Salvation – CBS, Station 19 – ABC, and 12+ Film/TV credits to her name.)
• Genevieve Wong (Known for: Law & Order, Access Hollywood, E! News, and 30+ TV credits to her name.)

The Grand Prize and Category finalists will be selected by our elite jury. I will select the Grand Prize script and produce the film.

CF: Who’s financing the $250,000 budget to produce the winning screenplay? 

DB: I am personally financing the grand prize for a quarter-million dollars. No need to wait for anyone, I want to live up to my promise, and my promise is to discover, develop, fund and produce the grand prize winner and I will guarantee it gets done. There is no catch. This is a dream opportunity for many writers.

CF: Besides seeing their film produced, are there any other things that the winner of this screenplay competition will receive? 

DB: Absolutely! The writer will come on board as a consultant since this is the story they have written, and he/she will experience first hand working with seasoned Hollywood players and learn the process of developing the script (perfecting the story and making it production ready) and throughout pre-production and on set-production. The experience our winners will receive will be priceless. Category finalists will also get a behind-the-scenes look at the development and production process.

CF: Why is there a submission fee? 

DB: Just like any other competition such as Big Break, Austin Film Festival, The Academy Nicholl Fellowships, and many other organizations that charge a fee, we also charge a fee that covers the logistics of operating a large talent-discovery program, including paying script readers, our elite roster of judges, marketing and promoting the competition AND the winners in The Hollywood Reporter, Variety Magazine, Script Magazine, and The Script Lab.

Your Script Produced! Worldwide Screenwriting Competition guarantees to produce the Grand Prize Winner. The category winners will be optioned and we’ll help develop, fund and potentially produce their feature films or TV shows as well.

Our unparalleled cash awards and prizes make our competition worth the entry fee.

CF: Are there any specific types of screenplays that you and your team are looking for in this inaugural competition?

DB: We are looking for what Samuel Goldwyn once had advised, “Give me the same, with a twist.” Well told stories that can entertain the audience and maybe even teach a life lesson or two.

This interview was originally published here: https://www.coverfly.com/coverfly-inside-look-your-script-produced."