Access Sacramento is looking for short film scripts for its 19th annual “A Place Called Sacramento” Film Festival script competition. Ten entries will be selected for production and a big-screen world premiere in October, 2018.

Entry scripts must be no longer than 10-minutes with family-friendly stories that feature people and places from the Sacramento region.” Script entries are due by 5 p.m. Wed. March 21, 2018 by either drop off at the Access Sacramento office or online from AccessSacramento.org.

Access Sacramento Executive Director and Film Festival Director Gary Martin at 2016 “A Place Called Sacramento. [Phil Kampel Photography]

Scripts are judged by professionals in three-rounds of blind review, before the top 10 screeplays are selected. The winning writers become producers who have the summer to shoot and edit their project for submission in early September and the world premiere the first weekend in October.

Access Sacramento will host a huge volunteer cast and crew call on Wed. May 9, 2108 at the Coloma Community Center in Sacramento where actors and technical crew gather to volunteer their talents to the 10 winning writers.

“A Place Called Sacramento” Screenwriting Instructor Dawn Spinella

A special “Short-Form Script Writing” class runs four Saturdays beginning Feb. 3 at 10 a.m. at Access Sacramento to help writers begin a new script or to polish one already in progress. Instructor Dawn Spinella is a professional writer and coach and is the script coordinator for the California Film Foundation. The $50 class-fee must be paid for in advance at Access Sacramento, 4623 T Street, Suite A, Sacramento or by calling 916-456-8600 ext. 0.

Additional classes to help aspiring filmmakers include:
Short Film Production Tips – Four Saturdays – 10am-2pm – April 7-28 – $50 – Instructor Carlos Hernandez
Make-Up for the Camera – One Day – May 19 10am – 2pm- $50 includes supplies – Instructor Shawna Stagner
Acting for the Camera – One Day – May 26 – 10am – 5:30 pm – $50 – Instructor Charlie Holliday

In 18 previous years, the A Place Called Sacramento” Film Festival has brought 177 original short films to the big screen at the Crest Theatre for their world premiere. Many of the writers and actors see their work on the big screen for the first time while others advance existing acting and technical careers.

As an all volunteer project, A Place Called Sacramento annually draws hundreds of people who want to support filmmaking in our region both for the creation of the 10 winning films and then their world premiere. The 18th annual festival’s films showed to a sold-out capacity crowd of 960 at the Crest Theatre.

For more information, visit the AccessSacramento.org website or call 916-456-8600.