Two responses

So, Fade In Magazine finally got back to me... E-mail didn't work (despite trying that route for months) so I decided to try calling and left a voiemail.
The next day (Weds. Sept. 5th) I received this e-mail at 1:43pm:

"Hi Erik,

Yes, we received it both via email and mail.

We are waiting on a few more tax forms and then should have an update about both marketing (we send out email re all finalists' projects to buyers and reps) and cash prizes. Did you receive the Greenlightmymovie account?

Best,

Michele"

 

I then got a second e-mail on Friday September 7th at 1:47pm (seems to be their time for answering messages):

 

"Hi Erik,

Wanted to give you a quick update...

We first take care of the Grand Prize winners in all categories that have turned in their W9 forms so they are able to attend the festival. As I believe you know, the Grand Prize winner in Horror was hard to track down and took weeks. We finally found him in Australia. Sent him his award at a Los Angeles address he gave us but, according to him, no one was there to sign for it. So we had to send his out again this week.

Per your congratulatory letter, prizes are to be dispersed upon receipt of ALL 1st and 2nd place finalists' W9 forms (not just in the Horror category). We are still waiting on Thriller and Action category W9s. Their congratulatory letters and tax forms were sent out last month so we are hoping to get them back this month. If not, we'll go ahead and send out your cash prize in October. And, as I believe you confirmed, your other prize, Greenlightmymovie submissions, has been received.

Marketing will begin in October. We will be sending out information (title, logline) for all 2018 finalists and Grand Prize winner's projects to Hollywood buyers and reps.

Thank you, Erik.

All the best,

Heather"

 

Now, I am by no means capitalistic or even materialistic (save for artistic things - movies, books, video games... actually pieces of art for my wall (which are always reprints, sculptures, action figures etc.), but $500 would really help me out, especially at the beginning of the school year and especially since it is around Halloween time (and those who know me know I go all out at Halloween).

Also, prize money from one contest means I can enter into a bunch of other film fest's screenplay competitions.

However, the new news is that they send out the list of winners and descriptions of their projects to "buyers and reps"... That's sweet.

I guess I was wrong in simply thinking that agents, producers, etc. were just scanning these festivals (like people using a police scanner) and sought out the winners privately. I should have thought that the festivals themselves would have to notify those people.

Perhaps I'm wrong.

Hopefully I'm not and great things will come of this.

We shall see.