I received my annual “Thanks, but no thanks!” letter from Austin today. A sample, for the curious:
Thank you for submitting your script, Double Feature, to the Austin Film Festival’s 2006 Screenplay Competition. This year we received over 4,000 entries in both the Adult/Family and Comedy categories. We recognize there are numberous competitions available to you, and we value your decision to share your story with us.
Every year’s submissions are different in some significant way. The high level of talent exhibited by the entrants this year was truly remarkable. Our readers were impressed with the overall quality of work and returned many positve evaluations, making the judging process extremely challenging.
Unfortunately, your screenplay did not advance to the second round in the Comedy category. Entering contests offers a great opportunity to bring attention to your work, and you should not be discouraged. Rather, we encourage you to pursue other avenues of recognition for your script. Please remember competition are subjective by nature.
Huh, they didn’t mention the Sci-Fi Award. I wonder if I should expect a second letter. I mean, surely they received enough Spec Fic scripts that they wouldn’t give it to someone who didn’t advance to the semifinals, right?
I’m also glad that they ditched the phrasing, “We were really impressed with the quality of writing, and your hard work really shone through.” That’s just not something I want to hear in a form letter.
