Question 1

How is the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge different from other film challenges?

Accepted Answer

With most challenges, one person pays a fee to sign up and then gathers his or her own crew, equipment, location, funds, production insurance, etc. The participant submits a completed film based on a given prompt for a chance to win a prize.
 
For the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge, you apply (for free!) as an individual. If accepted, we place you on a complete crew with equipment, production insurance, a cast, training, film festival submission waivers, a small production stipend, a free screening and after-party, and more, all provided by the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge.

We strive to make the crews as egalitarian and collaborative as possible. For that reason, no single participant owns the rights to the completed film. We view our filmmaking process as a vehicle for creating meaningful networks and advancing your career. If you are looking to develop your own IP, this is not the right film challenge for you.

Question 2

What does the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge provide?

Accepted Answer

• Your crew: We vet all of the applicants and place accepted individuals onto complete crews of 25-30 filmmakers, covering all roles of production (from actors to composers to cinematographers to post sound mixers)
 • Equipment: We've secured several generous sponsors for all of our crews so that each crew has top-of-the-line gear to work with.
 • Software: Writers and directors will receive a license of FinalDraft and editors will have access to EndCrawl.
 • Production insurance: Our production insurance covers all Women’s Weekend Film Challenge productions.
 • Stipend: A small stipend for each team to help with costs like food and transportation.
 • Screening & after-party: A screening of all of the completed films at a major venue with industry insiders in the audience.
 • Film festival stipend: each crew has a few hundred dollars to apply to festivals.
 • Training & Workshops: Although all of our participants are professional filmmakers, a weekend-long challenge is a new process for many and so we provide the following training: An orientation meeting for team leaders, as well as a 40-page guide for leading a team through the challenge; a workshop for directors, screenwriters and team leaders to meet and collaborate; a pre-production meeting for all teams; opportunities for participants to learn how to use the provided gear in advance of the challenge weekend; a written IMDb tutorial to help all teams get their films on IMDb; a film festival submission tutorial event where we train participants on how to use FilmFreeway, how to find the right festivals for each short and how to write a great cover letter

Question 3

Is the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge a competition?

Accepted Answer

No; it’s a challenge rather than a competition. That’s because we want to lift everybody up. Our team leaders have been known to create a group chat and ask each other for advice during pre-production. At the post-challenge film screening, we encourage participants to watch the other teams’ films with an eye toward who they might want to hire or collaborate with in the future. A rising tide lifts all boats!

Question 4

How much does it cost to apply and participate in the Women’s Weekend Film Challenge?

Accepted Answer

It’s absolutely FREE to apply and FREE to participate in the challenge!
 
Teams may request for up to $30 from each team member to cover miscellaneous expenses like food or transportation if necessary. You are not required to pay this if it is a financial burden.
 
The post-challenge film screening is also free to participants. Plus-ones can purchase a ticket to the screening.

Question 5

Is this paid?

Accepted Answer

No. This is not a paid gig; it’s a free networking opportunity.

Question 6

So if you don’t charge an application fee or a participation fee, how is the Women's Weekend Film Challenge funded?

Accepted Answer

We work year-round to secure funding so that we can keep the program free for participants. Our funding comes from grants, donations, sponsorships, speaking engagements and donations to our virtual events. 
 
If you would like to make a personal donation (tax deductible) click here.(https://app.thefield.org/home/donation/general/630454/0) You can also support us by joining our monthly giving platform, Patreon,(https://www.patreon.com/womensweekendfilmchallenge) to gain access to career-building workshops and other content.
 
Contact us if you’d like to bring us to your school, college, company or other organization for a speaking engagement and/or workshop, or if you know someone who would like to sponsor the challenge.

Question 7

If I donate to the Women's Weekend Film Challenge, what will my money go toward?

Accepted Answer

Your donation (https://app.thefield.org/home/donation/general/630454/0)will go toward the following expenses:
 
 • Providing production insurance
 • Providing stipends to the teams to cover costs such as food and transportation during production
 • Venue rentals for our screenings and networking events
 • General operational and programming costs
 • Bringing the film challenge to other cities to offer this opportunity to more filmmakers

Question 8

I already have a great script or an idea for a short film. Can I bring that idea to my team so that we can produce it during the challenge?

Accepted Answer

DO NOT bring your pre-existing script ideas into this challenge! The scripts are supposed to be written on the Thursday night of the challenge and based on the genre and the required object that we assign to each team.
 
Since this is a collaborative process with limited resources, the script can, and most likely will, be altered. Plus, you may have to drop out for some kind of emergency and we don’t want the teams to have to start all over if you’re not comfortable with them running with your idea (one of the reasons why any material created during the challenge belongs to the challenge).
 
Save your pre-existing script ideas for a project where you have more control over the finished product. This program is for people who want to have fun challenging themselves and meeting incredible collaborators.

Question 9

Who owns the rights to the films?

Accepted Answer

Women’s Weekend Film Challenge retains the rights to all films made during the challenge. This allows us to provide insurance and equipment to the teams; it prevents any legal conflicts between team members; and it helps keep the emphasis of the challenge on networking and collaboration.

Question 10

When will you be coming to my city?

Accepted Answer

Currently we host challenges in NYC and LA, but we have plans to expand to more cities in the future. The best way to stay updated on developments is to sign up for our mailing list.(http://eepurl.com/du9vdr)

Question 11

Where does the film challenge take place?

Accepted Answer

Our upcoming August 2022 film challenge will take place in New York City. You must be a resident of the greater New York metropolitan area in order to participate in this challenge.

Frequently Asked Questions