Film is frustratingly still focused on men talking or talking about men.

The Women Talking to Women About Anything Other than a Man Film and Screenplay Festival is simple: make a vertical micro-short of 30 seconds to 3 minutes, make a horizontal short film of 3-20 minutes, or write a short screenplay of 15 pages or less in which the female/gender diverse characters talk about something that’s not a man.

Genre, subject matter, themes, and all the creative choices are up to you! Open to writers of all experience levels, this contest gives writers of every gender the opportunity to share their creativity through inclusive storytelling.

In a film industry where such perspectives are often overlooked, this contest provides an important platform for diverse storytelling, encouraging fresh narratives and challenging traditional norms in filmmaking.

2026 Micro Short Judges

Clarke Phillips
Amanda Verhagen
Valen Sgro

2025 Short Screenplay Judge Bios

Agatha Dominik
An award winning screenwriter, Agatha has written over 60 screenplays for Warner Brothers, DreamWorks, Paramount, Universal, Fox 2000, Miramax, The Mark Gordon Co., Lifetime Network and RAI Television, in addition to multiple independent companies in the U.S. and Europe. Her Hollywood career has spanned positions from junior literary agent to V.P. of Production. She has collaborated on feature and TV projects with Oscar and Emmy nominated directors such as Christian Duguay, Agnieszka Holland and Roland Jaffe.

Tiffany Albright
Tiffany is a writer, producer, and director whose work centers on women and LGBTQ+ stories, exploring identity, gender, sexuality, and class in gender film. An award winning writer, she has produced multiple films, including a sci-fi feature with award winning producer Stephen Van Vuuren, and the experimental award winning filmmaker Georg Koszulinki. As the founder of the Queer Film Festival, and Roadmap Writer Communities, she is committed to sharing inclusive stories and building community.

Harvest Bellante
Raised in California, Harvest attended UC Berkeley with a BA in English with a focus on Victorian Literature and then obtained an M.F.A. in Film and Television Production from Chapman University. Passionate about writing and watching short films, she is an assistant professor of media production at High Point University. An award winning scriptwriter, she teaches Screenwriting classes for shorts and features, documentary appreciation and production, and film analysis.

Awards & Prizes

First Prize: $100.00, presentation at the TWTWAM Festival (live reading for screenplays) 1 hour pitch evaluation and feedback session

Second Prize: $50.00, presentation at the TWTWAM Festival (live reading for screenplays) 1 hour pitch evaluation and feedback session

Third Prize: $25.00, presentation at the TWTWAM Festival (live reading for screenplays) 1 hour pitch evaluation and feedback session, 1 hour pitch evaluation and feedback session

Rules & Terms

Eligibility and Rules

- Micro-Short Rules -

Aspect Ratio: 9:16 (Vertical format)
Resolution: 1080 × 1920 (Full HD) or higher
File Format: MP4 or MOV
Audio: Stereo mix, 48 kHz
Maximum File Size: Up to 2 GB (FilmFreeway limit)
Subtitles: English subtitles required if the film includes non-English dialogue

- Screenplay Rules -

Format: All submissions must be in standard screenplay format, using a 12-point Courier font, with proper industry-standard page layout and margins.
File Type: Submit your screenplay as a PDF document only.
Page Count: Screenplays should be no more than 15 pages, not including the title page.
Standard title pages should be included: listing the script title, name of author(s), telephone number, and email address. Applicants will not be disqualified if it is not included.
Under no circumstances should the writer include name or contact information within the body of the script.

- Content Requirements: -

Originality: All submitted scripts must be original works, not previously produced or published in any form, and not adapted from another writer’s work (regardless of whether or not they have the underlying rights to said work), and not containing any content generated by AI. All submitted films must contain only original content. Entrants must own or have secured all rights to any music, images, footage, and underlying material used. Any film containing copyrighted or unlicensed material without permission will be disqualified.
Genre: While all genres are accepted, in order to conform with the rules of this contest, you must have:
Dialogue: At least two characters who are women (who identify as women or gender diverse), talk to each other in at least one scene, about something OTHER than a man, or men.

Scripts that have been sold, produced for a profit, or are currently under option are not eligible.

Adaptations of works in the public domain are permissible.

Writers retain the rights to their screenplay or film. If the writer so desires to protect their work, it is their sole responsibility to register material to be submitted with the U.S. Copyright Office and/or with the Writer’s Guild of America or the appropriate agency in their country.

There are no refunds for any reason after submission. The writer understands and accepts without reservation that they are an independent contractor, and that Administrators are not responsible for withholding any taxes or payments to any government agency, at any level, be it state, local or federal.

To submit your materials and be considered you must agree to the Rules.

Submission Process:

Entry Fee: Dependent upon deadline

**all entries must be received by midnight PST.

Platform: Submit your entry through FilmFreeway.

Important Note: By submitting your screenplay to this contest, you agree to the terms and conditions outlined in these guidelines.

Your script or film will be judged in the following categories:

Originality

Structure

Story

Character Development

Dialogue

Disqualification Reasons:

Failure to follow formatting guidelines, Incomplete or illegible submissions, Plagiarism or copyright infringement, Exceeding page or time limit, and Submissions not adhering to content restrictions.

Judging Process:

All entries will initially be evaluated by Medusa’s Gaze Films. Top entries shall be submitted to the three-judge panel who shall review and evaluate the films or scripts on a numeric grade of 1-10. The three highest vote getters shall receive the following awards. No notes or feedback of any kind will be sent to writers or filmmakers.

Winners responsible for taxes.

Contact Information:

For any questions regarding the contest, please contact medusasgazefilms@gmail.com