Welcome to The Lonely Seal International Film, Screenplay & Music Festival, your home of "stories aching to be told." Sponsored by Coverfly, Final Draft, and Hourglass24, our winners get showcased for cinema buyers at the Cannes Film Festival/Cannes Film Market.
Our festival is at the historic Regent Theatre in Arlington, MA (Boston). We will also be streaming our festival at LonelySealStreaming.com. Thus, if you've got a great story to tell, we want to experience it. We are a multiple-time "Top 100 Festival" here on FilmFreeway, and our five-star reviews put us in the top 1% worldwide.
Everyone at Lonely Seal aims to help you blossom and thrive in your career beyond our festival dates!
Prizes & Key Dates
We look forward to experiencing your awesomeness!
GRAND PRIZE AWARD
Grand Prize – A showcase for cinema buyers at Cannes, one year of development advice, and one year of strategic financing and distribution advice. The Grand Prize includes a prominent placement on Hourglass24, our new crowdfunding platform.
* Our Grand Prize may be awarded to ANY FILMED PROJECT in our festival.
FILM & DOCUMENTARY AWARDS:
Best Feature - Showcase for cinema buyers at Cannes, strategic advice, and prominent placement for one project on Hourglass24.
Best Comedy Feature Film - Showcase for cinema buyers at Cannes, strategic advice, and prominent placement for one project on Hourglass24.
Best Documentary (feature or short) - Showcase for cinema buyers at Cannes, strategic advice, and prominent placement for one project on Hourglass24.
Best LBGTQIA Film (Feature or Short ) - Showcase for cinema buyers at Cannes, strategic advice, and prominent placement for one project on Hourglass24.
Best Indigenous Film (Feature or Short) - Showcase for cinema buyers at Cannes, strategic advice, and prominent placement for one project on Hourglass24.
Best Film Accessible Film (Feature or Short) - Showcase for cinema buyers at Cannes, strategic advice, and prominent placement for one project on Hourglass24.
Best International Film (Feature or Short) - Showcase for cinema buyers at Cannes, strategic advice, and prominent placement for one project on Hourglass24.
Best Comedy Short Film - Showcase for cinema buyers at Cannes, strategic advice, and prominent placement for one project on Hourglass24.
Best Short Film - Showcase for cinema buyers at Cannes, strategic advice, and prominent placement for one project on Hourglass24.
SCREENPLAY AWARDS - SPONSORED BY COVERFLY & FINAL DRAFT
Grand Prize Feature Film Screenplay - One Final Draft license, a showcase for cinema buyers at Cannes, one year of development advice, and one year of strategic financing and distribution advice. Prominent placement for one project on Hourglass24.
Best Teleplay - Showcase for cinema buyers at Cannes, strategic advice, and prominent placement for one project on Hourglass24.
Best Poem - Strategic advice and prominent placement for one project on Hourglass24.
Best Short Screenplay - Strategic advice and prominent placement for one project on Hourglass24.
MUSIC AWARDS
Best Music Video - Showcase for cinema buyers at Cannes, strategic advice, and prominent placement for one project on Hourglass24.
Best Song - Showcase for cinema buyers at Cannes, strategic advice, and prominent placement for one project on Hourglass24.
Best Composition - Showcase for cinema buyers at Cannes, strategic advice, and prominent placement for one project on Hourglass24.
KEY DATES
Submissions open on July 28, 2023.
The early bird submission deadline is October 31, 2023.
The regular submission deadline is January 31, 2024.
The late submission deadline is March 31, 2024.
The extended deadline is April 21, 2024.
All selections for our Arlington, MA (Boston) festival will be notified by June 1, 2024.
Our festival is from August 20-25, 2024, at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, MA, and our festival dates for New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Paris will be posted here soon.
Winners will be announced on Sunday, August 25, 2024, at our awards ceremony.
Good Luck!