Film submissions are now open for the 2024 Port Townsend Film Festival. This includes the festival’s new category of local short film.

PTFF Executive Director Danni McClelland said that the festival encourages short film submissions from filmmakers based on the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas, as well as the Puget Sound islands.

“As much as we showcase films from throughout the country and across the world, we want to make sure we’re not forgetting the number of talented folks we have in our own backyard,” McClelland said. “Last year’s chautauqua featured an amazing group of local filmmakers, from high schoolers to veterans. We’d love to see between 25 to 50 locals submit their short films this year.”

PTFF will feature the chosen local short films in its festival program and other marketing materials. Submission fees have been reduced for this category.

Benefits for filmmakers who become alumni of the festival include eligibility for jury and audience favorite awards and cash prizes, plus filmmaker residencies in Port Townsend, and PTFF grants for new film projects.

PTFF alumni filmmakers also receive lifelong fee waivers for future submissions, biannual newsletters regarding their fellow alumni’s current projects, and invitations to return to future film festivals as instructors at filmmaker forums for further networking and education opportunities.

The official deadline for film submissions is March 8, and more information can be found at ptfilmfest.com/submityourfilm online.

The festival is also kicking off its first-ever short screenplay competition, which PTFF Marketing and Development Director Keith Hitchcock deemed “part of our ongoing mission to cultivate a vibrant film community on the Olympic Peninsula.”

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for local storytellers to see their creative visions come to life on the big screen,” Hitchcock said.

This contest is also open to screenwriters residing on the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas, as well as the Puget Sound islands, and in the counties of Clallam, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, Kitsap, Mason and San Juan.

Script submissions must be five pages and five minutes long, must adhere to a standard screenplay format, and must be limited to no more than five unique settings, with no more than five compelling personas, “to keep it intimate,” Hitchcock said.

McClelland touted this as an ideal opportunity for a first-time screenwriter, with the winning screenplay set to receive a fully-funded and completed production, thanks to a partnership between the Port Townsend Film Festival, the Jefferson County Filmmakers Collective, and the Port Townsend Film Studio.

Funding sources include the Washington Filmworks State Film Incentive Program, alongside multiple community donors.

The festival is coordinating its efforts with Port Townsend High School, and with the Peninsula, Olympic and Shoreline community colleges, to solicit potentially qualified student screenwriters.

“We’re committed to spreading the word and conducting direct outreach on this one,” McClelland said.

Once produced as a short film, the winning selection will be included in the 2024 Port Townsend Film Festival lineup from Sept. 19-22, while the screenwriter will retain full ownership of the finished film, with a special “shout-out” to PTFF in the film credits.

The winning screenwriter can also expect support and mentorship on navigating film festival submissions, plus ongoing recognition from PTFF as an alumni filmmaker.

The deadline for submissions to the screenplay competition is March 1, and further details can be found at ptfilmfest.com/screenplaycontest.

Meanwhile, Port Townsend business owners, professionals and entrepreneurs are invited to join PTFF for the Business After Hours event on Wednesday, Jan. 24, from 5-7 p.m.

“We'll screen a short film and continue our holiday eating regimen with fresh popcorn,” Hitchcock said. “Just show up!”

Presented by Business Bridge of Olympic Peninsula, the event takes place at 211 Taylor St., Suite 401A, on the top floor of the Mt. Baker Block Building.