For Immediate Release
For more information, contact:
Jessica Novak
201-919-4070
jnovak@haydenfilmsintitute.org
Haydenfilms Institute Announces Festival Details
Breinigsville, Pennsylvania (December 7, 2021) – Haydenfilms is proud to announce finalists in their first ever Screenwriting Festival, scheduled to take place January 14-16, 2022. The competition offers writers of pilots, screenplays and shorts the opportunity to interact with a panel of industry professionals and win up to $10,000.
“We wanted to provide an opportunity for filmmakers where they didn’t necessarily have to go through the incredible challenge of actually making a film, short or pilot,” Haydenfilms founder and President Hayden Craddolph says. “So many great ideas never get off the ground because of these obstacles. We wanted to help change that.”
Judges for the final event January 14-16 will include Hayden Craddolph of HFI; James R. (Doc) Ogden, Board of Directors Council for Retail and Sales at DeSales University; Michelle Conway, Director for Student and Client Services at Alvernia University’s O’Pake Institute; Johnny Ray Gill, former Haydenfilms Online Film Festival winner, actor and producer; Reda Mustafa former Haydenfilms Online Film Festival winner, award-winning writer, director and producer; and filmmaker, director Doug Bresler known for founding the animation production studio Doogtoons.
The event is scheduled to take place at Alvernia University’s CollegeTowne facility at 401 Penn St. in Reading, Pennsylvania and will include a live stream of the event on Sunday, January 16 to allow viewers from all over the world to join in the Shark Tank-style critiques of these pilots, screenplays and shorts.
The top ten short film semi-finalists, competing for the final four spots, each garnering a $1,000 prize are: Kevin Machate, Greg Fusco, Kyle Friedman, Tatiana Skyy, Seanen Palermo, Montgomery Burt, Will Berry, Larry Collins, Ryan Reece and K.C. Connolly.
The top twenty semi-finalists for the screenplays and pilots category will be announced on Monday, December 13.
Details concerning the live stream will be announced on Tuesday, January 4, 2022.
“Our dream is to continue empowering filmmakers to grow and create,” Craddolph says. “To do that, we need to bring them to the spotlight and show there is value in their art. We want to help them get to the next level and hope viewers will want to be part of their journey, too.”
Since 2001, Haydenfilms has been empowering filmmakers, writers, actors and producers through programs and competitions. In 2004, Haydenfilms hosted the world’s first online film festival and has been known since as a champion of independent filmmakers. Haydenfilms also functions as an institute, bringing educational opportunities to communities near and far. HFI plans to announce a call for entries for the 5.0 Festival in January 2022.
xxx