Congrats to Our 2023 Feature Contest Semifinalists!

Photo by Djordje Vezilic

We’re excited to announce our 2023 Feature Contest quarterfinalists! This year’s submissions displayed exceptional talent and creativity. It was a pleasure to read everyone’s work.

Many thanks to our dedicated judges, who spent so many hours reading and evaluating our submissions.

WHAT’S NEXT

Semifinalists will receive an invitation to this year’s feature retreat within the next few weeks. Once the semifinalists have had an opportunity to respond to the invitation, quarterfinalists will be invited to attend the retreat and any remaining retreat spots will be available to all invitees on a first come, first serve basis.

Attendees receive three 90-minute one-on-one sessions with CineStory mentors. Attendees also participate in informal rooms run by mentors that cover topics ranging from pitching like a pro to the state of filmmaking in the digital age. Click here for more information about the feature retreat.

Congratulations to this year’s feature semifinalists, and please check back in late August/early September, when we’ll announce our finalists!

THE 2023 FEATURE RETREAT & FELLOWSHIP SEMIFINALISTS

(listed alphabetically by title)

BAIT BOT by Rebecca Johns & Jessica Chiarella

BELONGING by Liz Fields

BIRDS UNDER FOOT by Clare Sladden

BREW by Kimberly Dilts

CICADA by Jade Edwards

THE DANCE OF THE BULL by Alex Vance

DEEP BLUE II: KASPAROV’S REVENGE by Ben Gottlieb

FERMATA by Jade Edwards

FINAL DRESS by Greg Beam & Kim McKean

THE GHOST WEDDING by Sining Xiang & Patrick Boyd

HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS by Michael Kimber

THE KNOCKING AT THE MARSH by Gina De Angelis

THE LEGEND OF NORA BREE by Hannah Globus

LIES WE TELL by Heather Ragsdale

LITTLE BLESSINGS by Alex Chew

MAX AND VIVIAN GET MITZVAH’D by Jacob Combs & Alex Ivker

MOONFLOWER LAKE by Erin Kathleen

A MORE PERFECT UNION by Kimon Koufogiannis

PIPER by Katy Dore

THE RIP by Matija Šraj

ROMANZA by Helen Doremus

SECURITY THEATER by Daniel Sole

SLUGGER by J. Miller

STATE OF NATURE by Aaron Greyson

TEACHER OF THE YEAR by Ray Gettman Bush

THEORY OF COLORS by Shehrezad Maher

TYPHOID MARY by Rachel Ward

WILD HEARTS by Jessica Rowlands

THE YEAR THE WORLD WAS GOING TO END by Jacqueline Xerri