LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Whatifi, the company providing a new way to watch movies on your phone with friends, has announced a $1.2m screenplay and film contest to mark the launch of Whatifi Studios, its branching-story development and production platform.
Whatifi Studios is where screenwriters and filmmakers worldwide pitch, plan, test, and deliver branching stories — from script to final cut. The script contest is aimed at both screenwriters and writer-directors in the US, the UK, and Canada. With a pitch deadline of July 7, the company aims to have five movies written, funded, and released on Whatifi within 120 days.
“This new contest gives aspiring writers and filmmakers an opportunity to pitch and develop interactive stories for a new generation of film fans,” said Hardi Meybaum, co-founder of Whatifi. “There were no simple tools that would do justice to our story method, so we built those tools ourselves and linked them to our consumer platform. Our first movies (As Dead as It Gets and Anatomy of a Decision) were both tested and delivered in Whatifi Studios.”
For many filmmakers and writers, Whatifi will be their first experience with writing and shooting a branching movie. The company’s story method, with social viewing and debate at its core, has been honed for 10 years, and the Whatifi team will help creatives avoid common pitfalls. Contest finalists will receive guidance and support throughout the process.
“Our experiences in developing branching stories will help writers and filmmakers progress with lightning speed,” said Jaanus Juss, co-founder of Whatifi. “We’ll help them avoid our own mistakes, and lean on our institutional knowledge to produce gripping movies for young viewers who want a say in where the story goes.”
Up to five writer-directors who have their script chosen will receive $200,000 to produce it. Screenwriters will receive $35,000 if their original or adapted screenplay is selected. The pitch deadline is July 7, 2020.
Whatifi recently launched with $10 million in funding led by Andreessen Horowitz with participation from Matrix Partners and backing from leaders in entertainment and technology, including David Wells, ex-CFO of Netflix.
Whatifi is available globally for download for iOS. To learn more about Whatifi Studios, visit https://studios.whatifi.com, and for full details on the Screenplay and Film Contest, visit https://studios.whatifi.com/contest/.
