the blog.

The Blog is the official, award-winning blog of the Canadian Short Screenplay Competition (CSSC). Featuring interviews, screenwriting tips, behind-the-scenes stories and original essays from past finalists and industry insiders, The Blog celebrates the art of short form storytelling. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just getting started, this blog offers inspiration, insight and a front-row seat to Canada’s most exciting short screenplay competition.

All Good Things Come to Those Who Wait…

Neil Graham

11 Jun 2025

Film history is filled with many examples of movies that have taken a long time to get from that moment of the completed script to the point that cameras start to roll…

A Screen Contest

Neil Graham

7 May 2025

Amazing, well done to the 13 super talented screenwriters who have made the final list for the 6th Edition of the Canadian Short Screenplay Competition…

Sex, Politics and Religion

Neil Graham

30 Apr 2025

The first real job I had was working at a bowling alley. As well as the lane marshaling duties — a role that largely entailed telling people not to run down the alley to retrieve their balls…

The Ticking Clock…

Neil Graham

16 Apr 2025

Well the deadline— the final, final, final deadline has come and gone…..

The Business of Writing

Neil Graham

2 Apr 2025

I assume most of us are here because, first and foremost, we love the movies. It’s an artistic and passion thing, a calling. A vocation…

In Dialogue: Jesse & Zachary Herrmann — From Seder Table To The Screen

Sidney Nickerson

26 Mar 2025

The Canadian Short Screenplay Competition has always been a platform for fresh, compelling voices in screenwriting. Among those voices are Jesse and Zachary Herrmann, brothers whose short film script, Elijah The Prophet, was brought to life through the competition…

Starting Is The Hardest Part: A Writer’s Advice.

Marek Blundell

20 Mar 2025

Whether you have hundreds of ideas rattling in your head, or need to review an old work you’ve written, the hardest part is always… putting your butt in that chair and STARTING….

Do Popular Movies Not Win Oscars?

Sidney Nickerson

19 Mar 2025

“You never say ‘Thank you!’”

“That’s what the money is for!”…

The Sound of Silence

Neil Graham

19 Mar 2025

Noisy the modern world, isn’t it?

In Dialogue: Jag Dhadli — On The Podium

Marek Blundell

12 Mar 2025

The Canadian Short Screenplay Competition has long been a proving ground for screenwriters…

5 Pro Tips for a Better Screenplay Competition Submission

Valeria Perea

4 Mar 2025

If you’re entering any screenplay competition— even perhaps the Canadian Short Screenplay Competition, you might want to read this whole article before clicking ‘submit’…

The Art and Craft of Screenwriting Procrastination

Neil Graham

4 Mar 2025

Dither and doodle. Practice makes perfect!…

Top 10 Most Common Mistakes Screenwriters Make (And How to Avoid Them)

Valeria Perea

27 Feb 2025

Writing is hands-down a creative process, and no single formula will guarantee your success. What works for one writer may not work for another…

In Dialogue: Mark De Angelis — The Screenwriter’s Journey

Valeria Perea

26 Feb 2025

Crafting a screenplay is an adventure full of excitement and challenges. While there is no secret formula or a straight path to create the perfect script…

In Dialogue: Suri Parmar — The Importance of Writing for Yourself

Valeria Perea

26 Feb 2025

Suri Parmar never expected her script to place in the Canadian Short Screenplay Competition. Her short screenplay, Minus Lara, not only won second place but was also swiftly produced…

In Dialogue: Neil Graham—From CSSC Winner to Lifelong Storyteller

Mark Tuscano

5 Feb 2025

When Neil Graham first heard about the Canadian Short Screenplay Competition, he wasn’t expecting it to change the trajectory of his writing…

Why We Still Write…

Neil Graham

5 Feb 2025

We have a remarkable level of access to movies today. It’s a far cry from when I began my love for all things film in the 70s & 80s when viewing was restricted to my local cinema screen…

Debí tirar más fotos, o disfrutar el momento | Cherishing Moments in Bad Bunny’s DTMF

Valeria Perea
17 Jan 2025

Debí tirar más fotos is a short film written and directed by Bad Bunny (Benito A. Martinez Ocasio) and Puerto Rican filmmaker, Ari Manuel Cruz Suarez…

Why Short Is Better— The Art of Writing Short Films

David Cormican
8 Jan 2025

In a world where attention spans are shrinking, but the appetite for compelling stories becomes insatiable, the short screenplay stands tall in the face of brevity…

SHORT. IS. BETTER.

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