Screenwriting Festivals - Where to Look for Real Connections

If you see ten people speaking there who all really know what they're doing, that is a contest that has some real connections. What's the prize? Do they promise representation? Are their winners represented? Have their winners gone on to make movies and sell scrips? This might be a contest or a festival that is worth applying to. A thousand dollars is not going to get your movie made. I would take a meeting with somebody that can actually help my career over a thousand dollars any day.