|
|
 |
|
| |
Contests
|
| |
|
|
Final Draft Announces Winners of Fifth Annual Big Break!
Winner to Receive $10,000 plus Meetings with Industry Pros
Calabasas, CA -- Final Draft, Inc. today announced the winners of its annual Big Break! International Screenplay Contest. Chosen from almost 3,000 entries from 35 countries, this year's winner is "Drive" by Rylend Grant of Los Angeles, CA. "Drive" is the story of a troubled man, kidnapped at gunpoint and taken on a journey of change. Along the way, the kidnapper's motives and intentions for the antihero are revealed. Rylend will receive $10,000, a story analysis by legendary script guru Syd Field, meetings with industry professionals plus a host of additional screenwriting-related prizes. One of the contest judges, Tony Zequeira, of Larchmont Literary Agency, said, “'Drive' offers up the kind of psychological drama that rivals the best of what Hollywood has to offer. I read it in one sitting." For more information about the Big Break! Contest, visit www.finaldraft.com/bigbreak/.
Winner Rylend Grant said, "I cannot thank Final Draft enough. They are THE reason it is possible to write a first draft in five days. We all know inspiration comes at odd times and in short bursts. Just try to keep up with the caffeine-induced chaotic flow of ideas writing longhand on legal pads or using a simple word processing program. How movies were made before they burst onto the scene in 1991 is beyond me. Final Draft, if I woke up tomorrow and you were gone, I'd probably take a long walk off a short pier. That, or I'd take up plumbing."
“Twenty Questions,” a dramedy by Kate Miles of Toronto, Canada, won second place and will receive $3,000, plus additional prizes. "Twenty Questions" is the story of a boy genius who hits puberty and goes to extreme lengths to get closer to his beloved former babysitter. Though his actions alienate her, she makes the ultimate sacrifice for him.
"Headspook," a comedy by George R. Olson of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was third; he will receive $1,000 plus additional prizes. “Headspook" is the story of a former CIA spy from the Cold War with faltering psychic skills. The spy gets called back into the game to hunt down his old KGB nemesis before the man can sell off Russia's stockpile of unconventional weapons.
"Our congratulations and best wishes to Rylend, Kate, George and all the other writers who submitted their work," said Marc Madnick, President and CEO of Final Draft, Inc. "Our Big Break! contest keeps getting more popular every year and we're happy to offer an opportunity to more and more writers and help start them on their way to a successful career."
The top ten finalists will receive a copy of Final Draft 7 scriptwriting software, a screenwriting course from Gotham Writers’ Workshop, one-year subscriptions to Creative Screenwriting Magazine and scr(i)pt Magazine and a $50 gift certificate from The Writers Store.
About Final Draft's Big Break! Contest
Now in its fifth year, Final Draft's Big Break! Contest has become one of the most popular in Hollywood due to previous winners' success and its generous payout and prizes The first contest's winner, "Dawg," by Ken Hastings, was produced and shot by Gold Circle Films (starring Elizabeth Hurley and Denis Leary), and 2001's winner, "Breathing Underwater," by Torye Mullins, was optioned by Trevor Macy. 2002’s winner, “8-Track,” by Shawn Corridan, has been bought by Fox 2000, and 2003’s winner, D.J. Richardson's "Do Not Remove," is currently being considered by several producers.
A panel of industry professionals conducted the final judging: American Zoetrope, Hawk Koch, Larchmont Literary Agency, Syd Field, Artist View Entertainment and Metropolitan Talent Agency.
The contest was sponsored by Final Draft, Inc., The Writers Store, Creative Screenwriting Magazine, Gotham Writers’ Workshop and scr(i)pt Magazine.
About Final Draft, Inc.
Final Draft, Inc. was founded in 1991 to develop a scriptwriting program that allows the writer to concentrate on the creative process and not on Hollywood's stringent formatting rules. Since then, Final Draft has become the Hollywood professional's choice and the world's #1-selling scriptwriting program. Final Draft won the 2000 Golden Satellite Award for Best Interactive CD-ROM.
Final Draft is the software of choice of such industry giants as Alan Ball, Tom Hanks, Oliver Stone, J.J. Abrams and Michael Bay. Television shows such as "The Sopranos,” "The West Wing,” "Band of Brothers,” "Sex and the City.’ “Entourage” and "Six Feet Under,” feature films such as "Titanic,” "Finding Nemo" and any of the "Lord of the Rings,” "Harry Potter" and recent James Bond movies are all the results of scripts written with Final Draft.
Through its partnership with other companies, Final Draft, Inc. continues its commitment to making all facets of the production workflow run smoother, from concept to writing to scheduling and budgeting to shooting to non-linear editing.
Final Draft, Inc. also publishes Final Draft AV, the only dedicated multi-column script processor specifically designed for writing commercials, corporate videos, documentaries, presentations, DV shorts, etc.
The company's headquarters is in Calabasas, California. More information about the company and its products is available at
Website: www.finaldraft.com
Top of Page
Copyright ©
1999-2011 by FilmMakers.com. All rights reserved.
FilmMakers.com
is a division of Media Pro Tech Inc.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
