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Austin Fest Announces Contest Winners
The Austin Film Festival (AFF) has announced its 2008 Screenplay and Teleplay Competition winners. Winners received cash prizes ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, reimbursements for travel and lodging while at the festival, and access to and recognition by some of the most important writers, agents, producers and filmmakers in the industry. More than 4,000 submissions were reviewed by an industry jury including Herschel Weingrod, producer of "Falling Down" and screenwriter of "Trading Places," "Twins," and "Kindergarten Cop," and Maggie Biggar, independent producer and Senior Vice President of Fortis Films. The following winners were selected by category:
Drama Screenplay: "Mine" Anita Skibski
Comedy Screenplay: "eLove" Betsy Morris
Latitude Productions Screenplay Award (This award is sponsored by Los Angeles-based motion picture production company Latitude Productions, which was founded by company President Curtis Burch.): "Shimmer Lake" Oren Uziel
Sci-Fi Screenplay: "The Man Who Would be Sherlock Homes" Walter Campbell
Drama Teleplay: "Pushing Daisies: Rumpology" Steve Daniels
Sitcom Teleplay: "The Office: The Crossword Contest" Beau Henry
In its 15-year history the AFF Screenplay and Teleplay Competition has served to jump-start many writing careers. In the competition's first year, screenplay competition winner Max Adams' script "Excess Baggage" was optioned by Columbia and made into a film starring Alicia Silverstone and Benicio Del Toro. Pamela Ribon, a finalist in the Sitcom category in 2001, is now a writer for ABC hit series "Samantha Who?" Matthew Federman and Stephen Scaia, 2003 Drama Teleplay Winners, began careers in writing for TV after their trip to Austin in 2003. The pair, who have written for shows including CBS' "Judging Amy," ABC's "E-ring," and the entire run of "Jericho," served as panelists at this year's festival.
Updated: 10/21/2008
Additional Contest Info: Austin Film Festival Script Competition
ScriptLinks
Post Your Script Here!Bubbling Under the Surface
After an elderly Holocaust survivor is nearly murdered in her nursing home bed, her family and the Muslim carer who saved her are pulled into a widening chain of antisemitic attacks, domestic violence, and police investigation that threatens both communities before the hatred spreads further.
Storm Dragons
In a mystical land where champions fight to the death to keep the peace, the revenge of a chosen warrior against the killer of his family risks starting the bloody war he was bound to prevent.
THE PHANTOM DRIVER
On New Year’s Eve, 1912, a violent alcoholic dies and becomes the supernatural driver who gathers the souls of the dead — until he’s given one impossible chance to save his family from the consequences of his own cruelty.
RACING HOME
An ex race car driver runs from his last crash and divorce, to find new love, danger, and himself.
DEER DOG
After hitting a dog, then saving his life, a single mother and her children fall for the dog, and the broken, homeless man who is his original owner.
The Ephod
Based on a true story, after a disturbing Bible study shatters her lifelong Catholic beliefs, Faith Alvarez is driven by a supernatural encounter to uncover the mystery of the ancient Ephod.
The Kidnapped
In Mexico, a drug cartel boss kidnaps a washed-up Hollywood director, and the two are driven to insanity while shooting a documentary about the boss's once-powerful cartel--a project meant to help both men reclaim lost glory (BREAKING BAD meets GET THE GRINGO)
The Return of the Bad Boys
A group of friends from a working-class Detroit neighborhood cheat their way through a three-on-three basketball tournament to prove to themselves that they’re not losers (WHITE MEN CAN’T JUMP meets THE HANGOVER).
Only the Bad Guys
In a dystopian world where killing a killer brings their victim(s) back to life, ex-soldier turned bounty hunter Daniela Dushane makes a killing killing killers as she walks the fine line between hero and villain (THE NICE GUYS meets THE PUNISHER).
Diplomatic Ammunity!
A struggling Hollywood screenwriter recruits his former best friends to help him write a script about a series of pranks they pulled in high school, and they discover why their friendship fell apart (ADAPTATION meets IDIOCRACY).
