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Rhode Island Film Fest Screenplay Winners Announced

PROVIDENCE, RI: (October 28, 2001) The Rhode Island International Film Festival™ presented by BROOKS Pharmacy, is pleased to announce the winners for this year’s annual Screenplay Competition. 185 screenplays were received for this year’s event from all over the world. The jury composed of industry professionals, peers and film fans, found their work daunting, time-consuming and exciting as they discovered this year’s winning screenplays. After careful review of each entrant, one Grand-Prize winner was selected along with eight First-Prize winners.

The Grand-Prize winner for 2001 is called “Dead Behind the Eyes” by Joubin Mortazavi & Eli Frankel of Rodondo Beach, CA. The screenplay is a murder-mystery set in New Orleans that charts the dark journey of a homicide detective in his hunt for a serial killer.

According to George T. Marshall the RIIFF Executive Director, “We are delighted to honor Joubin Mortazavi & Eli Frankel for their wonderful screenplay. It was a very pleasant surprise to learn that our panel of judges selected their screenplay for the Grand Prize. We presented the world premiere of their finished film “21” at our Festival in 2000, so it was exciting to discover latest work in the development stages.”

As the Grand-Prize winner, the duo will receive a cash and prizes of worth over $5,000. These include Scholarship at the RIIFF Master Class on Production year’s Take One, Two, Three; Filmmaking with the Pros (August 5-7, 2002);” Production of segments from the screenplay which will also be used as a case study during 2002 Master Class; a Staged Reading at the 2002 RIIFF Festival; Round-trip Air (2 persons); Hotel Accommodations for three nights ; Select meals and cash stipend during the 2002 stay; the latest version Final Draft Screenplay Software; a copy of Syd Field's Screenwriting Workshop; Two VIP Passes to the RI Film Festival 2002; a Digital Web Camera; a complimentary Subscription to Scr(i)pt Magazine; and a Commemorative Lenox Clock with award citation

“Screenplays were judged on creativity, innovation, vision, originality and the use of language.,“ said Marshall. “For our judges, the key element was communication and how it complemented and would be transformed by the language of film. Our congratulations to all of this year's winners and our appreciation to every screenwriter who entered the competition.”

The winner of last year’s Grand Prize was "Night of Light" by filmmaker/writer, Jonny Kurzman of the United Kingdom. Recently, his original screenplay "Leonardo Secret Agent,” was picked up by DNA Films. The film is an action-adventure comedy set in 15th-century Italy, with the premise that Leonardo da Vinci -- artist, scientist and inventor -- was also a secret agent. DNA has committed to further develop the project, which if greenlit will be Kurzman's first screenplay to be produced.

First Prize winners of the Competition who will receive software from Final Draft copies and/or copies of Syd Field's Screenwriting Workshop along with subscriptions to Scr(i)pt Magazine. The winners of the Screenplay Competition are as follows:

Grand-Prize:


Dead Behind the Eyes
• Joubin Mortazavi & Eli Frankel, Rodondo Beach, CA


First-Prize:


Second Chance
• Bruce Cacho-Negrete, Chicago IL


Fall River
• Maria Fish, Champaign, IL


Through the Wild Country
• Richard Lutman, Jamestown, RI


Present Perfect Continuous
• Spencer Beglarian, Los Angeles, CA


Stay Until Tomorrow
• Laura Colella, Providence, RI


Commander in Chief
• Bill Whalen, Los Angeles, CA


David & Shirley
• David E. Tolchinsky, Evanston, IL


The Road Less Traveled
• Harlene Stein & Victor Warren, Chatsworth, CA


The Call for Entries to the 2002 RIIFF Screenplay Competition has just been announced. Entries can be found on-line at the Festival web site: www.film-festival.org. The deadline for entries is May 15, 2002.

The Rhode Island International Film Festival, now in its sixth year, is created and produced by the Flickers Arts Collaborative. Brooks Pharmacy is the Premiere Sponsor. Michel Coutu, President/CEO of Brooks Pharmacy is the Festival Honorary Chairman along with Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Almond. The Festival is presented in cooperation with the Rhode Island Office of Film and Television.

RIIFF will take place August 7-12, 2002 in historic Providence, and throughout the state of Rhode Island. For more information about programming and scheduling, visit the web site at www.film-festival.org or call the Festival office at 401-861-4445.

Updated: 10/31/2001

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