SLAMDANCE EXPANDS SCREENPLAY COMPETITION IN 2004


The 9th Annual Slamdance Screenplay Competition has issued its official call for entries. The competition is riding high from the success of past competition winners Nicole Kassell and Stephen Fechter of «The Woodsman» and Joshua Marston of «Maria Full of Grace.»
Both screenplays were developed into feature films and competed at Sundance 2004, the latter winning the audience award for best narrative feature film. «Thank God for Slamdance. They found me a winner, and it’s called «The Woodsman» says Lee Daniels, producer of «Monster’s Ball.»
Slamdance has emerged as a platform to launch screenwriters like Nicole Kassell and Joshua Marston to greater heights. We are proud to have both the ability to get writers noticed and give newcomers greater insight by using our coverage service,» says John Stoddard, Screenplay Competition Director.

THE COMPETITION IS EXPANDING its coverage service to provide constructive written criticism to every competition participant, by our dedicated readers. The first deadline for the competition is April 19, 2004. Our Screenwriting Workshop Series begins April 17, 2004 and is all part of Slamdance’s mission to help screenwriters improve their skills, and gain insight into how the film industry works. The Workshop Series is a weekend-long event that covers all the essential elements of great storytelling, and takes place in downtown Los Angeles at the Wilshire Grand Hotel & Centre, with speakers like Kevin DiNovis, writer/director of «Surrender Dorothy» and «Death & Texas.»

SLAMDANCE ON STAGE is an expansion of the Slamdance Screenplay Competition’s mission to support writers and help them get industry exposure. We are proud to present our top ten finalists from the 2003 competition in a series of staged readings put on by local theatre groups in the Hollywood area. The series begins March 1, 2004 with Alana Garrop’s «Untitled Girl Guide Cookie Thriller» at The Coronet Theater and continues each Monday night at 8:00p.m., concluding April 26, 2004 with first place winner Miranda Kwok’s «Song of Silence» presented by the Writer’s Guild of America, west.

1st PLACE WINNER RECEIVES $3,000, 2nd place winner receives $1,000, and 3rd place winner receives $500. The top ten finalists of 2004 will find exposure to major literary agencies and film studios via our staged reading series. The 1st place reading will be held at the WGA in Los Angeles. The top ten also get 2005 all-inclusive festival passes for all Slamdance screenings, parties and events in Park City Utah, and screenwriting software. Each year over 50 production companies, studios, agencies and managers request to read our top scripts.

Slamdance began in January 1995 when a group of first-time directors screened their films as an alternative to the Sundance Film Festival. Its objective today is to recognize and supporting new filmmakers and screenwriters on an on-going basis.