Nevada Film Office's 21st Screenwriting Competition

21: It's the lucky number for blackjack enthusiasts, 20-year-old Americans, and most recently as the title of the box office hit Sony feature. It is a sure bet that the 21st year of the Nevada Film Office’s Screenwriting Competition will be auspicious because of advantageous changes made to the scoring, judging, and compensation elements of the contest.

While the administration of the contest has changed, the rules and criteria are the same. The submission period for this international competition is May 1, through August 1, 2008. Only unsold standard industry format feature length scripts will be accepted. The content must not be pornographic in nature, and 75 percent of locations in the script must be filmable in Nevada. Writers may enter multiple scripts with an entry fee of $15 for Nevada residents and $30 for nonresidents, per script.

Each year the competition draws talent from all over the world. The 2007 competition honored Keith Melcher with the Best Screenplay title, and Alan Donahue and Robert Cochrane with second and third place, respectively. Along with Final Draft screenwriting software and gifts form the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, the winners received a script consultation with acclaimed author and screenwriter, Dan Decker. Once the writers revise their scripts, the Nevada Film Office will send copies to production companies and actors’ agents in L.A., in hopes for project deal.

The new structure of the 2008 competition will better allow writers to hone their talent and gain exposure in the industry. Detailed analysis, expert advice, instructive prize materials, and support in the industry are a few areas of improvement for the 21st NFO’s Screenwriting Competition. Since this is a boutique competition, meaning there are less than 200 entries, writers can expect more judges to read their work, more feedback, more of an opportunity to be recognized, and overall, better odds for hitting the literary jackpot.

For complete rules and details visit www.nevadafilm.com or contact Sarah Bontrager at the Nevada Film Office at (702) 486-2713.