Slamdance and fox21 Celebrate Teleplay Competition Finalists
fox21 to award contract deal to Teleplay Competition Grand Prize Winner

The top three writers from the 2nd Annual Slamdance Teleplay Competition, who are in the running for a job with fox21, were announced at a ceremony hosted by Writers Boot Camp at the Bergamot Station Arts Center. This year’s competition drew 500 original pilot episodes and the selection process involved Slamdance readers and executives from fox21. The partnership between Slamdance, the festival for first-time filmmakers, and fox21, the one-year-old alternative television production studio, is one that strives to find the best original pilots from new writers. The top three finalists received prizes from Writers Boot Camp, Final Draft, Scr(i)pt Magazine and passes to the 2006 Slamdance Film Festival (January 19-27, 2006). The Grand Prize Winner will be highlighted in Park City, Utah when fox21 awards a Blind Script Deal to the Teleplay Competition Grand Prize Winner.

The 2005 Slamdance Teleplay Competition Finalists (listed alphabetically):

The Boys on June Street by John Woodard
Ex by Dani Shear
Hothouse Bruiser by Joel Metzger

"The writers that submitted work to our competition this year have proved that originality and commercial viability can go hand in hand. We’re confident these are the writers of tomorrow’s new hit shows,” says Competition Director John Stoddard.

"Once again, we've had a fantastic experience working with Slamdance," commented Sr. Vice President of fox21 Jane Francis. "The material you read from this competition has a freshness and an originality that you just don't find anywhere else. We've really enjoyed being a part of the process and we look forward to doing it again."

The top twenty semifinalists were announced January 3, 2006. For a full list of titles and writers please visit the Slamdance website. The top three finalists will be in attendance on January 27, 2006 at the Slamdance Film Festival Award Ceremony when the Grand Prize Winner of the 2nd Annual Teleplay Competition will be announced.

Started in 1995 by a group of upstart filmmakers, the Slamdance Film Festival is a year-round organization dedicated to emerging artists. Slamdance has established a unique reputation for premiering independent films by first-time directors working with limited budgets. Slamdance films have been picked up for distribution, invited to festivals around the world, won Independent Spirit Awards, the Palme d'Or and an Academy Award among other accolades. Slamdance Film Festival alumni include Batman Begins & Memento writer/director Christopher Nolan (festival award winner Following), the Emmy Award winning Russo Brothers (Pieces), Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess (Peluca), and Finding Neverland & Monster's Ball director Marc Forster (festival audience award winner Loungers). Paramount Classics acquired the 2005 Slamdance opening night film Mad Hot Ballroom. Winners from the Slamdance Screenplay Competition include Nicole Kassell and Stephen Fetcher (The Woodsman), Joshua Marston (Maria Full of Grace) and Tim Boughn (Neo Ned).

Led by television executive Jane Francis, fox21 aims to deliver innovative programming to all the networks, while controlling the escalating costs of TV production by rethinking the economics of making shows. This new division, which just marked its one-year anniversary, is already making its mark as a haven for new voices and television creators alike. In its short history fox21 has launched, Beauty and the Geek, the most successful series of the year for The WB and has begun production on the Series a second season and it has secured a mid-season order for FOX for a hybrid comedy by Significant Others creator Rob Roy Thomas.