Final Draft, Inc., publisher of Final Draft, the #1-selling
scriptwriting software, announces jury members for its 9th annual Big
Break International Screenplay Contest. These stellar jury members
represent award-winning writers and development executives. They will
judge the top-10 scripts in September, and the top-three winners will
be announced at an awards event in October.
The 2008 judges are
* Dana Stevens–Writer: Life or Something Like It; For Love of the
Game; City of Angels
* Benderspink management/production–A History of Violence; The Ring; Red Eye
* Blake Snyder–author: Save the Cat!: The Last Book on Screenwriting
You’ll Ever Need
* Bruce Feirstein–Writer: The World is Not Enough; Tomorrow Never
Dies; GoldenEye
The Big Break contest is an annual, global screenwriting competition
designed to promote emerging creative talent. The winner is awarded
$15,000 cash plus meetings with industry professionals and a
year-long mentorship through CineStory. Now in its ninth year, the
Big Break contest has become one of the most popular in the nation
because of its generous payout and previous winners’ successes.
Winners and finalists alike have had their screenplays optioned and
produced, and have secured high-profile representation as well as
lucrative writing deals. The first contest’s winner, Dawg, by Ken
Hastings, was produced and shot by Gold Circle Films (starring
Elizabeth Hurley and Denis Leary). The 2004 winner Rylend Grant was
quickly signed by CAA and secured a six-figure deal to write for an
A-list actress and an Oscar -winning director. 2005 winner Julia Van
Develder’s The Escape Artist is in pre-production after being
optioned by a U.K. production company with an award-winning director
attached. The Big Break 2007 winner Robert Frisbee was quickly signed
by Benderspink management.
For more information about the Big Break contest, visit
www.finaldraft.com/big-break.