Bord Scannán na hÉireann / the Irish Film Board (IFB) and the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival are delighted to announce that their successful partnership on the UNTITLED public screenwriting event, which was launched at the festival earlier this year, will return in for the 10th anniversary of the festival in February 2012.
This unique industry event shall be held during the festival with shortlisted winners invited to give a public presentation of their screenplay proposal to a panel of high profile industry professionals, who will then decide on the winning team. The provocative theme this year for UNTITLED submissions is ‘1916’. The event provides an opportunity to receive a prize for the winning screenplay of up to €16,000 and the deadline for entries is 4th November.
This is the second year for the UNTITLED event. There was an overwhelming response to this event when it was launched, with over 340 submissions received. The writing duo of Enda Loughman and Mike Ahern took home the prize of a €16,000 Development Loan towards the development of their comedy screenplay The Bogman King. The winning pair presented their script to a panel, chaired by IFB Development Executive Andrew Meehan and comprised of Jameson Dublin International Film Festival Director Grainne Humphreys, Cheryl Taylor, BBC’s Controller for Comedy Commissioning, Irish film director Paddy Breathanach and comedy agent Caroline Chignell, in front of a public audience of their peers.
Following the same format as last year, writers are invited to submit a one page summary for a feature film with the theme of 1916. This will be narrowed down to a shortlist of five entries and the shortlisted writers will then be asked to write the first few scenes of the script. Each shortlisted candidate will present their project to an independent panel of high profile international industry professionals in front of a public audience.
UNTITLED is unique in the way that the shortlisted submissions are presented to the jury before a public audience.
A note on ‘1916’, the new UNTITLED 2012 theme: This year’s theme is something of a challenge. There are endless ways to interpret the Irish story; especially this, the most debated and notorious time in our history, and that’s the point. We’re not looking for literal tales torn from dry textbooks. We’ll favour lateral thinking; new and confident ways of telling oft-told stories; as well as sideways glances at neglected moments from that ‘interesting time’. All we ask is that the stories are grounded in historical fact. Otherwise, please surprise us.
INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO ENTER
To be in with a chance of being the UNTITLED winner:
1. ENTRY: Submit a one-page summary of your film along with a completed entry form (available from www.irishfilmboard.ie or www.JDIFF.ie) and your CV to untitledscreenwritingcomp@gmail.com by FRIDAY NOVEMBER 4th 2011.
2. SCRIPT: Five shortlisted projects will be announced on TUESDAY DECEMBER 13th 2011. The successful applicants will be invited to write the first scenes of their screenplay (up to 25 pages in final draft format) by the opening night of the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival on THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16th 2012. The five shortlisted projects will be selected by the IFB and Festival representatives along with an independent assessor.
3. INTERVIEW: The five shortlisted writers (or writers teams) will take part in a public interview with an independent panel of industry professionals (date TBA) during the festival. After a presentation and question and answer session, the panel will select the winner. The winner will be announced at the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival Closing Night.
The winner will receive a First Draft Development Loan from the IFB. The four runners-up will win a season pass to Jameson Dublin International Film Festival 2013. The competition is open to writers or teams of writers currently residing in Ireland or holders of a current Irish passport.
The competition is subject to terms and conditions which are outlined on the entry form which is available on www.irishfilmboard.ie and www.jdiff.com.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. The competition is being organised, promoted and run by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/Irish Film Board (“the Organisers”) and the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival.
2. The competition is open to individual writers, teams of two or more writers and writer and director teams. All applicants must be aged 18 or over. There is no limit on the number of entries per applicant. Students may not apply.
3. The project submitted must be an original idea, the applicant must own and control all rights in the work; the work cannot be subject to an option agreement; and the rights cannot have not been previously charged, assigned or granted to any third party.
4. The amount awarded is a loan of €12,000 for an individual or €16,000 for teams of two or more individuals. All awards are subject to satisfactory contractual agreements and must comply with the terms and conditions of the standard Bord Scannán na hÉireann/Irish Film Board First Draft Loan programme. Please ensure that you read the details and terms and conditions outlined on the Bord Scannán na hÉireann/Irish Film Board website with regard to the First Draft Loan programme prior to making an application. These are available to download from http://www.irishfilmboard.ie/funding_programmes/First_Draft_Loans/44. Please note that this award is a loan and is fully repayable from the production budget of a film on the first day of principal photography.
5. Entries submitted after the entry date will not be eligible for consideration.
6. All decisions regarding the shortlist and winner are final. Feedback on the unsuccessful projects will not be available. The organisers reserve the right to withdraw or amend this competition in the event of any unforeseen circumstances outside their reasonable control.
