Forwarded by Jeremy Butler... ______________________________ Forward Header __________________________________ Subject: Film Festival (fwd) Author: "Tommy G. Kendrick" <[log in to unmask]> at SMTP-LINK Date: 3/8/95 8:02 AM Tommy G. [log in to unmask] Austin, Texas =============================================================================== AUSTIN HEART OF FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATES THE WRITER AT 2ND ANNUAL CONFAB OCTOBER 5-8 Script and Film Competition Call For Entries Winning Script in 1994 Competition Optioned by Columbia Pictures Austin, Tx. . . . The 2nd annual Austin Heart of Film Festival (AHFF) will be held October 5-8, 1995 it was announced by festival directors Barbara Morgan and Marsha Milam. The only film festival to celebrate the writer's contribution to the motion picture and television industry, the AHFF premiered in October '94 to rave reviews. Former Sundance Board of Director and screenwriter/producer Bill Wittliff ("Legends of the Fall", "Lonesome Dove"), said "the spirit of the festival was akin to Sundance in the early years...it's also just a terrific damn thing for writers, finally, to have someone say that this is a very important part of the process." The AHFF consists of a screenwriter's conference by day and a film festival by night. Last year 60 industry representatives discussed 34 issues related to the art, craft and business of screenwriting to an audience of more than 250 budding writers. Panelists included producers David Valdes ("In The Line of Fire") and Lynda Obst ("Sleepless In Seattle"); Oscar winning screenwriters Frank Pierson ("Cat Ballou"), Kurt Luedtke ("Out of Africa") and Robert Towne ("Chinatown"); and Columbia Pictures president of production Barry Josephson and CAA agent Jon Levin. As the festival is devoted to the writer and the script, the AHFF sponsors a screenplay competition in the following categories: - adult/mature themes (feature length) prize: $3,000 plus air fare and accommodations to the festival and a conference pass. - children/family themes (feature length) prize: $3,000 plus air fare and accommodations to the festival and a conference pass. - student short (under 30 minutes) scripts prize: $750 Deadline for entries is June 15, 1995. The winning screenplay in the '94 adult/mature category, "Excess Baggage", was optioned by Columbia Pictures immediately following the festival. David Valdes is attached to produce the film. The writer, Max Adams, is now represented by CAA. The AHFF has added "Best Produced Screenplay" awards for 1995 in the following categories: - "guerilla" films, produced for under $50,000 prize: a bronzed award, air fare and accommodations to the festival and a conference pass. - films with production costs between $50,000 - $1,000,000. prize: a bronzed award, air fare and accommodations to the festival and a conference pass. - films with production cost of more than $1,000,000 prize: a bronzed award, air fare and accommodations to the festival and a conference pass. Deadline for entries is August 15, 1995. More information may be obtained by calling 1-800-310-FEST, or by sending a SASE to 707 Rio Grande, Suite 101, Austin, Texas 78701. ###