Entries are now open for the 2015 John Hinde Awards for Excellence in Science Fiction screenwriting.
Through a bequest from the late Australian film critic John Hinde, the Australian Writers’ Guild is offering $10,000 for the best produced script and professional support for the best unproduced script submitted.
The award was established to encourage, reward and foster creativity in the development and showcasing of science fiction writing for feature film, short film, television, radio and interactive media. It also provides an avenue for unproduced works to enter.
The AWG judges say that science-fiction, more than any other category, is the genre of ideas.
“The John Hinde Award for Excellence in Science-Fiction therefore loudly, proudly and richly recognises the boldest, brightest and best genre screenwriters in the country.” they say.
The winners of last year’s prize for a produced script, Peter and Michael Spierig, say their film Predestination, an adaptation of a Robert A. Heinlein short story, was a dream come true and the John Hinde Award highlighted the high standard of Australian science fiction writing.
The winner of the unproduced category will receive a free registration to the National Screenwriters’ Conference in March 2016, where he or she will meet with an experienced genre producer. Travel expenses will be covered by the AWG and John Hinde Bequest.
Last year’s category winner, Simon Butters, says winning was a significant step in his career as a screenwriter and immediately opened the way to meetings with producers and directors who were interested in science fiction.
Submissions close at 9 am on January 4.