Press release from Cav Con
Jameson Irish Whiskey is pleased to announce the six finalists for this year’s John Jameson Productions (JJP) Scriptwriting Competition, with the next critical stage of the selection process to now commence in what is arguably the most exciting short film competition in Australia!
Following the success of 2009, this year’s competition is set to be bigger and better than ever, with close to 800 entries having been submitted from aspiring scriptwriters around the country.
Open to anyone over the age of eighteen, the JJP competition is a unique platform which gives emerging filmmakers the opportunity to see their vision come to life on the big screen. Applicants are required to write a 200 word synopsis of their short film idea, with the only criteria being that the film incorporates an ‘unexpected ending’.
With a ten year history of supporting the independent film industry on a global level, Jameson Irish Whiskey first launched JJP at Tropfest, Sydney in February 2008. Since then, the competition has spawned an impressive portfolio of talented scriptwriters and creative film projects, all of which have gone on to make significant ‘waves’ in leading film festivals around the country, and indeed the world.
The 2009 winning films all received high acclaim. ‘Viva Las Possum’ and ‘Providence Park’ went on to become finalists at the St Kilda Film Festival – one of Melbourne’s most respected events on the film industry calendar. Meanwhile, Viva Las Possum was also a finalist at the Australian Film Festival in February 2010.
With a particularly strong showing from entrants in New South Wales, this year’s finalists include Jim Lounsbury (NSW), Shannon Browning (NSW), Jonathon Samiec (NSW), Kate Walter (NSW), Arabella Macpherson (NSW) and Kate Schmitt (VIC).
These six finalists will now be invited to attend a special one day workshop on Saturday 1 May at AFTRS, Fox Studios, Sydney, where they will meet with leading producers, directors and screenwriting professionals to help craft their script one step closer towards a finished product.
Of the six finalists, three screenplays and their writers will then ultimately be selected and given a production budget of $20,000 each to have their ‘work shopped’ screenplay produced into a short film, thanks to the support of production partner, Chaotic Pictures.
The three winning scriptwriters will be announced early June 2010. For more information about the JJP competition, please visit www.johnjamesonproductions.com.au