The first annual Slamdance Teleplay Competition

(August 9, 2004) Slamdance announces the arrival of its ORIGINAL TELEPLAY COMPETITION and is now accepting entries. With ten years of history, the Slamdance Film Festival has built a solid reputation as a major source for emerging talent in filmmaking and screenwriting. Lee Daniels, producer of MONTER¹S BALL and the Slamdance Screenplay winner and Sundance hit, THE WOODSMAN, says, ³The best material comes from Slamdance². In theatres now, writer/director Joshua Marston¹s MARIA FULL OF GRACE, a 2001 Slamdance Screenplay winner and winner of the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at Sundance 2004, is being hailed by critics.

The Teleplay Competition is aimed at finding the best original one-hour dramas, mini-series and half-hour comedies written by undiscovered talent. Winning teleplays from the competition will be presented as part of the 2005 SLAMDANCE ON STAGE reading series. Continuing its tradition of supporting and nurturing writers, Slamdance will offer coverage from industry professionals on each script submitted. The top two winners will receive a cash prize and be invited to the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah January 21-28, 2005. Each year production companies, studios, agencies and managers read Slamdance¹s best material in search of alternatives to the mainstream. Applications and rules are available at www.Slamdance.com or contact the Slamdance office at (323) 466-1786.

Slamdance began in January 1995 when a group of first-time directors screened their films as an alternative to the Sundance Film Festival. Our objective today is to recognize and support new filmmakers and screenwriters on an on-going basis. Films which premiered at Slamdance have won Spirit Awards, the Palm d'Or and even an Oscar. Alumni include Memento director Christopher Nolan ('99 award-winner Following); the Russo Brothers ('97 entry Pieces); Ray McKinnon (Oscar winning director of the short The Accountant) and Monster¹s Ball director Marc Forster ('96 Audience Award winner Loungers). Participation in the festival helped to discover these filmmakers and develop their careers.