2002 Film Festival Screenplay Award Winners

SCREENPLAY WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 6TH ANNUAL RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

PROVIDENCE, RI (September 4, 2002) The Rhode Island International Film Festival presented by BROOKS Pharmacy, is pleased to announce the winners for this year's third annual Screenplay Competition. 206 screenplays were received for this year's event from all over the world. The jury composed of industry professionals, screenwriters ,and members of the general public found their work challenging and exciting as they discovered this year's winning screenplays.

For the first time in the contest's history, three Spanish language entries were received. After careful review of each entrant, one Grand-Prize winner was selected along with six First-Prize winner and ten finalists.

The Grand-Prize winner for 2002 is called "Checkpoint" by Timothy Jay Smith of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The screenplay is timely drama set in the Middle East that follows an American photojournalist, an Israeli war hero and a Palestinian farmer as their lives intertwine.

According to George T. Marshall the RIIFF Executive Director, "We are delighted to honor Timothy Jay Smith for his exceptional screenplay.

"This was a strong year for screenplays. We received over 206 entries and for the first time welcomed three Spanish language entrants into the competition. Entries came from all over the globe."

"Our panel of judges were greatly impressed with the power of Timothy Jay Smith's story and quality of his writing. While a tough call given so many exceptional screenplays submitted this year, the selection of 'Checkpoint' was a unanimous call for the Grand Prize."

The Grand-Prize winner will receive a cash and prizes of worth over $5,000. These include a full Scholarship at the RIIFF Master Class on Production, Take 1-2-3: Filmmaking with the Pros (to be held in August 2003); the production of segments from the screenplay which will also be used as a case study during 2003 Master Class; work in advance with the visiting director for the 2003 Master Class on the segments to be shot plus revisions; Participation in the Dailies and Editing; Involvement with Casting; a Staged Reading at the 2003 RIIFF Festival; Round-trip travel; Hotel Accommodations for up to three nights; Select meals or cash stipend; the latest version Final Draft Screenplay Software; a copy of Syd Field's Screenwriting Workshop; Two all-access VIP Passes to the RIIFF 2003; a complimentary Subscription to Scr(i)pt Magazine; and promotion through the Writer's Script Network.

"Screenplays were judged on creativity, innovation, vision, originality and the use of language.," said Marshall. "For our judges, the key element was communication and how it complemented and would be transformed by the language of film."

The winner of last year's Grand Prize was "Dead Behind the Eyes" by Joubin Mortazavi & Eli Frankel of Rodondo Beach, CA. Their screenplay is a murder-mystery set in New Orleans that charts the dark journey of a homicide detective in his hunt for a serial killer. Both attended the 2002 RIIFF and saw elements of their screenplay shot of Sony HD 24 fps equipment. The visiting guest director was Richard Schenkman, (Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God..., The Pompatus of Love, A Diva's Christmas Carol, The Producer, et al) a frequent collaborator with actor Jon Cryer and RIIFF Board member.

First Prize winners of the Competition who will receive software from Final Draft copies and/or copies of Syd Field's Screenwriting Workshop along with subscriptions to Scr(i)pt Magazine. Additionally as part of the awards for the RIIFF Screenplay Competition, top winning contestants will receive from Writers' Script Network: An e-mail announcement about their winning screenplay to about 6,500 industry professionals; plus other benefits including placement of their logline and synopsis on the WSN password protected web site; and a logline (pitch) for their winning screenplay in their printed publication.

The winners of the 2002 Screenplay Competition are as follows:

Grand-Prize:
Checkpoint
Timothy Jay Smith, Rehoboth Beach, DE

First-Prize:
Once Eden
Harry McEwan, New York, NY

Killing Johnnie
Sundae Jahant-Osborn, London, UK

Serpent in the Garden
Richard G. McKee, Jr., Naples, FL

Untouchable
Gary Riester and Karen Grenberg, New York, NY

Arawan
Ernst Aebj, New York, NY

The Princess and the Pirate
Dana Biscotti Myskowski, Henniker, NH

Finalists:
Head First, Face Down
Glenn Forbes, Toronto, CANADA

Sunday River
Eric Diekhans, Evanston, IL

The Clear Horizon
Bill Flanagan, Seattle, WA

Mission Hill
Brett Ross, New York, NY

Forgive and Remember
Judith D'Ambrosia, Culver City, CA

Final Witness
Mirtha Vega, Sausalito, CA

The General's Spy
Michael B. Newman, Boston, MA

Uncomfortable
Theodore Cormey, Brighton, MA

The Face of Eight
Carl Wolfteich and Tom Dooley, Saunderstown, RI

Anna Down East
F.M. Strype, Ridgewood, NJ