Final Draft's Fourth Annual International Screenwriting Contest Announced

ENCINO, CA --Final Draft, Inc. (www.finaldraft.com), makers of thetop-selling screenplay software Final Draft, announced that it hasbegun taking entries for its annual "Big Break" InternationalScreenplay Contest.

Now in its fourth year, the contest has become one of the mostpopular in Hollywood due to previous winners' success and its generouspayout. The first contest's winner, Dawg by Ken Hastings, wasproduced and shot by Gold Circle Films (starring Elizabeth Hurley andDenis Leary). The second contest's winner, Breathing Underwaterby Torye Mullins, has been optioned by Stephen J. Cannell Studio.

Several firms have shown interest in last year's winner, 8Track by Shawn Corridan. "Final Draft's software and Big Break!Screenwriting Contest opened doors that countless query letters,screenwriting how-to books and a thousand thankless hours of writingcould not. As a result of using Final Draft software and ultimatelywinning the contest, I was offered, literally overnight, representationby numerous agents and entertainment managers and was taking meetingswith directors and producers [TV and film]," Corridan said.

This year's winner will receive $10,000 plus an all-expense-paid3-day visit to Los Angeles to take meetings with studio executives andagents. Second prize is $3,000; third prize is $1,000. The top tenwinners will be submitted to a Hollywood literary agent and willreceive a copy of Final Draft Scriptwriting Software, a one-yearsubscription to Creative Screenwriting Magazine, Script Magazine andRES Magazine, a $50 gift certificate from The Writer's Computer Storeand a copy of The Hollywood Creative Directory Producers Guide.

Complete contest rules and entry forms may be downloaded and from www.finaldraft.com/bigbreak/index.html.Scripts may be submitted online at that address or mailed to FinalDraft. Deadline for entries is May 31, 2003.

About Final Draft Inc.
Writer Marc Madnick and software engineer Benjamin Cahan founded FinalDraft, Inc. in 1991. Final Draft has become the best-sellingscreenwriting program worldwide, with more than 150,000 units soldsince its introduction. Final Draft scriptwriting software is theleading scriptwriting program and is used worldwide by professionalfilm and TV writers to create such Oscar-winning hits as AmericanBeauty and The Usual Suspects. Final Draft is endorsed byindustry talents such as Oliver Stone (JFK, Any GivenSunday), James L. Brooks (As Good As It Gets, JerryMaguire), Tom Hanks (That Thing You Do, Cast Away)and Michael Bay (Pearl Harbor, Armageddon).