Mad Horse films V.P. of Production, Alexandru Celea has recently joined our list of top production companies who have requested to read the winning screenplays from this year's 2013 Screenplay Competition.
Mad Horse Films is a recently formed production company headed by John Swetnam.
We are pleased to announce that Screenwriters University has come on board to sponsor this years screenplay competition and is offering the Grand Prize Winner a great oppotunity to attend the class of your choice. We met with Aaron Bauer, Content Development Manager at Screenwriters University, to find out more about what they do and how it can benefit screenwriters of all levels to further their craft. Classes are all online and ongoing to fit around your schedule so there are no excuses!
We are pleased to announce the 2013 Fresh Voices Pitch Contest Winners and Finalists. We hope we can give these wonderfully entertaining, screen worthy ideas a push towards production. Congratulations to all the winning writers.
SEE THE PITCH CONTEST WINNERS & FINALISTS HERE!
We are pleased to announce that Creative Artists Agency talent agent, Jeremy Plager, will meet with the Grand Prize Winner of the 2013 Fresh Voices Screenplay Competition for an informational meeting at CAA’s LA office. CAA is the largest talent agency in the world representing the best actors, actresses, writers, directors, musicians, and sports athletes from around the globe. Jeremy’s client list includes some of the hottest actresses working in Hollywood today including Jennifer Lawrence and Mila Kunis.
As previously announced, in addition to Jeremy Plager, acclaimed director Joel Schumacher and literary manager Evan Cavic have also agreed to judge the final round of the competition and meet with the Grand Prize Winner.
Mr. Schumacher, has led a successful Hollywood career spanning over 40 years and 30 films. He is best known for directing such seminal films as St. Elmo’s Fire, A Time to Kill, Batman & Robin, Batman Forever and Phantom of the Opera to name a few. He most recently directed two episodes of the highly regarded Netflix series House Of Cards, starring Academy Award Winner Kevin Spacey.
Evan Cavic, a literary manager at leading Management Production Company Principato-Young Entertainment, represents a list of exciting writers and directors. The company, best known for their A-list talent and film and TV packaging, have set up dozens of projects with studios and networks. PYE represent the likes of John Travolta, Vigo Mortenson, screenwriter Jeremy Garelick (The Hangover), and director John Chu (G.I. Joe).
We are truly excited to have such a wealth of Hollywood experience joining this year’s competition, and to be able to offer that knowledge first hand, directly to our winners. This is a truly unique and rewarding career opportunity for any writer. This is a once in a lifetime chance to get in front of people that matter, and grab their attention!
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE 2013 FRESH VOICES SCREENPLAY COMPETITION HERE!!
With the ATX Television Festival opening in Austin, Texas this weekend, Fresh Voices competition chairman Joel Mendoza was interviewed for an article on what makes a perfect pitch.
“I think that a lot of writers tend not to spend enough time…putting together a coherent pitch. And when they do get in front of somebody, they tend to go off on tangents and not be as focused as one needs to be,” he says.
Mendoza recommends focusing on the three basic points of your story—what does the protagonist want, what stands in his or her way, and how do they overcome it?
“If you can think clearly in those blocks then you’ve got a good chance of gaining somebody’s interest,” he adds. “Beyond that, always enthusiasm, positivity, and being able to be a salesman. At the end of the day, that’s what it is.”
Read the full article for Get In Media here....
Evan Cavic, a literary manager and producer at Principato-Young Entertainment has joined Joel Schumacher and Fresh Voices Chairman Joel Mendoza to judge the 2013 Fresh Voices Screenplay Competition and announce the winner of the Eli Richbourg Grand Prize Award Winner.
In addition, as part of the Grand Prize Award, Evan will meet the winner for an informative lunch in Beverly Hills.
We are pleased to welcome Evan Cavic to the 2013 Judges Panel.
Joel Schumacher (St. Elmo's Fire, Time To Kill, Batman Forever, 8MM, Phone Booth, Tigerland, Phantom of the Opera, Trespass, House of Cards) has joined the judging panel of the 2013 Fresh Voices Screenplay Competition and will announce the winner of the "Eli Richbourg Excellence in Screenwriting Grand Prize Award".
In addition, Joel has agreed to have an informative lunch with the winning screenwriter in Hollywood, California. This is an amazing addition to this years competition and a once in a lifetime opportuntiy for any screenwriter. We are thrilled to welcome Joel Schumacher to our 2013 Panel of Industry Judges.
TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE 2013 SCREENPLAY COMPETITION!
Fresh Voices Chairman Joel Mendoza is in Cannes for the Film Festival and meetings with various producers.
"The Cannes Market is an exciting event and the Croisette is an amazing venue. It's a one stop shop for all your packaging needs! Actors, Directors, Producers, Financiers, Sales Agents, Distributors, they are all here to make deals, hungry for great material and eager to discover the next big thing. There is an intense and very positive energy. Buyers are cautious, but nobody wants to go home empty handed. It is very exciting. There is such a diverse range of producers from all over the world all crammed within a 1/4 mile stretch of beachside hotels and multi-million dollar yachts. Each one is looking to fill their individual mandates; whether it's a Bollywood Musical, a Chinese Action flick or a classic French Romance, there is a someone here looking for it. We look forward to promoting some of our recent discoveries and winning material." Joel Mendoza
Since winning the Science Fiction Category of the 2012 Fresh Voices Screenpaly Competition, Moutaz Jad has been busy. His winning screenplay, Megalopolis, was read by established Hollywood production company MPower Pitcures, best known for the Golden Globe Nominated Machine Gun Preacher, starring Gerard Butler. The company liked the script so much, they requested a meeting with Moutaz.
Living in Saudia Arabia, it could have been easy for Moutaz to make 
excuses and delay a meeeting, but within a week he was on a plane to meet the producers in Los Angeles, and returned home a week later with an agreement in hand. We are pleased to say, he is now negotiating his first Hollywood deal to attach MPower Pictures as producers and has taken a giant leap towards launching his career as a professional screenwriter. Read more here.
Competition Chairman, Joel Mendoza is in France for the Cannes Film Festival and had a chance to meet with Stephen Hunt, Grand Prize Winner of the 2012 Fresh Voices Screenplay Competition, who lives in Southern France. Stephen and Joel discussed strategies for moving forward and promoting his winning screenplay Precious Vengeance, and his most recent project Red Earth, White Sea.
Stephen's Screenwriter Interview will be available online shortly, and hopefully some exciting news regarding his winning script.
Photograph: Stephen Hunt (left) and Joel Mendoza (right) meet in France.