UCLA Extension Writers' Program

The UCLA Extension Screenplay Competition

The first, second, and third place winners of the 2009 UCLA Extension Screenplay Competition have been announced.

And the winners are...

First Place: Jacqueline Craig for Faery Tale

Second Place: Linda Malik for The Lightkeeper's Wife

Third Place: Jillian Sim for Passengers

Hearty congratulations to these talented writers and their mentors (Chrys Balis, Keith Giglio, and Steve Mazur respectively). And a big thank you to our three industry execs: Rick Berg of Code Entertainment, Robert Mitas of Furthur Films, and Keya Khayatian of United Talent Agency (UTA), who had the tough task of determining which one of the three original and creative scripts deserved top honors.

What it Means to Win

In addition to individual mentoring with writing professionals and cash prizes, the three winners of this year's competition will gain invaluable industry exposure through an ad in the September 25-26 weekend issue of The Hollywood Reporter and through mailings to over a thousand studio executives.

See Your Name Here!

Next year, it could be your name in one of the coveted top-three spots. Start preparing your script now for consideration in the 2010 competition. Applications are being accepted now through March of 2010.

The UCLA Extension Screenplay Competition is a fresh and exclusive opportunity for three outstanding Writers' Program students to gain industry exposure, individual mentoring and training, and cash prizes. Winners receive $1,000 (1^st place), $500 (2^nd place) and $250 (3^rd place); a guaranteed read by an agent, producer, and/or creative executive; and a one-on-one script consultation ($700 value) with a professional screenwriter prior to the final judging.

The competition is intended to recognize the highest levels of Writers' Program students' skill and craft. In addition to training writers to write to the best of their abilities, the Writers' Program takes enormous pride in the numbers of their students who have succeeded in the industry. Many writers, including Stuart Beattie (Derailed, Collateral, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl), Allison Abner (The West Wing), Mark Steven Johnson (Daredevil, Grumpy Old Men), and David Self (Road to Perdition, Thirteen Days), have developed exciting careers. We hope this new contest will bubble up and give exposure to even more Writers' Program student talent.

Contest applicants must have completed three screenwriting courses in the Writers' Program in the 24 months prior to the competition deadline each year in order to qualify. Applications are available in September for the subsequent year's competition. Completed applications must be accompanied by a form signed by an instructor verifying that the script was developed in a Writers' Program course. Winners are announced in September.

Click here for a list of previous winners of the UCLA Extension Screenplay Competition.

Click here to download an application for the 2010 UCLA Extension Screenplay Competition.

For more information on how you can get one step closer to Hollywood, contact Gabrielle Stephens at (310) 206-2612 or Chae Ko at (310) 206-1542; or email writers@uclaextension.edu.