Contact: Jeanne Corcoran
NFO Production Manager
Phone: (702) 486-2713

For Immediate Release
January 17, 2003

Nevada Film Office 2002 Screenplay Competition Winners Announced

LAS VEGAS, Nv. ­ Surrounded by the edgy opulence of the "MTV Real World Suite" at the Palms Casino Resort, the winners of the 2002 Nevada Film Office (NFO) Screenwriters Competition were announced today by Lieutenant Governor Lorraine T. Hunt. The Lieutenant Governor chairs the Nevada Commission on Economic Development which oversees the NFO. Prizes were presented by the Lieutenant Governor to the winning writers of the top three scripts at a press conference held in the suite followed by a luncheon.

The Mob, the Muscle and the Moulin Rouge took first place honors for writers Gayle Schreiber and Stan Armstrong of Las Vegas, Nevada. This period drama is set in 1950's Las Vegas against a backdrop of the Moulin Rouge (the nation¹s first interracial casino), professional boxing, and Mob interplay, and is based on true life experiences of Armstrong¹s father, who moved to Las Vegas from the deep south in the 50's. Accompanying Schreiber and Armstrong were two notable women in Las Vegas¹ entertainment history: Saran Knight Preddy, former owner of the Moulin Rouge and the first African American woman to obtain a gaming license in Nevada, and Jean Bennett, the original publicist and business manager for The Platters who made inroads for professional women in the music industry of the 1950's.

"Although dramatized fiction, the basis in fact for The Mob, the Muscle and the Moulin Rouge rings true throughout," says Lieutenant Governor Hunt. "It impressed the judges tremendously."

Second place went to Lucky in Love, a romp of a comedy written by William Raeburn "Bill" Green of Irvine, California. The script¹s "hero" is a hapless, accident prone loser who ends up with laundered money finding its way into his bank account and chaos finding its way into his life. A roadside revival with a Faith Healer, a tempting woman and plain bad luck all add to his dilemma.

The third place winning script, Zero at the Bone, is a suspense/thriller that takes place in rural Nevada, involving a woman BLM ranger, murder, militia, wild horses and contraband diamonds. Written by D.V. Caitlin of Sunland, California, the story is set in quiet Lander County which suddenly takes on violent upheaval.

"This year¹s top 3 scripts are quite diverse," says Charles Geocaris, Director of the NFO. "A heartfelt drama, a madcap comedy, and a murder mystery in the wilds of rural Nevada certainly cover a broad spectrum. From sci-fi to westerns, family dramas to absurdist slapstick, road movies, heist plots and more, the potential for making all kinds of films in Nevada is practically unlimited."

The top three winning scripts are copied in their entirety and distributed by the NFO to a select group of production companies and producers in the Hollywood community for consideration. In addition, the top ten runner-up scripts are listed on a press sheet that is also furnished to those companies and individuals.