LAS VEGAS, Nv. -- The top scripts of the 13th Annual Nevada Screenwriters Competition have been announced by the Nevada Film Office. BRO - Bull Riders Only, a family drama by Melinda May of San Diego, California, was judged Best Screenplay out of a field of approximately 100 qualifying scripts. Second place honors went to Pardon My Spurs, a modern western comedy written by Colleen B. Irwin of Las Vegas, Nevada, and third place was awarded to Get Off The Schnide, a comedy written by Joseph Zeccola of Los Angeles, California (formerly of Las Vegas, Nevada). As is the case each year, all scripts were judged "blind" without any indication of the writers' names, genders, places of residence or other identifying characteristics other than the title of the script itself. Genres included comedy, drama, action, coming-of-age, period romance, fantasy, mystery and the mystical. Of the top ten runner-up scripts, six of those writers were from the state of Nevada, which is the highest percentage of winning writers being from this state in the history of the competition. A list of the winners accompanies this press release.

Another first in the Nevada Film Office Screenwriters Competition history was the live script-in-hand reading of the first place screenplay, which was recently presented at the 2000 CineVegas Film Festival. Ms. May, the first place screenwriter, was also presented with a statuette at the CineVegas Marque Awards ceremony during the festival in the Paris Theatre des Arts. CineVegas also provided complimentary screening passes to the event as prizes for the top three scriptwriters.

"We are excited to see the caliber of writing coming into this competition, and very pleased many of the notable scripts were written by Nevadans," says Lieutenant Governor Lorraine Hunt, who chairs the Nevada Commission on Economic Development which oversees the Nevada Film Office. "Entries are received from around the country and around the world, and this presents a wonderful opportunity to unsold writers to get their work in the hands of industry professionals." The top three scripts will be submitted in their entirety to a group of producers and production companies in the Los Angeles/Hollywood area for industry reading and consideration, and the list of titles and contact information for the top ten runner-up scripts will be furnished as well.

"This state-sponsored event is the oldest of its kind in the United States. Entries were received this year from as far away as the Phillipines and Slovakia," states Charles Geocaris, the Director of the Nevada Film Office. "Our judges, of course, have no idea where a writer is from who submits a script, and it's impressive how well those scripts are crafted to be shot primarily in Nevada." Nearly two dozen judges were utilized in a three-tier method of scoring, with a 100-point rating scale. Judges included directors, cinematographers, producers, writers, movie and television critics, educators in film and related studies, and other professionals.

In addition to potentially career-launching industry readings and recognition, the screenwriters of the three top scripts will be feted at a luncheon in their honor in January 2001, where award certificates from the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of the State of Nevada will be presented together with other prizes and awards. In addition, those winners will receive other prizes from event sponsors including one or more film-related publications including Get A Reel Job by Philip Nemy, Writing Screenplays That Sell by Michael Hauge, and Screen & Stage Marketing Secrets by James Russell. Final Draft of Encino, California, is providing prizes to the top three winners of either a screenwriting instructional video by the industry-renown instructor Syd Fields or their state-of-the-art screenwriting software Final Draft.

The submission period for the 14th Annual Nevada Film Office Screenwriters Competition (2001) will be from May 1 through June 30, 2001. Full rules and guidelines for the competition may be obtained by a request in writing via fax or mail to the NFO, by visiting either the Nevada Film Office Las Vegas or Reno/Tahoe offices in person, or by accessing the "Screenwriters" section on the NFO website at www.nevadafilm.com