Set In Philadelphia

Greater Philadelphia Filmmakers is delighted to congratuate the following winners, for the Grand Prize, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Regional Award and the Irene I. Parisi Award in the 2008 “Set In Philadelphia” Screenwriting Competition:

Grand Prize: Adam F. Goldberg for Everything Changed

Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Regional Award, to a screenwriter that resides in the Greater Philadelphia region: Jenny Krumrine for Think About Love.

Irene I. Parisi Award, for a screenwriter 25 or younger, sponsored by Academy Award nominated screenwriter Stephen Rivele: Eamon R. McIvor for Judy is a Punk

What a great year! Look for the opening of SIP 2009 in September.

2008 PANELISTS included: (in alphabetical order):

Henry Bean
Writer/Director, The Believer and Noise. Writer: Internal Affairs, Deep Cover and (with Leora Barish) Basic Instinct 2. Uncredited writer: Enemy of the State, Man on Fire, Murder by Numbers, Desperate Measures. Head Writer: the unscripted HBO Show K Street . PEN award-winning novel, False Match.

Jillian Bullock
Author, Killing Of Innocence; Writer/ Director/ Producer, The Champion Inside

Lisa Cortes
SVP, Production, Lee Daniels Entertainment; Co-Producer, The Woodsman; Producer, Shadowboxer; Executive Producer, Push, Tennessee

Lee Daniels: President/CEO, Lee Daniels Entertainment. Producer/Director (Shadowboxer) Producer (The Woodsman, Monster’s Ball, Push, Tennessee)

Nia Dinata, Writer/Director (Arisan, Love For Share)

Derek Dressler
Story Analyst with ICM in Los Angeles, recipient of the 2007 SIP Parisi Award, recently worked as a punch-up writer on the Disney Channel animated series, The Replacements, provides analysis for Baseline’s ScriptShark consultation service

Jeffrey D. Erb
CEO, Feverpitch Pictures, Producer, Just Add Water, The Speed of Life, Let the Game Begin, Tooth & Nail

Joe Gangemi
Screenwriter, Wind Chill (Sony), Mirror (Regency), Eliza Graves, Inamorata, adapted from his own novel (Viking, 2004)

David Grasso
Executive Producer, Tycoon Entertainment/ President & CEO, Grasso Holdings, Inc.; Untitled John Legend Documentary, Feel, and The Lather Effect

Lisa Lindstrom
Producer, Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her, Uprising, Mama Flora’s Family, Fried Green Tomatoes, Up Close & Personal, Red Corner, The War; Lisa’s roots as story consultant go back to the 1980’s when she worked as a scout for numerous Off-Broadway theatres as well as Warner Theater Productions, and served as a Story Editor for film director Alan Pakula. She is currently engaged in developing new plays and screenplays with writers, directors and producers in on both coasts.

Larry Meistrich
Oscar award* winning independent film producer with over 100 film credits to his name, including Sling Blade*, You Can Count on Me, Croupier, NJ Drive and Belly. Larry is also the Founder and chairman of Nehst Studios, a NY based film company with a $250,000,000 film fund. He is the creater of the Filmmaker’s Bootcamp, pitchnehst.com and Screentest.biz

Sharon Pinkenson
Executive Director, Greater Philadelphia Film Office

Mark Rosenthal
Currently working on his 16th feature film The A Team for Fox Films; Other credits include Jewel of the Nile, Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes, Superman IV and Mona Lisa Smile

JC Spink
Producer, Benderspink, A History of Violence, Monster-In-Law, The Ring

Kelly Wolfington
President of Wolfington Productions, an independent production company which produces and manages independent feature films, animation series, as well as documentary programming for a variety of film, television and educational outlets

Dawn Wolfrom
Producer, The Perfect Man (Universal Studios); Never Again (Universal Focus); Eric Schaeffer’s Wirey Spindell (Winstar)

About SIP

“Set In Philadelphia” (SIP), sponsored by the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, is open to all screenwriters, world-wide, who submit an original feature length screenplay set primarily in the Greater Philadelphia Metropolitan Area. All genres will be accepted. Scripts will be judged on their overall quality, and the extent to which they tell a genuine “Philadelphia story.” Greater Philadelphia Filmmakers is proud to have the SIP series as featured events of the Philadelphia Film Festival, (April 3-15, 2008) presented by Philadelphia Film Society.

• Application Process
• Rules & Regulations

2008 Prizes

Grand Prize for Best Screenplay

• $10,000 CASH PRIZE
• Foot in The Door LA Package
• Notes from High Profile Judges
• Pass to 2008 Philadelphia Film Festival
• In kind services
• National Press
• Synopsis published on www.film.org

Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Regional Award, for best screenplay written by a Greater Philadelphia Resident, to encourage local production:

• $2,500 CASH PRIZE
• Notes from High Profile Judges
• Pass to 2008 Philadelphia Film Festival
• In kind services
• National Press
• Synopsis published on www.film.org

Parisi* Winner for Best Screenwriter 25 years old or under:

• $1,000 CASH PRIZE
• Pass to 2008 Philadelphia Film Festival
• In kind services
• National Press
• Synopsis published on www.film.org

*This award is made possible by the generous contribution of screenwriter Stephen J. Rivele (co-author of Academy Award nominated screenplay NIXON, ALI) in honor of his mother, Irene I. Parisi (1925-1964).

Confirmed judges for SIP 2008 (in alphabetical order):

Elizabeth Banks: Actor (Spider-Man 3, Invincible, Scrubs, The 40-Year-Old Virgin Slither, Seabiscuit, Catch Me if You Can)

Holly Brown, Film Department Coordinator, Overbrook Entertainment

Jillian Bullock: Author (Killing Of Innocence to be released in 2008), Writer/ Director/ Producer (The Champion Inside)

Lisa Cortes: SVP, Production, Lee Daniels Entertainment. Co-Producer (The Woodsman), Producer (Shadowboxer) Executive Producer (Push, Tennessee)

Lee Daniels: President/CEO, Lee Daniels Entertainment. Producer/Director (Shadowboxer) Producer (The Woodsman, Monster’s Ball, Push, Tennessee)

Jeffrey D. Erb, CEO, Feverpitch Pictures, Producer, Just Add Water (starring Danny DeVito, Jonah Hill, Justin Long), The Speed of Life (Winner 2007 Venice Film Festival), Let the Game Begin (starring Thomas Ian Nicholas, Adam Rodriguez, Lochlyn Munro, Lisa Ray), Tooth & Nail (Lionsgate – starring Michael Madsen, Vinnie Jones, Rider Strong)

Melissa Fitzgerald: Actor (The West Wing, Simple Things), Producer (Voices of Uganda, Hope Not Lost, Listen)

Joe Gangemi: Screenwriter, Wind Chill (Sony, 2007). Mirror (Regency), starring Keifer Sutherland, will be released in 2008; Eliza Graves, scheduled for production in the fall of 2007. Inamorata, adapted from his own novel (Viking, 2004), in development by Johnny Depp’s production company.

Max Handelman: Writer (Why Fantasy Football Matters (And Our Lives Do Not))

Lisa Lindstrom: Producer (Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her, Uprising, Mama Flora’s Family, Fried Green Tomatoes, Up Close and Personal, Red Corner, The War.) Lisa is currently working on theatre projects in New York.

Mark Rosenthal: is working on his 16th feature film, The A Team for Fox Films. Other credits include Jewel of the Nile, Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes, Superman IV and Mona Lisa Smile.

Stephen J. Rivele: Screenwriter, Ali, Nixon, Copying Beethoven, and the forthcoming: Moneyball and Mr Rickey and Mr Robinson.

Allen Sabinson: Dean, The Antoinette Westphal College of Media, Arts and Design at Philadelphia’s Drexel University, former head of programming for A&E, TNT and Showtime and president production for Miramax Films.

JC Spink: Producer, Benderspink (A History of Violence, Monster-In-Law, The Ring)

Mark Webber: The Hottest State, directed by Ethan Hawke; Broken Flowers, directed by Jim Jarmusch; Dear Wendy, directed by Thomas Vinterberg; Hollywood Ending, directed by Woody Allen

Dawn Wolfrom: Producer, The Perfect Man with Universal Studios starring Hilary Duff, Heather Locklear, Chris Noth, Carson Kressley and Mike O’Malley; Never Again a Universal Focus release starring Jeffrey Tambor, Jill Clayburgh, Sandy Duncan and Bill Duke; Eric Schaeffer’s Wirey Spindell, a Winstar release starring Ugly Betty’s Eric Mabius and Callie Thorne.

2008 Sponsors

• Greater Philadelphia Film Office
• Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce
• Derek Freese Film Foundation
• Stephen J. Rivele
• Final Draft
• Mike Lemon Casting
• Philadelphia Film Society
• Sofitel Philadelphia
• The University of the Arts

2008 “Set In Philadelphia” Application Process

To submit hard copy materials for the “Set In Philadelphia” Screenwriting Competition please submit the following to:

SIP 2008
c/o Greater Philadelphia Film Office
100 S. Broad Street, Suite 600
Philadelphia, PA 19110

• One fully completed and signed application form and release.
• One copy of your screenplay in standard format.
• A brief (one paragraph maximum) synopsis of your screenplay.
• A self-addressed, stamped postcard for acknowledgment of receipt of screenplay.
• A self-addressed, stamped envelope for acknowledgment of final round status.
• A non-refundable fee (see below). Please make checks payable to the “Greater Philadelphia Film Office.”

Print out a hard copy submission or click here for electronic submission.

IF YOU SUBMIT ELECTRONICALLY, DON’T FORGET TO INCLUDE YOUR PARAGRAPH SYNOPSIS AND THE ADDITIONAL COVER PAGE (with just the title. No author identification should appear on this page as outlined below). These should included at the beginning of your screenplay or emailed separately to sip@film.org . Everything needs to be in ONE file, in the PDF format. Don’t worry if you are close to the page limit of 130. These added pages will not be counted in the length of your screenplay. Also, remember to attach PROOF OF AGE OR RESIDENCE IF YOU WANT TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE REGIONAL AND/OR PARISI PRIZES )

Early Deadline: December 3, 2007 ($45) + $10 surcharge for electronic submission

Final Deadline: January 3, 2008 ($65) + $10 surcharge for electronic submission.

Hard copies must be hand delivered by 5pm on date due or postmarked by due date.

Electronic submissions must be marked “sent” by midnight of date due.

NO EXCEPTIONS.

Rules & Regulations

1. Screenplay must be set primarily in the Greater Philadelphia area (includes the surrounding counties).
2. All genres and story-telling approaches are acceptable.
3. Screenplays must be between 85-130 pages in length and written in standard screenplay format. (i.e. 8.5” x 11” three hole punch paper with two or three brass brads, copied on one side only, 12 pt courier font, simple front and back cover, with pages numbered.)
4. A title page, with just the title, must accompany the screenplay. No author identification should appear on this page. Screenplays will be numbered for confidentiality.
5. A separate cover page with the title and the author’s name and address must accompany the screenplay, not be bound inside but inserted for easy removal. This cover page is the only place where the author’s name should appear in the screenplay.
6. Screenplays which are currently in production are ineligible.
7. One entry per application.
8. Judges’ decisions are final.
9. Entrants will receive notification that their submission was received by February 4, 2008 if they supply a self-addressed stamped postcard.
10. Entrants will receive notification of their screenplay’s status in the final round by March 17, 2008 if they supply a self-addressed stamped business size envelope.
11. To be eligible for the Irene I. Parisi Award, entrants must be 25 years of age or younger as of December 3, 2007 and provide their date of birth on the entry form.
12. To be eligible for the Regional Award, entrants must be residents of either Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware or Montgomery counties in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Mercer or Salem counties in the state of New Jersey or New Castle county in Delaware for the calendar year prior to the December 4, 2007 deadline.
13. Entrants applying for the Parisi and/or the Regional award are eligible for the main competition and must provide a legible photocopy of their driver’s license, deed or passport as proof of age and residency. Co-author must meet the same requirements.
14. Screenplays will not be returned; please retain an original copy.
15. Screenplays must be delivered by 5:00 PM on December 3, 2007 or postmarked by December 3, 2007 for Early Deadline ($45/$55 for pdf submission). Screenplays must be delivered by 5:00 PM on January 3, 2008 or postmarked by January 3, 2008 for Final Deadline. ($65/$75 for pdf submission).

All entrants are encouraged to register their screenplay with the Writer’s Guild of America, East or Writer’s Guild of America, West.

PAST SIP WINNERS:

2007:

Joe Nienalt – Grand Prize – Smile
Salih Abdul-Qawi – Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Regional Award – Beat a Bully
Derek Dressler – 1st Place Parisi Award – Incidental Contact
Robert Golphin - 2nd Place Parisi Award – Between Midnight and Mourning
Matthew Taylor - 3rd Place Parisi Award – The Four Men From Abernacle
Corey Stephens – 4th Place Parisi Award – Seeking Paradise

2006:

Bruce Graham - Grand/The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Regional Award- Middle Aged White Guys
Brian Loshiavo- The Irene I. Parisi Award, sponsored by Stephen J. Rivele- Paint By Number

2005:

David Hoag- Grand Prize- The Biographer
Kent Murray – The Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Regional Award- According to Plan

2004:

Bernie DeLeo- Grand Prize- Queens For A Day
Jessica Parenti - The Regional Award – Influenza
Jeremiah Zagar- The Irene I. Parisi Award, sponsored by Stephen J. Rivele – Paper Giants

2003:

Cristin O’Keefe-Aptowicz- Grand Prize – Mutter
Jessica Parenti - The Regional Award, In Flew Enza
Annie Baker - Meet the Mog and James Costanzo The Patriots were both awarded The Irene I. Parisi Award (It wasn’t awarded in 2002 so Stephen J. Rivele generously offered to award two prizes in 2003.)

2002:

Hal Borden – Grand/ Regional for I’d Rather Be In Philadelphia