Movie Central's Script To Screen Call For Submissions Now Open

• Script to Screen presented in association with National Screen Institute - Canada
• For more information and to enter submissions, click here

BANFF, AB, June 11, 2013 /CNW/ - Corus Entertainment's Movie Central, along with the National Screen Institute - Canada (NSI), announces the call for submissions for the second year of Script to Screen. Script to Screen is a writer-oriented, feature script development program funded by Movie Central and delivered by NSI. The program selects up to five gifted writers and helps shape their ideas from the early stages of development through to a polished, production-ready script with market appeal.

The call for submissions is now open to the first 200 complete applications. Selected writers will receive a development advance of up to $50,000. This year entrants are encouraged to submit family feature film proposals. To support this initiative, at least one of the five awards will go to a family-oriented project.

"Movie Central's Script to Screen's first call for submissions was an overwhelming success with a number of outstanding projects," said John MacDonald, VP, Head of TV Programming & Production, Corus Entertainment. "Working with our partners at NSI, we continue to find incredibly talented Canadian screenwriters and are excited to fund and support their projects. We look forward to this year's entries."

"NSI is honoured to continue our partnership with Corus on the Movie Central Script to Screen program," said Melissa Kajpust, Director of Programming at NSI. "This initiative is a wonderful opportunity for Canadian screenwriters to develop their projects and advance their careers."

The inaugural finalists selected for Script to Screen last year were Julian Doucet, Daniel Hogg, Thomas Michael and Paolo Mancini, Pat Mills and Ben Rollo.

"Movie Central coming together with the NSI to create Script to Screen has provided an opportunity I could only dream of. The feedback and consideration has been first-rate," said Daniel Hogg, Script to Screen inaugural finalist.

"Finally, a development fund that sees a project all the way through from concept to finished script! A bold and visionary move by Movie Central and NSI," said Thomas Michael, Script to Screen inaugural finalist.

Apply now - submissions are open to the first 200 complete applications. Deadline for submissions is August 16, 2013. Visit http://www.nsi-canada.ca/courses/script-to-screen/ for more information.

Movie Central
Movie Central is a commercial-free premium pay TV service available in western Canada. Movie Central premieres the best in Hollywood, international and Canadian films across nine 24-hour movie channels, including dedicated high-definition feeds, a Movie Central On Demand service and exclusive HBO content on HBO Canada. Movie Central is also the first window for Showtime content and home to cutting-edge Canadian series. A major force in the Canadian independent film and television production industry, Movie Central, through Script to Screen, a writer-oriented feature script development program funded by Movie Central and delivered by NSI supports Canadian filmmaking. Visit the Movie Central website at www.moviecentral.ca.

Corus Entertainment Inc.
Corus Entertainment Inc. is a Canadian-based media and entertainment company. Corus is a market leader in specialty television and radio with additional assets in pay television, television broadcasting, children's book publishing and children's animation. The Company's multimedia entertainment brands include YTV, Treehouse, Nickelodeon (Canada), ABC Spark, W Network, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network (Canada), CosmoTV, Sundance Channel (Canada), Movie Central, HBO Canada, Nelvana, Kids Can Press and radio stations including CKNW AM 980, 99.3 The FOX, Country 105, 630 CHED, Q107 and 102.1 the Edge. Corus creates engaging branded entertainment experiences for its audiences across multiple platforms. A publicly traded company, Corus is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (CJR.B). Experience Corus on the web at www.corusent.com.

National Screen Institute (NSI)
Renowned for having given many film and television writers, directors and producers their first breaks, the National Screen Institute (NSI) provides training, development and production support through courses like NSI Totally Television, NSI Drama Prize, NSI New Voices, NSI Features First, NSI Aboriginal Documentary, and NSI Lifestyle & Reality Series Producer.

NSI also offers national exposure through the NSI Online Short Film Festival, and provides vast resources and support to those in the film, television, and digital media industry at www.nsi-canada.ca.

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SOURCE: Movie Central

Owen McCorquodale           
Corus Entertainment            
[phone]       
[email protected]      

Lauren MacDiarmid 
National Screen Institute
[phone]
[email protected]