Pitch your subversive ideas by June 1st for the Kit Denton Disfellowship worth $30,000
If you think you’ve got a big idea for a courageous new show, you could win $30,000 and have a team of Australia’s most notorious producers to help you develop it.
The Australian Writers’ Guild has announced an extended deadline for pitches to the Kit Denton Disfellowship until 1 June 2012.
The favourite prize of the wicked, the now 6-year old Fellowship was relaunched as a Disfellowship in 2011 because winning it may mean that “your nan disowns you, your neighbours shun you and the shock jocks call for you to be locked up”.
Says Andrew Denton: “We are hoping to attract strong, exciting, subversive ideas; a project of exceptional quality and innovation that will make for great Australian television, film or new media.”
The pitch
The pitch should provide a 2 page (max.) narrative outlining the nature of your project and how your idea demonstrates courage (as defined in the guidelines).
You must also outline how you would develop the project with the support of the Disfellowship. You need to also provide a logline for your project and a one page CV (max.)
The prize
The ‘Disfellow’ will receive a $30,000 prize including a $25,000 cash prize and pro bono legal advice from TressCox Lawyers. This will allow them to develop their project into a market ready script with assistance from major sponsor Cordell Jigsaw Zapruders.
The winning project will also be given the opportunity for further development and possible production. Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder will have the initial right to develop and produce the project for the screen.
You can also nominate others.
To nominate someone you think would fit the bill you need to provide 1 page (max.) of information on the writer you are nominating and their project as well as their contact details. If the nomination is accepted the AWG will contact the nominee and they will then need to provide the information above.
Entry details
Enter here by 1 June 2012.
Download entry form here 2012 Kit Denton Disfellowship Entry Form and Guidelines.pdf
For more information contact the Australian Writers’ Guild.
5 Comments
I’ve got a few ideas. I’m in.
that photo creeps me out
It costs to enter!!??? They get a stack of free ideas and expect to be paid for them to boot! I’m out.
Seriously can’t believe they’re charging people to enter!
And Cordell Jigsaw Zapruder have the first right to develop and produce the project! This is terrible!
So it works like this: Cordell call for entries i.e. solicit for script ideas via the AWG. Writers enter but are asked to pay to submit their script (its not clear if the total of all those entry fees go to Cordell or the AWG). Cordell then choose a script they’d like to produce themselves. There are no details at all about terms of such a deal (eg. will the writer receive an option fee? Will they receive an acquisition fee if the film goes into production? And if so, what percentage of the total budget is it?). All that’s stated is that Cordell pay the writer $15k upfront and $10k when the “market ready” script is delivered. Cordell then try to finance and produce the project themselves.
A fellowship is defined in at least on dictionary as “The financial grant made to a fellow [usually in a college or university].”
So how in anyway is this is a grant, fellowship, or anything of the sort? It’s plainly a commercial operation enabling Cordell to source a project to make themselves and invest in its development. And they make the writers pay for the privilege.
A true fellowship would be administered entirely by the AWG with the successful writer’s having no obligations for Cordell or anyone else. Why is the AWG even involved?