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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

2012 Screenplay Competition Finalists Announced for Gasparilla International Film Festival

TAMPA, Fla. – Feb. 21, 2012 – Gasparilla International Film Festival announces their top ten finalists for their Screenplay Competition.

Finalists include:

• Bioterror Conspiracy by Louis Lio
• Daniel's Inferno by Eric Carlson
• Dialing for Dollars by Mike Matteo & Eric Polins
• Heart of a Family by Sharon Duncan
• Hollywood Nights by Andrew Brown
• The Last Mermaid by Shanon Culiner
• My College Essay by Mary Krell-Oishi
• Spiritual Seeker by Steve Weissman
• Tall Dark and Handsome by Linton Herbet
• The Wind Riders by Jeffrey Ryback

 

This is the first year the Gasparilla International Film Festival has hosted the Screenplay Competition. “We looked at other prestigious film festivals from around the U.S. like the Burbank International Film Festival and decided to implement this year’s screenwriting competition,” says Joe Restaino, board president of GIFF. “It has definitely been well received, and we received more entries than we anticipated which delayed our 10 finalist results by a few days!” 

Applicants submitted original, feature-length works for a chance to have their film submitted to at least two producers for consideration, plus a listing in the GIFF program guide, recognition at the film festival, on the GIFF website and Facebook, and a cash prize of $500. Also, the top three selected finalists will receive screenwriting software from GIFF sponsor, Final Draft.

The top three selections, along with the winner, will be announced during the festival scheduled for: March 29-April 1, and will feature more than 100 films from documentaries and dramas to comedies and short films.

For updated information regarding the Gasparilla International Film Festival, visit: GasparillaFilmFestival.com

ABOUT THE GASPARILLA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
First launched in the summer of 2006, the Gasparilla International Film Festival (GIFF) has grown into an entertaining and educational year-round entity in Tampa Bay. Well-known for its annual film festival, GIFF is operated by the 501(c) 3 non-profit Tampa Film Institute and continually upholds its mission to provide year-long support for film screening, production, and education throughout Tampa Bay and the region. For more information on GIFF including sponsor and volunteer opportunities visit, www.gasparillafilmfestival.com.

ABOUT DIGITAL DOMAIN INSTITUTE
The Digital Domain Institute inspires the aspiring - those looking to blaze new trails in digital arts and animation. A subsidiary of Digital Domain Media Group, DDI sets a new standard in digital media education. Through an unprecedented public-private partnership with The Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts, DDI stands in a class of its own, offering programs that combine creative and technical training with hands-on immersion in a studio environment.

ABOUT DIGITAL DOMAIN MEDIA GROUP
Digital Domain Media Group is an award-winning digital production company. Since its inception in 1993, it has been a leading provider of computer-generated ("CG") animation and digital visual effects ("VFX") for major motion picture studios and advertisers. The company, its work and its employees have been recognized with numerous entertainment industry awards and nominations, including seven awards issued by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences - three Academy Awards® for Best Visual Effects and four awards for Scientific and Technical Achievement. Our filmography of over 80 major motion pictures includes Thor, TRON: Legacy, the Transformers trilogy, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Apollo 13 and Titanic. The company's digital production capabilities include the creation of CG animated content, performance capture, the conversion of two-dimensional ("2D") imagery into three- dimensional ("3D") imagery and CG visual effects such as fluid simulation, terrain generation and photorealistic animation.

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