Screenwriting : The Joy of Finding New Talent - CineStory and other contests by Regina Lee

Earlier this week, I completed my portion of the judging for the CineStory Foundation's First Annual TV Writers Fellowship. I can't give out specific details yet, as the winners haven't been announced. I found one of the Finalist scripts to be extremely professional. I've sent 3 emails in 4 days showing my excitement to the CineStory Board President and Exec Director (our fellow S32er Bryan Dick). I will offer to help this writer find US representation if he/she desires and if he/she is meeting-ready (meaning he/she has more than 1 market-viable concept to talk about if taking rep meetings). The reasons I keep saying "he/she" are: 1) protecting the confidential process, and 2) we judge "blind" - there is no name on the title page of the scripts. To keep the playing field level, the judges do not make direct contact with the Fellowship participants until the Writers' Retreat in late April 2016, so I will post an update in about 2 months when I'm allowed to speak to him/her directly. This is not simply a plug for CineStory. I think it was S32er Doug Nelson who posted advising that agents will find you when the time is right. I'm not an agent, but I'm going to offer my help to this writer if the time in indeed right. CineStory is a nonprofit, and I make zero dollars for my volunteer work with them.