2008 Red Planet Prize

Today The Stage reports that UK screenwriter and producer, Tony Jordan, has revealed the details of the second screenwriting competition run through his production company, Red Planet Pictures.

The 2008 Red Planet Prize will see one new writer win £5,000, representation by a leading literary agency, and a script commission from Red Planet Pictures. Last year's inaugural competition attracted more than 2,000 entrants.

Jordan, who is also the creator of HolbyBlue and is EastEnders' former chief scriptwriter, said the initiative emphasised Red Planet's commitment to investing "in new writing talent from across the country".

"As last year's competition proved, there is a wealth of fresh, unique voices out there, but in the current climate there are few chances for them to get themselves heard. The Red Planet Prize offers an exciting opportunity for aspiring writers to get their screenwriting talent recognised and develop their ideas into potential series ," he said.

To apply, writers should submit the first ten pages of a sixty-minute television pilot script, and a one-page submission about how it could work as a series. Writers that impress the judges will be asked for a full one-hour script.

Application forms can be downloaded from the web site, and the deadline for entries is September 30.