District Resident Wins DC Screenwriting Competition

(Washington, DC) District resident Hal Weiner's original screenplay, Shadows, was named the winner of the Film DC Screenwriting Competition sponsored by the Washington, DC Office of Motion Picture and TV Development and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. Mayor Anthony Williams and The West Wing producer Stephanie Antosca will make the announcement at a press conference Wednesday, September 10.

As part of the winning prize, Hal Weiner will travel to Los Angeles this fall to visit the set of the Emmy Award-winning television series The West Wing, meet the writers, and appear in a featured extra role on an episode of the hit series. This competition is a tremendous opportunity for District residents.

The award-winning script, Shadows, is a dark thriller about a Washington, DC literary agent who witnesses what may be the aftermath of a terrible crime. Shaken by the incident, strange things begin to occur, and suddenly, her life is in danger.

Through his Washington, DC production company (Screenscope), Hal Weiner and his producing partner Marilyn Weiner have produced, written and directed more than 225 documentaries and four public television series (Journey to Planet Earth, Women at Work, Faces of Man, and The World of Cooking).

Hal Weiner's feature film work includes writing and directing The Imagemaker starring Michael Nouri and Jerry Orbach; producing the PBS/American Playhouse production of Family Business starring Milton Berle; and executive producing the $16 million Miramax production of K2.

The Weiners have won Emmy Awards for Earth Summit Pledge, commissioned by the United Nations to open the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, and Streets of Sorrow, an NBC documentary about a support group that helps people cope with the violent death of a family member. They are recipients of the National Academy of Television Arts and Science's 1998 Silver Circle Award for "outstanding contributions to the television industry." The Weiners have also won over 130 top international awards, including 39 CINE Golden Eagles.

The Film DC Screenwriting Competition is intended to generate screenplays using actual District locals and to promote the prize-winning script to the film and television industry in Hollywood.