The Hollywood Symposium takes great pleasure in announcing the
    winners of its 1999 screenplay contest. Our heartfelt congratulations
    to the three winning screenwriters, to the honorable mentions, and
    all 44 finalists. Two of our three winners turned out to be scripts
    set in the Civil War, and for future reference, there is no historical
    or genre bias here on the part of THS. We simply went looking for
    wonderful stories well told, and this is where we found them.

SYNOPSIS: During the Civil War, fifteen year old Clinton Brodie sets forth on a hero's journey, promising his mother that he will find his father and bring him home alive. The young man's search leads him through the twisting fates and horrors of war, where he learns the power of honor, loyalty, and love.

SYNOPSIS: A college grad unable to cope with the real world moves in with the misfit buddies he thought he'd left behind. Eric Tanner soon wonders if he's up to all the wild parties, sex, drugs and whacked out personalities—but he can't even guess what it will now take to escape this insane place with his life.

SYNOPSIS: Based on a true story. At the start of the Civil War, President Lincoln commissions Charles Ellet to convert a fleet of run down paddlewheel riverboats into warships. Accomplishing the impossible, Ellet leads his family-staffed, rag-tag navy into battle against the Confederacy—and wins a stunning but costly victory.

With highest regard for the work of all our 367 entrants, The Hollywood
Sympsium takes great pleasure in announcing the finalists for its 1999
screenplay contest. Choices were not easy. Decisions had to be made. Every entrant will receive a copy of the master judging sheet for their own script, as a "snapshot" of the Symposium's take on the relative strengths and weaknesses of the work. It's hoped that this indicator will be useful in the ongoing process of rewriting. THS Executive
Director Eric Edson will send a letter to all our screenwriters outlining his thoughts on general lessons learned from this amazing body of work.  It is a delight and an honor to read the screenplays of so many talented people.  We thank all of our entrants, and regret that disappointment must inevitably be a part of any contest.  Keep writing and rewriting, and we hope to see you all again next year.  

 The Hollywood Symposium Screenplay Contest: Finalists for 1999