Taos Land & Film Co. (TLFC) has extended the entry deadline for the 2nd Annual Taos Land & Film Screenplay Contest from January 25, 1999 to March 2, 1999. The winner will receive 5 acres atop Cerro Montoso (mountain) within the Taos film colony overlooking the historic Rio Grande Gorge in Taos, NM. The winning screenplay will also be optioned by TLFC for future development and production. The winner will be announced at the 1999 Taos Talking Pictures Festival April 15-18, 1999.

"When our jury process expanded this year with the participation of David Neiderman, (Development, Fox Searchlight); Philip Kruener, (Director of Development, KingWorld Productions); Richard Foos, (Executive Producer, "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"; "Why Do Fools Fall In Love"); Tim Rhys, (Editor, MovieMaker Magazine) and Chris Eyre, (Director, "Smoke Signals"), we realized we had a lot more opportunities available for helping writers find a home for their screenplays." said Jeff Jackson. "Between 4 and 10 screenplays will be chosen as finalists for review by our judges who are looking for properties to develop with TLFC. We needed to extend the deadline to give these writers a chance to get their submissions in..."

Screenplay entries can be in any genre and an entry form can be received by calling Taos Land & Film at 310/396-9242 or via its web site www.taoslandandfilm.com. There is a $75 fee, $50 for students, "starving artists," and multiple entries.

TLFC also sponsors the Annual Land Grant Prize at the Taos Talking Pictures Festival -- as part of their effort to encourage the building of a film community in the well-known artist's colony and ski resort -- Previous winning filmmakers and writers who are now land-owners on the mountain include, Chris Eyre, director of "Smoke Signals"; Connie Marks, director of "Green Chimneys"; Gary Walkow, director of "Notes From Underground" and Reynaldo Cantu', author of "Why Angels Cry", winner of the 1998 Screenplay Award.