It's Official! Act One Nashville 2006!

After intense global competition, with cities like Seattle, Orlando, New York, Chicago and Austin making heartfelt pleas but, alas, falling short, the distinguished and discerning overlords at Act One, Inc. have decided that next year's month-long screenwriting intensive will be held in Nashville, TN! Condolences to the nice little cities who weren't able to make the cut. We urge you to make a pitch again in 2008.

Every other year, we hold two screenwriting months - always one in Los Angeles in July, and a second one in a city of the Holy Spirit's leading. We have held programs in NY, Chicago and Washington in previous years.

Nashville was a dark horse candidate that just wouldn't go away. I have wanted to take Act One into the South for years, as my experience is that Southern writers are the best we've got in the States. This program will make it possible for lots of folks from the region to get a taste of Hollywood -- without having to actually make the scary trip to the Left coast.

As the seat of a large chunk of the music business, Nashville has also become a center of a lot of music video production. And, having all that equipment sitting around, more and more people are trying their hands at making movies. We look forward to helping many of these folks integrate our Act One principles of artistry, professionalism, content and spirituality into their efforts.

The tricky thing is, we haven't actually gotten any money to hold the program in Nashville. And it will cost us - conservatively - around $100K to meet expenses. We have gotten a lot of pushes from the Spirit by way of good people who have come forward to help us in promotion and location scouting. We had a very successful weekend program there, and now have a core group of Act One fans who are eager to help us. (Truthfully, I just couldn't withstand the constant harrowing assaults from country music animal and Act One faculty member, Clare "the Sweaty Bar Bull-riding Canuck" Sera, who threatened to two-step on the top of the telephone pole in front of the Act One office singing "Put on Your Cowboy hat and Your Faded Blue Jeans" until we agreed to the Nashville gig.... See if you turn down a trip invite again, Miss Too Busy for Barb's Will!)

But, we still need to raise the money to bring Act One to the South. We're going to go ahead in faith, as we always do, that the bills will get paid, but it would help my always at bay ulcers if we could find a good Christian donor to help underwrite the program. If you'd like to help us, please send a check marked "Nashville Program" in the memo to:

Act One, Inc.
2690 Beachwood Dr.
Hollywood, CA 90068

(We'll respond with prayers of gratitude and a tax deduction letter.)

So, besides money, we are also looking for contacts in Nashville to help us as wealthy donor types, program volunteers, housing for the students, chauffeurs, and faculty. If you know people from the area with whom we should be in touch, please email our Writing Program Director, Christopher Riley at Chris@actoneprogram.com.

If you are from the South and want to be a screenwriter - start working on a script. We'll need a solid ten-page writing sample among several other tedious proofs of worth. Applications for Nashville in May will open in January. (We will also, of course, be holding our annual Hollywood Writing program in July...but at this point, there is very little difference in the content of the two programs.)