Turner says it has become the premiere sponsor of the American Black Film Festival—a three-year commitment—and will partner with the group on a writing contest to uncover "fresh," diverse content.
The contest is for writers with no professional experience. The winner will get a trip to Miami for the 2017 American Black Film Festival June 14-18, plus a cash prize and a meet and greet with TBS and TNT development teams.
"TNT and TBS are fully committed to expanding opportunities for storytellers from all backgrounds," said Sarah Aubrey, executive VP of original programming for TNT. "The ABFF & Turner Writing Contest is an excellent way to find and nurture exciting new talent just waiting to be discovered."
The announcement comes during Black History Month and while the proposed merger of AT&T and Time Warner is being vetted in Washington.
The scriptwriting contest is open to any U.S. residents 18-plus who are members of "a diverse or underrepresented community." Scripts are due by April 5, 2017, so writers will need to get writing. Contest rules are available at www.abff.com/turner-tv-pilot-contest/.
