SCREENWRITING PRIZE TO JOHN DEERY

MOTION Picture Association of America President Jack Valenti presented the 12th annual Hartley-Merrill International Screenwriting Prize to John Deery from the UK at this years Cannes Film Festival.
Deery won the award for ‘Conspiracy of Silence’, a story about the fragile lines of faith and devotion that are tested as two men search to uncover a deadly conspiracy hidden deep in the Catholic Church.
Founded by actress Dina Merrill and her husband, RKO Pictures CEO Ted Hartley, the prize recognises and supports screenwriters from around the world and fosters interaction between international writers, critics, filmmakers and financiers in the United States.
Jury members included David Puttnam, Robert Redford and Ted Hartley. A vast majority of all previous winning scripts have gone on to be produced in the screenwriter’s home country
Hartley said: “We are excited and honoured to have worked with such deserving filmmakers. The quality of their work is manifest in the number of winning scripts that have gone on to become feature films, and of course John Deery’s has special distinction as it moves rapidly into production”.
(GB)