Film and television production company MovieHatch.com has launched a feature screenplay competition that it claims could lead to a production deal of up to $10m.

The contest encourages budding filmmakers and screenwriters to enter video pitches and synopses by September 15 that will appear on the MovieHatch site.

MovieHatch Productions wants to receive the corresponding full-length scripts by September 17. Visitors to the site will become ‘Public Producers’ by voting on the pitches and will be rewarded with a number of online giveaways.

A panel of prominent industry professionals including Final Destination screenwriter Jeffrey Reddick, Red Wagon vice-president of development Josh Weinstock and Rat Entertainment head of production John Cheng will judge the top ten selections from the ‘Public Producers’, with each having an opportunity to go into production or development.

MovieHatch will leverage its relationships with Rat Entertainment, Varsity Pictures, Underground Films and Management, Tribeca Productions and Red Wagon to give entrants the best opportunity of getting their screenplay turned into a film.

“The goal of MovieHatch is to break down the traditional barriers by engaging audiences to bring them content they actually want to see,” MovieHatch founder and CEO Lauren Williams said. “Even the entries that don’t win first place afford the screenwriters and filmmakers an incredible opportunity because they still may spark the interest of one of our judges and partners.”

“Hollywood has been in need of a new approach to production and marketing for years and MovieHatch is taking the digital approach to the next level, not just by building audiences for original material in a promising way, but by including them in the process,” Rat Entertainment founder Brett Ratner said.