Slamdance Film Festival hasannounced the year-round sponsorship of fox21, 20th Century Fox'sboutique production, kicking off at the upcoming festival in January with theBlind Script Deal award for the winner of the Teleplay Competition Grand Prize.

Slamdance set up theoriginal Teleplay Competition to discover new voices in television writing. Therecipient of the Blind Script Deal will receive a prize of $30,000 to $45,000depending on the length of the script.

"We couldn't be more excitedaboutbeing in business with theSlamdance TeleplayCompetition," fox21 senior vice president Jane Leisner said in astatement.

"Like us,they'rededicated to identifying untapped talent and discovering fresh and excitingvoices.It's the perfect fit."

"The market for exciting,evocative television writing has grown and our competition writers aresupplying the edgy material needed for the next big thing in television,"competition director John Stoddard added.

Semi-finalists will beannounced on Jan 1 2005 and the Grand Prize winner will collect his or heraward at the Slamdance awards ceremony on Jan 28. The festival is due to runfrom Jan 21-28 2005.