KFTC copy editor Gary Shockley

[GeneChing]

Our copy editor, Gary W. Shockley, is among other things, an award-winning author. On his personal website, garywshockley.com, he is releasing his latest work, The Pulse of Kato Whip, in blog installments. It's also available as a podcast.

Gary is also one of my oldest kung fu brothers, so his work is often permeated with martial arts fun. Check out the first two reviews on his site:

"Kato Whip is an inspiration to anyone dreaming of someday outrunning Chuck Norris's roundhouse kick." --Alyson McDoogle Hayes

"Finally, Enter the Dragon meets My Dinner with Andre -- and done right!" --Patterson D. Laudenum

[GeneChing]

My bad. Gary just placed in the top five in the inaugural Beijing International Screenwriting Competition for feature film scripts.

Beijing International Screenwriting Competition announces winners
By Richard Verrier
May 20, 2013, 6:36 a.m.

An American woman arrives in China to retrace the steps of her deceased daughter from a video diary the daughter kept of her trip to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. A young flautist travels to Beijing to audition for a conservatory. A seamstress for a fashion company is betrayed by her jealous boss when she designs a spectacular kite for the Beijing Kite Festival.

Those are among seven winners in the short-film category of the inaugural Beijing International Screenwriting Competition, launched by the Chinese government in March as part of an ongoing strategy to expand its cultural influence and forge stronger ties to Hollywood.

The contest, which solicited stories about the country's capital and its cultural heritage, drew nearly 1,000 submissions from as many as 127 schools, colleges and universities throughout the United States.

Winners receive an all-expenses paid trip to Beijing and an opportunity to have their scripts produced in China, now the world's second-largest market for American movies.

“This groundbreaking initiative will help foster artistic collaboration and an ongoing creative dialogue between China and the U.S., and will provide an unprecedented opportunity for aspiring and established U.S. writers to obtain international recognition,'' said Huiguang Zhang, director of the cultural assets office of the Beijing municipal government.

"The people of Beijing look forward to welcoming these talented writers to China, and celebrating their achievements at the award ceremony on June 9.”

In an interview Friday at the USC campus, where she was attending her daughter's graduation, Zhang described the competition as a "wonderful idea" that would help strengthen ties between the U.S. and China.

"Interest in China is increasing tremendously among young people, so this opportunity will be a good channel for that,'' she said.

Winners in the short-film category are: "You and Me" by J.S. Mayank (Loyola Marymount University), "Morning Song" by Pamela Johnson (American Film Institute), "701" by Maya Rudolph (Columbia University), "Plight of the Honey Bee" by Anita Gou (New York University/Tisch School of the Arts), "City Music" by Cameron White (Princeton University), "Patchwork Dreams" by Lee Quarrie (Arizona State University); "You, Me, Beijing?" by Crosby Selander (Carnegie Mellon University).

In the feature film category, the five winners are: "The Panjiayuan Diary" by Tim Plaehn; "The Monkey King" by Galen Tong, "Legend of Gong Shun Hui" by Gary Shockley, "Million Dollar Wedding Club" by Johnny Ma, and "Tusk" by Joshua Banta.

Film producer Kevin Niu serves as chairman of the competition, and honorary competition presidents include Vice Mayor of Beijing Wei Lu and two-time Academy Award-winning director Mark Harris. Harris, Tracey Trench -- producer of "The Pink Panther" and consultant for Oriental DreamWorks -- and Chinese screenwriter Heping Zhang were judges for the competition.

The contest is sponsored by the state-owned Beijing International Creative Industry Corp. Other partners include LeTV, China's biggest online distributor for TV and movies, and Harvardwood, a nonprofit group that represents Harvard University alumni, faculty and others working in the arts and entertainment industries.

[GeneChing]

Gary was at TCEC 2013 and left for Beijing this morning.

Beijing International Screenwriting Competition Winners Announced
Posted by: Abby Fonseca May 23, 2013

Beijing International Screenwriting CompetitionThe Beijing International Screenwriting Competition, which solicited stories about the country’s capital and its cultural heritage, drew nearly 1,000 submissions from more than 127 schools, colleges, and universities throughout the United States.

Competition winners are to receive an all-expenses paid trip to Beijing with the opportunity to have their scripts produced in China. “The people of Beijing look forward to welcoming these talented writers to China, and celebrating their achievements at the award ceremony on June 9,” said Huiguang Zhang, director of the cultural assets office of the Beijing Municipal Government.

Winners in the short-film category were: “You and Me” by J.S. Mayank (Loyola Marymount University), “Morning Song” by Pamela Johnson (American Film Institute), “701″ by Maya Rudolph (Columbia University), “Plight of the Honey Bee” by Anita Gou (New York University/Tisch School of the Arts), “City Music” by Cameron White (Princeton University), “Patchwork Dreams” by Lee Quarrie (Arizona State University); “You, Me, Beijing?” by Crosby Selander (Carnegie Mellon University).

In the feature film category, the five winners were: “The Panjiayuan Diary” by Tim Plaehn; “The Monkey King” by Galen Tong, “Legend of Gong Shun Hui” by Gary Shockley, “Million Dollar Wedding Club” by Johnny Ma, and “Tusk” by Joshua Banta.

Judges for the competition were two-time Academy Award-winning director, Mark Harris, Tracey Trench, producer of “The Pink Panther” and consultant for Oriental DreamWorks, and Chinese screenwriter Heping Zhang.

The Beijing International Screenwriting Competition was sponsored by the state-owned Beijing International Creative Industry Corp. Other partners included LeTV, China’s biggest online distributor for TV and movies, and Harvardwood, a nonprofit group that represents Harvard University alumni, faculty and others working in the arts and entertainment industries. China is now the world’s second-largest market for American movies.

[Punch.HeadButt]

Awesome. Congrats, Gary!

[GeneChing]

Gary took over our Chollywood Rising column in our SEP+OCT 2013 issue to report on his trip. Sadly Gary didn't win the grand prize, but a free trip to Beijing and a check is nothing to scoff at. He's headed down to the award ceremonies tomorrow.

2013 Beijing International Screenwriting Competition Names Feature Film Grand Prize Winner
Galen Tong's THE MONKEY KING Awarded Grand Prize
By 2013 Beijing International Screenwriting Competition
Published: Friday, Oct. 18, 2013 - 7:10 am

NEW YORK, Oct. 18, 2013 -- /PRNewswire/ -- The Beijing International Screenwriting Competition today named screenwriter Galen Tong's The Monkey King the Feature Film Grand Prize Winner of the 2013 Competition. From the five previously announced First Prize winners, Tong's screenplay was selected by the Competition's Grand Judges and will be honored on October 19th in Los Angeles, CA, during "China's Entertainment Industry: The Next Chapter" event.

"The Monkey King is a tale of courage that will inspire audiences worldwide," said Competition Chairman Mr. Kevin Niu. "We are proud to name Galen Tong this year's Feature Film Grand Prize winner."

The Monkey King takes place at the turn of the 20th century during China's Boxer Rebellion and focuses on main character Lee's return to Peking. After his friend is murdered by foreign occupiers, Lee is forced to take refuge with a traveling company of Peking Opera Performers. Disguising himself as the Monkey King in Chinese Opera, Lee joins a secret society of warriors determined to rid foreign powers from China. Screenwriter Tong is a graduate of the University of Southern California's School of Cinema-Television. He currently resides in Los Angeles and works as a freelance Writer-Producer.

On October 19th, Tong will receive a cash prize of $15,000 during "China's Entertainment Industry: The Next Chapter" event. Hosted by Director of the Cultural Asset Office Maofei Zhou, Chairman Mr. Niu, and award-winning film producer Tiffany Pham, the event will feature an awards ceremony, reception, and a panel discussion highlighting major opportunities in China's cultural industry and trends for the future. Confirmed panelists include Zhou, along with Emmy Award-winning producer of Transformers: Age of Extinction and former President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Sid Ganis, former Legendary East production executive Michael Andreen, and two-time Tony Award® winning producer Darren Bagert. "China's Entertainment Industry: The Next Chapter" is being presented by the 2013 Beijing International Screenwriting Competition and Harvardwood.

The 2013 Beijing International Screenwriting Competition, which launched on March 4, 2013, is a joint initiative funded by the Cultural Assets Office of the Beijing Municipal Government aimed at fostering artistic collaboration between China and the US. Open to US-based contestants of all nationalities, the "Tale of Beijing" themed competition asked writers to submit both short film screenplays and feature film proposals centered on Beijing as a location, conveying the romance, mystery, and cultural richness of this great world capital.

Of the nearly 1,000 submissions, five Feature Film winners, including Tong, Tim Plaehn (The Panjiayuan Diary), Gary Shockley (Legend of Gong Shun Hui), Johnny Ma (Happiness), and Joshua Banta (TUSK), and ten Short Film winners were announced in May. In addition to international recognition and cash prizes, the fifteen winners received all-expense-paid-trips to Beijing in June. Seven of the Short Film winners also had their films financed for production in Beijing.

The 2013 Beijing International Screenwriting Competition is sponsored by the Beijing International Creative Industry Corporation. Other partners include LeTV and Harvardwood. Competition Grand Judges include two-time Academy Award-winning director Mark Harris, Tracey Trench, producer of The Pink Panther and Ever After and consultant for Oriental DreamWorks, and Heping Zhang, Chairman of the People's Art Theatre of Beijing. Honorary Competition Presidents include Harris and Vice-Mayor of Beijing Wei Lu. Ms. Pham serves as Head of Marketing. For more information about the 2013 Beijing International Screenwriting Competition, please visit http://writebeijing.org/.

About Beijing International Creative Industry Corporation (BCC) Beijing International Creative Industry Corporation (BCC) is a state-owned cultural industry corporation under the guidance of the Beijing Municipal Committee and Beijing Municipal Government. It is the executive institution of the "Going Abroad, Inviting In" strategy implemented by Beijing Municipal Committee and Beijing Municipal Government, as well as the first international, high-end platform integrating all cultural resources. Its mission is to expand Beijing's, and ultimately China's, cultural influence abroad.

There are three head companies under BCC, touching on international marketing, content production, and international financing and investment respectively. As the first state-owned transnational cultural corporation, BCC is committed to establishing a Beijing-centered worldwide network for cultural promotion and marketing.

About LeTV LeTV.com, the biggest online video content distributor for TV dramas and movies, is a division of the LeTV Information and Technology Corporation. LeTV is China's leading cross-platform service provider, providing clients with exceptional content and technical service with high quality Internet video programming for computer, mobile phone, and television users.

Established in November 2004, LeTV Information Technology Co., Ltd. was listed in the Second Board Market in China on August 12, 2010. It is the first A-share listed, online video company that focuses on research, development, and application of high-quality cyber video content technology in China.

About Harvardwood Harvardwood is a volunteer-run, nonprofit organization for Harvard University alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends working or strongly interested in the arts, media, and entertainment. The purpose of Harvardwood is to provide information, resources, and professional opportunities for members, while also endeavoring to strengthen ties among the arts, media, entertainment, and education for members as well as the broader community. Harvardwood coordinates programs and events for its members around the world, including on -and off-campus activities for students. Additionally, Harvardwood has an active online community, including a website, alumni directory, and various email lists through which its more than 5,000 members worldwide can send and receive information regarding career-related issues, social events, classified ads, and other areas of interest. For additional information, visit the Harvardwood website at http://www.harvardwood.org.

Media Contacts:

Sarah Rothman 42West (646) 254-6030 Sarah.Rothman@42West.net

Anna Miller 42West (646) 467-9054 Anna.Miller@42West.net

SOURCE 2013 Beijing International Screenwriting Competition

[GeneChing]

Congratulations to my dear friend, former co-worker, and longtime Kung Fu brother Gary Shockley on the publication of his book, Titanium White, a collection of Sci-Fi & Fantasy short stories. Gary is an award-winning writer, and was the copy editor for Kung Fu Tai Chi magazine and KungFuMagazine.com, as well as the video editor for Wing Lam Enterprises.
Titanium White available through Amazon or wherever fine books are sold
Paperback ISBN: 979-8223679721
Ebook ISBN: 979-8223745501