Just saw this on Writersroom website. The deadline is midnight Saturday 17th January - so not long - but they only seem to want a synopsis for an idea for a 10-15 minute short film at this stage.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/opportunity/the_magic_hour.shtml
I have removed my original post as I think it was starting to move in a direction that I didn't envisage and I hope no offense was caused as none was actually intended. So again sorry..
Def.
I think if there was a long history of unofficial discrimination against the able-bodied you'd probably have a point, Def.
Quote: Deferenz @ January 16 2009, 11:13 AM GMTIf something had read 'Only able bodied people need apply - no disabled people' am I right in thinking that the courts would ready themselves for a barrage of legal activity?
Probably. But in this case, the able bodied people always have the option of lopping off a body part and qualifying for the entrance criteria whereas the disabled people wouldn't be able to lose their disability to enter an 'able bodied only' competition.
I'm a comedy writer with absoulutly no sense of humour a disability I've suffered from for sometime and wondered if I would qualify under the BBC's criteria?
P.S. Do you think I could get one of those parking things as well?
Quote: Mark Rushton @ January 16 2009, 1:17 PM GMTI'm a comedy writer with absoulutly no sense of humour a disability I've suffered from for sometime and wondered if I would qualify under the BBC's criteria?
P.S. Do you think I could get one of those parking things as well?
Not sure about the parking, but as this competition is for short films of any genre, not just comedy, you could give it a go. 
I would like to have entered this (£8,000 to make a short film wooh!) but I don't think being left-handed, short-sighted and depressed qualifies me - though I would have liked to have written something about conditions people close to me have.
Quote: Deferenz @ January 16 2009, 11:13 AM GMT
If something had read 'Only able bodied people need apply - no disabled people' am I right in thinking that the courts would ready themselves for a barrage of legal activity?
The BBC ran a radio play writing competition for disabled writers last year. I queried the discrimination issue and their response was that they have very few submissions from disabled writers so they decided to target them specifically to increase submissions and perhaps find out why.
By the way, thanks for posting that up Dolly. Too late for me now, I only saw it today. I don't get Writer's Room newsletters even though I am signed up for them. 
Quote: Loopey @ January 16 2009, 4:34 PM GMTBy the way, thanks for posting that up Dolly. Too late for me now, I only saw it today. I don't get Writer's Room newsletters even though I am signed up for them.
What are you on about Loops???? The deadline is tommorrow at midnight you have thirty hours to write a treatment!
Get on the case!
"A one page synopsis of film
One page of directing notes on how the film will look, sound, feel and any actors attached
Completed application form and monitoring form
1 page cv on writer and director
DVD of your previous film work"
Plus much more if accepted, some of which I think would be beyond my capabilities. I haven't even come up with an idea yet!
I know, I know, you will berate me for being so defeatist now. 
Quote: Loopey @ January 16 2009, 4:44 PM GMT"A one page synopsis of film
One page of directing notes on how the film will look, sound, feel and any actors attached
Completed application form and monitoring form
1 page cv on writer and director
DVD of your previous film work"Plus much more if accepted, some of which I think would be beyond my capabilities. I haven't even come up with an idea yet!
I know, I know, you will berate me for being so defeatist now.
That's for writers and directors. So the look of it etc is mainly aimed at directors Don't get too much hung up on how it will look, it is asking for a page max so you don't have to go into great detail, a paragraph or so. Likewise with CV and etc.
Have a think tonight and see if you can come up with any ideas? What is about disabilty you want to say would make a good starting point. And then you can see how the might be dramatised into a short.
THey are asking for fifteen mins maximum - just go for ten minutes!
And if you don't come up with anything, don;t beat yourself up, just give Dolly a call!!
Mark P's right Loopey, we can do this!!!
I'll put on a big pot of coffee and we're gonna write like we've never written before.
I'll start....
Once upon a time far far away there lived a disabled person who.......???
Hey, thanks guys! I had another look at the critera and deadline for HARD copy is midnight tomorrow. Not sure there is a way around that! I have emailed and asked if they accept entries post marked tomorrow's date but no response yet.
I also have an idea, which I am writing up now just in case. 
"One page of directing notes on how the film will look, sound, feel and any actors attached"
I've never written directing notes, I usually just direct from the actor's script. Anyone like to enlighten me on that one? Also, what does 'any actors attached' mean?
Whoops, didn't see they wanted hard copy entries (oo err).
I think the 'actors attached' means do you have anyone lined up to play a role. I think the directing notes are only meant to be very general and well within your abilities Loops! I presume they mean stuff like wil it be B&W, hand held camera look, stylised or naturalistic, etc. They're also considering documentries, so looks like they're just after good ideas.
Good Luck. And if you want to 'attach' a left-handed, slightly short-sighted actress with depression, you can use my name....