Tourism New Zealand is giving filmmakers their big break with a new user-generated content (UGC) campaign that hopes to capture the spirit of the youngest country with the help of an Academy Award-winning director.

100% Pure New Zealand presents Your Big Break. Participants are encouraged to develop an original screenplay with supporting material, including a highly recommended 60 second pitch to camera that will help bring your idea to life. The video can include rough storyboards, stock footage or narratives.

Keeping in mind the limited budget, the time frame for production and that the final product will need to be exactly three minutes long, submissions will be accepted online until January 15, 2010.

All entries will be judged by a panel of film industry experts on the power of their idea as well as the practicalities based on the timing and resource constraints. Four finalists will be selected by the panel as well as one people’s choice work, which will be chosen based on community voting.

Participants are encouraged to create a buzz about their work and try to get as many votes as possible through their own social networks of friends and family. As well, if you already have experience with filmmaking don’t be afraid to share links to your work - although this won’t bias the judging panel.

The top five entries will be flown to New Zealand to turn your screenplay into a short film over the course of three weeks, beginning February 1, 2010. With you acting as the director you will be given a budget of NZ $100,000 and the necessary resources to help produce your film.

Post-production will take place over one week at Park Road Post Production - Peter Jackson’s facility in Wellington. Jackson will judge the five films and decide on the winner. The winning film will run in its entirety on U.S. television with the winner being credited.