San Francisco, Calif. March 15, 2010 — TEN Film Festival, the world's first film festival for unmade films, today announced an open Call for Entries and a $10,000 cash prize for the winner of the 1st Annual Big Tease Competition. TEN honors films that have not been made yet and seeks to support emerging talent and the future of the film industry. The deadline for entries is August 10th, 2010.

TEN Fest will be held on Sunday October 10th, 2010 in San Francisco, California. To enter, filmmakers are invited to create and submit teasers for feature films they would like to make. Twenty teasers will be screened at the festival, ten will be chosen. A combination of audience and jury votes will decide on one winner to receive the $10,000 prize. All ten finalists, however, will be brought into The Auteurs Garage, an online production studio recently announced at SXSW, and helped to get their films funded, produced, marketed and distributed.

"TEN Fest aims to challenge filmmakers to create the ultimate pitch piece: a teaser that enables them to get their work on the big screen," said Ericson deJesus, cofounder of TEN. For the first time ever, the trailer will play a role, not just in garnering an audience, but in the actual making of a movie."

TEN Fest will highlight work from all genres and will encourage open collaboration between entrants and the broader film community through a partnership with the The Autuer Garage, a global online network of filmmakers who discuss and share knowledge about all aspects of the industry. TEN Fest participants will find a supportive community to share ideas with at: http://www.theauteurs.com/garage

"Teasers typically come together after the months and months of filming and post-production have already been done," said Amelia Mulkey, cofounder of TEN. "But, it's an interesting challenge we've set for filmmakers: plan and produce a story tailored specifically for the trailer structure. The constraints are liberating. You can tell a feature-length story even if you don't have the resources to make a feature film; or if you simply have a great idea for a feature-length story but don't want to commit to the massive undertaking of turning that particular story into a feature film."

Rules, entry forms, and additional resources can be found at http://tenfest.com

Prospective filmmakers, both local and international, must submit their entrees by Midnight PST on August 10, 2010 to qualify for the competition. A small entry fee of $10 dollars will be charged upon entry, and submissions are strictly limited to films that have not been made yet. The winning teaser will be awarded the title "Big Tease 2010" title, a cash prize of $10,000, as well as a private meeting with the jury to consult and further pitch their feature.

Rules, entry forms and additional resources can be found at http://tenfest.com

For more information, email info@tenfest.com

About TEN
This independent film festival is based in San Francisco, California and seeks to bring professional exposure as well as support to a new generation of filmmakers.