THE 2010 OPTUS ONE80PROJECT ANNOUNCES TOP 10 ENTRIES

Sydney, Australia, Monday 1 March 2010 – Optus, MTV and Blackberry are excited to announce the Top 10 entries for the 2010 OPTUS ONE80PROJECT with the finalists hailing from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.





“The quality and diversity of ideas this year were exceptional with each entry conveying concepts that not only fit the brief but also met the requirements of a one hour television drama. The top 10 entries were of the highest calibre seen to date – a real showcase of the TV production talent that this country has to offer,” said Rebecca Batties, General Manager, Music Brands MTV Networks Australia & New Zealand.

“Every year this competition gets bigger and better and the quality of this year’s top ten is proof of this. The OPTUS ONE80PROJECT offers a unique platform allowing entrants to reach TV, mobile and online audiences. I encourage everyone to get involved and support our local TV talent by voting at one80project.com.au. Optus mobile customers can also view the top ten and vote for their favourite on their compatible 3G mobile phone via the Optus ZOO portal.” said Michael Smith, Managing Director, Optus Consumer.

The Top 10 entries were selected by a panel of representatives from Optus and MTV and will now be voted on by a panel of industry experts. The panel includes: Emmy and Golden Globe nominee and star of movie classics Jurassic Park, The Piano and currently Daybreakers, Sam Neill; Australian actor Xavier Samuel, who has just finished filming the third instalment of the Twilight series phenomenon Eclipse; his Road Train co-star and star of Beautiful Kate, Sophie Lowe; US based MTV Films heavyweight and Executive Vice President of New Media, David Gale; and Chris McGlinn, Director of Marketing for Amalgamated Holdings Limited who brings with him over 25 years of cinema experience.
From the Top 10, the judges will pick a Judges’ Choice winning entry which will be made into a one hour drama broadcast on MTV Australia. A second winner, the Viewers’ Choice Award, will also be selected by the public in a national campaign entitled You be the Judge.

You be the Judge - view the top 10 entries on the OPTUS ONE80PROJECT website, www.one80project.com.au. Optus mobile customers can also view and vote for entries via the Optus Zoo portal on their compatible 3G mobile or by SMS-ing the word “One80” to 966 or “iOne80” for iPhone customers. The Optus mobile site is free to browse and free to vote for Optus customers .

Vote and win - Vote online at www.one80project.com.au and follow the ‘vote and win’ option to be entered into a draw to win a BlackBerry Prize Pack valued at $1,500 or Optus mobile customers who vote via their compatible 3G mobile will receive an Event Cinemas discounted movie ticket.

Votes can be cast from Monday 1 March 2010 to Monday 5 April 2010.