Advance ‘Hobbit’ Screening Contest in New Zealand

Middle-earth tour guide and New Zealand dweller Jack Machiela of The Noldor Blog alerted us to this contest!
A local fabric softener company managed to snag seats for an advance screening of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on December 12, 2012. That’s one day before the film is released to the rest of New Zealand!
See full contest details below.

Terms and Conditions
1. The Promoters of this competition are Foodstuffs (Wellington) Co-operative Society Limited, Foodstuffs (Auckland) Limited and Foodstuffs South Island Limited (Foodstuffs).
2. The competition commences on 15th October 2012 and runs until close of trade on 25th November 2012 (the Competition Period).
3. You will receive an entry in the draw each time you purchase any two Cold Power or Cuddly products from any of the following participating New World supermarkets during the Competition Period and swipe or scan your Fly Buys card at the time of payment at the following New World Supermarkets:

• New World Upper North Island – Turangi and Taumarunui north
• New World Lower North Island – stores in Wellington, Wairarapa, Taranaki, Manawatu, Wanganui and Hawkes Bay regions only.
• New World South – all stores in the South Island

5. The prize winners will be drawn by Loyalty New Zealand Limited (Fly Buys) on 28th November 2012 by random electronic selection from all entries. The first eligible winner drawn from each of the three New World regions will win a pre-release private screening of The Hobbit for him or herself and thirty (30) friends. There are three major prizes to be won, one for each New World region.
Prize / s
a). There are three (3) major prizes to be won.  The 3 major prize winner/s will each receive a pre-release private screening of The Hobbit for him or herself and thirty (30) friends.  The screenings are only available at Hoyts Cinemas in the following locations; Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch & Dunedin and Reading Cinemas in the following location; Wellington.  Exhibitor partners may be subject to change.  Due to multiple format options for this film further restrictions may apply.  A minimum of seven working days prior notice is required for all bookings and screenings to take up the screenings, including 3D, and all screenings are subject to availability at the time of booking. The screenings can only be taken on the 12th December 2012 prior to the public release of the movie.  If a winner is unable to redeem the prize on the 12th December 2012, a private screening can take place after the 21st January 2013.  This is subject to availability and limitations may apply. Accommodation, travel and other expenses related to taking up the prizes are not included.  $RRP = Money can’t buy.

If you live in New Zealand, it’s well worth it to take advantage of this offer! Good luck to all those who enter!
Jack, who organizes the Wellymoot Tolkien Society, would also like to get the word out about the box office at the Embassy Theatre.

It looks like Wellington MAY have a line party. We held Welly-moot (the meeting of Wellington’s Tolkien enthusiasts) at the Embassy Theatre yesterday. I spoke to the Elly, the manager there, and asked her when Hobbit tickets to the December 13th opening would be available. She said at 12:01am Nov 7th (online), and 09:00am next morning (physical box office). I asked her if she would consider opening the physical box office at midnight as well, and she said she’d consider it IF she got enough demand for it.
Please if you know anyone in Wellington who wants to stand in line for the world’s FIRST official tickets (keep in mind our midnight happens an hour before anyone else’s midnight!!), get them to send an email to Elly, the manager of Wellington’s Embassy Theatre, at manager@deluxe.co.nz, with a subject of “Please open the Box Office at 12:0am, Nov 7th for Hobbit Tickets!”. If it opens, I plan to be there on the night – let’s see how many others we can get to join us!
Elly is a very nice person, and TOTALLY enthusiastic about The Hobbit, so please be nice to her when you email her!

There is a lot going on for Hobbit fans in New Zealand! If you live in Wellington, please join Jack in emailing Elly at the Embassy Theatre. And if she does open up early for all of the Hobbit fans, I’m sure she wouldn’t complain if you brought her some coffee and a breakfast pastry!

Advance ‘Hobbit’ Screening Contest in New Zealand

Middle-earth tour guide and New Zealand dweller Jack Machiela of The Noldor Blog alerted us to this contest!
A local fabric softener company managed to snag seats for an advance screening of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on December 12, 2012. That’s one day before the film is released to the rest of New Zealand!
See full contest details below.

Terms and Conditions
1. The Promoters of this competition are Foodstuffs (Wellington) Co-operative Society Limited, Foodstuffs (Auckland) Limited and Foodstuffs South Island Limited (Foodstuffs).
2. The competition commences on 15th October 2012 and runs until close of trade on 25th November 2012 (the Competition Period).
3. You will receive an entry in the draw each time you purchase any two Cold Power or Cuddly products from any of the following participating New World supermarkets during the Competition Period and swipe or scan your Fly Buys card at the time of payment at the following New World Supermarkets:

• New World Upper North Island – Turangi and Taumarunui north
• New World Lower North Island – stores in Wellington, Wairarapa, Taranaki, Manawatu, Wanganui and Hawkes Bay regions only.
• New World South – all stores in the South Island

5. The prize winners will be drawn by Loyalty New Zealand Limited (Fly Buys) on 28th November 2012 by random electronic selection from all entries. The first eligible winner drawn from each of the three New World regions will win a pre-release private screening of The Hobbit for him or herself and thirty (30) friends. There are three major prizes to be won, one for each New World region.
Prize / s
a). There are three (3) major prizes to be won.  The 3 major prize winner/s will each receive a pre-release private screening of The Hobbit for him or herself and thirty (30) friends.  The screenings are only available at Hoyts Cinemas in the following locations; Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch & Dunedin and Reading Cinemas in the following location; Wellington.  Exhibitor partners may be subject to change.  Due to multiple format options for this film further restrictions may apply.  A minimum of seven working days prior notice is required for all bookings and screenings to take up the screenings, including 3D, and all screenings are subject to availability at the time of booking. The screenings can only be taken on the 12th December 2012 prior to the public release of the movie.  If a winner is unable to redeem the prize on the 12th December 2012, a private screening can take place after the 21st January 2013.  This is subject to availability and limitations may apply. Accommodation, travel and other expenses related to taking up the prizes are not included.  $RRP = Money can’t buy.

If you live in New Zealand, it’s well worth it to take advantage of this offer! Good luck to all those who enter!
Jack, who organizes the Wellymoot Tolkien Society, would also like to get the word out about the box office at the Embassy Theatre.

It looks like Wellington MAY have a line party. We held Welly-moot (the meeting of Wellington’s Tolkien enthusiasts) at the Embassy Theatre yesterday. I spoke to the Elly, the manager there, and asked her when Hobbit tickets to the December 13th opening would be available. She said at 12:01am Nov 7th (online), and 09:00am next morning (physical box office). I asked her if she would consider opening the physical box office at midnight as well, and she said she’d consider it IF she got enough demand for it.
Please if you know anyone in Wellington who wants to stand in line for the world’s FIRST official tickets (keep in mind our midnight happens an hour before anyone else’s midnight!!), get them to send an email to Elly, the manager of Wellington’s Embassy Theatre, at manager@deluxe.co.nz, with a subject of “Please open the Box Office at 12:0am, Nov 7th for Hobbit Tickets!”. If it opens, I plan to be there on the night – let’s see how many others we can get to join us!
Elly is a very nice person, and TOTALLY enthusiastic about The Hobbit, so please be nice to her when you email her!

There is a lot going on for Hobbit fans in New Zealand! If you live in Wellington, please join Jack in emailing Elly at the Embassy Theatre. And if she does open up early for all of the Hobbit fans, I’m sure she wouldn’t complain if you brought her some coffee and a breakfast pastry!

Advance ‘Hobbit’ Screening Contest in New Zealand

Middle-earth tour guide and New Zealand dweller Jack Machiela of The Noldor Blog alerted us to this contest!
A local fabric softener company managed to snag seats for an advance screening of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on December 12, 2012. That’s one day before the film is released to the rest of New Zealand!
See full contest details below.

Terms and Conditions
1. The Promoters of this competition are Foodstuffs (Wellington) Co-operative Society Limited, Foodstuffs (Auckland) Limited and Foodstuffs South Island Limited (Foodstuffs).
2. The competition commences on 15th October 2012 and runs until close of trade on 25th November 2012 (the Competition Period).
3. You will receive an entry in the draw each time you purchase any two Cold Power or Cuddly products from any of the following participating New World supermarkets during the Competition Period and swipe or scan your Fly Buys card at the time of payment at the following New World Supermarkets:

• New World Upper North Island – Turangi and Taumarunui north
• New World Lower North Island – stores in Wellington, Wairarapa, Taranaki, Manawatu, Wanganui and Hawkes Bay regions only.
• New World South – all stores in the South Island

5. The prize winners will be drawn by Loyalty New Zealand Limited (Fly Buys) on 28th November 2012 by random electronic selection from all entries. The first eligible winner drawn from each of the three New World regions will win a pre-release private screening of The Hobbit for him or herself and thirty (30) friends. There are three major prizes to be won, one for each New World region.
Prize / s
a). There are three (3) major prizes to be won.  The 3 major prize winner/s will each receive a pre-release private screening of The Hobbit for him or herself and thirty (30) friends.  The screenings are only available at Hoyts Cinemas in the following locations; Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch & Dunedin and Reading Cinemas in the following location; Wellington.  Exhibitor partners may be subject to change.  Due to multiple format options for this film further restrictions may apply.  A minimum of seven working days prior notice is required for all bookings and screenings to take up the screenings, including 3D, and all screenings are subject to availability at the time of booking. The screenings can only be taken on the 12th December 2012 prior to the public release of the movie.  If a winner is unable to redeem the prize on the 12th December 2012, a private screening can take place after the 21st January 2013.  This is subject to availability and limitations may apply. Accommodation, travel and other expenses related to taking up the prizes are not included.  $RRP = Money can’t buy.

If you live in New Zealand, it’s well worth it to take advantage of this offer! Good luck to all those who enter!
Jack, who organizes the Wellymoot Tolkien Society, would also like to get the word out about the box office at the Embassy Theatre.

It looks like Wellington MAY have a line party. We held Welly-moot (the meeting of Wellington’s Tolkien enthusiasts) at the Embassy Theatre yesterday. I spoke to the Elly, the manager there, and asked her when Hobbit tickets to the December 13th opening would be available. She said at 12:01am Nov 7th (online), and 09:00am next morning (physical box office). I asked her if she would consider opening the physical box office at midnight as well, and she said she’d consider it IF she got enough demand for it.
Please if you know anyone in Wellington who wants to stand in line for the world’s FIRST official tickets (keep in mind our midnight happens an hour before anyone else’s midnight!!), get them to send an email to Elly, the manager of Wellington’s Embassy Theatre, at manager@deluxe.co.nz, with a subject of “Please open the Box Office at 12:0am, Nov 7th for Hobbit Tickets!”. If it opens, I plan to be there on the night – let’s see how many others we can get to join us!
Elly is a very nice person, and TOTALLY enthusiastic about The Hobbit, so please be nice to her when you email her!

There is a lot going on for Hobbit fans in New Zealand! If you live in Wellington, please join Jack in emailing Elly at the Embassy Theatre. And if she does open up early for all of the Hobbit fans, I’m sure she wouldn’t complain if you brought her some coffee and a breakfast pastry!

Pet Photo Contest Launches Oct 29, 2012

As part of the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) 150th anniversary exhibit curated by Archival & Special Collections, the Library will be holding a pet photo contest open to all U of G faculty, staff, students, and members of the Guelph community starting on October 29.

Do you have an adorable pet photo you’re willing to share? Here’s how you can enter:

1. Post your photo on the Library’s first floor- Write your full name, pet’s name, and email address on the back of the photo, and post it to the easel boards located at the central area on the 1st floor of the McLaughlin Library (tape and pens will be provided).

2. Email- Email your photo with your full name and pet’s name to libaspc@uoguelph.ca with the Subject: Pet Photo Contest.

3. Twitter- Tweet your submissions to @UoG_ATS with the hashtag #UoGpets. Include your full name, pet’s name, and email address via Direct Message to @UoG_ATS.

Contest Closes December 3, 2012.

Multiple submissions will be accepted. All photos will be displayed in the main floor of the Library, Participants will be entered into a raffle draw and winners will be announced at the official opening of the OVC exhibit on Thursday, November 8, 2012, at 4 p.m. in the Library’s Academic Town Square. Drawing for two other prizes will be held on December 3, 2012.

We look forward to seeing all your pets! Don’t forget: Exciting prizes await!

To learn more about the pet contest or the OVC 150th exhibit in the Library, email Michelle Goodridge, Library Associate for Archival and Special Collections, at mgoodrid@uoguelph.ca or call 519-824-4120 ext. 53413. Information about the OVC 150th anniversary is available at:  http://www.ovc150.ca/en/.

Nikon Photo Contest 2012-2013

Nikon has issued a call for entries to the 2012-2013 Nikon Photo Contest. Held since 1969, the Nikon Photo Contest (NPC), formally known as the Nikon Photo Contest International (NPCI), was created with the goal of “contributing to the development of photographic culture by providing a venue of communication among photographers from around the world, be they professionals or amateurs.” For this year’s contest, Nikon is seeking entries in four categories including single photo, composite photo, video and Motion Snapshot. The entry period begins on 1 December 2012 and runs until 28 February 2013. To submit your work, visit the Nikon Photo Contest 2012-2013 website, complete the entry form and submit your work.
Website: Nikon Photo Contest Entry period begins on 1 December 2012
Nikon Press Release
The Nikon Photo Contest 2012-2013: A Call for Entries
This Year’s 2012-2013 Nikon Photo Contest Seeks to Join Amateur and Professional Photographers from Around the World in a Celebration of Creativity and Photographic Vision
TOKYO, JAPAN – Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce a call for entries to the 2012-2013 Nikon Photo Contest, one of the largest international photo contests in the world. Nikon hopes to provide an opportunity for photographers of all types to express themselves and showcase their creative work.  For the 34th installment of the contest, Nikon has added categories for video, “Motion Snapshots” taken with Nikon 1 system cameras, and a Participants’ Award for the most popular entry, chosen by contest entrants. Entries can be submitted from December 1, 2012 through February 28, 2013.

Held since 1969, the Nikon Photo Contest (NPC), formally known as the Nikon Photo Contest International (NPCI), was created with the goal of “contributing to the development of photographic culture by providing a venue of communication among photographers from around the world, be they professionals or amateurs.”

For this year’s contest, Nikon is seeking entries in four categories:
Category A: Single photo
Category B: Composite photo – composed of a series of two to five photographs
Category C: Photographic videos – featuring videos up to 45 seconds in length
Category D: Motion Snapshot – combination of still images/movies available with the Nikon 1 system line of cameras

The judges include active and well-known international photographers who will select a total of 54 works to be given first, second and third prizes in each category, in addition to a Grand Prize for the most outstanding overall entry. A new addition this year is a “Participants’ Award” given to the most popular entry chosen by the contest entrants. Winning entries will be announced in the summer of 2013 and will be included in a public exhibition (location and date to be announced).

Guidelines for the Nikon Photo Contest 2012-2013
Eligibility
The contest is open to all professional and amateur photographers, regardless of age, sex or nationality.

Theme
No theme is specified for any of the four categories.

Entry Period
December 1, 2012 to February 28, 2013

How to Enter
Entries must be submitted online. Visit the Nikon Photo Contest 2012-2013 website (http://www.nikon-photocontest.com), complete the entry form and submit your work.

Submissions
Each entry is limited to a total of ten works in categories A and B: for example, two entries of one photograph each in the single photo category and one entry of four photographs in the composite category would total six works.
The same works or portions of the same works cannot be submitted in both Category A and B.
Each entrant can submit one work in each of categories C and D. These works can be in addition to works submitted in categories A and B.
Entry is restricted to original works that have not been published and to which the entrant holds the rights.
Works that have been submitted to other previous or ongoing contests will not be accepted. This includes those that are submitted to another contest after being entered in the Nikon Photo Contest.

Eligible Works
Categories A and B
Image data files created with digital cameras (including medium and large format cameras)
Images that have been retouched using software or by other means will be accepted
Both color and monochrome images will be accepted (Scans of photographs taken with film cameras are not eligible)
File Size: Up to 20MB
File Format: JPEG/150 dpi recommended
The standard color space for the judging process is sRGB
Entrants may be requested to provide higher resolution images for publication or display purposes related to the contest
Category C
Movie files containing videos created from footage shot using the movie recording function on digital still cameras (including medium and large format cameras)
Length: 45 seconds
Each movie entered must be in MOV format, with a file size 200MB or less
Any music used must be either copyright-free and performed and recorded by the entrant or a person designated by the entrant (commercial recordings of copyright-free music may not be used) or be works for which the entrant holds the rights and for which the rights have not been transferred to a copyright collective.
Category D
Motion Snapshot files created with the Motion Snapshot feature on Nikon 1 cameras
Entries must be in MOV format

Judging/Announcement of Results
Entries will be published to the Nikon Photo Contest website after the first round of judging following the completion of the entry period. Current plans call for entries to be published at the end of April, 2013. The final winners will be determined after the second and final rounds of judging in April and June, respectively, with the final results announced on the Nikon Photo Contest Website in the summer of 2013.  All entrants will be eligible to vote for the “Participants’ Award” for most popular entry. To learn more about Nikon’s judges from around the world, please visit http://www.nikon-photocontest.com/en/#/judge.

Awards and Prizes
All winners will receive trophies and prizes of Nikon products with values determined by the type of prize.  The most outstanding entry in categories A, B and C will receive the Grand Prize, while 48 additional prizes will be awarded in categories A, B and C for first, second and third place winners. The top three entries in category D will receive prizes as well.

The “Participants’ Award” winner and “NIKKOR Award” winner (best work shot with a NIKKOR lens) will be awarded prize money and a trophy. An exhibition of the prize-winning works will be held in 2013 at a date and time to be determined. The Grand Prize winner and first-place finishers in each category will be given the right to post other works to a photo gallery on the Nikon Photo Contest 2012-2013 website.

Notes
The Grand Prize will not be awarded if no eligible entry is submitted.
All winners will receive a trophy.
Non-cash prizes may not be exchanged, transferred, or redeemed for cash.

About Nikon
Nikon, At the Heart of the Image™. Nikon Inc. is the world leader in digital imaging, precision optics and photo imaging technology and is globally recognized for setting new standards in product design and performance for its award-winning consumer and professional photographic equipment. Nikon Inc. distributes consumer and professional digital SLR cameras, NIKKOR® optics, Speedlights and system accessories; Nikon COOLPIX® compact digital cameras; 35mm film SLR cameras; Nikon software products and Nikon sports and recreational optics as well as the new Nikon 1 advanced camera with interchangeable lens system. In 2012, production of NIKKOR lenses surpassed 70 million, creating a new milestone in Nikon’s heritage of superior optics. For more information, dial (800) NIKON-US or visit http://www.nikonusa.com, which links all levels of photographers to the Web’s most comprehensive photo learning and sharing communities. Connect with Nikon and other photographers on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/nikon and get the latest news and information from Twitter by following @NikonUSA.

Source : http://www.photographyblog.com/news/nikon_photo_contest_2012-2013/

screenwriting competitions

Here’s some screenwriting competitions worth checking out:
Fresh Voices Screenplay Competition - Deadline: 5 November 2012
L.A Comedy Shorts Screenplay Competition – Deadline: 6 November 2012 (regular) / 10 January 2013 (late) – Catergories for short film script, feature film script and tv sitcom pilot script.
4Screenwriting (Channel Four) – Deadline: 7 November 2012
Cinequest Screenwriting Competition  – Deadline: 12 November 2012 (WAB Extended)
Blue Cat Screenplay Competition - Deadline: 15 November  2012 (final)
The Writers Place Screenplay Contest – Deadline: 15 November 2012
European Independent Film Festival Script Competition – Deadline: 18 November 2012 (early) / 10 March 2013 (late)
United Film Festival Screenwriting Contest – Deadline: 23 November 2012 (regular) / 4 January 2012 (late) / 15 February 2013 (extended)
London Independent Film Festival Screenplay Contest – 30 November 2012 (regular) / 1 March 2013 (late)
Writers’ Couch (Cascade Pictures) – Deadline: 10 December 2012 (opens for applications on 12 November)
Script Pipeline Screenwriting Contest – Deadline: 31 December 2012 (pre-reg) / 1 March 2013 (early) / 1 May 2013 (regular) / 7 May 2013 (late) / 20 May 2013 (WAB Extended)
Scriptapalooza -  Deadline: 7 January 2013 (early) / 5 March 2013 (regular) / 22 April 2013 (final)
Big Bear Screenwriting Competition – Deadline: 15 January 2013 (early) / 1 March 2013 (regular) / 1 April 2013 (late) / 7 April 2013 (WAB Extended)
Writers Revolution Screenplay Competition – Deadline: 31 January 2012
BBC Writersroom Script Call – Deadlines: usually January, May and October
Warner Bros’ Writers’ Workshop – Deadline: 1 June 2013 (submissions accepted from 1 May 2013)

Source : http://scriptangel.wordpress.com/2012/10/31/screenwriting-contests-updated-november-2012/

NASA Announces Asteroid Naming Contest for Students

WASHINGTON -- Students worldwide have an opportunity to name an asteroid from which an upcoming NASA mission will return samples to Earth.

Scheduled to launch in 2016, the mission is called the Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx). Samples returned from the primitive surface of the near-Earth asteroid currently called (101955) 1999 RQ36 could hold clues to the origin of the solar system and organic molecules that may have seeded life on Earth. NASA also is planning a crewed mission to an asteroid by 2025. A closer scientific study of asteroids will provide context and help inform this mission.

"Because the samples returned by the mission will be available for study for future generations, it is possible the person who names the asteroid will grow up to study the regolith we return to Earth," said Jason Dworkin, OSIRIS-REx project scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

The competition is open to students under age 18 from anywhere in the world. Each contestant can submit one name, up to 16 characters long. Entries must include a short explanation and rationale for the name. Submissions must be made by an adult on behalf of the student. The contest deadline is Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012.

The contest is a partnership with The Planetary Society in Pasadena, Calif.; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington; and the University of Arizona in Tucson.

A panel will review proposed asteroid names. First prize will be awarded to the student who recommends a name that is approved by the International Astronomical Union Committee for Small-Body Nomenclature.

"Our mission will be focused on this asteroid for more than a decade," said Dante Lauretta, principal investigator for the mission at the University of Arizona. "We look forward to having a name that is easier to say than (101955) 1999 RQ36."

The asteroid was discovered in 1999 by the Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) survey at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory. LINEAR is part of NASA's Near Earth Observation Program in Washington, which detects and catalogs near-Earth asteroids and comets. The asteroid has an average diameter of approximately one-third of a mile (500 meters).

"We are excited to have discovered the minor planet that will be visited by the OSIRIS-REx mission and to be able to engage students around the world to suggest a name for 1999 RQ36," said Grant Stokes, head of the Aerospace Division at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and principal investigator for the LINEAR program.

The asteroid received its designation of (101955) 1999 RQ36 from the Minor Planet Center, operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in Cambridge, Mass. The center assigns an initial alphanumeric designation to any newly discovered asteroid once certain criteria are met to determine its orbit.

"Asteroids are just cool and 1999 RQ36 deserves a cool name!" said Bill Nye, chief executive officer for The Planetary Society. "Engaging kids around the world in a naming contest will get them tuned in to asteroids and asteroid science."

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center will provide overall mission management, systems engineering and safety and mission assurance. Lockheed Martin Space Systems of Denver will build the spacecraft. OSIRIS-REx is the third mission in NASA's New Frontiers Program. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., manages New Frontiers for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.

To review contest rules and guidelines, visit:

http://planetary.org/name

To see a video explanation about the contest, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/name-asteroid.html

For information about the OSIRIS-REx mission, visit:

http://osiris-rex.lpl.arizona.edu

Source :http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2012/sep/HQ_12-302_Asteroid_Naming_Contest.html