The Moxie Project presents the first-ever GAY TV WEEK in Palm Springs

BRUCE VILANCH AND ‘ALL-STAR’ PANEL TO JUDGE GAY TV PROMO MAKING CONTEST IN PALM SPRINGS – JULY 8-12

Hollywood comedy writer Bruce Vilanch will head up a “Palm Springs All-Star” list of ‘celebrity’ judges who will evaluate the entries in The Moxie Project’s first-ever TV Commercial contest to be held July 8 to 12, 2009, at Hotel Zoso in Palm Springs. Other judges include former Palm Springs Mayor Ron Oden, City of Palm Springs Director of Tourism Mary Jo Ginther, radio personality “Bulldog” Bill Feingold, Desert Gay Tourism Guild President Ricardo Gomez, Dick Taylor of DST Industries, and local divas Bella da Ball and Pinkie Meringue Shimmer. The deadline for contest submissions is Saturday, July 11, 2009 at 6:00 PM at Hotel Zoso.

“We have a fantastic team of judges assembled from Hollywood and the local Palm Springs community for the first-ever Gay TV Week,” said Shann Carr, founder of the Moxie Project. “Everyone at Moxie is very excited about all the fun events we have planned for the local community and the production teams who will be in town to compete. Most of the events are at Hotel Zoso, who is offering an amazing $89/night rate for Moxie guests.”

Gay TV Week, which takes place from July 8 to 12, will also feature a free writer’s workshop with Bruce Vilanch titled “How To Write What Sells and Sell It In Hollywood!” from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm on Saturday, July 11 at Hotel Zoso. Vilanch is one of the ‘most employed’ writers in Hollywood. He caught the public eye with his wisecracks on Hollywood Squares, and most notably has written more Academy Awards and Emmy Award shows than any other writer working today.

Other free events open to the public include themed happy hour mixers,  yoga sessions, a “Decades” T-Dance, water volleyball, and a Fruit Suits swimwear fashion show paired with Tom Bianchi’s bright light photography workshop from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm on Friday, July 10 also at Hotel Zoso.

The centerpiece of the Week is a TV commercial-making competition that is open to filmmakers from across the country. The Moxie Project is offering three $1,000 prizes for the best 60-second TV spots created by teams of professional and amateur contestants. The cash prizes will be awarded in three categories: the best commercial promoting Palm Springs as an exciting entertainment and vacation destination, the best PSA for The Desert Pride Center, and the best commercial for a local gay business, the Santiago Resort.

Participating businesses, which will be available as filming locations and offering registrants discounts, include Almost Hollywood Productions, Tom Bianchi Photography, Byway Entertainment, Casitas Laquita, Cathedral City Boys Club (CCBC), Confession Nightclub and Lounge, Dink’s Restaurant and Ultra Lounge, Bulldog Bill Feingold “Unleashed,” INNdulge Palm Springs, Warm Sands Villas, The Hatch Partnership, PNN PrideNation Network, Streetbar, Triangle Inn, The Tropicale, Urban Yoga, Musician Wayne Moore, and Wang’s of the Desert. A full list of participating businesses is available on The Moxie Project’s website.

The registration fee is $25 per entry, and teams may enter a total of 5 projects in the competition. Contestants may register here or by calling 760/567-5687.

This summer’s event is a precursor to The Moxie Project’s much larger Gay TV Week from December 26, 2009 – January 3, 2010. During that event, several TV pilots will be filmed and screened by Moxie Studios, independent production companies, and television networks.

For more information, please check this web site often, or call 760/567-5687.