reported by Barry Dunning, FictionFanatic.com

Wizards of the Coast, the Seattle- based company behind Dungeons & Dragons, today announced its first-ever D&amp(R) Fan Film Contest. Fans of the game have been exploring extraordinary worlds, encountering mystical adversaries, and developing incredible characters for more than 30 years. Now the boundless creativity and imaginations of its players are being called to an adventure very few have experienced before -- creating their very own film!

Contestants in the D&amp Fan Film Contest are vying for more than just the thrill of letting their geek flag fly. One grand prize-winner will take home a new computer, video editing software, video camera, and a Dungeons & Dragons "Year of Dragons" gift pack which includes, the limited-edition Colossal Red Dragon and D&amp Chess Set. In addition, three finalists will receive round- trip flights to Los Angeles, along with hotel accommodations, to attend the final judging and awards ceremony.

Here's how to enter:

1. Visit http://www.dndfanfilmfest.com, and follow the instructions to review the Official Contest Rules & Guidelines, complete and submit an entry form and upload your film

2. Create one film that does not exceed five minutes in length 3. The finished film can be submitted on MPEG (.mpg), QuickTime (.mov), Windows Video (.wmv), or AVI (.avi) file format

4. Deadline for submissions is September 1, 2006

All eligible films will be posted at http://www.gamevideos.com, on or about September 15, 2006, and fans nationwide will be able to vote for their favorites until September 30, 2006. The top 10 eligible films, as chosen by the fans, will advance to the final judging, where a panel of celebrity fans and members of the independent film community, as well as game developers, will determine the final three. These entries will be judged by the following criteria: entertainment value (50 percent), originality (25 percent) and adherence to D&amp genre (25 percent). The final three films will be screened in Los Angeles at the Worldwide Dungeons & Dragons Game Day, where the grand prizewinner will be announced.