THE PROCESS

It's simple:

On November 6 executives at Hollywood film studios and production companies are asked to submit the names of no more than ten screenplays with the following characteristics:

1. They love the script
2. The script was written, or somehow came to the collective consciousness of the Hollywood community, in that calendar year.
3. The film version of the screenplay will not be in theaters before December 31, 2009

Immediately after voting closes on November 20 those submissions are tabulated. The scripts are ranked by the total number of votes. In 2008, a script needed at least four mentions to be included on the list.