Grand Prize Winner

Jenkins and Watts: Paranormal Attorneys At Law by Michael Brennan

In a world where ghosts exist and have rights, Jenkins and Watts defend them against overzealous law enforcement, organized crime, and literal demons from hell...for fair market price.

Feature Winner

Medusa by Tristan Bellawala

A young girl with snakes for hair and a petrifying gaze traverses ancient Greece in an attempt at self-preservation and on a journey of self-discovery alongside a hero aiming to prove himself in this twist on the Medusa myth.

Short Winner

I'm Sorry I Missed You by Ethan Rogers

In the wake of a traumatic loss, the Clarke family finds itself grasping for answers to make sense of their son’s death. Older brother, Theo, plunges into his late brother’s comic book world to face the beast that took him—a beast that has since been stalking his family.

TV Winner

New Earth by Devon Sharma

Centuries after humanity abandoned dying Planet Earth for manmade New Earth, private investigator Brandt Truman searches for a missing android, only to get caught up in a far-reaching conspiracy that will force him to face his troubled past.

Honorable Mentions

Kaltera by Will Kisor, Gage Swanston  
Offspring by Hannah Silverman

The Add-on Prize Winner will be decided at a later date after further consideration by the prize partner.

View the quarterfinalists, semifinalists and finalists by clicking the corresponding link. And if you’d like to receive a notification when this contest re-opens for entries, you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here.

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The post 2023 ScreenCraft Animation Competition Winners appeared first on ScreenCraft.

Grand Prize Winner (Selected by Meg LeFauve)

The Refugee by Jennifer Black & Ibrahim Renno

A tormented Syrian refugee finds his pulse again in caring for a neglected 10-year-old, until her abduction by a savage gang forces him to resurrect his vigilante prowess to save her.

Grand Prize Winner (Selected by Stephany Folsom)

Electric Road by M.K. Ching

When an autistic boy is inadvertently taken during a carjacking, his parents give chase, remotely connecting to the car's dashcam in order to follow their son. Meanwhile, a mysterious woman attempts to goad the accidental kidnapper into murdering the boy—for reasons known only to her.

Grand Prize Winner (Selected by Samuel D. Hunter)

The Cockfighter by Andrew Case

To pay off a loan shark, a foolhardy Vietnam vet is driven to desperate ends as he navigates the go-for-broke world of underground cockfighting in 1980s Oklahoma.

Nardeep Khurmi Industry Mentorship Winner

Mother Mehreen by Anna Khan

A Muslim teenager’s lies to cover up her secret abortion from her small Mississippi town spiral out of control when she accidentally claims immaculate conception, and is soon heralded as the mother of the next messiah.

The Anonymous Content Mentorship Add-On Winner will be decided at a later date after further consultations.

Congratulations to these winning writers, and thank you to our jury and to everyone who submitted projects; we read a number of remarkable scripts. View the quarterfinalists, semifinalists and finalists by clicking the corresponding link.

If you’d like to receive a notification when this contest re-opens for entries, you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here.

For all the latest ScreenCraft news and updates, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post 2023 ScreenCraft Feature Screenplay Competition Winners appeared first on ScreenCraft.

The Spring 2024 Film Fund is now open for submissions. If you’d like to receive additional notifications for this contest you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here.

Grant Recipient Winners:

Coal Country is a feature documentary from directors Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen and producer Audrey Rosenberg. In southern West Virginia, a community devastated by the deadliest U.S. mining disaster of the 21st century strives towards a brighter, more sustainable future in this emotionally-raw documentary that complicates mainstream perceptions of life and politics in rural America.

El Cartel Cubano is a feature documentary from Adrienne Hall. It tells the story of the complex and beautiful Caribbean island of Cuba, reflected through 60+ years of its post-revolution cinema, posters, and the artists behind these creations. As the Cuban people continue to endure political and social upheaval, local artists continue to fight for freedom of expression. El Cartel Cubano explores how these posters (carteles), a beloved and enduring form of expression and activism, continue to be visible in the daily lives of Cubans and serve as a true reflection of Cuba.

The (Mis)education of Black Children is a live-action feature film from Moreetsi Gabang. Over the course of a single day in a village in Botswana, a little boy’s relationship with his domestic helper is threatened, a dog’s life is endangered, and the barren wife of a pastor discovers her albino niece is missing. A look at a defining moment in the lives of three Batswana who learn the values of compassion, respect and responsibility.

Timetracker is a feature documentary from Peter Quandt that follows Jack Powers, a brilliant 61-year-old man recently released from a 33-year federal prison stay, 22 of which were spent in extreme solitary confinement. The film accompanies Jack as he navigates reentry and travels the American West in a rehabbed RV, in search of a better life and a sense of peace with his past.

Congratulations to our grant recipients and finalists, and thank you to everyone who submitted; we read a number of remarkable projects. View the second rounders, semifinalists and finalists by clicking the corresponding link.

For all the latest ScreenCraft news and updates, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Grand Prize Winner

North Star by Zach Grossman

In an alternate present-day, all extraterrestrials have fled Earth after their mistreatment by the human race. Zoe, a two-bit thief freshly out of prison, returns to exact revenge on her criminal boss when she finds and releases a young alien being held against its will. Both now needing to leave the state and travel north, Zoe reluctantly joins the alien as its chaperone on the dangerous journey ahead.

Feature Winner

Point Nemo by Alex Rivers

In 2031, the ISS is decommissioned and crash-landed at the oceanic point of inaccessibility: Point Nemo. But when an unknown sound is heard emanating from the crash site, a team of scientists will discover that the space station was not alone when it returned.

TV Pilot Winner

Search by Angela Treviño

An engineer uncovers a disturbing connection between her husband's disappearance and that of a billionaire’s wife: both cases appear linked to the UFO phenomena increasingly invading our skies.

Add-On Prize Winner

Rim of the World by Chris Knauer

Ten years after a toxic haze blanketed the earth, the isolated mountaintop survivors of Big Bear, California work to rebuild society while facing threats of tribalism, diminishing resources, and a new, supernatural enemy that has the potential to eradicate humanity once and for all.

Congratulations to these winning writers and finalists, and thank you to our jury and to everyone who submitted projects; we read a number of remarkable projects. View the quarterfinalists, semifinalists and finalists by clicking the corresponding link.

If you’d like to receive a notification when this contest re-opens for entries, you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here.

For all the latest ScreenCraft news and updates, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post 2023 ScreenCraft Sci-Fi & Fantasy Competition Winners appeared first on ScreenCraft.

Grand Prize Winner

The Monkey Bars by Matt Farquharson

A lonely refugee girl arrives at an inner-London school and must confront her past and present to find friendship.

First Runners Up (2)

The Flower Girl by Anne Carmack

A young girl gets ready for a wedding.

superстарик by Andrew McGowan

A ninety-year-old Russian man thinks he is a superhero, much to the chagrin of his ultra-skeptical daughter until an unexpected turn of events calls his powers into action.

Congratulations to these winning writers and finalists, and thank you to our jury and to everyone who submitted projects; we read a number of remarkable projects. View the quarterfinalists, semifinalists and finalists by clicking the corresponding link. If you’d like to receive a notification when this contest re-opens for entries, you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here.

For all the latest ScreenCraft news and updates, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post 2023 ScreenCraft Short Film Screenplay Competition Winners appeared first on ScreenCraft.

Grand Prize Winner + Mentorship with Andrew Barrer

Secret Santa by Ryan W. Smith

When a notorious crime syndicate plans to steal the world’s largest red diamond from Manhattan’s most celebrated toy store, a hard-edged SECRET AGENT must go undercover in the most unsuspecting of ways… as the store’s SANTA CLAUS. Ocean’s 11 meets Kindergarten Cop, meets Elf.

Feature Winner

The Little Kite by James F. Robinson

A young Mayan girl, Tomasa, clashes with her strong-willed mother and loses a beloved grandfather. Rebellion and determination lead to discovery of herself and of her ancient Indigenous culture.

TV Pilot Winner

Zenith Uncharted by Martha Duzett

A teenage science enthusiast enlists her reluctant peers to uncover the mysteries threatening their space station home and the Earth below—and hopefully survive the tenth grade.

We'd like to thank our incredible industry jury that included: Kate Redinger (Director of Development, Hallmark Media), Andrew Tolbert (VP, Kids & Animation, Hello Sunshine), Colleen Washington (Literary Manager, Fourth Wall Management), Alison Mann (Manager & Co-President of Fourth Wall Animation Production Co.), and Arno Ekmekji (Creative Development Coordinator).

Congratulations to these winning writers and finalists, and thank you to our judges and to everyone who submitted projects; we read a number of remarkable projects. View the quarterfinalists, semifinalists and finalists by clicking the corresponding link.

If you’d like to receive a notification when this contest re-opens for entries, you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here.

For all the latest ScreenCraft news and updates, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post 2023 ScreenCraft Family Screenplay Competition Winners appeared first on ScreenCraft.

Grand Prize Winner + Mentorship with Richard Kahan

Zigzag Girl by Ruth Knafo Setton

When a brilliant young magician with a mysterious past tries to capture the person who murdered her friend, she finds herself in a dangerous battle with a serial killer in Atlantic City who holds the secret to her true identity.

Runner-up

Miss del Río: A Novel of Dolores del Río, the first major Latina star in Hollywood by Barbara Mujica

When the Mexican Revolution erupts, Dolores flees from the countryside to Mexico City, where by a twist of fate, she meets a famous Hollywood director who makes her a star; however, when prejudice against foreigners burgeons before WW II, Dolores returns to Mexico and becomes a major figure in the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema.

Guaranteed Signing Prize Winner with Gravity Squared

Zero School: Maddy's Secret History by Jamie Ruddy

Maddy McCord’s parents were spies. They were members of a secret society. Her mother was the scientific genius of her generation, but twelve-year-old Maddy knows none of this when she meets a distinguished gentleman in the principal’s office after a daredevil stunt lands her in trouble. The strange man claims to be her long lost grandfather. He smuggled Maddy into New York City after her parents were murdered and the killers might be coming for her. It’s time for Zero School.

A huge thanks again to our incredible jury that included: Drew Brennann (Creative Executive, Aggregate Films), Carly Watters (SVP and Senior Literary Agent, P.S. Literary), Emily Forney (Literary Agent, BookEnds Literary), Nelson Cole (Jr. Literary Manager, Bellevue Productions), Kimberley Cameron (President, Kimberley Cameron & Associates Literary Agency), Elizabeth Kracht (Literary Agent, Kimberley Cameron & Associates Literary Agency), and John Beach (Literary Manager and Founder, Gravity Squared Entertainment).

Congratulations to these winning writers and finalists, and thank you to our judges and to everyone who submitted projects; we read a number of remarkable projects. View the quarterfinalists, semifinalists and finalists by clicking the corresponding link.

If you’d like to receive a notification when this contest re-opens for entries, you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here.

For all the latest ScreenCraft news and updates, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post 2023 ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition Winners appeared first on ScreenCraft.

Grand Prize Winner

The Advocate by Bill Mesce

WW II Army lawyer Harry Voss investigates a fighter ace accused of shooting down one of his own men, wondering why the flyer is so eager to confess, but then learns he’s confessing to one crime to conceal a greater crime, one the top brass doesn’t want revealed.

Runner-up

Talk of the Town by Mike Bencivenga

Adapted from James Thurber's book "The Years With Ross" the play tells the story of the birth of The New Yorker magazine and Thurber's relationship with it's eccentric editor-in-chief, Harold Ross.

Stay tuned as we will be announcing the Add-on Prize Winner in the coming weeks!

We'd like to thank our esteemed jury that included: Jeffrey Whitty (Tony-Award Winning Playwright), Jonathan Mills (Agent, Paradigm), Kata Wéber (Playwright and Screenwriter), Amy Wagner (Agent, A3 Artists Agency), Lucy Powis (Agent, A3 Artists Agency), Beth Blickers (Agent, APA), Caitlin Cleary (Director of Development, Imagine Entertainment), Elise Griffin (Literary Agent, Paradigm).

Congratulations again to these winning writers and finalists, and to everyone who submitted projects; we read a number of truly remarkable plays. View all the quarterfinalists, semifinalists and finalists by clicking the corresponding link.

If you’d like to receive a notification when this contest re-opens for entries, you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here.

For all the latest ScreenCraft news and updates, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post 2023 ScreenCraft Stage Play Contest Winners appeared first on ScreenCraft.

Grand Prize Winners

Selected by Katherine Collins

Butch by Rae Binstock

In this unique twist on the urban-noir thriller, a butch lesbian private investigator must take on the filth, glamour, and corruption of 1970s New York City while hunting a murderer targeting the city's newly radicalized gay community, even as she wrangles with the bigotries of both the police and her own tribe.

Selected by Anna Konkle

Crips by Brian Koukol

When a disabled man discovers that his long-time girlfriend and caregiver has been cheating on him, he must decide where to draw the line in this comedic tale of life, love, and progressive neuromuscular disease set in the un-accommodating world of suburban Los Angeles.

Selected by Lisa Zwerling

What Doesn't Kill Me by Anna Khaja

A true-crime obsessed 14 year old girl is embroiled in a murder case that connects to the death of her mother.

In addition to the three projects above we'd like to recognize the following writers and their projects which made up our Top 10.

Blackfriar by Chris Bolton
Back Fires by Alex Blumberg
Insurgents by Feyza Safoglu
Mademoiselle Maupin by Brandon Gale
Ruth by Josh Barkey
Shade Land by Sidney Rushing
Viva! by Ian Dalesky

Congratulations to these winning writers and finalists, and thank you to our mentors, judges, and to everyone who submitted projects; we read a number of truly remarkable scripts. View the quarterfinalists, semifinalists and finalists by clicking the corresponding link.

If you’d like to receive a notification when this contest re-opens for entries, you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here.

For all the latest ScreenCraft news and updates, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post 2023 ScreenCraft TV Pilot Script Competition Winners appeared first on ScreenCraft.

Overall Winner

Merciless by Corinna Jill

1854. A widow with a scandalous secret that could cost her life inherits a growing California township from her high-ranking political husband. As threats to her survival grow, she embarks on leading a fierce gang of women into a world of murder and chaos.

Feature Winner

The Monsters of Saint Margaret by Rachel Stevens

A lonely and confused trans kid meets a frightening, feral swamp dweller, the key to a dark family secret, who forces her to face her own demons as she struggles to figure out who and what she is.

TV Winner

The Academy by Brit Cowan

While investigating a student's mysterious disappearance from an elite, all-white boarding school, a Black police detective uncovers a world of conspiracy, cover-ups, and occultism, endangering his own son as he exposes the supernatural secrets behind the school’s success.

We've updated our participating add-on prize partner and are happy to welcome Adèle Borden, Manager of Content Strategy at Participant.

Add-on Prize Winner

Signature by Jess McKillop

After being passed over for a promotion at a fine art investment firm, Quinn, an aspiring art gallerist, convinces a uniquely talented street artist, Enzo, to paint her several forgeries in order to fund the opening of her own gallery and subsequently launch Enzo's career as a painter.

We'd like to thank again our esteemed jury that included: Carlos Aguirre (VP of Development for TV, Paramount Network), Ilayda Yigit (Literary Manger, MACRO), Alex Bloch (Literary Manager, 42), Jarrod Murray (Literary Manager & Producer, Epicenter), Jason Fong (Coordinator, Michael B. Jordan's Outlier Society), Echo Matthews (Agent, UTA), and writer/producer Noah Evslin (GREY'S ANATOMY, NCIS: HAWAI'I).

Congratulations to these winning writers and finalists, and thank you to our judges and to everyone who submitted projects; we read a number of remarkable projects. View the quarterfinalists, semifinalists and finalists by clicking the corresponding link.

If you’d like to receive a notification when this contest re-opens for entries, you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here.

For all the latest ScreenCraft news and updates, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post 2022 ScreenCraft Drama Competition Winners appeared first on ScreenCraft.

Grand Prize Winner

The Craftsman by Harron Atkins

Raz’s life is upended when his estranged father shows up with a request: help him rescue Raz’s kidnapped twin sister before a power-hungry tech tycoon can use her magic for his own sinister plans.

Feature Winner

Coins by Anthony Gaudioso, Erik Cardona

During a routine rescue mission to save a group of pennies stuck to train tracks, two quarters - George and his best friend, Flanagan - make a fatal mistake. Three years later, George must forgive himself and learn to shine again to protect his own family when a new enemy puts their circulation at risk.

TV Winner

Heirheads by Kayla Baken

Heirheads follows the misadventures of a dutiful medieval princess – caught up in a lifelong feud between king brothers who both need her to produce an heir – and the mediocre witch she unknowingly summons.

Short Winner

Little Tommy's Dance by Zachary Jones

A young boy is finally allowed to connect with his passion for dance after years of being forced into sports when a magical orb grants him his wish.

Add-on Partner Prize Winners

Dinah by Brandon Feldman, Ben Agron

Cryptozoology by Rick Mitchell, Matt Quinn

We would also like to acknowledge the following projects as Honorable Mentions:

Anomaly by Daniel Parra

Blob by Summer Benowitz

We would like to thank again our incredible industry jury: Justin Littman (Manager, Gotham Group), Sam Hoffman (Creative Executive, Fuzzy Door), Mitchell Bendersky (Manager, Gramercy Park Entertainment), Nadya Panfilov (Coordinator, Writ Large), Edward Mejia (Exec. Director of Current Series, Disney TV Animation), and screenwriters Lauren Hynek & Elizabeth Martin (MULAN).

Congratulations again to these writers, and thank you to everyone who submitted projects. If you’d like to receive a notification when this contest re-opens for entries, you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here.

For all the latest ScreenCraft news and updates, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post 2022 ScreenCraft Animation Competition Winners appeared first on ScreenCraft.

Eight amazing finalists were selected from almost 1,000 submissions to pitch their projects virtually to an esteemed jury at the ScreenCraft Virtual Pitch Finale.

Our incredible jury included Jennifer Katz (Manager of TV Development, Searchlight Pictures), Davina Hefflin (Literary Agent, Verve), Kyra Jones (TV writer and former ScreenCraft Virtual Pitch Winner), Sean Collins-Smith (TV writer and former ScreenCraft Finalist), Kylie Eaton (Writer, former ScreenCraft Virtual Pitch Finalist), and Kevin Bachar (Writer, ScreenCraft Competition Winner).

Winner:
Mick and Toni by Nicole James Burggraaf

Before she goes into the light, Mick is determined to find a new platonic soul mate for her best friend Toni.

First Runner-up:
Mary [Redacted] by Phae Amara

It's 1864 and the Union is losing the Civil War, Mary Bowser- a black spy, poses as a slave in the Confederate White House risking her life for the freedom of all.

Second Runner-up:
Monsters Are Real by Alexander Chard

A mixed Indonesian boy struggling to grasp his mother's mental illness, manifests her demons into creatures from Indonesian folklore, and together they begin conquering them one by one.

Click below to watch the finalist pitch event recording!

Congratulations to these writers and all of our finalists, and thank you to our judges!

Our Spring 2023 Virtual Pitch Competition is now accepting submissions. Click here to apply and see this year's jury!

For all the latest ScreenCraft news and updates, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post Fall 2022 ScreenCraft Virtual Pitch Winners appeared first on ScreenCraft.

Grand Prize Winner

A FIRE INSIDE by Richard Martin - As a mysterious wave of spontaneous human combustion spreads across the world, a grieving widow in the godforsaken New Mexico desert must defend her homestead from radical zealots hellbent on burning her family alive.

TV Winner

COPYCAT by Cory Marciel - A wise-cracking con man with a tragic past must dodge the CIA and the Russian mob after he is accidentally injected with a secret formula that gives him the power to steal skills from anyone he touches.

Feature Winner

THE HORSE KILLERS by Josh Flanagan, Ben Hurst - In the dying days of the Pony Express, a family is besieged at their remote Wyoming outpost by a pack of feral, frontier marauders.

Add-on Prize Winner

FLYTRAP by Justin Ballheim - On a transatlantic flight, an off-duty flight attendant believes she receives a message from the future: she has to kill a passenger before the plane lands or in 10 years, millions of people will die.

We would also like to acknowledge the following projects as Honorable Mentions:

JOHN OF SHERWOOD by Tom Richard Santos

LAND OF THE FREE by Cody Beavers

We would like to thank again our incredible industry jury: Lorelle Lynch (Creative Executive, AGC), Eric Borja (Literary Manager, Alldayeveryday), Paris Herbert-Taylor (Creative Executive, Pride of Gypsies), Lowell Shapiro (Literary Manager, Black Box Management), Andrew Bergamo (Creative Executive, The Donners' Company), and Emma Puglia (Coordinator, Zero Gravity).

Congratulations again to these writers, and thank you to everyone who submitted projects. If you’d like to receive a notification when this contest re-opens for entries, you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here.

For all the latest ScreenCraft news and updates, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post 2022 ScreenCraft Action & Adventure Screenplay Competition Winners appeared first on ScreenCraft.

Grand Prize Winners

Selected by Diana Ossana

Big Sisters by Sander Gusinow. A young woman with autism travels to New York to save her rock star little sister from her downward spiral.

Vapor by RJ Collins, John Trefry. In a dystopian near-future where water is currency, a teenage girl seeks revenge for her brother's death, only to be drawn into a larger struggle by a mysterious cowboy.

Selected by Matthew Lieberman

Kiss of Darkness by Michael McClung. As the Cold War rages in the Congo, a biracial interpreter and an American journalist, who finds himself in the middle of a CIA assassination plot, fall into a tumultuous relationship.

Our Grand Prize winners will receive from their respective mentor: a personalized round of notes, virtual meeting, and project development insight. In addition to our incredible industry mentors we'd also like to thank our other jury members Parker Davis (Agent, Verve), Halle Mariner (Agent, APA), and Kate Sharp (Manager, Bellevue).

In addition to the three projects above we'd like to recognize the following writers and their projects which made up our Top 10.

In Darkness Dwell by Simon Littlejohn

Scrap Metal Hearts by Jane Eakin

The Art of Intention by Dena Acolatse

The Last Supper by Zachary Ashman

Plainclothes by Carmen Emmi

Reaching for the Bottom by Alan Eschbach

Slugger by J. Miller

Add-On Prize Winner

Operation Ajax by Jake Hulse

We're also excited to announce the winner of our add-on prize opportunity with Traction. The story is set in 1953, and follows Teddy Roosevelt’s black-sheep grandson who must orchestrate the overthrow of the Iranian Prime Minister in order to stop the spread of Communism, but ends up destabilizing the world as we know it. Based on a true story.

Congratulations again to these writers, and thank you to everyone who submitted projects. If you’d like to receive a notification when this contest re-opens for entries, you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here.

For all the latest ScreenCraft news and updates, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post 2022 ScreenCraft Feature Competition Winners appeared first on ScreenCraft.

We are also delighted to announce the Winner of our Mentorship Prize with acclaimed filmmaker, producer, writer, and actor Mark Duplass! A huge thanks to competition partner Seed&Spark for providing a number of great opportunities for this year's finalists and semifinalists.

The Spring 2022 ScreenCraft Film Fund opens for entries on September 30th. If you’d like to receive notifications for this contest you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here.

Grant Recipient Winners

Cancuncito, is a feature film project by Carlos Marulanda, and Isael Gutierrez. Using gambling as an escape from her social isolation, Valeria, a disabled woman with limited use of her hands, recruits a poor Afro-Mexican industrial worker to help her play the casinos and attempts to seduce him. When her ultra religious mother threatens to destroy their burgeoning love affair, Valeria must move beyond the limits of her disabilities.

Shuffle, is a feature documentary project from Benjamin Flaherty and Carra Greenberg. Shuffle is a character-driven documentary exposing nationwide fraud in the addiction treatment industry where struggling young people are bought and sold for their insurance policies and ushered into a system designed to keep them sick and the profits flowing.

Mentorship Prize with Mark Duplass Winner

Under the Lights, is a feature project by Miles Levin. Desperate to feel like a regular kid, a boy with epilepsy goes to prom knowing that the lights will make him have a seizure.

We would also like to recognize Sarah Deakins and her project Violet as a runner-up for the Mentorship Prize. In addition to support from the ScreenCraft team, she'll also receive a meeting with the Duplass Brothers production company.

Congratulations to these winning writers and finalists, and thank you to everyone who submitted projects.

For all the latest ScreenCraft news and updates, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post Fall 2022 ScreenCraft Film Fund Winners appeared first on ScreenCraft.

Overall Winner

FOREVER YOUNG by Antoine Perry

Inspired by Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray", Forever Young follows the journey of a Black, gay artist, as he discovers the immortal power of his own work, and fights to keep from becoming a pawn in a centuries-old battle between the greatest artists and muses that the world has ever known.

Feature Winner

DISTRESS by Calvin Starnes

After their interstellar ship is critically damaged, eight survivors struggle to reach the remaining three single-person escape pods before their ship explodes.

TV Winner

SHELLS by Derrick Metellus

To celebrate the anniversary of his sobriety, a cynical weirdo and his hippie girlfriend visit a New Age retreat, only to discover that the retreat – like their relationship – conceals an otherworldly secret.

We're also excited to announce that FOREVER YOUNG by Antoine Perry is the winner of the The ScreenCraft First Look Bootcamp with Manager Cameron Cubbison of Zero Gravity!

We'd like to thank again our esteemed jury that included: Ryan Stayton (Director of Development at Hivemind), Casey Durant (Creative Executive at Automatik), Emily Feher (Creative Executive at 21 Laps), and showrunner/screenwriter Naren Shankar (THE EXPANSE).

Congratulations to these winning writers and finalists, and thank you to our judges and to everyone who submitted projects; we read a number of remarkable projects. View the quarterfinalists, semifinalists and finalists by clicking the corresponding link.

If you’d like to receive a notification when this contest re-opens for entries, subscribe for updates via Coverfly here.

For all the latest ScreenCraft news and updates, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post 2022 ScreenCraft Sci-Fi & Fantasy Screenwriting Competition Winners appeared first on ScreenCraft.

Heidi has taken on many identities in her life: naive girl from Iowa, Air Force airman traveling the world, college graduate with a BA in Journalism, co-author of a humor book about bodily malfunctions, a volunteer advocating for kids in the foster care system, and as an MFA-seeking grad student, but her favorite identity is that of screenwriter, where she can do what she loves to do — tell great stories.

ScreenCraft: Where and when did your storytelling roots begin?

Heidi Willis: Being a typical kid growing up in the 70s and 80s, I was obsessed with movies, television, comics, and books — especially choose your own adventure books. I loved the concept of creating my own story and making different choices to create something new the next time I read it. Instead of being a passive reader, I got to be an active participant in the story. It was incredibly empowering as a kid to have that kind of control. Also, I remember creating and acting out episodes of Wonder Woman, Charlie’s Angels and Battlestar Galactica with neighborhood kids. And at home, whole plots and storylines were being played out by my Barbies, G.I. Joes, Eagle Force, and Star Wars action figures — and yes, they all lived in the same universe in my mind.

ScreenCraft: Your Fellowship-winning script Black Sunday is based on real events. How much of the story is true, how much of it is fictional, and how did you come across both aspects of this concept?

Heidi Willis: The monster dust storm, which reached all the way to the East Coast, really happened on April 14, 1935. Later, that day was named Black Sunday. I got the idea for the script while watching a documentary based on the book, The Worst Hard Time. The people who lived during the Dust Bowl described struggles and scenes of devastating dust storms, plagues of pests and desperate poverty — it was absolutely horrific. While listening to the elderly survivors recall traumatic childhood memories of the jackrabbit drives and how the cries of the dying rabbits still haunted their dreams many decades later, it struck me that these people actually lived through a real-life, years-long horror movie. A story started to form and to add even more conflict, I decided to add a couple of killers into the mix. I looked for a real-life crime during that time that I could use, but I couldn’t find anything that fit, so I took a lot of inspiration from the true story of the murdered Clutter family and their killers, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, told in Truman Capote’s book, In Cold Blood. By combining elements of the November 14, 1959 crime, the 1935 storm, and my imagination, I created my script, Black Sunday.

ScreenCraft: What are some of the hardest lessons you’ve learned in your pursuit of a screenwriting career?

Heidi Willis: At the Austin Film Festival, a couple of years ago, I attended a panel where six different writers spoke about their writing processes and each had a completely different process from one another. It was a light bulb moment. I realized that there’s no formula or one correct way to write a script — that everyone uses the process that best helps them. Just use the system that works for you, whether it’s using index cards, a detailed outline, or sitting down and writing it out longhand. In that moment, I decided to chuck the index cards — which weren’t working for me — and I’ve used detailed outlines ever since.

ScreenCraft: What or who are some of your most impactful influences in your writing?

Heidi Willis: Rod Serling is a huge influence on the type of entertainment I like to consume and on the kind of stories I want to tell. Growing up, I was completely obsessed with The Twilight Zone. I had the book, The Twilight Zone Companion, and I’d check off when I watched each episode, making notes, tallies, etc. So, after my immersion in the world of Serling’s The Twilight Zone, the weird and the uncanny have always colored my creative perspective and are the inspiration for my stories. Without a doubt, Rod Serling’s brilliant series was my foundation and taught me the art of great storytelling.

ScreenCraft: How have you honed your craft since you began writing and what resource or activity has been the most helpful in that regard?

Heidi Willis: I started off reading every screenwriting book I could find and then I completed UCLA’s online professional program in screenwriting. These gave me basic skills on writing screenplays, but the best resource for really honing my craft has been reading scripts, both good ones and bad ones. You won’t find a better way to improve your writing than by studying and learning what made one script work and another one suck. Then you incorporate those lessons in your own work.

ScreenCraft: What is your writing process like from conception of the idea to final draft of the eventual script?

Heidi Willis: I start off with an idea that ends up on a sticky note or my notes app on my phone. Eventually if the story sticks with me, I work out enough of the major beats to start on an outline. To help visualize the setting and the characters while I work on the outline, I put up pictures of ideal actors or actresses for each character and pictures of scenes, settings, or story elements. For instance, with Black Sunday, I had pictures of an old Sears and Roebuck mail order farmhouse floor plan, jackrabbit round-ups, dust storms, and families who lived during that time. They are super helpful for visualizing scenes. After the outline takes shape, I start on pages. I’ve found I do my best work if I write straight through without feedback until I’m done. Then once I complete it, I send it out to my close network of trusted and talented writer friends, who give me invaluable and incredibly helpful notes and pretty soon it’s on to rewrites. Many notes, rewrites and drafts later, I’ll consider the script ‘final drafty’ enough to send out to contests or for professional feedback. But for me, I’ve never really had a true final draft as I continue to tinker with my scripts.

ScreenCraft: How do you plan to utilize the ScreenCraft Fellowship and what goals are you setting for such an experience?

Heidi Willis: I’ve made many contacts by attending film festivals and conferences, being active on social media and joining amazing and supportive writers groups. But, because I live outside of LA, I’m at a great disadvantage in making personal and professional contacts. It makes breaking in much more difficult. This fellowship will help me overcome that challenge. I plan to utilize this amazing opportunity to make those must-have contacts, to learn all I can from the feedback and support of the industry professionals and mentors and continue to gain confidence in my work through all that the Screencraft Fellowship offers. A major goal for me is to connect with the right manager or agent — someone who believes in me and wants to represent me and my work.

ScreenCraft: What is your best Hollywood anecdote or story and what can people learn from it?

Heidi Willis: Since I don’t live in LA, I don’t really have any Hollywood anecdotes, but I can say I’ve had some amazing experiences with the working screenwriters and panelists at screenwriting conferences, especially the Austin Film Festival and the most recent Nashville Film Festival. My biggest advice is to not be afraid to go up and introduce yourself, but don’t be creepy. Have an authentic conversation that will be a pleasant experience for them. That means don’t pitch your project – that will get you nowhere. If they ask you what you’re working on, fine, but if they don’t ask, don’t pitch them. Ask them questions about their experiences, lessons learned, and let them tell their stories. You’ll learn so much about the writer’s life and the industry and they’ll remember you as a cool screenwriter who wasn’t a creeper — or worse, a pushy a-hole. Remember, these professionals are there solely to help newbie writers, so utilize your time with them in a respectful and friendly manner, but don’t hesitate to connect with them.

You can find out more about Heidi and her work at heidirwillis.com and follow her on Twitter @heidiwillis

The post One-On-One with 3rd Annual ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship Recipient Heidi Willis appeared first on ScreenCraft.

He has worked behind the camera on a number of television shows and feature films including Glee, The Odd Couple, Growing Up Fisher, The New Normal, and The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water. His short screenplay Grief was selected as the Grand Prize Winner of the 2015 ScreenCraft Short Screenplay Contest. A native New Yorker now living in Los Angeles, Dante is a graduate of Emerson College and a veteran of The Upright Citizens Brigade. He is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association and Writers Guild of America. @dante_russo

ScreenCraft: Where and when did your storytelling roots begin?

Dante Russo: I unfortunately experienced loss at a very young age, so I began to use storytelling as a way to distract myself from reality. I’m also from a very large, very Catholic-Italian family on Long Island, so growing up gay in the early ‘80s it helped me distract my family and friends — and myself — from my secret too. These past few years, I finally stopped using storytelling as a distraction and instead, more as a tool to help me make sense of my identity.

ScreenCraft: What, if any, real life inspiration went into your Fellowship-winning script Haters?

Dante Russo: I wanted to explore my high school experience and what it was like to grow up on Long Island. Having unfortunately been a bit of a bully in high school, I’m curious where it came from. Was it because I was bullied myself in middle school, and that’s how I learned to deflect the torture? What happens to the bullies when they’re all grown up? In addition, I lost a dear friend a month after moving to Los Angeles and, just like losing my sister, never got a chance to say goodbye. So I also wanted to explore this facet of death and what it does to the ones left behind.

ScreenCraft: What do you think is the key to writing a character-driven dramedy that stands out among the rest?

Dante Russo: Dialogue. I think it’s very difficult to pull off. It takes practice and precision. People do not talk the way they read words on a page. Dialogue should have a rhythm. Characters shouldn’t sound the same. And more often then not, people never really say what they mean.

ScreenCraft: What are some of the hardest lessons you’ve learned in your pursuit of a screenwriting career?

Dante Russo: The hardest lesson for me, and probably for most writers, is letting go of control. I moved out to Los Angeles to write movies. Never did I imagine I’d be working on a multi-cam sitcom. But I’m learning an incredible amount of information from ridiculously talented writers. Letting go is truly the hardest thing, especially for a Type-A personality such as myself, but I would never have been able to write my life better than how it’s unfolding.

ScreenCraft: You attained a writer’s assistant position for the CBS show The Odd Couple. How did that come about?

Dante Russo: I kept in touch with a few of The Odd Couple writers after being one of the writer and office PAs during its first season. I met a few of them over coffee recently for some advice and updated them on my writing. I honestly think it was being one of the recipients of this fellowship that helped secure the job.

ScreenCraft: What is it like to work in a writer’s room for a major network show?

Dante Russo: As we all know, writing can be lonely, so it’s incredible to be in a room surrounded by like-minded people. It’s also eye opening to not only see how an episode is built, but how an entire season is too: mapping out arcs, breaking down story, dissecting character. It’s fun to see all these great minds come together on a daily basis; every day is like a master class in writing.

ScreenCraft: How do you plan to utilize the ScreenCraft Fellowship and what goals are you setting for such an experience?

Dante Russo: I’m really looking forward to meeting the mentors, especially Geoffrey Fletcher, Diana Ossana, and Robert Moresco. They’ve been able to find success but still hold onto what makes them unique, so I can’t wait to pick their brains about their writing process, habits, and any/all tips.

ScreenCraft: What is your best Hollywood anecdote or story and what can people learn from it?

Dante Russo: That it’s okay to say “no” every once in a while. It’s difficult because no one likes to turn down work, but the last two times I said “no” have opened doors to opportunities I never knew were available to me. It’s hard to remember what you're worth when you’re writing at a crowded coffee shop in a sea of Final Draft docs on open laptops, but sometimes you need to say “no” so you’re not only available for the next opportunity, but to remind them — and you — of your self-worth.

The post One-On-One with 3rd Annual ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship Recipient Dante Russo appeared first on ScreenCraft.

We’re also excited to highlight Big Red by Brennig Hayden as our runner-up. The imaginative and cinematic script takes place in a Victorian world in which worker robots have been banned after social revolt, and centers on a young orphaned girl and the bond she forms with a timid, masterless robot trying to find its place in the world and avoid decommissioning.

Both of these screenplays have four-quadrant appeal and voice that consistently jumps off the page.

Here are the well-crafted finalists that comprise our top ten submissions:

• Werepups! by Allison Moon
• Rainbow Unicorn Heart Power by Vicki Peterson
• Socks (AKA Sockpocalypse!) by Pat Carey, Duncan McIntosh, and Tyler Theofilos
• Awkworld by Colin Costello
• Dee by Hugh Brownstone
• Flipped by Abe Frank
• Nuts! by Kevan C. Peterson
• On The Track Of Unknown Animals And Other Curiosities by Rick Mitchell and Matt Quinn

In addition to the ScreenCraft team, the judges included: James V. Hart, screenwriter of HOOK, the beloved adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, and 20th Century Fox’s animated blockbuster EPIC; Kristina Reed, the Oscar-winning producer of Disney’s short film FEAST,  BIG HERO 6 and KUNG FU PANDA; and Kyle Benn, development executive at Lionsgate, the studio behind THE HUNGER GAMES, ALPHA & OMEGA, ENDER’S GAME and more beloved family films!

Congratulations to all of the finalists and thanks to everyone who submitted. Keep writing! View the quarter-finalists and semi-finalists here.

The top two winners will receive cash prizes and consultations with literary managers, while the top ten finalists will receive a lifetime copy of the Hart Chart and a one-year subscription to WriterDuet Pro.

The post 2015 ScreenCraft Family-Friendly Screenplay Contest Winners Announced appeared first on ScreenCraft.

P.A.L. by Christopher Runyon has been selected as the Grand Prize Winner of the 2015 ScreenCraft Action & Thriller Screenplay Contest. An imaginative action romp that one of our judges described as "almost like Max Max meets Big Hero 6", P.A.L. is set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland and centers on a 13-year-old girl who fights for survival while searching for a new body for her older brother, whose consciousness and voice guides her from a computer chip she wears around her neck. The script takes a celebrated subgenre and imbues it with an original energy and emotional core and boasts a sharp structure and style to spare.

FET (Female Engagement Team) by Sarah Hopkins has been awarded the Runner-Up prize. It's an exciting, grounded and character-driven dramatic thriller that uses as a springboard the real concept of Marine Female Engagement Teams, liaison units deployed in small detachments with male infantry units in order to collect information from families and communicate with women without breaking cultural taboos. The script centers on Kate, a college student turned Marine, who finds herself part of a new “hearts and minds” operation in Afghanistan designed to interact with the local women, but soon finds herself the target of a Taliban leader. It's a well-written and convincingly researched thriller that features an original and very human protagonist.

Members of a Female Engagement Team speak with a local Afghan man during a patrol in Marjah. (Photo: Cpl Marionne T. Mangrum/Marine Corps)

Runyon — also a finalist in the 2015 ScreenCraft Sci-Fi Screenplay Contest with his script Eurydice #5 — will receive $1,500 and a phone call with legendary Die Hard, 48 Hrs. and Commando screenwriter Steven E. de Souza and a top literary manager.

Hopkins will receive $500 and a phone call with a literary manager. Their projects will be submitted to ScreenCraft's network of agents, managers, producers and studio execs, as will the following finalist scripts:

• Deployable by Alex Greenfield and Ben Powell
• 1001 Bullets by Scott Hamilton & PJ Hamilton
• The Trill Nikkia by Leon Chills
• The Iron Horse of Lucy Steele by Paul E. Zeidman
• The Passenger by David Case
• Rocked by Mark Cerulli
• Operation Sandstorm by Derek Asaff
• The Delegation by Shane Andries

In addition to de Souza, judges this year included: Tanner Mobley, creative executive at Nu Image; Lone Survivor, The Grey, and Dredd producer Adi Shankar; Cameron Jewell, development executive at Ombra; and Michael Colleary, screenwriter of Face/Off and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

Congratulations to the winning writers and finalists, and thank you to our judges and to everyone who submitted projects. View the quarter-finalists and semi-finalists here.

The post 2015 ScreenCraft Action & Thriller Screenplay Contest Winners Announced! appeared first on ScreenCraft.