We are thrilled to announce the Winners of the 2023 ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition. These exceptional projects were selected from almost 1,000 submissions. Congratulations to these writers!

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.

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