Me too, Indy

As the crowdfunding for my short film continues (all donations welcome!), I’ve also donned my producer’s hat and am quickly discovering just about everything involved with putting the whole operation together.

I say “just about” because my more-than-capable director is handling some of the more technical aspects, but pretty much everything else falls under my jurisdiction.

For someone who hasn’t done this before, I’m taking the approach of “this is something I’m pretty certain needs to be done, so I better take care of that”.

And I am not understating it by saying there is A LOT to take care of.

From all the social media to get word out about the crowdfunding to making lists of props I need to pick up to reaching out to local restaurants about donating food for the shoot (with onscreen credit, natch), every day a few more things get added to the list.

Writing the script is challenging. Producing it is a whole different and much bigger ballgame.

It’s exhausting, and sometimes I feel pulled in multiple directions, constantly wondering if I’m doing a good job. But I will admit on a certain level I’m enjoying it. This is a project I’ve worked on for a long time, so doing everything I can to make sure it all goes smoothly, or at least as close to that as I can get.

And we haven’t even gotten to the post-production part of the conversation. I’m bracing for that one.

As I’ve said to more than a few people involved with the project, I hope they’ll be patient as I stumble my way through all of this. It won’t be pretty, but I’m doing what I can.

And here’s the link to the crowdfunding once again, which also falls under the category of “something that needs to be done”.

A few bangs for your bucks

The crowdfunding for my short film SHECKY continues. We’re closing in on 30%, and doing what I can to keep those numbers climbing.

Every dollar raised goes into the costs involved with making this film, and there are different amounts you can donate. Each tier has its own reward as a thank you for donating.

(and if the names seem a bit odd, just think “showbiz”. It’s part of the story)

$10 – Stage Door Johnny

Social media shoutout of your total awesomeness & onscreen thanks expressing my eternal gratitude

$25 – What, And Give Up Show Biz?

Social media shoutout, onscreen thanks, and your name as “Member of the Chorus” on a Paradise Theater poster

$50 – Road Company

Social media shoutout, onscreen thanks, your name & your vaudeville act on a Paradise poster

$75 – Rising Star

Social media shoutout, onscreen thanks, your name & your act as headliner on a Paradise poster

$100 – Presenting…

Social media shoutout, onscreen thanks, your name on the Paradise marquee, a pdf of the film’s poster, a copy of the script

$250 – In The Spotlight

Social media shoutout, onscreen thanks, a video of Shecky telling you a joke, poster, script

$500 – Stage Manager

Social media shoutout, onscreen thanks, joke video, poster, script, digital copy of the film

$1000 – Publicity Agent

everything above & onscreen credit as “Patron of the Arts – Silver Circle” + 1 ticket to screening (if possible), full-service script notes

$2500 – Mr./Ms. First Nighter

everything above, onscreen credit as “Patron of the Arts – Gold Circle”, 2 tickets to screening, script notes, interviewed on The Creative Writing Life podcast

$5000 – Box Office Smash

Everything & above, onscreen credit as “Patron of the Arts – Diamond Circle”, 1 ticket to a screening at a film festival, script notes, podcast interview, short film consultation

This is a project that’s been a long time coming, so I sincerely hope you’ll be willing to chip in to help make it happen.

Can’t go wrong with a little originality

The crowdfunding effort for my short film has passed the 25% mark. On one level that is FANTASTIC, but there’s still that remaining 75% with about six weeks to go. That means my extensive efforts and outreach will continue.

It’s the only way to make this happen.

It’s great to have so many supporters step up. More than a few have commented on how much they love the concept, along with a handful who’ve asked to read the script – and liked that as well.

One of the recurring comments has been how this would be a great example of independent film. In all honesty, I never thought of it that way. I just wanted to write and make a short film that other people could enjoy. Mostly for the experience of doing it, but also for the satisfaction of having something I can show the world and say “I wrote that”.

But what it really comes down to – a bunch of creative types making a film based on an original idea.

Hopefully that’s what’ll happen. Fingers remain, as always, firmly crossed.

And please donate if you can at the link above. Thanks!

No choice but to be determined

The crowdfunding for my short film project continues…

**Still plenty of opportunities & tier rewards for donating!**

And it is quite the mountain to climb. Almost comparable to writing a script.

Almost.

With a script, everything is under your control. You are the one determining what happens, what the characters say, and so on.

Raising the funds to make a film based on that script? The only thing under your control about that is how much effort you put into getting those funds.

In theory, the more you work and the more effort you put in, the more likely you are to succeed.

Again – in theory.

You can push what you’re selling all you want, but it only works if they’re willing to pay.

To paraphrase one supportive donor – “Crowdfunding is a full-time job. You EARN that money.”

You certainly do. When they say every little bit helps, they’re not kidding.

I’ve begun reaching out to members of my network of creatives – writers, filmmakers, and industry-adjacent – to ask about chipping in if they can.

Responses so far – not too bad.

I also realize that times are tough, especially in this business. Things haven’t fully recovered since the strikes, and lots of folks are out of work. The last thing I want is for somebody to feel bad for not being able to donate. I’m just happy to have the support.

Even if all you can do is repost the link, that’s great too. The more eyes I can get on this, the better.

We’ve made some good progress since the campaign started, and there’s no sign of letting up.

As the days count down, I’ll be doing everything I can to see this through.

The Maximum Z Winter ’24 Script Showcase

The call was put out, and the responses showed up. En masse.

Writers of screen and television from far and wide. A vast spectrum of genres. Multiple awards.

All 104 of them collected here for your browsing – and reading – pleasure.

It is with great pride that I humbly present The Maximum Z Winter ’24 Script Showcase.

Please note that each listing includes the writer’s email, so if you want to read that script, you can contact the writer directly and ask ’em.

The link to the Showcase is posted on all my social media platforms, and if your script is listed, I ask that you do the same. It’s the most effective way to help spread the word and shine a spotlight on your material, which was the whole purpose of doing this in the first place.

A big thanks to all the writers who sent in, and I wish you all nothing but success and a flood of read requests – especially from agents, managers, producers and directors.

Enjoy.

FILM

A GIRL, A HORSE AND THE WRONG BOY

Guy Crawford

Romantic Drama

After making a daring midnight escape from the family home, a headstrong trust fund princess joins forces with an ex-nun on a do or die mission to reach her one true love before her daddy can drag her back to marry a rich man’s son and solve his IRS problems with a wedding vow, I do.

guyc2_2000@yahoo.com

A PRIEST IN BERLIN

Brian Mulligan

Drama

Berlin 1938. When the Catholic Church makes a deal with the devil, a closeted young priest must confront his church and the Nazis to become the hero the world needs.

Semifinalist – Austin Film Festival 2023

Semifinalist – Screencraft Fellowship 2021

Semifinalist – Finish Line 2022 – 2023

Top 1% – Coverfly

Top 15% – Nicholl Fellowship 2021

bmull863@gmail.com

AMY’S IN THE FREEZER

Venita Ozols-Graham and Brigitte Graham

Dark Comedy

A small time con woman trying to turn over a new leaf becomes a big time fugitive when she’s taken hostage during a botched bank robbery, ending up with the heist money as well as the FBI and bank robber hot on her heels.

Grand Prize Winner – Best Comedy – Fade In Awards

Semifinalist – NYC Screenplay Awards

Second Rounder – Austin Film Festival

Quarterfinalist – PAGE

Quarterfinalist – Screencraft

vbites@aol.com

ARMOR OF GOD

Gary Barnard

Horror/Slasher

Jessie is a devout Christian until her sister is murdered in front of her setting of a chain of events that makes her see her church in a whole new light.

garybarnard25@yahoo.com

BEERUPTION

Paul Newton

Sci-Fi, Action, Comedy

A disgraced crypto-entomologist must uncover why the state’s entire bee population is amassing in a dormant volcano before an evil almond growers association can use the situation to enslave all the bees. However, they must tread carefully to avoid triggering a massive beeruption that could decimate a peaceful resort town.

Finalist – Best Screenplay Sci-Fi Feature Film – 2024 HorrOrigins

kingawesomepaul@gmail.com

BLACK TIE

John Painz

Action, Thriller, Surreal

Patrick has know idea who he is or who he used to be, and suddenly finds himself between two warring factions who want to control the powers of reincarnation.

wordsfromhere@gmail.com

BLITZ KIDS

Dimitri Mark LaBarge

Drama/Musical

In 1982 London, a queer Puerto Rican singer-songwriter’s rise to stardom is jeopardized by an ill-advised romance, her disintegrating New Wave band, and a world suddenly careening towards all-out nuclear war.

Top 10% – Nicholl Fellowship

dimitril@sprynet.com

CHRISTMAS ON CAMPUS

Eric Vardeman

Holiday Romance

A heartbroken college professor and a cheerful student advisor find holiday magic and unexpected romance as they oversee students on a quiet college campus during the holidays, discovering that Christmas can heal old wounds and bring new beginnings.

eric@ericvweb.com

DAYS GO BY

Jeremy Foote

Drama

When an expectant father gets news that his mother is ill. He goes home to a lot more than he bargained for.

jcfoote1977@gmail.com

DEATH’S BROTHER

Julian Martin

Psychological horror/Drama

Haunted by nightmares of murdering his beloved family, a tech guru must hold onto his sanity while tangling with a homicidal internet cult.

Semifinalist – ScreenCraft Horror

Semifinalist – Los Angeles International Screenplay Contest 

Top 20% – Nicholl Fellowship

Semifinalist – Filmmatic Horror

jmartinauthor242@gmail.com

EBBIE SCROOGE

Mere Walton

Family/Holiday

A harried mother clings to her sanity during the holidays – checking items off her list – wrapping presents, decorating, saving her company, keeping her husband out of jail, oh, and surviving visits from three annoying ghosts.

mwaltonwrites@gmail.com

EDGE OF EXPOSURE

Rosemary Griggs

True Crime Drama/Mystery/Thriller

Inspired by a True Story, when a tenacious FBI agent stumbles upon a murder connected to high level corruption, he races against time to expose the truth and protect his family before his daughter leaves for college.

Featured Top Script on the Black List (8)

Top 1% of Genre scripts on Coverfly

Top 2% of all scripts on Coverfly

Finalist – Golden Script Competition

Semifinalist – The Writers Lab

griggs521@gmail.com

FALLING FROM THE SKY

Robert Rhyne

Thriller

While on house arrest for lying to the police, an attention-seeking Texas teenager witnesses a murder but finds no one will believe him –except the killer, who will stop at nothing to eliminate the only witness.

Semifinalist – Nicholl Fellowships 2024

Finalist – Page International 2022

Finalist – Nashville Film Festival 2024

Finalist – StoryPros Awards 2024

randprhyne@aol.com

FIGMENT

Kevin Koljack

Sci-Fi/Horror

A man on the brink tries one last-ditch effort before ending it all: an experimental augmented-reality experience that forces him to face his demons and those of the other test subjects. But, as things get all too real, he must confront his trauma if he hopes to survive the horrors within.

Semifinalist – PAGE 2024

kevinkoljack@gmail.com

FIRE KINGS

Phoenix Black

Drama, Action

A war vet police officer infiltrates a Vietnam vet’s motorcycle club suspected of drug smuggling, finding the brotherhood he needs to recover from his past.

POINT BREAK meets THE BIKERIDERS

phoenixblackthewriter@gmail.com

HAREM

Nick Phillippa

Action, War

A pacifist Nurse must assist a special forces team in a dangerous mission to rescue a harem of women and girls held captive by Daesh terrorists and their diabolical leader who is prepared to fight to the death.

njpwriter@gmail.com

HIGH STEPPIN’

John Boal

Comedy

On an idyllic campus in N. California, the rogue leaders of the 1983 Bradford University Marching Band — Drum Major “Wank”, sizzling Trombonist “B Flat”, Jamaican Piccolo player “Winston” and blind drummer “20/20” — perform hilarious half-time shows with prickly political and cultural themes until a “Ringer” hired by the conservative Alumni Association subverts one of their shows; gets their travel funding suspended and threatens to eliminate their free-spirited and creative autonomy.

Semifinalist – San Francisco Indie Film Fest 2023

Quarterfinalist – Screencraft Comedy 2024

Quarterfinalist – Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards – Spring 2024

Quarterfinalist – The Script Lab 2023

Quarterfinalist – Filmmatic – Pitch Now Season 5

jboal202@cs.com

HI, LIBIDO

Farook Qais

Romantic Drama

On her journey into adulthood, a devout Muslim woman navigates the delicate balance between her family’s expectations, sexual fulfillment, and the idea of marrying for love.

Winner – Roadmap Writers Jumpstart 2023

Nominee – Movieplay International Film Festival 2024

Honorable Mention – Finish Line 23-24

readbookqais@gmail.com

HOLIDAY BROMANCE

Cid. B. Weinberg

LBGTQ/Holiday

A country guy from Napa, and a city guy from San Francisco attend separate holiday events on the grounds of the Presidio National Park, and go home with each other’s lost dog.

cidbanayatweinberg@gmail.com

HOMECOMING TO MURDER

Carol Preflatish

Drama

Nathan Perry returns to his hometown to become the police department’s first detective. To make his job permanent, he has to discover who is breaking into homes in the most affluent part of town, but more importantly, who murdered one of the residents.

Runner-up – Best Screenplay (Long Format) – Imajinn Awards, Imaginarium Convention, Louisville, Kentucky, 2023.

Best Feature Script – ICECenFest, October 2023, Cincinnati, Ohio.

cpreflatish@outlook.com

HOTLINE MIAMI

Creators: Jonatan Soderstrom & Dennis Wedin

Written By: Michael Zegarra

Action, Drama

Two veterans search for equilibrium, in an 80s Miami, after a botched black ops mission.

Nominee – Best Script, WideScreen Film & Music Video Festival 

mazg2001@gmail.com

INTERNAL LAPDOG

Richard Buzzell

RomCom

In this romantically comedic charade, a woman tries to land the ideal man for her, strong and confidant on the outside, but weak and docile on the inside – an internal lapdog.

zstopperuno@gmail.com

ISAAC’S GOLD

PJ McIlvane

Western Drama

Hardscrabble Isaac and Ivy endured tragedy but lost their passion until a vengeful sociopath returns from the grave to brutally test their love, loyalty, and faith.

Second Rounder – Austin Film Festival 2024

pjmac56@yahoo.com

LITTLE RED

Richard Moon

Coming of Age Thriller

A young farm girl in a war-torn country heads out over the hills and through the woods on a mission to save her family, only to face off against a hungry wolf, a dangerous hunter, and family secrets she never suspected.

Semifinalist – Enderby Entertainment Award, Austin FF 2022

Semifinalist – PAGE Screenwriting Awards 2024

Semifinalist – PAGE Screenwriting Awards 2023

Semifinalist – Los Angeles Screenplay Awards Summer 2022

richard@moonhillproductions.com

MAGNIFICENT ME

Cory Joel James

Sci-Fi / Drama

After a suicide attempt, a young artist questioning his gender identity agrees to an advanced VR therapy program entering spiritual simulations that blend cinematic dreams and reality in order to confront childhood traumas and find their true identity.

-Received The Kevin Smith Scholarship for Screenwriting at Vancouver Film School

info@coryscripts.com

MIGHT COME A WINDSTORM

Jill Elaine Hughes

In 1997, during an Ohio Thanksgiving dinner, the matriarch of a racist family succeeds at hiding her mixed-race heritage until her granddaughter unravels the truth. 

Official Selection – Silk Road Film Awards Cannes 2022

Official Selection: WILDsound FEEDBACK Film and Screenplay Festival 2022

Winner – Best Screenplay – Berlin Independent Film Festival 2022

Finalist – Oaxaca International Film Festival 2021

Semifinalist – Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival 2021

jill.elaine.hughes@gmail.com

MIXSTREET KIDS

Nicholas Robins

Coming of Age, Musical, Drama

In the streets of Brooklyn, New York, five multiracial teenagers form a boy band that takes the pop music scene by storm in the 90s while navigating the highs and lows of fame. 

nrobins200@gmail.com

MY SOULMATE DIED AT BIRTH

Ross H. Martin

Rom Com

One male comedian, battling alcoholism, meets a female comedian always running away from her problems. Both joke about their failures to meet their soulmates, but when the Universe tries bringing them together, they keep missing the signs.

Quarter-Finalist – Table Read My Screenplay

Finalist – Filmique International Film Festival

rosshmartin70@gmail.com

NAVAJOLAND

J.R. Blomberg

Action Crime Thriller

To honor his murdered father’s legacy and save his own life, a young Navajo man races to uncover Montezuma’s cursed treasure while being hunted by the ruthless U.S. Marshal who killed his father.

jrblomberg75@gmail.com

NECROLEPSY

Kev Dooley

Horror

When a narcolepsy study turns patients into ravenous brutes and the security system traps everyone inside the clinic, a med student is forced to choose between fighting to escape and their commitment to “do no harm.”

kevin.bryant.dooley@gmail.com

NEVER ENDING

Sam Robotham

Fantasy, Drama

After decades of isolation on a desolate island, an elderly Peter Pan has his quiet life upended when a young boy mysteriously arrives, forcing him to reckon with the haunting memories of his past.

samrobotham@gmail.com

OLLIE

Amir Mo

Horror

After a grieving couple has their fourth miscarriage, they give up trying to conceive and adopt a cute shelter dog instead, only to discover that the newest member of their family is actually possessed by a demon.

Semifinalist – 1497 Features Lab, PETA endorsed

itsamirmo@gmail.com

ORDINARY MORTALS

Ian Martin

Black comedy / showbiz drama

Tired of fame, a jaded movie star seeks anonymity among everyday folk, only to find himself entangled in an extraordinary mix of crime, romance, and fantasy, all while dodging the tireless chase of an obsessive paparazzo.

ian@ianmartinscreenwriter.com

PAAN

Tim Westland and J.E. Clarke

Sci-Fi / Action Adventure

When their Colony ship is attacked by a space-faring pirate race known as the Huuk, teen colonist Pete, his sister Wendy, and a ragtag group of kids, must find a way to stop the aliens and save humanity. (A SciFi reimagining of Peter Pan)

Quarterfinalist – PAGE Awards

Second Rounder – Austin Film Festival

Quarterfinalist – Screencraft Animation

timwestland@hotmail.com

PENNY DREDDFUL

David Mueller

Comedy, Mystery

When the strait-laced daughter of a heavy metal icon sees her father arrested for murder, she must step out of his chaotic shadow to find the real killer. Who framed Ozzy Osbourne?

Quarterfinalist – PAGE Awards 2024

muellerfilms@hotmail.com

PIXIE DUST

Jim Boston

Comedy

Two modern-day University of Minnesota-Twin Cities students start their own sorority in order to reach out to other female UMN-Twin Cities students tired of being marginalized.

huskercyclone@netzero.net

RECAPTURE/NEXUS

Eric Lotter

Sci-Fi

In a galaxy scarred by war, a family finds itself at the center of a desperate battle to keep the peace when a rogue general attempts insurrection, bent on escalation.

Quarterfinalist – StoryPros International Screenplay Contest 18th Annual – 2024 

eric.lotter@gmail.com

ROUGH SURFACE

Tim Brennan

Drama

When the 1980 murder of a Lakota Sioux girl is ignored by authorities, a tenacious reporter risks her career to investigate, rocking the foundations of a small town. Based on actual events.

Top 10 – Table Read My Screenplay Spring 2023

Quarterfinalist – ScreenCraft True Story & Public Domain 2023

Quarterfinalist – Creative Screenwriting Feature 2023

Finalist – The Script Lab – TSL Free Screenplay 2019

Finalist – Final Draft – Big Break 2018

tbrennan75@gmail.com

RUBY RIDGE

Lawrence Kane

Contemporary Western action-thriller

After being set up on a bogus weapons charge, a clerical error leads an ex-Green Beret to miss his court date.  Standing up for his constitutional rights, he refuses to surrender and soon becomes the target of a bloody government siege at his mountaintop cabin.

Winner – Big Apple Screenplay Awards

Winner – Fade In Screenplay Awards

Award Winner – Stage 32  Action/Thriller contest

Winner – Dublin Film Awards

Official Selection – Beverly Hills Film Festival

lawrence.kane@ymail.com

SAVE THE AMAZON

Lisa Lutes

Mockumentary

When a streamer cancels their favorite TV show, a group of superfans struggle to film it themselves.

lmluey@gmail.com

SENT AWAY

Joel McElvaney

Drama

When a troubled teen gets sent to stay for a summer with his dad, newly-released from prison, he uncovers a dark family secret that leads him to run away rather than return to his mother and abusive stepfather.

Semifinalist – Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards Fall 2021

Semifinalist – Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition 2022

The Short List – Barnstorm Fest 2023 

jdmcelvaney@gmail.com

SIDESHOW

Cindi Woods

Dramedy

When their circus owner dad dies, three disconnected adult siblings learn their inheritance is tied to a cross-country trip together-in a clown car-where they uncover long-held resentments that might just be the ties that bind…if they don’t kill each other first. 

cindiwoods@gmail.com

SOFTY

Debranjan Ruj

Family, Drama

After the birth of their disabled daughter, a couple struggle to give her and her younger brother a normal childhood, not realizing that their parenting methods are actually creating cracks in the stability of the family.

druj343@gmail.com

STONES

Adrienne Thorne

Dramedy

An impetuous teenage farm girl seeks freedom from her all-male household on a trip to a national dairy knowledge bowl competition, despite her overbearing brother coming along as chaperone.

Quarterfinalist – Nicholl Fellowship

Finalist – ISA Virtual Pitch Competition

Semifinalist – ISA Genre Busting Comedy

Second-rounder – ISA Fast Track Fellowship

thorneadrienne@gmail.com

SUCCEEDING: DESPITE MY FAMILY

Mark A. Tortorici

Romantic Comedy Drama, Musical

(Think La La Land set in New York City Area, or The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel as a musician)

A musically talented man in his early forties with a diagnosed mental illness defies looking for a normal job, and confronts the opposition of his family, as he uses a period of unemployment to finally pursue the music career he has put on hold for decades. He must also confront his estranged wife and equally musically talented teenage son, who are both convinced the father will never be an artistic success, and that his desire to be a musician is all a delusion of his mental illness.

Marktortorici02@gmail.com

SUGAR GREEN

Mark Gunnion

Action/Espionage

When an environmentalist with extreme mountaineering skills is recruited by a shadowy “committee” to infiltrate a remote meeting of oil company mercenaries, she discovers an assassination plot, and must risk her life to stop it.

Quarterfinalist – StoryPros

markgunnion@gmail.com

SUICIDE SQUEEZE

Brad Kallet

Dark Comedy

Suicide Squeeze is a dark comedy about an obsessive, tortured baseball fan who publicly threatens to commit suicide if his favorite team doesn’t win the World Series.

bckallet@gmail.com

SUPERTANKER

Shawn Corridan

Action Thriller

When the world’s largest oil tanker runs aground, threatening to destroy the entire Pacific Northwest, a disgraced salvage captain lays claim to the wreck, pitting him against an approaching super storm and his dubious past.

shawn.corridan@yahoo.com

THE ACETYLENE WHORES

M. Evangeline

Roadtrip Chick Flick

Lola Hodges and Mo Sullivan seem doomed to unhappiness in a small desert town until Lola’s anger at her cheating husband prompts Lola to seek revenge by dismantling Charlie’s prize four-wheel drive pick-up truck with an acetylene torch; Lola and Mo begin an adventure of revenge and survival by breaking ties with the small town and joining forces on a road trip across the Southern deserts.

odes90265@yahoo.com

THE BOY IN THE CLOSET

Laurel Ellis

Supernatural Horror

After escaping an abusive household, a woman and her son find their new sanctuary harbors a demon that feeds off children’s souls.

laurel.storylines@gmail.com

THE COLONY

Joseph Murillo

Sci-Fi/Horror

A struggling family trying to rebuild their lives relocates to a desert home built on top of a growing infestation of chemically mutated ants looking to tear their fresh start apart.

Best Sci-fi Script – HorrOrigins Film Festival 2022

joseph.p.murillo86@gmail.com

THE ERASED GIRLS

Meghan Lajewski

Historical Drama

When a rebellious teen escapes a home for unwed mothers, she finds unlikely solace with a childless widow who offers to protect her from the home director who’s hellbent on tracking her down.

Quarterfinalist – Nicholl Fellowship 2024

meglaj3210@gmail.com

THE EVENT

Izabela Borowska

Drama, Fantasy, Music

After a bus crash, a teenage dancer caught between life and death must grapple with the father who abandoned him, his own deepest regrets, and the prospect of saying goodbye to his love – or joining her forever in the afterlife.

Winner – Fantasy Category, Script Summit 2020

Semifinalist – Filmmatic Inroads Fellowship Season 6

Quarterfinalist – CineStory Feature Retreat and Fellowship Competition 2020

Quarterfinalist – Industrial Scripts / The TITAN Awards 2021

Quarterfinalist – ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship 2023

borowska.filmmaker@gmail.com

THE EXALTED ONES

Jason Miller

Horror

With only the voice of his daughter to protect his sanity, a disabled blue-collar man must defend his rural home from mind-controlling vampires who believe he possesses a mysterious and powerful artifact.

jmillerrugged@gmail.com

THE FORGET-ME-NAUTS

Kelly Asher

Drama / Adventure / Dark Comedy

When a down-on-her-luck millennial reunites with her Dementia-stricken mother, who she thought was dead most of her life, the duo embark on an unhinged and profound road trip, discovering what matters most along the way.

Quarterfinalist – Emerging Screenwriters Drama 2024

kellyxasher@gmail.com

THE GHOST’S WRITERS’ WORKSHOP

Philip C. Sedgwick

Drama (Historic Arizona, Hollywood themed)

The ghost of a screenwriter murdered in a historic Arizona hotel resurrects hope for the afterlife when a group of wannabe screenwriters arrive for a writing workshop coinciding with the festive Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration.

Nominee – Best Original Screenplay, Burbank International Film Festival 2020

Finalist – Block Island Film Festival 2021

Finalist – Rhode Island International Film Festival 2020

philip@philipcsedgwick.com

THE GOOD AMERICANS

Rob Tobin

Musical drama

“The Good Americans,” is a hip-hop musical drama about two mixed-race American lesbians on January 6, 2021, who have to figure out how to respond to what their country has become.

scripts90@gmail.com

THE GRAND JURY

Suzanne Lutas

Sci-Fi/Thriller

In a climate-ravaged future, a homeless teenage math prodigy competes for a coveted spot on a space exploration mission while secretly yearning to find her father’s missing spaceship.

Semifinalist – Reelheart International TV Pilot & Screenplay Competition 2018

Semifinalist – Wiki Screenplay Contest January 2022

Winner – Arrow International Film Festival 2022

Winner – 2023 Greenciak Festival Nov 2023

Gold Award – Paris Film Awards July 2023.

suzannebl@mail.pf

THE HAUNTED REALTORS

Marie Grillo

Horror/Comedy

When a middle-aged realtor inherits a haunted house he must get the house staged and sold in order to solve his financial problems.

1st Place – Austin Spotlight Film Festival 2020

2nd Place – Hollywood Jumbo Festival 2021

Quarterfinalist – Scriptapalooza 2021

mgmariegrillo@gmail.com

THE LEGEND OF YAKATUTCH

Sean Francis Ellis

Horror, Mystery, Action 

When his friends are attacked by an unknown animal in the Yukon wilderness, a young First Nations man learns he is descended from a line of indigenous warriors, and must embrace his heritage in order to stop the legendary creature, before it discovers his mountain town.

Semi-Finalist – ISA Emerging Screenwriters Action & Adventure 2023

Second Round – ISA Fast Track Fellowship 2022.

Semi-Finalist – ISA Emerging Screenwriters Suspense 2021.

Semi-Finalist – ISA Horror & Thriller + Genre-Busting 2021.

Best Project & Pitch – INTERNATIONAL 3D STEREO MEDIA SUMMIT, BELGIUM 2014

seanfrancisellis@gmail.com

THE NEXT KING

Kyle J. Scimone

Crime Drama/Thriller

A generational clash leaves a father and son on opposite sides of an organized crime war. Once tensions reach there breaking point, one man must choose between the preservation of his family, or control of the city.

Finalist – Emerging Screenwriters

Finalist – Los Angeles Screenplay Awards

kj.scimone@gmail.com

THE OPEN AIR

Stacey Russell

Dramedy

To avoid having to go to a home for adults with disabilities, a young man with Down syndrome convinces his sister to join him on a trip through the South Island of New Zealand to find the rest of their family and themselves.

AN IRISH GOODBYE meets HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE and A GOOD YEAR

staceycampbellrussell@gmail.com

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

James Welday, Gaston Leroux (source material)

Horror, Mystery

The blossoming romance of Victome Raoul de Chagny and young soprano Christine Daae is pushed to their limits when a mysterious spectre haunts the Palais Garnier. Gaston Leroux’s classic novel is faithfully brought to life.

Nominee – Best Script – Widescreen Film & Video Festival 2024

Official Selection – Widescreen Film & Video Festival 2024

jameswelday1@yahoo.com

THE RINGMASTER

Kyle Rizor

Horror

In a quiet Midwestern town, the sudden reappearance of a sinister Ringmaster unleashes a string of supernatural events, challenging the resolve of a small-town sheriff and his daughter as they confront their town’s darkest secrets and their own personal demons.

Second Rounder – Austin Film Festival 2023

Originals Bureau 2024

Semifinalist – Filmmatic Horror

kyle.rizor@gmail.com

THE SET LIST

Ross Ostroff

Drama / Music

When a once famous singer-songwriter returns to the spotlight after years of seclusion and addiction, he must play the greatest set of his life in order to move on from the past demons that threaten to derail his comeback show.

Semifinalist – ScreenCraft Drama 2020

Quarterfinalist – The Script Lab – TSL Free Screenplay Contest 2023

Top 8% – Discoverable Coverfly

bartnkoda@gmail.com

THE SILENCE DEVOURS

Alyssa Jefferson

Psychological Horror/Mystery

When a true crime podcast journalist returns to her rural hometown for a wellness check on her estranged mother, she unravels a twisted family secret, unleashing a horror that threatens her grasp of reality.

Alyssa@bloodybits.com

THE ULTIMATE ENCHANTMENT

Aimee Dansereau and Allison Chaney

Romantic Comedy

A workaholic fairy and a charming vampire, who detest one another, are forced to team up to find a romantic match for a VIP client at the magical matchmaking company they work for, and inadvertently fall in love.

Semifinalist – Imagine This Women’s International Film Festival 2024

Quarterfinalist – Big Apple Film Festival Screenplay Competition – Fall 2024

adansereau08@gmail.com

THE UNLIKELIEST OF HEROES

Paul Zeidman

Animated fantasy-comedy

On the run from a tyrannical wizard, a novice witch from a magical dimension ends up stranded without her powers in the least magical place of all – New Jersey.

3rd Place – Family/Teen/Animation – 16th StoryPros

Semifinalist – Emerging Screenwriters Animation 2024

Second Rounder – Austin Film Festival 2023

paul.zeidman@gmail.com

THREE WISE MEN

Brett Nicholson

Comedy

Three bumbling buddies lost in the Mexican desert on Christmas Eve team to help a pregnant young woman trying to hike to Texas before she gives birth in the wilderness.

aggiebrett@gmail.com

THROUGH

Travis Seppala

Sci-Fi/Action

When a trio of college students invent a teleportation device, they find themselves on the run from a secret military operation that wants their technology.

Second Rounder – ISA Fast Track Fellowship

flannelmann@yahoo.com

TIL DEATH DO US PART

Don Santiago

Rom-Com

After a forty-year-old immature man is legally forced to honor a marriage contract to his fuck buddy, then loses her to the seemingly perfect man, he must discover that she’s truly the love of his life.

“No Strings Attached” meets “Anyone But You”

don.m.santiago@gmail.com

TO TASTE DEATH

Jeffrey Lee Sibley

Surreal Horror

In a secluded location, strange occurrences and increasingly bizarre behaviors disrupt the lives of a Mother, Father and Kid in this surreal study on the death of family structure.

jeffsibley1@gmail.com

UNIMAGINABLE

Paula Goldberg

Drama / Sci-Fi / Historical

When a woman who has lost her purpose in life is tasked with delivering a gift to her estranged father, she suddenly travels back in time to the horrors of the Nazi occupation in Poland. There, she confronts the demons holding both their lives hostage.

Selection – The Women’s List 2024

Semifinalist – Dallas International Film Festival’s Screenwriting Competition 2024

welltoldgold@gmail.com

UNITED WE STAND

Tom Savage

Sports Drama

Ex-footballer, Harry George. gets a chance at redemption when tasked with starting the new national team for the world’s smallest island nation. If combining reluctant locals with asylum seekers wasn’t tough enough, his job is further complicated by the island’s best player being imprisoned in the island’s offshore immigration detention centre. 

thomashsavage@gmail.com

UNTIL THE BLOOD RUNS COLD

John Henderson

Horror

Troubled teens locked in a remote juvenile detention center find themselves at the mercy of a relentless, otherworldly force and must forge an unsteady alliance to survive the night.

It’s THE BREAKFAST CLUB meets ALIEN.

johnmichaelhenderson@gmail.com

VENUS GABLES

Lincoln Michael Manning

Period Drama

In the Three Sisters Swamp off the Black River in a late 1940s North Carolina, hides a house where the locals tell transplanted vet, Jamie Greene, that a “menagerie of monsters” dwell. Amongst the outcasts is Alora, a young women with amnesia, who is said to be a cursed siren. Jamie discovers that Alora’s past only begins to unlock the intrigue at Venus Gables.

lincoln.michael.manning@gmail.com

WAITING GAMES

Jeffrey R. Field

A charismatic liar who spins elaborate tales to strangers in hospital waiting rooms becomes an unlikely source of support for a grieving mom dealing with the disappearance of her twin girls.

Semifinalist – Nicholl Fellowship 2018

First Prize – Feature, Omaha Film Festival Screenwriting 2024

Finalist – PAGE 2018, 2023, 2024

Semifinalist – Script Pipeline 2023

Top 50 – Tracking Board Launchpad

jefffield88@yahoo.com

WHEN YOU BECAME US

Nicholas Geisler

Sci-Fi Rom Com

In near-future Pittsburgh, a tech-resistant country musician falls for a freewheeling woman with a computer chip in her brain that merges her mind with the internet… and everyone on it.

Quarterfinalist – Final Draft Big Break

Second Rounder – Austin Film Festival

Finalist – Almanac Screenwriter’s Colony

nicholas.a.geisler@gmail.com

YELLOWJACK

Ken Henderson

Period Arthouse Horror

A fur trapper’s wife dies during a yellow fever plague in the late 1800s and returns to haunt him.

Semifinalist – Horror – PAGE International 2024

kenhenderson@gmail.com

TV

ALL STORMS BREWING

Christopher J. O’Bryant

Crime/Drama

The patriarch of All Storm Brewery prepares to take the company public, threatening the privilege his family has grown accustomed to, and a sin from his past resurfaces that may destroy everything and everyone he holds dear.

obryantcj@gmail.com

A STROKE OF LUCK

Jed Power

Dramedy

After a cynical stroke survivor is admitted to a chaotic yet hopeful rehab hospital, he must rediscover his strength, purpose, and humor—while forming unlikely bonds with quirky patients and staff who refuse to give up.

jedpower@verizon.net

BAMBO GOES POSTAL

Stacy Bannerman

2-D adult animation sitcom

Fed up with courtroom corruption, an environmental attorney reinvents themselves in Appalachian coal country, picking up an anthropomorphic fainting goat for mail route misadventures and homeschooled murder mayhem.

#16 – Coverfly’s The Red List

Semifinalist – Emerging Screenwriters Animation 2024

Quarterfinalist – Creative Screenwriting Unique Voices 2024

stacy@stacybannerman.com

BLACK CAR

Steve Cleary

Comedy

An idealistic driver-for-hire struggles to deliver a milquetoast businessman to LAX as he must deal with a family emergency and a demanding harbor master who wants him to move his derelict boat from the marina.

steve@stevecleary.com

CARE SOURCE

Matthew Nicholson

Dramedy

Single mother Nancy Nathanson must give a once-in-a-lifetime presentation to NASA for her family business when an unexpected and debilitating medical diagnosis not only risks her job but will change her dysfunctional family forever.

Best Screenplay Prize – Top Shorts 

Semifinalist – Humanitas New Voice Fellowship

Semfinalist – Shore Scripts

Semifinalist – Filmmatic Drama Screenplay Awards

Quarterfinalist – Slamdance

mcnicholson10@gmail.com

DAMNED IF YOU DON’T

Anthony Campbell

Dramedy

When a man discovers that he’s dead and Purgatory is the Newark Airport of the afterlife, he’s forced to reckon with haunting his widow to save her soul and befriending the exiled and unhoused to save his own.

campbell.anthony@gmail.com

EDUCATING AVA

Caroline Rovello

Fantasy/Drama

Jane Austen’s ghost helps a woman overcome her personal and professional challenges.

dj363dj@icloud.com

ESCORTED

Roger Wilson-Crane

Thriller, Drama

When devoted husband Max is mistaken for a mature high-end escort, he’s pulled into a seductive world of wealth and deception to pay off his debts. But when a client is found dead under suspicious circumstances, Max’s web of lies begins to unravel – putting his marriage,  friendships, and very survival at risk as his life spirals out of control.

Finalist – All3Media New Writers Collective 2024

Finalist – Page Turner Screenplay Award 2024

wilson-crane@outlook.com

FUTURE KING

Dawn Prato

Drama, Modern/Urban Fantasy

When a disillusioned businesswoman accidentally wakes King Arthur in the present day, she must sort fact from fantasy if they’re going to survive his enemies, both ancient and new – trouble is, she may be one of them.

Semifinalist – Emerging Screenwriters Screenplay Competition 2023

Honorable Mention – The Finish Line Script Competition 2022-2023

Second Rounder – Launch Pad Pilot Competition 2022

Semifinalist – The Script Lab TSL Free Screenplay Contest 2021

dawn.prato@gmail.com

H.O.A.

Pete Johnson

Sitcom

When a couple from Brooklyn join a quirky island community, they find both opportunity and reason for concern in the oddball H.O.A. that wields inordinate power over Breezy Point Estates.

pete.johnson@mac.com

MEADOWOOD METEORS

Brett Joyce

Half-hour Comedy

A star pitcher suffers a career ending injury and must swallow his pride when he becomes an intern for a professional baseball team. It’s there he finally learns what it means to be a team player.

Quarterfinalist – Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards Fall 2023

Semifinalist – Table Read My Screenplay Competition Spring 2024

Quarterfinalist – Creative Screenwriting Unique Voices Screenplay Competition 2024

Quarterfinalist – Creative Screenwriting Pilot Competition 2023

realbrettjoyce@gmail.com 

OFF-BALANCE

Logan Day

Comedy

A runaway med school student. An okay-ish writer. A struggling dad. A part-time teacher. Four unlikely friends in their 20s share an apartment and navigate the ups and downs of life in Seattle.

sirlogand@gmail.com

OR WORSE

Rina O’Malley

Drama

When infidelity rocks the foundations of five high-society couples, a domino effect forces everyone to confront the buried truths that threaten their carefully manicured lives.

Second Rounder – Austin Film Festival 2024

Semifinalist – Stage 32 TV Drama Screenwriting 2024

Quarterfinalist – WeScreenplay TV Pilot Lab 2025 (currently still in contention)

rinamb@gmail.com

PARASOCIAL

Autumn Adams

Comedy Thriller

A chronically online teen’s obsession with a beautiful influencer takes a dark turn when they start attending the same school.

Comps: SWARM meets YOU

autumnwritespilots@gmail.com

THE CHESAPEAKE BAY SHOW

Jordan Grahame

Half-hour teen sitcom, satire, coming-of-age

Seven teenagers navigate high school, friendships, and relationships in Davenport, Maryland, but misadventure awaits them at every corner in their awkward adolescence.

Quarterfinalist – TSL Free Screenplay Contest 2022

grahamecracker2001@gmail.com

THE CONNECTORS

Craig T. Williams

1-hour procedural

Set in the Bronx, 2 women meet as adults discover they were born on the same day to the same father, create an agency that reconnects missing family members.

redwallproductions@gmail.com

THE DEMONOLOGIST

Edgardo Granel-Ruiz

Fantasy-Mystery-Drama

An amnesiac professor of demonology must stop a vengeful son, armed with a weapon capable of destroying the world, on his crusade against those who wronged his family.

edgardo.granel@gmail.com

THE POD

Saraphina Redalieu

Comedy

After managing to stay alive during the first year of the apocalypse, a podcast host must assume the identity of her dead scientist wife in order to help rebuild society and ensure her own survival.

Semifinalist – Finish Line Script Competition 2023-2024

Top 25 – Roadmap Writers Jumpstart Writing Competition 2023

Top 3% – Coverfly

saraphina.redalieu@gmail.com

THE UNMENTIONABLES

Stephanie Campisi

Dramedy

When three dysfunctional siblings inherit their parents’ clandestine sex shop empire, they must fend off attacks from the town, church and rival organizations to preserve their nervous wealth – and their family secrets.

SIX FEET UNDER + OZARK

stephanie.campisi@gmail.com

THE WILD HARTS

Kim Hornsby

One-hour Drama

A married couple running a Wilderness Center and Lodge in the remote Pacific Northwest battle loggers and politicians in the name of environmental preservation while keeping five diverse teens on track.

Coverfly Red List – Family, One Hour TV

Semifinalist – Hollyshorts Screenwriting Competition 2022

Second Rounder – Austin Film Festival 2024

Quarterfinalist – Emerging Screenwriters 2021 & 2022

Top 100 – Table Read My Screenplay Austin 2021

kimhornsby@yahoo.com

TRUE CONTROL

Halley Reed

1-hour Drama / Science Fiction

In what she thinks is 1824, Tess Albritton faces marriage and is torn between two choices: the safe bet nice guy who promises stability, and the mysterious bad boy who promises the adventure she longs for. When she follows her heart, her entire reality is turned upside down.

Quarterfinalist – WeScreenplay TV Pilot Lab 2025

hreed12@live.com

UNICORN INCLUDED

Jonathan Fournier

Half-hour comedy

Unicorns are real, but they make bad roommates! A late bloomer has finally moved out on his own, only to find out he has an unadvertised roommate: a lazy, sarcastic unicorn who’s been hiding out in the condo and won’t leave.

Second Rounder – Austin Film Fest

Quarterfinalist – Final Draft Big Break

Pilot is based on four short webisodes (also called Unicorn Included), which were showcased at Seoul Webfest 2020 and received nominations for “Best Creator” and “Best Sketch Comedy”.

jonathanfournier.writer@gmail.com

WASHERS

Jonathan Angelo C. Concepcion

Hour Drama Thriller pilot

A witty Art Cleaner and an MI6 Agent team up to keep a Suave Russian Oligarch afloat by selling his quirky art collection, to prevent him from selling his rare minerals to his rival; an even worse, more ruthless Oligarch.

Honorable Mention – 2023/2024 Finish Line Script Competition

concepcionjonathan3@gmail.com

concepcionjonathan3@outlook.com

W.H.E.E.L.S. OF S.T.E.E.L.

Jonas Oppenheim

Adult animation/comedy/action/half-hour

W.H.E.E.L.S. O.F. S.T.E.E.L. is adult-animation comedy in the “cool-guy/rad-car” tradition, except this car is an idiot. When his talking super-car is blown up, secret agent Bicep “Sep” Wheels must team with goofball talking station wagon NATT. If the “Knight Rider” car had Kimmy Schmidt’s personality.

Quarterfinalist – Final Draft Big Break

Second Rounder – Austin Film Festival

Quarterfinalist – Launch Pad Pilot Competition

ojonasoppenheimo@gmail.com

WIKI

Nicole Jones-Dion

1-hour / Horror / Sci-Fi

A modern-day reimagining of The Monkey’s Paw for the internet generation. The lives of three college friends are turned upside down when they discover a mysterious online wiki site. Any changes made to the wiki magically come true in the real world — with unpredictable and deadly consequences.

Winner – FOX Writing Fellowship

Official Selection – The Stunt List Originals Bureau

nicole@praxiscope.com