Cinequest Screenwriting Competition |
2024-2025
Renowned as the “future of the filmed arts," Cinequest provides a bastion of discovery that launches careers and empowers writers to take flight.
Placement
Genre
Format
Representation Status
Finalists
Lucky You
Private
Finalist
TV Script
· Unknown
No logline available.
- Verified WGA Member
No bio available.
Sam Wants Her Sweater Back!
Private
Finalist
Short
· Comedy
· 15 Pages
Three queer friends launch a half-witted heist to steal back a sweater from one of their exes.
Chicago, IL
Former horsegirl and current grownup gay lady, Whitney Chitwood (she/they) is a Chicago based writer, director, and comedian who was raised by two theatre owner/director parents in small-town Illinois. Prior to moving behind the camera full time, Whit toured nationally as a headlining standup and her debut album "THE BAKERY CASE" premiered at #1 on ...
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The Big Cheese
Private
Finalist
Short
· Comedy
· 11 Pages
While trying to make dinner, Eddie must confront her eating disorder in the form of a sentient grilled cheese sandwich who's kind of an asshole.
No bio available.
Finalist
TV Script
· Fantasy
· 60 Pages
Sebastian Aragon, 35, modest modern-day medieval art curator at LACMA, plagued by a peculiar blood disease and feudal visions, is sent to Spain to assess and obtain the 11th century Black Castle. Sebastian realizes he's the owner, 7th Lord Aragon, 15th-century time-traveling vampire knight-and husband of Ana, Sephardi alchemist, in Inquisition priso...
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Santa Monica, California
A 'born creative' at 19; I was a fashion designer in New York City and later in Paris. I sold my collection to Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf’s, Place de la Victoire. In Paris, I worked at Balmain with DeLaRenta, and Chloe with Lagerfeld. Robert Altman optioned my Hollywood drama script before his untimely death. I returned to the US, I costumed TV and ...
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Finalist
TV Script
· Drama
· 69 Pages
A Japanese-American family deals with the struggles and hardships that come form living as immigrant in three tumultuous time periods of American history; during Japanese interment in WWII, 1980's Los Angeles, and in the 2020's at the hight of the covid pandemic. (Based on a true story)
Los Angeles, California
Colin's writing portfolio and experience is across genre and mediums. He's written for feature and short films, Television dramas and comedies as well as unscripted educational programming. He has had scripts trend on the Blacklist, opened films at the Cannes Festival, been a semi-finalist at the Vail Film Festival and Los Angeles Screenplay awards ...
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Finalist
Feature
· Drama
· 70 Pages
After his father’s death, a man’s buried trauma surfaces as two sinister personas, forcing him to confront his fractured psyche before losing his career, relationships, and sanity.
Naples, Florida
Tyler Schultz is an Award Winning Screenwriter from Wisconsin who has placed high within the prestigious competitions such as Scriptapalooza, Coverfly's Short List, and Barnstorm Short List to name a few.
Over the years, Tyler has garnered numerous accolades from multiple competitions for his stories that delve into the darkness of humanity while...
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Finalist
Short
· Fantasy
· 10 Pages
At Great Beyond Productions, principal photography is ready to begin for God's revamped project "The End of the World". His First A.D. Metatron, the angel, is tasked with going around to check on various departments; multiple mishaps occur, threatening the production's completion.
Macon, Georgia
In 2021, Alex completed her Master's degree in the Writing for Script and Screen program at Falmouth University. Currently, she is on the Shortlist for The Script Department. Her specialties include both speculative and dark comedy. She has a keen interest in dialogue and character development in her screenplays.
Finalist
Short
· Horror
· 14 Pages
This silly blood-soaked commercial pushes a holy spirit board that not only boasts direct communication with God Almighty, but also spells out who must be sacrificed in order for its user to become blessed.
Sherman Oaks, CA
Warren Lane is an award winning playwright and screenwriter. Much of his work is fueled by his stormy Southern Baptist upbringing which took place in the serene Arkansas Ozarks. Lane received an MFA in Playwriting from Boston University's Creative Writing Program where his play, The Devil's Teacup, was produced at Boston Playwrights' Theatre. He was...
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Finalist
Short
· Drama
· 10 Pages
The power of a gun tempts a young boy until he is visited by two of his future selves.
North Hollywood, California
Rodolfo ‘Rudy’ Salas was born in Brownsville, Texas. His childhood was spent in a hundred-year-old house that stood in poverty. His wild imagination allowed him to escape from his impoverished upbringing. As his social and academic knowledge grew, so did his appreciation for storytelling and film. Storytelling bridges people. Rudy earned his MFA fro...
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Coming in Second
Private
Finalist
Feature
· Drama
· 113 Pages
In a near future, everyone experiences the joy of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, and the pain of Him ascending to heaven. Arrington Cordero, a man who feels like the only forsaken person on Earth, struggles to adjust to a changed world of known divinity because Arrington’s fiancé had sex with Jesus.
Los Angeles, CA
No bio available.
Finalist
Feature
· Historical
· 116 Pages
Amidst the chaos of WWII, a young and headstrong Jewish fashion illustrator forms an unlikely alliance with a charismatic Chilean consulate general based in Paris to save her family -- a bond that deepens into love, propelling her on dangerous missions to rescue others from death camps, while being hunted by an SS officer who is relentless in his pu...
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West Newbury, MA
Jesse Kalfel was born in New York City. He is the author of So You’re Cremated, Now What? His screenplays have been optioned by Orion Pictures. Kalfel writes and directs ten-minute plays performed in Boston and Manhattan. His newest novel Paper Ghosts was acquired by Fulton Books. He is currently writing a screenplay about his mother who was in the...
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Finalist
Feature
· Comedy
· 120 Pages
After accidentally shooting President Kennedy in 1963, a hapless Secret Service Agent stumbles into an unnerving web of conspiracy and scandal while being pursued by a small-town ballistics expert investigating the assassination.
Brooklyn, New York
Mike is a twice-produced screenwriter who oscillates between horror and comedy, much to the confusion of his mother. His first feature FREELANCE (dir. John Balazs) is currently available on Amazon and Apple TV. His second feature, THE SPOTTER (dir. Harry Locke), was just announced in Deadline after completing production. His third, THE BODY FARM (di...
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Finalist
Short
· Drama
· 32 Pages
Told to move on and stay quiet, college student Hana Murphy unravels in the silence that follows assault—searching for clarity, control, and an answer to the question that haunts her: what happens to the drunk girl?
Los Angeles, California
A Top 10 Cinequest Finalist, 22-year-old Tawnie Powell is a USC alum who writes to help others feel seen. Her work blends emotional grit with cinematic voice, tackling trauma, resilience, and identity through emotionality and raw honesty. Her stories are grounded in a belief that storytelling can heal, connect, and shift perspective.
Finalist
Feature
· Comedy
· 111 Pages
To pay a debt to a homicidal gangster, two bumbling thieves plot to kidnap a dowager’s champion show poodle. But their scheme hits a snag when they find themselves trapped in a church with her disturbed granddaughter.
Kieran Angelini has written 2 independent films: Drifting and Dirty Business. Three short films he wrote, Laundrette Blues , Olly, and Baby Please, have been selected to numerous festivals. Kieran is also a playwright. He is a member of the Playwright Development Unit at the Actors Studio in LA, where he recently had a reading of his new play Noble...
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Gawayne The Arrogant (of Orlando)
Private
Finalist
TV Script
· Animated
· 34 Pages
Gawayne The Arrogant (of Orlando) is an adult animated comedy series about an actual medieval knight who ends up working at a Medieval Times dinner theater alongside a band of misfit employees after a wizard curses him to a life in the mundane splendor of modern day central Florida.
No bio available.
Finalist
Short
· Comedy
· 13 Pages
A young woman’s compulsive politeness puts her life at risk as she tries to maintain a passive aggressive text conversation while being chased by a masked killer.
Los Angeles, California
Zoë Mills received her BFA in Film & Television Production from USC's School of Cinematic Arts. She is currently the Writers' PA on Percy Jackson & The Olympians on Disney+ (S3)
Finalist
TV Script
· Drama
· 77 Pages
On the run after witnessing a cartel murder, a once-great but down-and-out crypto whiz finds unlikely refuge managing a Florida retirement community, where he’s drawn into a risky alliance with an eccentric old-lady crime boss to turn her small-town gambling ring into a high-stakes online operation that could redeem—or destroy—them both.
No bio available.
Finalist
Feature
· Family
· 108 Pages
When bad dog Gristle dies, he’s stunned to find out not all dogs go to heaven. If he wants to get in, he must go back to earth and earn the love of one human. But when the angry daughter of the guy he’s trying to bond with shows up Gristle realizes this will be harder than he thought, especially when he learns he must love a human in return.
W Hollywood, CA
Heidi writes stories of misfits coming through grief and misfortune to find their place and themselves. She's written features, treatments, and pilots for independent producers. Co-founder of the Slamdance Script Clinic, she and her husband run PageCraft Writing offering script coaching / writing retreats in LA, Italy, and online. Her clients includ...
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Finalist
TV Script
· Fantasy
· 38 Pages
Jesus Christ himself sneaks back into our chaotic world in an effort to save humanity from the apocalypse, orchestrated by his notoriously strict Father.
London, London, GB
I'm a producer, actor and screenwriter from London, UK. The dream is to combine all three one day and make that stack of scripts on my shelf a reality. While they pile up, I shoot commercials for brands with my production company, The Visitors Films, where I always aim to bring my passion in narrative storytelling into the (rather boring) world of c...
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Finalist
TV Script
· Drama
· 31 Pages
In the aftermath of a school shooting, the lives of two grieving mothers collide and spiral out of control.
No bio available.
Finalist
Feature
· Drama
· 114 Pages
In the last days of the Soviet empire, a rock-fueled romance ignites between the rebellious niece of an American diplomat and an underground rock star with outlaw status. With the KGB shadowing their every move, the pair creates a music video for MTV as an audacious escape plan—hoping to fuel American sympathy and pressure the Soviets to let the ban...
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New York, New York
Emily Bickford Lansbury, a veteran of the film/TV industry for 20 years, transitioned from an educator with an MS degree to a literary scout for esteemed production companies such as Jim Henson Studios and Jane Startz Productions. Frustrated by seeing promising projects languish in development, Emily shifted gears to producing and writing. Teaming u...
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Finalist
TV Script
· Comedy
· 34 Pages
Two best friends, a tough-as-nails actress and an anxiety-ridden PA, strive to break out of their dead-end jobs on a children’s sitcom and be taken more seriously in the industry, despite the drugged-out, oversexed, Machiavellian goings-on behind the scenes of the supposedly “Family Friendly” show.
Fresh out of the Film School at the Second City, Ryan Dooley is a screenwriter and pop culture addict looking to create a space for LGBTQ+ characters and stories in blockbuster genres. Ryan also enjoys subverting genre tropes and expectations for both surprise and humor. When not writing screenplays or reading comic books, Ryan can usually be found ...
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Finalist
TV Script
· Historical
· 33 Pages
In 1810, A pair of privileged and apathetic twins plot to murder each other in order to secure their charismatic mother's inheritance.
Tavish Young is an American performer and writer. In 2023 he received his MA in screenwriting from Metfilm Berlin. He grew up in the theatre and studied it and creative writing during undergrad.
Finalist
Short
· Horror
· 13 Pages
The Italian Marble Institute hand-selects sculptress Ellen Corsair to study in the marble capital of the world, Carrara, Italy. Will the stone come alive or will it mark someone's grave?
New York, New York
Matt Nicholson is a queer screenwriter based in LA with 55 wins and over 140 placements in international screenwriting contests. His portfolio of short scripts and hour-long pilots brings new twists to old myths and champions stories about family legacy. Matt has worked as a stage manager, researcher for "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," and Editor-I...
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Finalist
TV Script
· Drama
· 56 Pages
A failed San Francisco drug dealer hiding out in Palo Alto falls for his rich landlady as he tries to carve out a legitimate place in her world--using illegitimate means to do it.
Milledgeville, GA
Nevada McPherson writes in the southern Gothic town of Milledgeville, GA, former home of writer Flannery O'Connor. She's the author of the Eucalyptus Lane novels, a steamy, offbeat noir series set in Palo Alto, CA. A graduate of L.S.U.’s MFA Screenwriting Program, she's also written several award-winning screenplays, some featuring characters even ...
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Finalist
TV Script
· Sci-fi
· 60 Pages
When a series of natural disasters and unnatural phenomena wreak havoc across the globe, a group of unlikely allies must come together to confront a mysterious faction determined to engineer the very end of the world.
In the same vein as LEAVE THE WORLD BEHIND and KNOCK AT THE CABIN.
Denver, CO
Steve Brown, a graduate of the UCLA Professional Program in Screenwriting, holds dual degrees in Journalism and English from the University of Arizona. In 2023, he transitioned from corporate copywriting (for popular brands such as Nintendo and Kaplan Test Prep) to pursue his passion for film and TV. Today, he dedicates his time entirely to screenwr...
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Finalist
Feature
· Comedy
· 106 Pages
Per her dying mother's request, Mennonite girl Sarah goes to New York City to bring her uncle – a gay fashion designer – back home. Her mission fades into the background, however, when she becomes a model and finds herself in the middle of New York Fashion Week.
Los Angeles, CA
Before I knew what a screenwriter was, I knew that whatever I chose to do with my life, I wanted to make people laugh the way I did when watching movies like “Mean Girls” and series like “30 Rock”. A soon-to-be graduate of USC’s Writing for Screen and Television major, I can now say with confidence that I want to make people laugh by writing female...
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Finalist
Feature
· Drama
· 116 Pages
A teen runaway reflects on secrets at the heart of her existence as she searches for acceptance and liberation from her traumatic past in rural Mississippi. Based on the memoir by Angela Howard.
Los Angeles, CA
John got their start making docs exploring LGBTQIA+ struggles in their hometown of Memphis, TN. After earning their MFA in film directing from UCLA, they made their writer-director feature debut with THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT (Gravitas Ventures), a fantasy rom-com that explores queer themes. After working as a Writers Assistant and Script Coordina...
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Finalist
TV Script
· Drama
· 60 Pages
A free spirited young woman living in 18th century China is determined to become a “comb sister” - an independent working woman who swears to never marry, but her plans are foiled when she inconviently falls in love with a man, and she must find a way to lead a double life.
Los Angeles, CA
Dralla Aierken is a Uyghur born Chinese writer based in Los Angeles. Juggling many identities, languages, and cultures from a young age, she feels a deep connection to the alienated and the voiceless, and delights in how different and exactly the same we all are. She sees the world as a fucked-up funny place and strives to explore the heavy topics...
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Finalist
TV Script
· Drama
· 56 Pages
The Dailys are navigating a troubled marriage, and it’s hard enough without the added pressures - and temptations - that come with operating the most lucrative divorce hotel in Reno.
Melbourne, AU
A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts, and a theatre performer from a young age, Jim is determined to develop stories for the screen that move hearts and demand your attention.
Finalist
Short
· Family
· 21 Pages
When little Charley discovers that she’s on the naughty list this year, she decides to change her fate by doing the unthinkable: kidnapping Santa Claus!
Atlanta, GA
Filmmaker. Story wrangler. Enthusiastic avoider of normal hobbies.
Brandon tells stories about oddballs, underdogs, and emotionally complicated humans. His work confuses algorithms, delights audiences, and has won a string of awards that look great in bios like this one.
When not making films, he splits his time between creative breakdowns an...
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Finalist
TV Script
· Comedy
· 35 Pages
When former rock and roll bandmates wind up substitute teaching at the same school, the singer (who everyone hates) tries to get the band back together in an attempt to win NPR's Tiny Desk Contest.
San Francisco
Stephen Krespel is a screenwriter and producer who fled the doldrums of suburbia to play in various rock and roll bands in San Francisco. Ultimately, he ended up bartending in the city for way, way, way too long. But, as it turns out, hanging out with a bunch of real-life raconteurs is a pathway to writing about great characters for the screen.
...
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Finalist
TV Script
· Sci-fi
· 30 Pages
In the (not necessarily) distant future, a struggling artist escapes her troubles by working as a temp for a human replacement agency, but when she loses her job and her own replacement steals the legal rights to her life, she must fight to get it back.
Princeton, NJ
A former ballerina, Devi (rhymes with gravy) is a proud alumnus of AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women, the Fox Filmmaker Program and the Clarion Science Fiction & Fantasy Writer’s Workshop. Her darkly comedic screenplays have won high honors in the Nicholl Fellowships, Slamdance and PAGE Awards, and her award-winning films have screened at festivals...
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Finalist
TV Script
· Comedy
· 34 Pages
An aging fashion icon and her much younger model hubby seem like a match made in heaven. But when their hidden secrets are exposed, they're forced to navigate a whirlwind of love, fame and suspicion.
Los Angeles, CA
Ash Duffy moved to LA from the UK to explore her dream of being a screenwriter.
She comes from a large Irish family of strong, funny women and enjoys telling their stories.
She has an MA in screenwriting and was lucky enough to be mentored by one of her heroes, Debbie Horsfield (Cutting It, Poldark).
She has written specs for Fleabag, ...
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Finalist
TV Script
· Drama
· 53 Pages
A teenager who grew up in the family zoo must discovers wildlife traffickers are using the zoo as a way station. The kicker? Her father, whom she idolizes, is one of them.
Pasadena, CA
Lisa Hickey is a TV writer/screenwriter.
She is also the Publisher and CEO of an online magazine with 2 million visitors per month that talks about the changing roles of men in the 21st century. Out of that come deep and provocative discussions about the big social issues of today--sexism, racism, lgbtqia issues, environmental concerns and more. ...
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Finalist
TV Script
· Historical
· 50 Pages
Young, inexperienced women discover the horrors of war and get their first taste of independence as they work as nurses during WWII.
Buford, Georgia
A sports enthusiast, do-it-all filmmaker, and history nut, Ashley's variety of interests fuel her passion for writing and exploration. She has a BA in English from Clemson University and an MFA in Dramatic Writing from SCAD. Her scripts have been well-received by Final Draft Big Break, Cinequest, and the Blacklist.
Finalist
TV Script
· Drama
· 50 Pages
A young storm chaser and her pet drone must track down a disgraced weather scientist hiding in Antarctica, before an evil oligarch leverages climate change and destroys humanity.
Pasadena, CA
Lisa Hickey is a TV writer/screenwriter.
She is also the Publisher and CEO of an online magazine with 2 million visitors per month that talks about the changing roles of men in the 21st century. Out of that come deep and provocative discussions about the big social issues of today--sexism, racism, lgbtqia issues, environmental concerns and more. ...
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Finalist
TV Script
· Comedy
· 33 Pages
A documentary crew follows the foibles of Henry VIII and his court. Mary Tudor is stressed about Henry's Shrovetide pageant, the servants are given an impossible task, and Queen Catherine finds herself replaced.
New York, New York
Michal Schick is an Orthodox Jewish writer of screen and prose based in New York City. Educated in religious schools through the collegiate level, Michal earned her Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College in 2016. She worked as a staff writer on season four through seven of the Emmy Award-winning Netflix series The Drago...
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Vital
Private
Finalist
Short
· Drama
· 18 Pages
A mother in Iran, considers selling her organs to save her daughter, while in Canada, a doctor faces ethical dilemmas to save his daughter, revealing the complexities of organ trade.
Ottawa, ON, CA
Amir Zargara is an award-winning Iranian-Canadian writer and director, whose unique perspective is shaped by the cultural mosaic of Iran and Canada. His journey, characterized by the resilience of an immigrant and the challenges of living with a stutter, deeply influences his approach to filmmaking. An alumnus of prestigious programs at Berlinale, T...
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Semifinalists
Semifinalist
Short
· Drama
· 9 Pages
That man in the diner may have more to say than you think.
East Patchogue, NY
Drew Henriksen is the author of the Dragon Tales & Stories trilogy, Dragons & Wolves, The Dragon & The Detective, and Dragons and Science by ArcheBooks Publishing.
After years of being a laboratory supervisor, he began teaching science at Amityville High School in New York. For 21 years has been and adjunct instructor of forensic science for...
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Semifinalist
Feature
· Comedy
· 92 Pages
A degenerate Gambler from Buffalo, NY disappears, leaving a debt to his son and daughter-in-law, who must simultaneously collect the money he owes, and try to find him — before the Mob beats them to it.
Los Angeles, CA
Phil Costa is an Italian-Irish mutt from Teaneck, New Jersey. He spent 10 years working in Camera for studios like Netflix, HBO, and Paramount, where he got to see how the sausage is made, only to realize he'd rather enjoy the metaphorical sausage (preferably on a roll with peppers and onions). He has written two feature screenplays and is developin...
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And Also With You
Private
Semifinalist
TV Script
· Unknown
· 35 Pages
When a nice Catholic church lady comes out as bisexual in her 60s, her lesbian daughter reluctantly helps her enter the dating scene as the oldest baby queer in Cleveland.
Olivia Haller
No bio available.
Baby Down
Private
Semifinalist
TV Script
· Unknown
No logline available.
Ruthie Marantz
No bio available.
Bigfoot's Got a Gun
Private
Semifinalist
Feature
· Unknown
· 101 Pages
On a remote island, a young escapee from a drug cartel forms an unlikely alliance with a grizzled Bigfoot to rescue their friends and thwart a sinister plot to take over Colombia.
No bio available.
Bleeding Kansas
Private
Semifinalist
TV Script
· Unknown
No logline available.
Andrew Long
No bio available.
Semifinalist
Short
· Comedy
· 20 Pages
Fed up with her inability to orgasm, twenty-something Fran seeks out local porn star Bernardo Bolsa hoping he'll finally get her rocks off. The only problem is...he's gay. However, Bernardo's will to help leads Fran to finally discover pleasure in the most unexpected of places.
Los Angeles, CA
- Writer, producer, actor, & director based in LA
- Co-founder GINGER TITS PRODUCTIONS with Mack Breeden
- Written & sold over seven scripts to MarVista, Tubi, Lifetime, and Hallmark
- USC Film Alum
- Proud redhead
Cinnamon Girl
Private
Semifinalist
TV Script
· Drama
· 56 Pages
After the death of her beloved guardian, 15-year-old Eli Burnes journeys across 1970s America through a world of revolutionaries and fugitives -- all the while trying to be a normal teenager.
Tallahassee, FL
No bio available.
Semifinalist
Short
· Horror
· 12 Pages
A boy in the Louisiana bayou tries to stop his mother’s drinking, but discovers she hides a more terrifying secret, and he may not escape her legacy.
- Verified WGA Member
Baton Rouge, LA
My name is Mark Dispenza and I’m a writer-director from New Orleans. Using the allegorical magic of genre storytelling, I create worlds inhabited by everyday heroes who confront their own debilitating trauma to empower themselves and others.
Dark Horse
Private
Semifinalist
· Unknown
No logline available.
Randee Ramsey
No bio available.
DaViD-19
Private
Semifinalist
Short
· Unknown
No logline available.
Masa Gibson
No bio available.