HollyShorts Screenwriting Competition |
2021
Placement
Genre
Format
Representation Status
Winners
Winner
Short
· Drama
· 12 Pages
On a hot summer's day, in the idyllic English countryside, a blossoming friendship between two boys is derailed after their search for adventure reaches a bloody conclusion.
London, GB
Nicholas is an award-winning writer and live storyteller based in London - by way of Brighton, Los Angeles, Te'Awamutu and Wilmington, Delaware. He suffers from malusdomesticaphobia - an irrational fear of apples. Despite this, he has worked in the TV and film industry for the better part of a decade before undertaking an MA in Scriptwriting at Gold...
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Winner
Short
· Drama
· 19 Pages
David, an obsessive compulsive and mentally preoccupied young man must make peace with his past and his shortcomings before they consume him entirely.
No bio available.
Winner
Short
· Horror
· 10 Pages
Bill is a recent divorcé whose life goes from mundane to surreal when a respiratory dummy named Anne seemingly “follows” him home from work. What starts as a magical intervention turns into a slow burn nightmare.
New York, New York
Andrew writes stories that live on a Venn diagram between “scary” and “heartwarming.” Thematically, he explores memory and nostalgia. His characters obsess over returning to a time or place that no longer exists. Stylistically, he uses sparse dialogue and creates realistic worlds that encounter a single element of whimsy or magic. Influences include...
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HALF-ASSED
Private
Winner
TV Script
· Drama
· 41 Pages
Three adult children, all from separate marriages, must come together to take care of their estranged, manipulative and arrogant father while navigating the messes within their own lives.
Tracie Laymon
No bio available.
Winner
Short
· Drama
· 8 Pages
Trapped in airport limbo, Sara struggles with mounting stress and uncertainty across multiple aspects of her life she can't control.
Toronto, ON, CA
Jessica is an independent filmmaker. Her films have garnered numerous international awards and have been broadcast on networks such as CBC, Amazon Prime and Highball TV. In 2021, she obtained the Women in Film Screenplay Award from the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival with her film SARA. Hinkson graduated from The Neighborhood Playhouse an...
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Finalists
Finalist
Short
· Drama
· 7 Pages
In 1848 Georgia, a white woman and her black husband devise an ingenious plan to escape from slavery. Based on the true story of Ellen and William Craft.
Los Angeles, CA
Coxy Chiara Rodoni was born in Italy and raised between Milan and Paris. She started her career working as a Creative for international luxury brands, including Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada, among others. After moving to Los Angeles, she began creating & directing Fashion Films, Short Films and Branded Content. Her films have been showcased at int...
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Finalist
Short
· Drama
· 10 Pages
A muslim surgeon struggles with his own moral compass when tasked with saving the life of a terrorist.
No bio available.
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Finalist
Short
· Animated
· 9 Pages
In the aftermath of a natural disaster, a child's love for a superhero brings unexpected joy to a Hurricane Katrina volunteer.
Minneapolis, MN
I like exploring themes of courage, vulnerability and authenticity for kids and adults. My Aunt Bernadine, my most ardent supporter, is awfully proud.
Finalist
TV Script
· Drama
· 58 Pages
After receiving a life-changing diagnosis, a repressed high school nurse teams up with a rebellious student to secretly begin teaching comprehensive sex-ed in a conservative, abstinence-only school district in Texas.
Los Angeles, CA
Amy Berryman is a playwright and screenwriter with roots in Washington State and West Texas. Her play WALDEN premiered on the West End in 2021, recently premiered off-Broadway directed by Whitney White starring Emmy Rossum, and is being adapted into a feature film. She has commissions from MTC and Center Theatre Group, is a MacDowell Fellow 2023, an...
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Finalist
Short
· Family
· 11 Pages
A 9 year-old girl trying to overcome the loss of her father.
Grammy Award Winner 2007 as Best Music Video Producer. Family man and super geek worked in projects for Disney, ESPN, History Channel, Discovery Network among others.
Finalist
Short
· Unknown
· 5 Pages
A biracial pregnant woman revisits elements of her upbringing, her privilege and her relationship with her own parents as she prepares to welcome her likely white-passing child into the world. Animation explores philosophical questions about identity and Black love and 16mm film delves into painful and joyful memories.
No bio available.
Finalist
Short
· Drama
· 18 Pages
Amidst the cultural stresses of living on a First Nation reserve, a blind Indigenous teenager and her friend naively seek to restore her vision by recreating a legend of their ancestors, but the costs may be higher than they are prepared for.
Montreal, Quebec, CA
I have created award-winning screenplays that have been recognized at places like HollyShorts Film Festival, directed new media content with world-class production companies, conceptualized and written music videos for chart-topping artists, and produced podcasts/radio plays with Academy Award-winning actors. I specialize in directing and screenwrit...
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Finalist
Short
· Horror
· 21 Pages
A babysitter gets more than she bargained for her first night on the job.
Los Angeles, CA
I’m an actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker who has won or placed in numerous screenwriting competitions. I enjoy writing darkly comedic material and have also produced a couple short films, the latest of which I served as director, editor, and lead actor. When I’m not busy acting or writing, I enjoy watching TV and movies, listening to music, and roo...
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Feasting On The Dead
Private
Finalist
Short
· Unknown
· 7 Pages
A group of teens explore the abandoned home of a once-famous artist, only to meet a different kind of ghost than the one they'd hoped to encounter.
N Bertrand
No bio available.
Finalist
Short
· Drama
· 19 Pages
It's Alyosha's first day of primary school in Australia. Desperate to fit in his overprotective mother doesn't make it easy.
An accredited member of the Australian Cinematographers Society Boris began writing during Covid shutdown. His first short-film, Lady & Luck has placed in over a dozen competitions and reached the Red List. His second short script, First Day, inspired by experiences of immigrating to Australia as a refugee, has since reached the Quarter Finals of th...
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Finalist
Short
· Horror
· 6 Pages
A struggling mother finds herself caught in an endless battle against a mysterious infestation in her home.
North Hollywood, California
Goldie Jones is a nonbinary, Wyoming born writer/director, aerialist, and author with 20 years of production experience and a passion for circus arts. Their gritty genre stories center characters across the gender spectrum finding the glimmers of hope in the darker places in the world. They're a Universal Writers Program Finalist, Stowe Story Lab...
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Finalist
Short
· Drama
· 24 Pages
Sue must re-enter the work force and pay her debts. But is luck on her side?
An accredited member of the Australian Cinematographers Society Boris began writing during Covid shutdown. His first short-film, Lady & Luck has placed in over a dozen competitions and reached the Red List. His second short script, First Day, inspired by experiences of immigrating to Australia as a refugee, has since reached the Quarter Finals of th...
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Finalist
TV Script
· Comedy
· 34 Pages
When a smart but self-destructive English PhD from UCLA is blacklisted in the academic world after sleeping with the wrong guy, her only job offer is from a fundamentalist Baptist College in Kansas, run by a televangelist who intends to run for President. Once there, she struggles to remain sane, even as the school begins to think she's God's answer...
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- Verified WGA Member
Los Angeles, CA
Robin Russin is a professor of screenwriting at the University of California, Riverside. Robin has degrees from Harvard, Oxford, RISD, and UCLA, where he received his MFA in screenwriting. He is a Rhodes Scholar, sculptor, and WGA member. Robin has written for film, TV and theater, including On Deadly Ground, When I Sing (on Amazon), and 2 Hearts, ...
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Finalist
Short
· Horror
· 16 Pages
A lonely widow gets more than she bargained for when she brings a stray cat home from the cemetery.
Melbourne, Victoria, AU
Lyndal Simpson is an Australian screenwriter of highly atmospheric drama/thriller/horror features and TV pilots.
Lyndal's scripts THE FARRELL GIRL , THE GRAVEDIGGER, and SUN WOMAN, MOON MAN are all currently under option.
Lyndal's writing explores the human experience, with a focus on outcasts, underdogs, and those shadowy figures who often sl...
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The Great Wingzini
Private
Finalist
Short
· Animated
· 11 Pages
When a spiteful beaver king bans all art in his kingdom, a defiant woodpecker torments him with the most dazzling wonders his land has ever seen.
Portland, OR
Shaun is a thoughtful dreamer who loves to tell inventive tales that are character-driven with heart. In addition to screenplays, he also likes to write comics and picture books.
The Master and the Bride
Private
Finalist
Short
· Unknown
· 16 Pages
A Vampire-Master and his Bride hunt the streets of Vienna for young blood to remain eternally youthful for one another. But when she decides this life is not for her, it will take all her strength to escape his tight hold over her existence.
No bio available.
Finalist
Short
· Family
· 21 Pages
In a tranquil square sits a golden Automaton. Overcome by the suffering of the people of his city, he enlists the help of a reluctant Swallow to bring some change to the world. Based on ‘The Happy Prince’ by Oscar Wilde.
New York, NY
Nuh Omar’s journey began in Pakistan at the age of five when he told his mother he wanted to be Steven Spielberg. To her disappointment, he kept that dream going, and is now a director & writer who has done commercials, films, & web series, while working in Karachi, Los Angeles, & New York. His resume includes Saatchi & Saatchi, Procter & Gamble, UN...
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Finalist
TV Script
· Drama
· 50 Pages
Followed by his inflated legend, mysterious drifter STAGGER LEE, arrives in St. Louis at the turn of the century amongst the expansive backdrop of political corruption, industrial boom, gang warfare and police harassment.
- Verified WGA Member
Los Angeles, CA
A seasoned filmmaker with experience in film production since age 18, Eric has a practical and creative understanding of filmmaking, having worked as a crew member, and taken on roles as a writer, director, and producer. His projects include the short films "Stevie" (featured in Dances with Films, HollyShorts Film Festival) and "Flanders" (Winner of...
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Finalist
Short
· Fantasy
· 12 Pages
During the great potato famine, a young Irish woman who dreams of escaping to America befriends an enigmatic man who promises to fulfill her wish.
Albuquerque, NM
Catherine draws inspiration for her unique stories from her diverse background: born in Paris, raised in Chicago, and now in multicultural Albuquerque. ENCHANTED CHRISTMAS was the first Christmas film on Hallmark with lead Latino actors/characters. A DICKENS OF A CHRISTMAS is slated for a 2025 release. She's produced short films, two of which she di...
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Finalist
Short
· Drama
· 12 Pages
After a young couple's idyllic afternoon takes a turn, one of them struggles to reconcile his dreamy recollections of the day with the reality of his partner's alcoholism.
Hannah is a writer, director, and producer currently based in Vancouver, BC. She lived in London, UK previously, and holds a postgrad diploma from the London Film Academy.
Twenty One at the Belle Saloon
Private
Finalist
Short
· Western
· 13 Pages
A young saloon owner challenges a dangerous man to a round of Black Jack. Loosely based on the story of Eleanor Dumont.
Los Angeles, CA
Writer and Meisner-trained Actor. Working on creating my own content and passion projects.
Semifinalists
Semifinalist
Short
· Western
· 25 Pages
Held up in an ice fishing hut on the eve of a storm, an old outlaw with dementia and his young caretaker have an unexpected visitor.
Denver, Colorado
Film director, producer, and writer. Contributor to the Denver Film Society and the Colorado Film and Video Association. Known for often dark and humorous, genre-bending stories, which regularly explores themes such as pointless and sadistic chaos, with characters filling out simple archetypes who often find very little in their pursuit of destiny o...
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Show 1 more writers
A Boy And His Mirror
Private
Semifinalist
Short
· Unknown
· 16 Pages
Chris gets picked on because his hair makes him look like a girl but with the help of his magical mirror Madubi, Chris embraces what makes him special and by doing so inspires other kids to do the same. Think HAIR LOVE meets BLACK PANTHER and you'll instantly be thrust into the vibrant and magical world that is A BOY AND HIS MIRROR.
Marchánt Davis
No bio available.
Semifinalist
Short
· Drama
· 15 Pages
A friendly game between a black man and his white friend from college turns into much, much more.
The Bronx, NY
James is a cluster of waves and particles identifying as a screenwriter. When he's not working as a college advisor, he's creating worlds, characters, and circumstances that nobody asked him to.
Semifinalist
Short
· Family
· 9 Pages
Precocious young explorer Beatrix Bancroft sets out to save the world.
Los Angeles, CA
Lauren writes smart women kicking ass in the systems trying to destroy them - in other words, "female forward genre." Crime, science fiction, and grounded fantasy are her jam. She's the co-creator of the recently launched anthology sci-fi/horror podcast FEMME FUTURE PERFECT, a Kennedy Center Award winning playwright, and a 2024 Austin Film Festival ...
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Bentobox
Private
Semifinalist
Short
· Drama
· 12 Pages
With his father depolyed overseas in 90s rural America, a little boy of a half Japanese-half American decent connects with is mother through her cooking. After being teased at school for his strange lunches, he struggles to find his idenity between school and home, rejecting his mother in the process.
Victoria Hirakawa-Lee Castro
No bio available.
Semifinalist
Short
· Comedy
· 22 Pages
Shirley Stewart, a vibrant elderly woman, plans a breakout from a senior care facility to follow her lost dreams, but she’ll need help from other residents to pull off her great escape.
Staten Island, NY
Screenwriter, Animal Rescuer, Paranormal Investigator.
It’s been said that in every good piece of fiction, there's a grain of truth. As a paranormal investigator, Chris sought to find the grains of truth behind local ghost stories. As a writer, he is building sand castles of his own, a mad architect blue-printing the terrifying, and the hilario...
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Blair is Coming Home
Private
Semifinalist
Short
· Drama
· 18 Pages
A young woman's visit to her hometown turns into a surreal fever dream after a video of her performing in a New York City lounge circulates around town.
New York, New York
My name is Gregory Roberts (or just call me Greg). I am a filmmaker, writer, comedian, improvisor, actor and voice actor based in the New York City area.
I've studied sketch and improv comedy at UCB and The Second City. Through my film experience and comedy training, I'm constantly pursuing new opportunities to write and produce new content regular...
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Semifinalist
Short
· Drama
· 10 Pages
When a teacher confronts a student in a grocery store parking lot, the tiniest things take on the greatest importance.
Los Angeles, CA
Julie is a Genre and Comedy Writer & Filmmaker living in LA without a car. A downtown New York theater kid at heart, Julie votes early, hikes daily, and loves a ghost story. A character-driven storyteller, her scripts and films have placed and screened in festivals around the world. BA: Vanderbilt. MFA: NYU (Acting). Member Film Fatales LA, WIF, AWD...
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Semifinalist
Short
· Horror
· 9 Pages
After the wedding, Abi tries to help her sister Lakshmi change into her reception outfit, but the bridal sari Lakshmi wears has other plans.
Los Angeles, CA
Nina Luckshmi Mohan is a Tamil-American writer who overcame a seemingly idyllic upbringing in the suburbs of Chicago to create bone-chilling horror and dark drama scripts that explore the way hidden trauma catches up to us. She is an EP at BuzzFeed, a recovering opera singer, and unresolved mystery enthusiast. Nina was a 2020 CAPE New Writers Fellow...
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Burn With Me
Private
Semifinalist
Short
· Drama
· 12 Pages
In the aftermath of a racially charged murder in the pre-civil rights South, young, white, and morose Willa Mae reckons with the role she played at the center of the trial. Meanwhile the twin brother of the victim is determined to get the truth, something he may only get from Willa.
No bio available.
Semifinalist
Short
· Horror
· 13 Pages
A neurotic single woman attempts to move on from a bad first date, only to be haunted by his ubiquitous face.
North Carolina
Katherine Cox and Matt McCarthy are a married screenwriting team who like all things spooky. Their work examines relationships under extreme circumstances, and has been recognized in ScreenCraft, Austin Film Festival, WeScreenplay and Killer Shorts competitions.
They live with their black cat, Atticus, and are unashamed about their love of late 90s ...
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Show 1 more writers
Semifinalist
Short
· Comedy
· 6 Pages
Trapped in a boring marriage, a quiet young woman crosses into the Mojave desert... to surrender to her secret splashy obsession.
Los Angeles, CA
Adriana Vecchioli is a French-Italian filmmaker and a rare combination of fierce and cute. Layered female protagonists, dark humor and immersive storytelling are the staples of her universe. Formerly a Twitter engineer, she’s written, fundraised and directed three award-winning short films, all of which she also starred in because she’s a monster.
Semifinalist
Short
· Drama
· 15 Pages
A man on the autism spectrum endures extreme social anxiety to attend a New Year's Eve party, driven by an imperative to confront his best friend with a confession of love.
Los Angeles, California
Brian possesses a superpower for initiating and exasperating socially awkward interactions. It’s an origin story informed by his unusual multi-ethnicity (Puerto Rican and Jewish) and grounded in his neurodiversity (OCD and ADHD). It’s also the reason he loves to write about struggling protagonists doing the best they can in a world not tailored for ...
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Semifinalist
Short
· Other
· 18 Pages
In a quiet nursing home, with the help of an ex-hooker, the oldest woman in the world plans to murder the newcomer, who claims to be older.
Pasadena, CA
I was born, as many of us were, a very young child. The hospital was in Connecticut , and so were my parents, which made it convenient. Until the age of 7, I grew up in a small Massachusetts town called Middleboro. Only once were the police involved. I have published two novels, two short story collections and one play, and have adapted my first nov...
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Semifinalist
TV Script
· Thriller
· 60 Pages
When his pregnant lover, a Russian astrophysicist, vanishes after her bombshell conference talk, a desperate Israeli diplomat must resort to a covert search - despite his fear to implicate himself, risk his country’s security, or reveal the truth to his powerful, unforgiving wife.
Berkeley, California, Berlin, DE
Multinational polyglot. Professor of mathematics with numerous publications and research awards. Classical musician. Int'l ballroom dancer. Director of an award-winning short THE ZAHIR. Stowe Story Labs & Rocaberti alumna. Titan Awards Category Winner. RIFF Grand Jury Prize. Olga writes about follies of genius, elusiveness of belonging, and ironie...
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Semifinalist
Short
· Comedy
· 10 Pages
A married couple naively test out new technology that turns your partner into your deepest sexual desire.
New York, NY
Kate Harpootlian is a director, choreographer and screenwriter whose sharp storytelling ranges from darkly comedic to beautifully heart-rending. A restless pursuit for personal challenge and growth has led to a wide-ranging career that has given her the skills to glide effortlessly between the different mediums of creating visual narratives.
Semifinalist
Short
· Comedy
Rachel and Yael share their first night of intimacy. But a surprising discovery could make it their last.
Woodside, NY
Writing across all genres, Rowan loves to find the sweet spot where heart meets humor. His stories are socially relevant yet sexually irreverent (say that 5x fast). He wants you to cry through his comedies and laugh through his dramas. He's a self-producer, having made a medical dramedy pilot and several diverse shorts. All his projects are multiple...
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Exhaust Kills
Private
Semifinalist
Short
· Comedy
· 6 Pages
Despite the objections of their disparate flocks and the
dangers of the chaotic world around them, two birds take
time out to enjoy a companionable moment of peace and
tranquility.
N Bertrand
No bio available.
Semifinalist
Short
· Comedy
· 7 Pages
When Gretchen drops her three-year-old son off for his first day at preschool, she becomes paralyzed with the possibilities of what to do with the first “free time” she has had to herself in years.
Granada Hills, Ca
Independent Producer based in LA, originally from San Antonio, Texas. Jen has a company of filmmakers and actors she champions and collaborates with often on micro-budget projects. Recent distributed features include And Then There Was Eve and Quality Problems. Jen has been writing much more since being quarantined with her four children and husban...
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FISHMONGER
Private
Semifinalist
Short
· Comedy
· 27 Pages
A pathetic Irish fishmonger must survive a sex pact with an ancient sea creature in order to save his mother's soul from burning in hell.
Los Angeles, CA
Neil Ferron is a writer/director from the suburbs of Seattle. At age 5, his dad exposed him to Pee-Wee’s Playhouse. At age 9, his mom showed him Silence of the Lambs. His work—whether film, theater, or fiction—is an attempt to merge the ridiculous, the terrifying, and (thanks to 17 years of Catholic school) a need to overcome shame to find vulner...
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Show 1 more writers
Semifinalist
Short
· Other
· 10 Pages
In a cheap Chinatown apartment, a hookup between two 20-something women is halted when one has a panic attack that can only be stopped if the other gets her a can of Fruitopia.
Mirroring the experience of being pulled back into past trauma, their world is an amalgamation of tropes from 70s kung fu movies and 90s queer indie films.
Toronto, ON, CA
Cherie Bing is an emerging screenwriter from Toronto who has written articles, prose and poetry for The Literary Review of Canada, The Varsity, The UC Gargoyle and various independent magazines under the name "Bao Li Ng." Also, she can hold her breath for almost a minute underwater.
Semifinalist
Short
· Drama
· 17 Pages
After another Black man is shot by a white cop, racism raises its ugly head for a bisexual Black man and his son.
Scarsdale, New York
No bio available.
Semifinalist
Short
· Drama
· 12 Pages
A disgraced ex-cop takes his family on the lam as he battles a corrupt police department and local mafia, while his son and best friend fall in love with Hip-Hop and battle racism over one hot summer in 1980’s New England.
New York, NY
Michael Godere’s career began on the stages of NYC theater, dubbed “an electric menace” by the The New Yorker. He’s acted in film and television for years with roles ranging from darkly charming lunatics to neurotic-comedic charmers. He co-wrote, produced and starred in the art-house thriller DAYLIGHT, and the independent comedy LOITERING WITH INTEN...
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Semifinalist
Short
· Drama
· 17 Pages
After the death of her husband, a lonely art gallery attendant dreams of dancing sizzling flamenco at the Seville Spring Fair.
York, GB
Richard's first foray into the world of film festivals resulted in the award of “Finalist” at the 2020 Academy Awards® qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival in Los Angeles with “After the Monsoon”, an eighteen minute short screenplay influenced by the colours and romance of Jaipur, India’s “Pink City”.
Richard also holds a BA in Opera Studies and li...
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