Filmmatic Short Screenplay Awards |
The 10th Season
The Filmmatic Short Screenplay Awards were created to locate and expose up-and-coming screenwriters. Accepting all genres of shorts (Up to 50 pages).
Placement
1
Genre
Format
Representation Status
Quarterfinalists
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Drama
· 18 Pages
Oppressed by Colonial repression, poverty and stagnant social norms, an Indian villager in the 1930s must choose between his own happiness with his beloved wife and children, and his sister’s happiness.
Mumbai, Maharashtra, IN
With life experiences straddling three continents, diverse professions involving mathematics, commerce and now screenplay writing, I have seen some, done some and experienced - a lot!
From my angle as an Asian woman, I create Screenplays audiences can laugh over, cry over, simply enjoy, and perhaps later, mull over.
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Thriller
· 18 Pages
In 1993, a small-time talk show host gets the shot at fame he’s always coveted when a notorious serial killer phones into the program.
Cedar City, UT
Since a young age, Carter has needed to tell stories. Currently studying at Southern Utah University, he is learning the ins and outs of writing and the film industry. When he graduates, he hopes to put these skills to excellent use.
A Change of Heart
Private
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Drama
· 20 Pages
A mafia crew’s failure to carry out a contract becomes Vincent Bataglia’s unfortunate headache.
Bronx, NY
Having watched movies all my life I've been able to study the style of directors and the formulas of the movies of past and present.
This year has been very productive for me in competitions placing in ways I never imagined. This along with feedback has been very much a learning experience as well.
A DIFFERENCE JUST THE SAME
Private
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Comedy
· 10 Pages
No logline available.
Okemos, MI
No bio available.
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Drama
· 18 Pages
The memory of an elderly couple’s first compelling kiss is revived before it withers away.
Chicago, IL
An actor, playwright, director, and children's book illustrator, Dan is always in pursuit of a great story no matter in what form it comes.
A New Address
Private
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Drama
· 12 Pages
A first time mother delivers her baby much earlier than expected, and while struggling to navigate an uncertain reality she discovers how to live in a state of limbo and what it really means to be a mother.
Melissa wrote her first short story at the age of four, titled "The Taol of the Pup", and was mercilessly teased for it for many years afterwards. After becoming an Emmy-winning editor and raising two sets of twins, she picked up the pen again and wrote a couple feature screenplays with her writing partner, the first of which was a Nicholls semi fin...
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Quarterfinalist
Short
· Drama
· 13 Pages
A closeted teen runaway escapes to the Washington Coast with his camera. Joined by a carefree runaway, their journey sparks a bond that forces him to confront his past and identity.
Los Angeles, CA
No bio available.
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Drama
· 17 Pages
A public toilet cleaner is expecting a romantic video call with her “Hubby”; a white-collar is experiencing a pleasant Tinder date; and a fishing enthusiast is struggling with a night of no catch. The three encounters the same piece of shit by the city moat of Beijing.
No bio available.
Alice'N'Buck
Private
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Thriller
· 32 Pages
No logline available.
London, Ontario, CA
No bio available.
And That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles
Private
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Comedy
· 14 Pages
A perfectly curated yoga influencer receives a fortune cookie predicting her immediate death, forcing her to reckon with her image and learn how to actually be present.
Los Angeles, CA
www.melmah.com
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Drama
· 13 Pages
In a Mexican barbershop, a brain damaged lesbian woman undergoes her first haircut after three months in a coma.
What happens next is pure magic.
Maspeth, NY
Akiva Penaloza is a prolific screenwriter from New York City. After a distinguished 13-year career in publishing, Penaloza rebooted and returned to her first loves, storytelling and filmmaking. She was invited to attend the American Film Institute (AFI), widely considered "the best film school in the world," As a Screenwriting Fellow, she studied wi...
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Quarterfinalist
Short
· Thriller
· 28 Pages
A mysterious six-year-old girl haunted by vivid dreams of another child's death ventures into the Australian outback to confront a man known only as Snake—only to uncover a forgotten tragedy that may not be from this life.
Adelaide, South Australia, AU
Stephen is a School Teacher and writer originally from the UK.
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Drama
· 10 Pages
After a less-than-stellar performance in class, a young actor is forced to reexamine his relationship with acting and film.
Los Angeles, CA
No bio available.
Quarterfinalist
TV Script
· Comedy
· 36 Pages
When controversial stand-up comedian Jake Dean is canceled for brawling with audience members, his one chance to save his career is to do a comedy special for a new streaming platform, RealTime Network. But there are nefarious players at RealTime who want to silence Jake permanently.
New York, New York
Tim Young is an award-winning screenwriter and playwright.
Tim’s most recent feature film script, "Crazy Honey," has won fourteen film industry awards. His new TV pilots, "Northlight" and "Deadeye Daisy," have picked up top honors in eleven and nine television script festivals, respectively. Tim’s stage play, "Okefenokee," won best new play of ...
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Beyond Horizons
Private
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Comedy
· 6 Pages
While trying to enjoy a night in front of the TV, a family battles with the difference between fact and science fiction.
No bio available.
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Drama
· 9 Pages
Millie has met everyone in Scarlett’s life. When Scarlett realizes she remains hidden from Millie’s, she begins to question the relationship they’ve built.
Los Angeles, CA
Creator and co-writer of fiction podcast END OF THE CORNFIELD (sole producer & starred as Cassie). The audio drama received multiple nominations and won several awards, including two Indie Series Awards nominations and First Prize at Flickers' RIIFF. Currently working on another project for Blue Tuesday Productions.
Quarterfinalist
TV Script
· Animated
· 30 Pages
A castle manipulates best friends into a video game maze that leads to a miniature city with action-figure citizens and an ancient evil toy.
Los Angeles, CA
Terry John Barto is the award-winning author and screenwriter of Nickerbacher. His story is being adapted for an animated feature film at Arx Anima, an international studio in Vienna, Frankfurt, Madrid, and Gran Canaria.
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Thriller
· 17 Pages
A Detective at the end of his career, and an inexperienced patrol Sergeant, investigate a brutal crime scene where a family is murdered and a young girl is missing. Their investigation inexplicably leads to the identification of the most unlikely suspect.
Springfield, PA
I'm a new writer with a thirty year career in law enforcement and the military. In the next phase of my life I hope to have the privilege of sharing my wild stories and experiences through fictional and non-fictional screenplays.
Cy and Wisty: House of Abhorrers
Private
Quarterfinalist
TV Script
· Animated
· 13 Pages
A clever urchin and his dancing bear are unlikely heroes, looking for the big time in a dark, Victorian kingdom... and finding instead a world of mysteries, shenanigans and no small amount of horror.
New York, New York
Ayinde Ricco is a natural-born son of Harlem, New York: home of Renaissances and cultural explosions alike. Raised by folktales, entranced by media and drawn to the pen, he earned a BA Philosophy – and pursues an MFA in Creative Writing –which he directs to the study of the story in hopes of doing his small part to represent the stories of his cultu...
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Quarterfinalist
Short
· Comedy
· 14 Pages
A new employee, Delvin, presents a challenge to train since he's borderline challenged and over eight feet tall.
Akron, OH
After being diagnosed with liver cancer, Terry returned to his passion of screenwriting to fill in the void in his life that was created by sobriety. He has currently written six award-winning feature length screenplays, including Broken Worlds, which has recently been optioned by Pollack Films. He is currently writing a screenplay on his struggle...
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Dies Irae
Private
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Drama
· 28 Pages
A newly retired senior citizen starts taking a photography class, but his new way of capturing the world forces him to revisit his troubled past.
No bio available.
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Dry
Private
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Comedy
· 15 Pages
Sid, a recovering alcoholic who turns into a werewolf when she's drunk, is grieving her mother's recent death, which she suspects is a murder, which she suspects she knows who the motherf- is who did it. The question is, is she right?
Los Angeles,, CA
After years spent running around the woods of Massachusetts pretending to be a secret agent, a witch, or whatever other idea could be imbued by the wonderful boredom of the 90s, Christine realized she would never be able to integrate into normal life. Cue the filmmaking path. She's been quoted as saying:
"I like to write things you won't find anyw...
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Quarterfinalist
Short
· Comedy
· 6 Pages
Alex and Henry get abducted by a UFO and must figure out how to get home alive.
Portland, Oregon
Story tinkerer. Problem solver.
Embrace
Private
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Drama
· 20 Pages
Zoya and Julio, two young foreigners from vastly different worlds, look back at their hidden love affair through reveries and cherished memories, as they now face a heart-rending turning point: an unplanned pregnancy, and the difficult choice they will have to make…
Enamored with the power of visual storytelling, Gustavo Bernal-Mancheno has an extensive trajectory and knowledge within the editorial department, with over a decade of experience as an editor and colorist across various narrative formats.
Gustavo’s instinct and desire to create stories has driven him to direct various films. He directed a Chicag...
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Quarterfinalist
TV Script
· Drama
· 32 Pages
An intern, a single mother, brings her 7 year-old daughter to work in a deteriorating county hospital. The daughter turns out to be surprisingly helpful.
Lexington, Kentucky
I spent most of my life in Los Angeles and did a good deal of freelance writing on the side, but mostly I was a hotel doctor, making about 18,000 visits.
Quarterfinalist
TV Script
· Drama
· 45 Pages
Are you in or out?
The year is 1919. Your name is Frank Bacon, and you’re the author and lead actor of the most successful play in Broadway history.
Your fellow actors are about to go on strike in support of their union, the Actors Equity Association.
You’ve spent your life fighting for the rights your friends are hitting the bricks to pro...
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Los Angeles, California
I was a student at New York University's Institute of Film and Television in the 1970s. At NYU I was one year short of studying with Martin Scorsese, and I was in the same class as Amy Heckerling and Joel Silver, as a result of which someone in a bar in Reseda once bought me a drink.
I grew up with parents who met on the picket line at Disney Stu...
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Quarterfinalist
Short
· Drama
· 17 Pages
Dara, a ruthless assassin, is caught off guard with the reemergence of her injured ex-lover, who desperately seeks assistance in his escape from the violent gang they both swore allegiance to. Torn between the life she's chosen and the love she thought she'd left behind, Dara must decide where her true loyalty lies.
Atlanta, Georgia
After over 20 years as a full-time musician and composer, Tiffany Cherry White decided to trade in her sheet music for screenplays. Tiffany is an award-winning filmmaker with a passion for storytelling that began not too long after joining an innovative film community in Atlanta. There, she discovered the thrill of writing, directing, shooting, and...
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Expiration Date
Private
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Comedy
· 16 Pages
Kicked out of her nursing home with a terminal diagnosis, one fiery grandma refuses to die quietly—it’s just not her style.
Philadelphia, PA
Porsha is a Philadelphia-based storyteller and contributing writer for the TV show, The Other Wife, now streaming. Her TV pilot, Anonymous was most recently a Top 10 Comedy Genre Finalist in the Creative Screenwriting Unique Voices competition. She has worked as a screenwriting intern with AAMBC, Inc. and hopes to tell stories that allow everyone to...
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Quarterfinalist
TV Script
· Comedy
· 15 Pages
Jaded vampire Josephine and recently bitten werewolf Dylan face unique day-to-day challenges as they attempt to put the natural in supernatural.
Chicago, IL
Creative oldest son of a self-made aerospace technology machinist and a disabled, former respiratory therapist.
Seasoned comedy writer with a penchant for fantasy-action dramas. Make it real, make it matter.
First in my family to receive a Bachelor's, thus setting the bar with my double major in Comedy Writing and Performance & Fiction Writin...
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Show 1 more writers
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Drama
· 18 Pages
Amidst the 2008 recession and family turmoil, a 17-year-old basketball player of mixed heritage navigates adversity in small-town Michigan while her hoop dreams for the future hang in the balance.
This is a proof of concept short for a feature length film.
Margo Sawaya is a writer/director who grew up in small town Michigan. She writes coming-of-age stories, focusing on characters that come from underrepresented backgrounds who suffer from socio-economic disparity. As a storyteller, Margo explores the human condition, mental health through the lens of sports and music, and how the advancement of techn...
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Quarterfinalist
Short
· Horror
· 12 Pages
During a police interrogation, a seasoned detective faces off against a most innocuous old lady accused of a most heinous crime.
London, London, GB
Ricardo is a UK-based award winning writer with a passion for all things cinema and a very long commute which allows him to put the machinations of his twisted mind into paper. His work is filled with dark humour and has gently been moving deeply into the Horror and Sci-Fi genre.
His short scripts have won many awards, including the Waterford Fil...
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Quarterfinalist
TV Script
· Comedy
· 28 Pages
Louis and the Northwestern Maine Nature Association (NWMNA) crew fill in for the striking sheriff’s department. Each member attempts to protect and serve their community in very different ways.
Boston, Massachusetts
Writer, actor, and producer on independent short films. Interested in writing tv comedy and Military dark comedies.
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Thriller
· 12 Pages
On the one year anniversary of her brother's death, Riley, a gifted computer programmer, takes a risky job off the dark web. After a night of overindulgence, her evening takes an unexpected turn. Is she in serious danger? or is she immersed in her own grief and addiction.
Toronto, Ontario, CA
Raimo Strangis is a screenwriter and author from Toronto, Canada. His journey into the film industry began with the short film STUCK, a story inspired by his experiences as a musician living with an ostomy. Despite facing significant challenges, Raimo remains dedicated to his creative pursuits and inspires others to follow their dreams.
Good Mourning
Private
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Comedy
· 12 Pages
When tickets for a once-in-a-lifetime music festival go on sale, slackers Kerrigan and Molly become professional mourners, however, tensions rise when Kerrigan grows jealous of Molly for her natural aptitude for the job.
Salt Lake City, UT
Becca hails from the annoyingly desolate plains of southern Idaho. Growing up in a state of constant agitation with nothing to do and no one to talk to, Becca learned quickly how to make a spectacle out of the worser things in life. Her writing since the very beginning has served as a vacuous space for her to chip away at the boundaries between supp...
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Quarterfinalist
TV Script
· Comedy
· 32 Pages
A Greek American woman returns to the one place she swore she’d never go—her parents’ house. She’s haunted by her adventurous past, credit card debt, and generational rage as she attempts to break free from the machine.
Portland, ME
A feral Greek writer hell-bent on uncovering the myth in the mundane.
GREEN STREET GREEN
Private
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Drama
· 10 Pages
GREEN STREET GREEN conveys the tensions between a family on hot summer afternoon in a luscious, scent-heavy garden in Kent, England by taking the point of view of the plants: a magnolia over a gravel driveway; an apple tree, under which they are sitting; a lily in a shady rose garden which everyone stops to smell; and a daisy in the grass, looking u...
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No bio available.
Guardian
Private
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Drama
· 9 Pages
A wife and mother helps take down a drug dealer when he threatens her community and family.
No bio available.
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
Private
Quarterfinalist
TV Script
· Drama
· 36 Pages
No logline available.
No bio available.
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Other
· 3 Pages
Two friends reflect on the importance of magic and play in their adult lives.
Chicago, IL
Charlotte Davies (formerly Elisabeth Davies) is based in Chicago, IL. Originally from the east coast, she wrote her first serialized story when she was only four. Since then she's worked on developing her skills in writing through screenplays, late night comedy and sketch.
Quarterfinalist
TV Script
· Other
· 30 Pages
In a world that tells you, you are a nobody until you are somebody it’s easy to sign away your life to the devil. Even if it is just for fifteen minutes of fame...
London, Greater London, GB
Collet has a BA Film Degree from Middlesex University. She also has her MA Degree in Scriptwriting from Goldsmiths University.
She continues to write scripts with hidden messages - in the genres of psychological thrillers, horror and exploring the supernatural. She is working on two features and two television pilots - original works and adaptat...
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Quarterfinalist
Short
· Thriller
· 20 Pages
When a relentless summer storm ushers in a group of enigmatic intruders, a young woman fights to protect herself and her father—only to question whether the real danger lies outside their home or within her own mind.
Writer of comedy and horror, lover of finding the comedy in horror.
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Thriller
· 12 Pages
When a recently divorced man eavesdrops on an attractive young stranger’s video call with her hot-mess friend, he's in for an evening he won’t forget.
Columbus, OH
Trained as an actor, Jenny loves writing juicy roles for women. Her debut feature as writer-director, FUTURE WEATHER, stars Amy Madigan, Lili Taylor, Marin Ireland and Perla Haney-Jardine as a teen conservationist abandoned by her single mother. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was distributed on Netflix, Starz, Amazon and HBO Europe.
Quarterfinalist
TV Script
· Thriller
· 34 Pages
Dr. Jekyll develops a serum to suppress gay desire, but when the rakish Rev. Pryde emerges, his toxic masculinity spawns a killing spree on a conservative college campus.
Mexico City, MX
Born in the underbelly of Appalachia, Michael cut his teeth in New York's fast-paced world of art. Today he writes stories about outsiders caught between real and imagined horrors.
In 2024, he was featured on Killer Shorts' list of LGBTQIA+ writers to watch. His feature script The Toy Collector entered a shopping agreement and his film Bath Bom...
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Quarterfinalist
Short
· Horror
· 20 Pages
A serial killer in real life, proves a hard habit to break for Cupid in the after-life.
No bio available.
Kira
Private
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Thriller
· 30 Pages
Kira, a Russian immigrant, works with her husband Trent at a craft beer store in Grove City. Her lingering depression, social isolation, and a string of troubles push her down an unexpected path.
No bio available.
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Horror
· 43 Pages
With the final pieces in place, a man with a grudge and nothing to lose must work with the church to prevent a general of hell from unleashing the ultimate evil.
Havant, GB
A full time tattoo artist with a passion for horror and the macabre.
Last Meal: A Love Story
Private
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Horror
· 12 Pages
Journalist Mickey Beaudoin takes a tour of the Last Meal restaurant, a dining experience unlike any other, that offers a unique take on serving and being served.
Toronto, ON, CA
BAFTA and SAG-AFTRA nominated games writer, award-winning film writer, and Cannes nominated short film actor, Betty Robertson is a jack-of-all-trades of the entertainment industry. Her works have been praised for their snappy dialogues, likeable complex characters, and fantastic realism. Currently, she works as a Narrative Consultant for the Externa...
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Quarterfinalist
Short
· Drama
· 21 Pages
Despite what he thinks he knows, Eddy cannot see how his story is going to play out.
Miami, FL
No bio available.
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Horror
· 14 Pages
A grieving young woman who's spending the night alone gets several calls in the middle of the night that lead to her facing her grief head on.
Northridge, CA
After coming up in the film industry as a production assistant turned set dresser, I’ve decided to move on from the physically grueling hours in the film industry to the mentally grueling ones. I’ve spent about ten years helping others tell their stories through set decoration, but now I’m looking to see my own brought to life.
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Drama
· 12 Pages
After near tragedy, two Vermont estate workers bond over an impromptu funeral for a hummingbird.
New York, New York
Corey Farrell is a New York based writer, actor, and musician. Corey started writing consistently while tending bar at his local Outback Steakhouse, which resulted in his permanent dismissal from any and all Bloomin' Brand Restaurants moving forward. (true story)
He likes to write about fathers and sons, hometowns, and the subtle and not so...
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