SWN Short Film Screenplay Competition |
Autumn 2023
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Placement
Genre
Format
Representation Status
Finalists
Finalist
Short
· Drama
· 18 Pages
An insanely handsome man goes through an introspective journey to understand why his life is perfectly worse than everybody else's.
Porto, PT
In just 2 years, as an amateur but dedicated screenwriter, Carlos wrote 11 scripts (features, shorts, pilots) earning 7 accolades.
He attended some courses and workshops related with writing, directing and dubbing; published 3 multi-genre tale books and created a comedy animated web-series.
Professionally, Carlos is a software engineer but loves c...
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Finalist
Short
· Horror
· 12 Pages
A nurse's quest for motherhood spirals into a dark journey that challenges her rationality and unveils the depths of her longing.
Los Angeles, CA
A storyteller fascinated by memory and perception, I decided to explore the subjective nature of human experience by working in a neuroscience lab. Armed with a deeper understanding, I enjoy crafting memorable narratives that captivate audiences and challenge perspectives.
Finalist
Short
· Horror
· 9 Pages
A couple's kinky night at a remote desert motel reveals more than sexual desires when a monthly ritual becomes a dangerous test of unconditional love.
Los Angeles, CA
Genre Writer/Director.
Finalist
Short
· Drama
· 17 Pages
A juvenile inmate reflects as he strolls through a typical life inside the detention center he resides, whilst other baby birds prepare for a battle, which eventually lands at the unsuspecting boy’s feet... leading to a devastating outcome.
Los Angeles, CA
Jodie Bullock is an actress, filmmaker, and award winning screenwriter. No matter the genre, her socially impactful writing forces audiences to confront the darkest, innermost chambers of their hearts. Her work has been highlighted on Coverfly's Red List. HELL COUNTY placed in the 2022 Austin Film Festival. MOCKINGBIRD HILL won Outstanding Screenp...
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Finalist
Feature
· Thriller
· 100 Pages
A successful executive and his younger mistress are held hostage in an electric SUV as the sunset counts down their fate. A single location thriller with high temperatures and even higher stakes.
Detroit, MI
No bio available.
Finalist
Short
· Thriller
· 24 Pages
A gifted programmer hired to oversee the killswitch of the world's most advanced A.I. supercomputer must match wits with the all-powerful machine to uncover its hidden agenda.
Irvine, CA
Coverfly Top 1%, #1 all-time in genre/format, Top 20 shorts all-time. Crafting emotionally rich stories, I delve into the human experience by portraying complex, intelligent, flawed characters. Their journeys unfold amid high-stakes moral quandaries set against the backdrop of humanity's crowning accomplishments and greatest existential threats.
Finalist
Short
· Horror
· 8 Pages
Megan goes to body dysmorphia therapy for the people; she desires a perfect body, or at least a limb.
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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Finalist
Short
· Horror
· 7 Pages
A surrealist drawing game escalates in tension as it reveals the traumatic past of one player.
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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Finalist
Short
· Drama
· 13 Pages
During the lowest point in his life, a young man fights to survive his spiraling intrusive thoughts that take the form of his own reflection.
Utah
"That sounded better in my head" is Alex's mantra. While pursuing a degree in Psychology at Utah Valley University, he wrote compelling stories dreamt up in class. Creative writing has since been an essential part of the day. From independent journalism to encapsulating tales of gripping fortitude, Alex is here to share his screenplays and always fi...
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Finalist
Short
· Drama
· 16 Pages
A young female immigrant battles interviewers and her own self doubt as she searches for a job after receiving her work authorization card.
Chicago, IL
Ksenia is a Russian-born award-winning film director and screenwriter best known for her short film, Jack and Anna, a period LGBTQ piece based on true events. Ksenia earned her MFA degree in cinema directing from Columbia College Chicago. She's currently developing a few projects, including a pilot, a short, and a feature. Ksenia is a member of BAF...
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Finalist
Short
· Comedy
· 9 Pages
When a novelist seeks help to overcome crippling anxiety at his public appearances, his new persona takes a toll on his authentic voice, with deadly consequences.
Melbourne, Victoria, AU
Jonathan is an early-career screenwriter and script consultant developing intimate stories exploring transition, change, identity and place projects across film, television and online.
AFTRS Graduate Certificate in Screen, Screenwriting in 2017.
2020 NYC Midnight Short Screenplay Challenge finalist
2017 finalist Made In The West Film Festival f...
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Semifinalists
Semifinalist
Short
· Animated
· 12 Pages
A hermit crab family finds themselves without shells and must navigate being homeless and pulling themselves out of it.
West Hollywood, California
Christiaan began his writing journey during performing arts studies in South Africa, where his passion for storytelling took root. Now studying and working in entertainment, he blends his love for writing, music, and animation to create bold, imaginative worlds that resonate across mediums.
Semifinalist
Short
· Drama
· 13 Pages
A Senatorial Candidate and a ride share driver discuss corruption in Congress. The driver's facetious suggestion becomes the inspiration to completely change the world.
Aurora, CO
I'm 72 years old. I started writing after I retired.
Semifinalist
Short
· Sci-fi
· 17 Pages
A White man with amnesia wakes up in a world where only Black people exist.
No bio available.
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Semifinalist
Short
· Horror
· 9 Pages
A haunted woman resolves to kill herself till a knock on the door changes everything.
Oxford, Oxfordshire, GB
A British-born, Malaysian-raised, ethnically Sri Lankan; Govind epitomises the term 'third culture kid'. Currently the Head of Film at Oxford Brookes University, he has spent a decade working on and teaching short films.
Semifinalist
Short
· Sci-fi
· 13 Pages
In a future where transhumanism is the law, a Freeborn father resists an authoritarian regime to protect his unmodified daughter, knowing his defiance will cost him everything.
Porters Lake, NS, CA
Shane Harbinson, a 55-year-old Canadian screenwriter and actor, brings a unique perspective to storytelling. With a focus on exploring themes of humanity and technology in a dystopian future, Shane's work, including his acclaimed scripts 'Freeborn' and 'The Affected', reveals a deep interest in the ethical dilemmas posed by advancements in AI and cy...
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Semifinalist
Short
· Drama
· 14 Pages
Amid the 2020 BLM protests in California, a pregnant young Black woman working as a speech writer gets kidnapped by her mute Uber driver, who brings her to an isolated COVID-free manor.
Rome, IT
Francesco Capussela is an Italian writer, actor, and producer. As an award-winning writer, he has garnered over 150 accolades in film festivals and screenwriting competitions worldwide including Austin Film Festival, Final Draft Big Break, HollyShorts, and Atlanta Film Festival. Spanning film and TV, he enjoys writing in many genres, such as epic ad...
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Semifinalist
Short
· Sci-fi
· 9 Pages
In a near-future where AI-driven rideshare dominate the streets, a black single mother's routine journey home escalates into a desperate quest to protect her daughter and secure their last shot at a brighter future. (Blade Runner 2049) meets (Fruitvale Station)
West Coast, Usa
Derek Quick is a Native American/ Hispanic Writer, Director & Disabled Coast Guard Veteran. He has screenplays on the 2023 Blacklist -Top list. Graduate of the NBC Universal sponsored- Native American Media Alliance Feature writers program. The 2023 Writers Guild Veteran program. RespectAbility lab 2024
His film Kommando 1944 won 165 awards & Scre...
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Semifinalist
Short
· Thriller
· 12 Pages
A developmentally disabled 13-year-old girl struggles to convince her skeptical, dismissive step-brother that they are facing imminent mortal danger.
Ballerup, Copenhagen, DK
I'm an American-Israeli writer who has resided in Denmark for the last 30 years, which makes me:
A. Old
B. Confused
C. Multi-cultural
D. Insightful and empathetic
E. A sun worshiper
F. All of the above
Semifinalist
Short
· Adventure
· 12 Pages
Two sisters from a magical, ancient Hawaiian coven of witches must brave a journey to the other side of their island in a desperate attempt to save their natural world.
Los Angeles, CA
A husband/wife writing team who sold a feature to Disney in 2022 and created unscripted hits Kevin Hart's "What the Fit" and Fox's "Kicking & Screaming". They develop together and co-write features while typically writing for TV separately. Mark received his MFA from USC while Monica received her MA from Swinburne University.
Semifinalist
Short
· Drama
· 41 Pages
A broke 20-year-old attempts to regain control of his life, anxiety, and addiction.
Huntley, Illinois
No bio available.
Semifinalist
Short
· Drama
· 17 Pages
Two best friends enter a nightclub, one year after a traumatic event that’s fueled their thirst for revenge. As the night unfolds, their bond is tested, and a plan set in motion takes a dark and irreversible turn.
John Acquaviva has spent an alarming amount of time staring at blank pages, searching for the perfect way to break your heart and put it back together again. An award-winning screenwriter, his work has been recognized for its raw emotional depth and deeply human characters.
Semifinalist
Short
· Horror
· 20 Pages
After dreaming of murdering her family and killing herself, a stay-at-home mom battles her darkest fears as her horrifying dream becomes a chilling reality.
Los Angeles, California
Brian, deeply rooted in the horror community since his days at Blumhouse, crafts tales that infuse dark themes into vibrant stories of love, loss, and redemption. His boundary-pushing storytelling exudes a captivating darkness with a mission to ignite change on crucial subjects like mental health and addiction. Founder of Red End Productions.
Dive ...
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Together
Private
Semifinalist
Short
· Comedy
· 28 Pages
Buhle takes on the responsibility of raising her late, childhood friend’s baby boy. However, in a still segregated South Africa, she navigates being a black woman, raising a white Afrikaans child.
Pretoria, Gauteng, ZA
A South African writer looking to push boundaries and break stereotypes, to further showcase the complexities of humanity. Let's rewrite the narrative.
Semifinalist
Short
· Drama
· 9 Pages
Jake, on his way to take his daughter to her first year to college. experiences a very disturbing memory when he hears a rock song on the car radio.
No bio available.
Quarterfinalists
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Comedy
· 18 Pages
On this segment of "But Wait ... There's More!" at a local TV station, the mid-40s Host, Tiffany Long, and her two Reporters, as usual, critique weird, wacky and often wasteful plastic products that viewers may or may not need. But in the closing segment, Tiffany and her Reporters break the 4th wall; show how these plastic products are killing ou...
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Burbank, CA
Co-author ......... "Chicken Soup for the Volunteer's Soul" (500,000+ copies sold)
Author ................ "Be A Global Force Of One!"
Journalist .............. 500+ Mag. & Newsp. Articles, Blogs & Op-eds
Sit-com Writer .... Staff writer on "Out of the Blue" @ Paramount Studios
Donor ..................... 1...
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Quarterfinalist
Short
· Drama
· 11 Pages
Family comes and visit their aging dad as he travels down his journey with Alzheimer’s -- while a family member tries to speed the trip.
Glen Rock, NJ
I write about what I know -- how older people interact with others -- in a respectful and humorous way. I am an older writer, having left a career writing for corporations and state agencies.
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Thriller
· 17 Pages
A resentful, delusional actor is hell-bent on breaking into Hollywood.
Los Angeles, CA
DGA Student Film Awards - Jury Prize Winner.
USC School of Cinematic Arts - Film & Television Production MFA.
David Isaacs comedy writing scholarship winner from the Jack Oakie and Victoria Horne Oakie Charitable Foundation.
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Other
· 28 Pages
A heist goes horribly wrong for 2 different groups of people.
Santa Clarita, California
My shorts speak for me better than I ever could
Quarterfinalist
TV Script
· Drama
· 21 Pages
A struggling Author must confront his inner demons to finish his book.
Phoenix, Arizona
Taylor Marvel’s journey in screenwriting started in her freshman year of high school when she had to write a scene for her film class. Since then, she’s had a passion for writing and conveying stories that exemplify underrepresented communities. Taylor hopes to pursue a career in the screenwriting industry in the future.
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Comedy
· 13 Pages
A recluse sneaks out every night to perform music videos in his mind - dedicated to the woman he loves.
New York, New York
As a flight attendant in his 20's and an attorney in his 30's, he's interacted with every imaginable character. Now, as a Blacklist Recommended writer, he's placed at Nicholl, Austin, PAGE and more. A Grammy member, he has penned songs for film and TV. As an actor, he’s performed from Denver Center to Edinburgh Fringe. Derek lives in NYC with hi...
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The Car
Private
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Fantasy
· 5 Pages
No logline available.
No bio available.
The Cave
Private
Quarterfinalist
Short
· Fantasy
· 16 Pages
No logline available.
No bio available.
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