2021 Screenplay Award Longlist

Craig Moody was born and raised in Pembroke Pines, Florida, a suburban community that edges the beautiful Florida Everglades. Author of the multi-indie-award-winning debut novel The ’49 Indian and multi-indie-award-nominated and winning follow-ups His Name Was Ezra, The Stars of Locust Ridge, and

Craig Moody was born and raised in Pembroke Pines, Florida, a suburban community that edges the beautiful Florida Everglades. Author of the multi-indie-award-winning debut novel The ’49 Indian and multi-indie-award-nominated and winning follow-ups His Name Was Ezra, The Stars of Locust Ridge, and

Jon Plant was born in Sheffield in the North of England, spending much of his later life in and around London. He exhausted ambitions to be a pastor, teacher, lawyer, architect, journalist and marine-biologist before completing a master’s degree in chemistry. In his early twenties, Jon finally

Film has always been a passion for Karan dating back to growing up in his late Grandfather’s video shop. His Grandfather's love for film became his passion. Initially working with MADE from 2016; a charitable organization with an overall vision to contribute to reducing discrimination against BAME &

Born in Wisconsin, USA, to Spanish parents, raised between California and Spain, in Madrid I lived Spain’s transition to democracy, was a racetrack jockey, and obtained a Biology degree. At 23 I moved to Santa Cruz, California, and earned an M.S. in Marine Sciences. I worked for Fish and Wildlife

Jason studied film at NYU, where his thesis film won 'Gold Prize' at the Student Academy Awards. He has written & directed award-winning feature films, which have shown at festivals around the world and have been theatrically released. His yet to be produced screenplays have received much industry

Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel (MOHEGAN) was trained in Mohegan traditional knowledge by Medicine Woman Gladys Tantaquidgeon (1899-2005). She currently serves her tribal nation in the traditional roles of Medicine Woman and Tribal Historian, in addition to her job as Creative Media Liaison

Ward Crockett is a writer/director and freelance film/video editor. His award-winning short films have screened at the Cleveland International Film Festival, Oceanside International Film Festival, H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, and Macabre Faire Film Festival. His editing credits include the feature

Born in Wisconsin, USA, to Spanish parents, raised between California and Spain, in Madrid I lived Spain’s transition to democracy, was a racetrack jockey, and obtained a Biology degree. At 23 I moved to Santa Cruz, California, and earned an M.S. in Marine Sciences. I worked for Fish and Wildlife

SCOTCH WICHMANN is a writer/director, performance artist, comedian, hacker, and occultist in Los Angeles. Co-nominated for Best Comedy and Best Stunt at the Hollywood Fringe, Scotch attracted a swarm of press from CNN, NPR, and the NY Times after launching METH COFFEE, a cracked-out coffee brand

Raised in LA, Madison spent her time acting, writing, and pretending to be a dinosaur. She now works as an erotic romance writer, a fun way to stun people into silence at parties. In her scripts she showcases diversity in all its forms, fueled by the experiences of both herself and others. She

Jason is a writer and filmmaker best known for his short genre work, which has been awarded and screened around the world and featured in outlets from Short of the Week to The New York Times. In addition to his creative work, he is popular indie film advocate, called "a kind of indie prophet" by

Allie Jennings is a Los Angeles-based improviser, actress and writer. Before the pandemic she was a house performer and writer at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. In addition to being a two-time semi-finalist in ScreenCraft’s Comedy Pilot competition she also wrote the award-winning short film

A Russian born living in the US, I am a data engineer by trade and have worked in tech for the last 10 years. I tend to focus on stories that echo the issues that I am facing personally.

Christian Delavie's writing credits include "Bleeding Horse" which won the Award of Merit at Accolade Global, and "Night Light" which won best foreign comedy horror at The International Horror Hotel. His other feature screenplays; "Sand Runner" and "Sons of Liberty" both reached finals and

Emily is a NYC-based writer who loves a good story and is fascinated with the psychology and sociology behind why people do the things they do. She likes cats, drag, tacos and most importantly, TV.

Michael Lucid is an LGBTQ comedy writer for film and TV. He was a story developer for "Drunk History" on Comedy Central, and a sketch writer for the CBS Diversity Showcase. He also worked for 5 years as a comedic web series writer/producer for World of Wonder (producers of the Emmy-winning "RuPaul's

Matt graduated from Missouri State University with an MA in Professional Writing. In the summer of 2020, he was one of six writers selected for Debatable Production's Fellowship for Writers Under 25, where he workshopped his pilot for Good Lord with Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh. Most

Born in a small village in India, I came here at a young age. I have a unique perspective on the human condition through my passion for writing and as a medical doctor. My dream is to produce a tv series for a global audience and am always striving to improve my craft. I’ve written a produced film

Alex Balassa is an Award-winning content creator/producer/director with 25+ years of experience in the entertainment industry. Well-versed in all aspects of international film and television production. Highly- skilled team leader who contributed to hundreds of projects, specializing in Latin

I am an Irish LGBT author/screenwriter and full-time development assistant with over 7 years experience in the film and TV industry. I live for writing genre; mainly psychological thrillers, metaphorical horror, and grounded sc-fi, but am also drawn to comedy and gritty kitchen sink drama. Ryan

I was born and raised in south east London (Camberwell and Peckham). At age twenty-one I joined the Metropolitan Police where I served for twenty years in numerous high profile squads before being pensioned out with a serious back injury. Blessed with a complete lack of DIY skills I could now

Joseph Black grew up in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. After hearing his accent, people frequently accuse him of lying about this. He assures those that do that this is the truth, citing that: 1. A childhood filled with movies, TV, video games, audiobooks, and podcasts led to him never developing all

Michele E. Gwynn is an award-winning Bestselling Author and former freelance journalist from San Antonio, Texas. She has worked in newspaper and contributed online to sites like Examiner.com, Yahoo Voices, and Salon.com. She has also worked as a senior editor for FashionErotica.com, written for Film

Lara is a a part-time marketing manager, with a PhD in 20th-century literature and a passion for medieval history. She left a corporate career to fulfill a childhood dream: turning some of the great events and characters of medieval European history into the subject matter of contemporary stories

On a website on the internet there lived a Joe. Not a hot, caffeinated Joe, splashed with cream and a roasty smell, nor yet a cotton-eyed Joe with over-played lyrics and a catchy beat: it was a writer Joe, and that means humor. Or something. Joe Heath writes, directs, films, produces, and acts in

Robbi Sommers Bryant is an award-winning author and professional editor with more than fourteen years of experience helping writers shape powerful, psychologically resonant stories. Known for her intuitive understanding of character, emotional depth, and narrative tension, she works collaboratively

Peter Gajdics is an award-winning writer whose essays, short memoir and poetry have appeared in Huffington Post (Canada), Maclean’s, The Advocate, New York Tyrant, The Gay and Lesbian Review / Worldwide, Gay Times, Manhattan Book Review, and Brevity, among others. He is a recipient of several

PRIZE-WINNING AUTHOR LISE PEARLMAN is a former trial lawyer and judge and nationally recognized speaker whose books have won multiple awards in the categories of law, U.S. History, multicultural nonfiction and social change. Her latest book is The Lindbergh Kidnapping Suspect No. 1 -- The Man Who

Norman Whaler is a multi-award winner from Grosse Pointe, MI, USA. With over 120 awards for his children's books, Norman focuses on positive messages, some on serious topics and some that are just about fun. He is a member of SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators), IAN, and IBPA

Dan writes from extensive life experience (life-threatening adventures: military, love, spiritual, bear attacks and more) as well as disciplined and broad academic and language training. Dan graduated from Virginia Military Institute (1981), third among Economics majors, simultaneously completing

A diagnosed schizophrenic and Page Turner Long-Listed. I write social impact films which represent my limitations being a disabled writer to shine a light on under-represented voices. Signed to a Management company in Central London with various projects in various stages of development.

Originally an influential epistemologist, Sandy spent three years working with survivors of domestic abuse, and learned how valuable storytelling can be in helping people to understand complex emotional issues. He wrote a short film campaign for the charity Women's Aid, and became a professional

Born and bred in Walsall in the West Midlands, I moved to London in my early 20s with very little to my name. Spending over a decade in the city, in a dramatically different socio-economic environment, had a lasting effect on my writing. Much of my work has a 'fish out of water feel' to it. The

My BS in Journalism and MA in Communications degrees inspired me to become a pioneer in electronic publishing. As a McGraw-Hill editor, I developed one of the first computer publishing systems. In the rapidly developing PC software industry, I co-authored one of his two books using PC desktop

Penny Berlin has had a varied life. She worked for the famous Molton Brown hair salon in London’s West End. With this rich experience under her belt she eventually worked on Holland America Cruise ships, visiting The United States, Bermuda, Caribbean, Mexico and Canada. Later spending 30 years in

Following a twenty-three-year career in Arts Theatre Management, Steve retrained with the Yorkshire Academy of Film and Television Acting (YAFTA) and gained a Diploma in Applied Screenwriting (Distinction) in July 2019, under the tutelage of Simon Stirling. Steve has already received commissions for

Why do I write? "What good is love if it is not shared?" (from "This Bitter Earth" by Dinah Washington) Writing - like love - is nothing if it is not shared. Even the most private diary has an audience - an other to whom it is addressed. To write is to make words flesh, to take them out of the realm

Nick’s writing journey was unusual. Invited onto the set of a high profile TV show, he witnessed the power of storytelling and was completely hooked. Nobody was more surprised by this than him, and in the last two years he has written a novel (placed 2nd in a national competition), a short story

Since attaining my MA in Play and Screenwriting – graduating from City, University of London, in 2014 – I have had three plays successfully produced in London, commissioned and directed by Martin Parr, known for producing work in unconventional spaces. Consequently, with a produced two-hander, one

Nava R. Silton, Ph.D., a Developmental Psychologist, received her B.S. from Cornell University in 2002 and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Fordham University in 2009. Silton has worked at Nickelodeon, Sesame Workshop, and Mediakidz, and has consulted for Netflix, Blue’s Clues & You and The Autism Seaver

I'm a musician by day, writer by night, originally from High Wycombe - which genuinely has a chair museum - but now living a seagull poop-spattered existence in Plymouth, Devon. I began pursuing screen/comedy writing in 2015, starting off writing jokes and sketches for radio, before moving on to

Simon Frederick (the other one) I work in feature film/TV production/development, and a writer of film, TV and content. Aiming for the writer/director/producer triptych, but mostly focused on screenwriting.

Bestselling author Barbara Claypole White was born in rural England, but writes and gardens in the forests of North Carolina. Her passion for chipping away at stereotypes of mental illness inspires quirky stories about courageous characters with invisible disabilities, complicated relationships, and

Studied at AFTRS (Australian Film, Television and Radio School), Sydney, NSW. Currently writing a sequel to my biopic feature The Split, entitled The Reunion. I have dual nationality, born and raised in London, UK, moved to Australia over 25 years ago, where I have lived in Adelaide, South Australia

Jayne Doxtater was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and now resides in the beautiful West Kootenay region of British Columbia, Canada. After a fulfilling 40-year career as a business owner and esthetician, she is now semi-retired and embraces a life close to nature. "I wrote this book as a

The mother of five children, Peggy and her husband served over 25 years as a therapeutic treatment foster home (lots of stories) and then adopted their last four foster children. "Under 'S' for Sucker" is based on one of those stories. Peggy is a peace activist, ran for state and federal political

Helena P. Schrader is an award-winning and best-selling author and historian. She holds a PhD in history from the University of Hamburg and served as an American diplomat in Europe and Africa. She is the author of two non-fiction works about the Middle Ages published by Pen & Sword, "The Holy Land

I'm a journalist and editor whose work has regularly appeared in top international publications, including the New York Times, FT, Sunday Times and Wall Street Journal. I have a degree in literature and film. Naturally terrified of risk but always on the hunt for a good story, I've trekked in Tierra

Steve Blame lives in Germany. He explored his sexual identity during the rampant homophobia in Britain of the '80s, going from denial to acceptance to the fight against bigotry as his generation's only 'out' TV host. Today, having experienced the up and downsides of fame, Steve continues his