2023 Screenplay Award Finalists

Karla M. Jay is the award-winning author of When We Were Brave, It Happened in Silence., The Puppet Maker's Daughter and her new vigilante novel, A Shot at Justice. She has wanted to write books since she was seven. Originally from the east coast, she makes her home in Salt Lake City. Over the years

I live in Los Angeles with my lovely wife and cats. I’ve been working in the industry for almost ten years as a producer/director/DP. The majority of my work is music-videos for well-known artists (A Perfect Circle, Iggy Pop, Cypress Hill, Cold Cave, to name a few). I'm on the long, hard road of

Melissa Hope is the author of Sea of Kings, a fantasy adventure middle-grade that Newbery Award winner Andrea Wang described as "everything a kid could want." More recently, her picture book Not My Order was a finalist in the Kids Choice Award 2023, and her short film finished as a quarterfinalist

CLAIRE PARTIN is a storyteller, artist, writer, lyricist, song improvisor and actor living in West Hollywood, California. She recently co-wrote the musical “Heartland” with composer Kat Zimmerman about an Amish teen who moves to the big city only to have his American dreams dashed when he witnesses

Stowe Story Labs alumna. Writer/director of an award-winning short THE ZAHIR. Trilingual multi-ethnic multinational. Mathematician whose journey led from humble beginnings in the Urals to professorships in Berkeley and Berlin. Olga's writing explores follies of genius, elusiveness of belonging, and

Meredith Wargo is an award-winning author and advocate for animals. The recipient of four Maxwell Medallions from the Dog Writers of Association of America, she has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Although a native Texan, Meredith currently lives in southern

I’ve been writing for many years and have published The Devils' Cradle novel (under my pseudonym Darcy Daniel), which has fantastic reviews on Amazon. Winner of TopShelf Magazine's Indie Book Awards for "The Devils' Cradle" under the pseudonym Darcy Daniel - available on Amazon: https://www.amazon

From a young age, Timothy Jay Smith developed a ceaseless wanderlust that has taken him around the world many times. En route, he’s found the characters that people his work. Polish cops and Greek fishermen, mercenaries and arms dealers, child prostitutes and wannabe terrorists, Indian Chiefs and

As an accomplished writer, Matt has crafted six short stories and a TV pilot, garnering 70 accolades, including twice being a finalist at the Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards and a second-rounder at the Austin Film Festival. Matt's educational background includes a major in media

Melissa Hope is the author of Sea of Kings, a fantasy adventure middle-grade that Newbery Award winner Andrea Wang described as "everything a kid could want." More recently, her picture book Not My Order was a finalist in the Kids Choice Award 2023, and her short film finished as a quarterfinalist

Stowe Story Labs alumna. Writer/director of an award-winning short THE ZAHIR. Trilingual multi-ethnic multinational. Mathematician whose journey led from humble beginnings in the Urals to professorships in Berkeley and Berlin. Olga's writing explores follies of genius, elusiveness of belonging, and

CURRENT 2024 ACADEMY NICHOLL FELLOWSHIP NOMINEE: In the last 4 years, Austin's screenplays Car Heroin Train, Her Seventh Death, William the II, Taming Holden Caulfield, Diners & Devils, Who Let the Wallflowers Out? (2024 Nicholl Nominated), Maddie and Frannie, and Night With A Glorious Sun have

I am a creative soul, the first in my family to get to go to University where I studied film. Unfortunately, I was never able to break into the entertainment industry, but still have a passion for storytelling and look for opportunities to express creativity. I was in the short list last for last

Michaela Wadzinski is an award-winning director, writer, and story artist. She’s originally from Sioux City, Iowa but now resides in Los Angeles. Despite her new life in the city, she finds that her work is still heavily inspired by the cornfields she grew up in. She loves to tell character-driven

A self published author of a children's novel titled 'Old Hige' and a graduate of Met Film School with a Master's Degree in Screenplay Writing.

Mark Rosendorf is a High School Guidance Counselor for students in the New York City Department of Education’s special education district. He is also a former professional magician. Mark shares his knowledge of magic with his students as part of the school's Performing Arts program. He uses stage

Kim Black is a not-quite-cozy genre mixologist and award-winning author. She loves learning new things and returned to school in her fifties to receive her certification in screenwriting. She is a member of the Texas High Plains Writers, one of the oldest writers' groups in America. She speaks to

Erasmo Acosta was born in Cantaura, a small town in Venezuela, and moved to the United States in 1996 to pursue a software engineering career sponsored by a small Silicon Valley company. He retired to Portland, Oregon, in 2020 after achieving 32 successful years in the industry. In 2015, he became

A British Turkish Cypriot, twenty two year old neurodivergent writer and actor, raised in South East London, who has recently defected to North London.

I am an author and a screenwriter. My writings focus on historical dramas, fiction, and fantasy. Originally from Northern Iraq, I was born into the Chaldean Christian ethnic group before moving to the United States, where I grew up. While in the corporate world, I traveled extensively and lived in

Jon has a particular love of the crime, thriller, and horror genres. He currently has a portfolio of three features and two TV-pilot scripts, with another pilot in the works. Jon Addison uses his challenging childhood and early life experiences of paranoia to explore messy, complex characters

English, ex-trader; lived in close to a dozen countries, picking up several foreign languages (and some useful nationalities) along the way. Reads a lot of history. Currently has a tv comedy in production. Based in Germany, Spain and France.

Sal brings a jetsetter's suitcase full of experiences to his writing. He is the son of Sicilian immigrants, a U.S.A.F. Veteran in SATCOM and Aircraft Maintenance, a government contractor, drummer, and former restauranteur. Having seen the world through a traveler's eyes -- living it with the wonder

Alan travelled extensively in the international oil and gas industry as a marine geophysicist and it was during his time off that he first began writing novels for adults. Following the selection of his third novel, Woollyback, for a tutored adaptation for the silver screen, Alan went on to complete

Alan travelled extensively in the international oil and gas industry as a marine geophysicist and it was during his time off that he first began writing novels for adults. Following the selection of his third novel, Woollyback, for a tutored adaptation for the silver screen, Alan went on to complete

Alan travelled extensively in the international oil and gas industry as a marine geophysicist and it was during his time off that he first began writing novels for adults. Following the selection of his third novel, Woollyback, for a tutored adaptation for the silver screen, Alan went on to complete

Georgette Skolnick's father lost everything during The Depression. So, she grew up in a poor dysfunctional family with both parents working to make ends meet. She was a latchkey child, left alone to fend for herself, and as a result, became a self-sufficient, empowered woman. Her screenwriting

A recent novelist I'm former financial journalist and writer of non-fiction books, with experience in arts fundraising for theatres and in caring for someone brain-injured. I enjoy art, theatre, socialising; have raised two children, and various cats and dogs.

I am a new screenwriter. Hobart College, BS Creative writing, Professor Sibyl Johnson, Tufts University “Screenwriting”, Anne Jordan (NORCAL Screenwriter) Santa Rosa J. College, California WOODS HOLE FILM FESTIVAL, winner. FILMATIC, winner. ACCLAIM SCRIPTS, winner. LOS ANGELES SCREENPLAY FESTIVAL

I was born a vagabond spirit and have yet to learn the meaning of “comfort zone.” My life has been and continues to be sui generis. All that follows is a standard literary CV for an extremely non-standard career. ***** In high school, I was an editor of the underground paper, The Charlotte

I was born a vagabond spirit and have yet to learn the meaning of “comfort zone.” My life has been and continues to be sui generis. All that follows is a standard literary CV for an extremely non-standard career. ***** In high school, I was an editor of the underground paper, The Charlotte