2024 Screenplay Award Finalists

Shiva Ramanathan discovered the magic of storytelling when an egg hit him squarely during his impromptu stage debut. While it wasn’t the ovation he dreamed of, it kickstarted an adventure even Indiana Jones would tip his hat to. From a graduate degree in Communication to community theater and video

Dwight A. Jolivette is an aspiring screenwriter who lives in Mesa, Arizona. He’s a retired Financial Advisor, which means he didn’t have much money to invest in the stock market but was able to convince others to invest theirs. Dwight has been writing in some form or another for as long as he can

Gilberto A. Rodríguez posee un bachillerato en Drama y Lenguas Modernas de la Universidad de Puerto Rico. Comienza a escribir en 1994 mientras trabajaba como asistente de producción en las telenovelas de la Cadena Telemundo. En 1995 estudia redacción de guiones en UCLA. En adición a Hugo, Paco, Luis

Alia Zeid was born and raised in the Bay Area as a member of Generation Z. Although she’s a first generation American, her parents expose her to their Spanish and Palestinian cultures so she is able to write from multiple points of view to develop worlds and protagonists in her scripts. Alia’s

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

Clark is a produced and optioned screenwriter with a focus on Sci-Fi, Dark Dramedy, and True Stories. Clark has successfully collaborated with Producers and other screenwriters on several projects. Most of his projects are grounded in themes of "the haves and the have-nots", classicism, and coming

When Ben Johnson met the union strategy of “Change through Conflict” it was love at first fight. Ben eloped with the union and became Treasurer and then President of AFT Vermont from 2007 - 2016. In an act of flagrant bigamy, he was also the youngest person ever elected to be President of a State

When Ben Johnson met the union strategy of “Change through Conflict” it was love at first fight. Ben eloped with the union and became Treasurer and then President of AFT Vermont from 2007 - 2016. In an act of flagrant bigamy, he was also the youngest person ever elected to be President of a State

After gaining a degree in Anthropology, Sophie went into television production directing her first documentary for Channel 4 when driving from London to Johannesburg. Having produced an INSET series for BBC Education, she set up wildlife films in Botswana and a BLUE PETER exploration of South Africa

The Black List Recommended, Coverfly Top 1%, affectionately called "Monty" by my friends, I love to create compelling dramatic thrillers that explore unknown worlds—honing my craft at NYU and Sundance Collab. Presently developing two pilots and a drama feature, I reside in New York with my family

The Black List Recommended, Coverfly Top 1%, affectionately called "Monty" by my friends, I love to create compelling dramatic thrillers that explore unknown worlds—honing my craft at NYU and Sundance Collab. Presently developing two pilots and a drama feature, I reside in New York with my family

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

After meeting Robert, you realize he was raised right- right inside a movie theater. His childhood happy-place was escaping to the cinema and the magic that came alive on screen. After trying his hand on an independent film, he realized his greater passion was writing. He’s inspired by visual

Darryl Wimberley is a native Floridian, credited screenwriter and author of: Kaleidoscope, screenplay, Fade In Magazine’s Grand Prize Winner, 1988 A Tinker’s Damn, Foreword Review Award, Best Literary Novel, 2001 The King of Colored Town, The Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction, 2007 Paul

My passion for writing has always been with me, stemming from writing and directing a school play at the tender age of 14. This enthusiasm resurfaced in 2020 when I finally found the time to be the creative I'd always wanted to be. My debut novel, Certified, was published in August 2021. It became

Vincent Veloso is an Asian Filipino-American martial artist (Kodokan judo, Tekken-ryu jujutsu, Nihon Goshin Aikido), trained salsa ballroom dancer & actor, model, multi-award winning: writer/producer/director, businessman & 17 instrument performing musician. Originally from New Jersey, he was

Breakfield is a 25+ year technology expert in security, networking, voice, and anything digital. He enjoys writing, studying World War II history, travel, and cultural exchanges. He’s also a fan of wine tastings, winemaking, Harley riding, cooking extravaganzas, and woodworking. Burkey is a 25+ year

Jenn Fonteyn was born in Los Angeles and grew up in the hills west of Denver. She holds a BS in Biology and an MS in Applied Natural Science. She is a Science Writer, Screenwriter, and horse enthusiast.

Stefan is a German national with an academic background in history and political science. He is a long time film critic at the Berlin Film Festival and an advertising professional with 20 years of experience in writing tv commercials. Stefan hates the actual process of writing but believes in the

Punk Rocker since 1982, published author in 2002, screenwriter since 2015. Specializing in historical scripts, he is an Academy Nicholl Quarter-Finalist, 17X Screenplay Finalist and 6X best screenplay winner in contests from France, Japan, Venezuela and the United States.

Robbie Robertson is a playwright, screenwriter and graduate of the University of South Carolina and UCLA’s professional screenwriting program. Robertson’s first comedy, MINA TONIGHT! was published by Samuel French and has been produced in regional theatres across the US. His most recent play, a

ERIC MURPHY Eric Murphy is a writer and actor who worked in Paris, London and New York before he, his wife, children and dog Otto now call Toronto home. Fluent in English and French, Eric worked as a commercial rep for a French designer while researching his MA thesis on French foreign policy

Born in Greenock, Scotland, I went to Glasgow University to study Chemistry and Physics; graduated with a B.Sc. and went on to teaching both subjects in Glasgow. Immigrated to Brazil to teach chemistry and did the same in Peru. I’m married and have two daughters, one in Paris and the younger here in

A proud Marine Corps Veteran, Reynaldo Leal deployed to Iraq with the 3rd Battalion 5th Marines to the Al Anbar Province in 2004 and 2006. There, he took part in some of the heaviest fighting during Operation Phantom Fury and was awarded the Bronze Star with "V" device for actions in Fallujah. After

As a former English teacher in Istanbul and author of three published novels, including one optioned by Paramount Pictures, Steve’s fascination with “otherness” brought him to Delphi, Greece. From there, the phenomenon of the Oracles—young peasant women who delivered prophecies that steered the

Brad Cooper is a distinguished screenwriter recognized as a Coverfly Red List Top 1%, with the #1 screenplay of all time in his genre/format. His acclaimed screenplay, "Killswitch Engineer," is ranked on The Red List in the Top 20 Shorts of all time, across all genres. Brad is known for crafting

Lisa Hickey is a television writer and screenwriter. She writes about issues of social justice that are woven into action-adventure stories featuring young female protagonists. ​ Growing up, Lisa often felt like an outsider among her peers because she would rather talk about political issues than

An Iowa dairy farm boy who luckily scored a masters degree from Stanford and has taken numerous classes at the University of Iowa Summer Writers Festival. Works and plays well with others. (Please note the website listed here is being updated and is currently unavailable.)

In storytelling, I blend diverse experiences with a passion for compelling narratives. I'm Bruno Timoteo, a screenwriter who infuses humor, action, and style into my scripts to entertain and captivate

Lindsay is a practicing internal medicine physician, recent recipient of an MFA in non-fiction creative writing, and developing storyteller. Her fiction work incorporates medical and bodily themes, with a strong dose of dark humor. And yes, it's all fictional (or she at least maintains plausible

Radley is a screenwriter from San Dimas, California. He specializes in kinetic thrillers with strong heroes and exciting stakes. Radley fell in love with screenwriting after re-watching Shawshank Redemption and Con Air on a loop in his hometown video store. Although his scripts owe much to the genre

Jamie Campbell thrives by finding ways to laugh in the midst of darkness. It’s a survival mechanism for a guy who is lucky to still be alive. When he was eleven years-old, he was kidnapped by one of his parents who took him on the run for six months before police caught up to them. As a teenager, he

Screenwriter, documentary filmmaker and author, Susan Marks sold her screenplay Dollhouse of Death (Nichol Top 50 Script) to HBO and Guillermo del Toro. She directed the documentary film, Of Dolls & Murder, starring legendary filmmaker and provocateur John Waters. Susan also wrote the book and made

Bri is a talented screenwriter currently working as an Assistant to a Producer at Life Out Loud Films. Aspiring to write for a comedy, Bri has gained significant recognition for their work. Her comedy pilot "Golden Oaks Nursing Home" ranked in the top 15% on Coverfly and was a quarterfinalist in the

I was born in Missouri and attended Northwest Missouri State University obtaining a B.S. degree in Broadcasting. Soon after graduation, I landed a job as a television anchorman in Kirksville, Missouri. Within two months I was let go and I returned back to my hometown of St. Joseph, Missouri. Within

Born in Greenock, Scotland, I went to Glasgow University to study Chemistry and Physics; graduated with a B.Sc. and went on to teaching both subjects in Glasgow. Immigrated to Brazil to teach chemistry and did the same in Peru. I’m married and have two daughters, one in Paris and the younger here in

Michael is an author of words. An eater of chips. And a father of two from Brooklyn, NY. He's been working in commercial film for over 15 years as a Creative Director. He's looking to take his passion for screenwriting to the world of film & TV with incisive stories about the absurdity of our modern

Vladimir Vassilenko, having grown up in a disciplined upbringing in the defunct USSR, seeks new creative horizons to bring life to a cinematic epic. He is an award-winning Kazakhstani screenwriter, residing in Varna Bulgaria. A keen observer of life, amidst the corridors of influence and the vibrant

Barry Kienzle is a born and raised Kentuckian. He is an award-winning author, having written three novels, "The Crossings," "The Indian," and "A Whisper in the Wind." He has also co-written a memoir of Willie Burton, a high school wrestler with cerebral palsy, "Heart of a Lion," and an autobiography

I am an architect who has loved films since young. I was interested in screenwriting for years, but never thought to actually write. In 2023, a chance encounter inspired me to finally put imagination onto "paper". One of my first short scripts, "Hope On An Envelope" was a finalist at the 2023 Austin

AB cum laude Harvard. Long career in advertising. Wrote a thriller published by a division of what is now HarperCollins. Wrote a dark humor non-fiction book, "The Top 10 As We ht Bottom," published in 2020 by Skyhorse. Co-wrote a novel, "The Academy of Smoke and Mirrors," published last year by The

Dwight A. Jolivette is an aspiring screenwriter who lives in Mesa, Arizona. He’s a retired Financial Advisor, which means he didn’t have much money to invest in the stock market but was able to convince others to invest theirs. Dwight has been writing in some form or another for as long as he can

Mr. Clark is director of creative development for Futoura -- a new, advanced theme park concept based on the STEAM fields: Space, Science, Technology, Engineering, The Arts, and Mathematics. He has written three screenplays: Future's Past, Starfire and Crossover. STARFIRE is a compelling, heartfelt

Hans Galesloot is an award-winning screenwriter from The Netherlands, known for creating and writing some of the most successful TV series in Dutch and German television history. His groundbreaking series Medical Centre West became a Dutch classic, setting record-breaking ratings that have yet to be

Ernestina Juarez was born in a rural Texas town just north of the Rio Grande. She was the first Hispanic principal of Stephen F. Austin High School in Austin, Texas. Her screenplay on the Mexican American War, Labyrinth of Destiny, was a 2018 Academy Nicholl Finalist. Her script on the birth of the

Julia Delmedico is a first generation Argentine-American and a graduate of NYU. Her short film, "Stacy", screened at the Oaxaca Film Festival, Princeton Student Film Festival, New Filmmakers NY, the Official Latino Short Film Festival (HBO Partner) and Anthology Film Archives in New York. Her short

Digital Dinosaur. Mature, energetic, open minded, curious, thick skinned, and very easy to work with. Husband, father, grandfather, dog’s best friend, history geek. Creative writing since 2005 and finally have the time to do something I love. My passion is connecting generations through historically

Mike Ross is an award winning satirical comedy writer for television and film. His writing style focuses on quick and witty dialogue, puns, and pop culture references. Mike Ross also enjoys writing country music, having published 350+ songs. Read Mike's Work: www.mikeross305.com

Sabina Petra originally hails from the Netherlands, but has since called many other countries her home while traveling and acting all around the globe. Thank goodness you can always carry a pen and paper with you! Or a laptop. The Wondering Year is her first feature film after penning down several