2024 Screenplay Award Finalists

Paul Vinsonhaler is an award winning film composer, producer, and director living in Memphis TN. Paul has spent the majority of his work for the past 13 years composing music for 15 independent short films along with features, documentaries, commercials, & animations. He has also directed 13 music

Matt Nicholson is a queer screenwriter based in LA. His portfolio of short scripts and hour-long pilots brings new twists to old myths and champions stories about family legacy. Matt has worked as a stage manager, researcher for "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire," and Editor-In-Chief of GeorgeTakei.com

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

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

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

UK based writer. My script's have placed in competitions and festivals. Fell in love with movies from an early age, with a strong appreciation, for all story telling.

Merridith Allen is a Jewish, performance-trained playwright with an extensive background in martial arts. Other hyphens include actress, writer, theater director and theater producer. After battling societal norms her whole life, Merridith discovered a passion for telling stories about women

Writer, Cinephile and Dreamer from the Midwest.

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

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

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

Jose was born & raised on the mean streets of Philly PA, aka, The Badlands. In his formative years, Jose was locked up, escaped, caught, thrown back in, and finally released from jail for selling narcotics. After an ultimatum from a Judge, Not Judy, he enlisted in the Army and turned his life around

Jose was born & raised on the mean streets of Philly PA, aka, The Badlands. In his formative years, Jose was locked up, escaped, caught, thrown back in, and finally released from jail for selling narcotics. After an ultimatum from a Judge, Not Judy, he enlisted in the Army and turned his life around

Sharon’s accounting degree didn’t stop her creative side from emerging with her passion for writing and also venturing to opening a surf shop. Later, off-grid living in Baja, Mexico helped open her eyes even further to a colorful and diverse world. She’s an EP of BELLE filmed in Iceland and is

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

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

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

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

Ronald McGuire is a multi-genre award-winning author whose work has appeared in numerous literary journals including Winning Writers, The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, Flash Fiction Magazine and Cinnabar Moth Literary Collections. He holds degrees in Comparative Literature and Journalism

Ronald McGuire is a multi-genre award-winning author whose work has appeared in numerous literary journals including Winning Writers, The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, Flash Fiction Magazine and Cinnabar Moth Literary Collections. He holds degrees in Comparative Literature and Journalism

I began my career in musical theater in New York City, and have been a SAG/AFTRA, and Equity member since 1974. I have also been a member of the Directors Guild of America. Although I have both directed and produced TV pilots and films, writing has always been a personal passion. My focus in the

I began my career in musical theater in New York City, and have been a SAG/AFTRA, and Equity member since 1974. I have also been a member of the Directors Guild of America. Although I have both directed and produced TV pilots and films, writing has always been a personal passion. My focus in the

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

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. Their sole focus was on earning money instead of providing love and attention for their daughter. She was left alone to fend for herself, and

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

Alex is a writer & director. His stories often place characters in morally ambiguous situations that threaten their identity and force them to confront their humanity. Before being a writer and director, Alex had a career as a medical doctor. He worked in some of the world's most challenging

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

Line Rainville and Franco Pirrone are creative partners with a shared commitment to storytelling that champions diversity, inclusivity, and social awareness. Their backgrounds blend international experiences, distinct cultural identities, and a passion for science fiction, bringing unique

My writing is influenced by my law enforcement career and a love of spy novels, sci-fi stories and noir fiction. I have written two novels, dozens of short stories, and a variety of scripts, including features, tv pilots, and shorts.