2024 Screenplay Award Finalists

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

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

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

​Kelly Lamphear-Dash is an award-winning screenwriter and producer. Her documentaries and short films have been featured in over 100 film festivals worldwide. Her short films and indie features have been featured on The Fantasy Network, YouTube, Prime, Tubi, and other streamers. ​Her short

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

Was always longing for a life of excitement and thrill - I decided to make them. What started as innocent excessive film and television viewing when I was younger, came in handy. Now armed with a diploma in television viewing I am passionate about developing gripping character-driven stories that

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

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

Kyung-Ja Lee obtained her master’s degree in psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, and a Master’s degree in directing at AFI with award winning short film. Lee continued her independent filmmaking career and received numerous awards and fellowships, including Rockefeller

Layla O'Shea is a Los Angeles-based screenwriter/director born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. After years of playing baseball, and running around pretending to be Superman, she grew up, went to college, graduated with an English/Communications Degree, and worked full-time while raising three

Kyung-Ja Lee obtained her master’s degree in psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, and a Master’s degree in directing at AFI with award winning short film. Lee continued her independent filmmaking career and received numerous awards and fellowships, including Rockefeller

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.

Jeff Hindenach is an LGBTQ+, San Francisco-based writer and director who is known for the movies LOST INSIDE as well as the short ONE LAST TIME. He was originally born and raised in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. He also runs the production company West Hall Films, which many of his movies have been

Lotte Mullan is a writer and musician from Suffolk. She has five feature screenplays in development, one of which has been adapted into the show ‘Now That’s What I Call a Musical’, directed by Strictly Come Dancing's Craig Revel Horwood and touring now. ‘Diary of a Plain Jane’, a satirical blog

Keith lived and worked as a teacher in North Africa, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America, eventually settling in BC, Canada. His first novel, Drawn into Danger, is set in Algeria, and he used his experience there to write a fictional thriller. Inspired by working in Malaysia

I have come to screenwriting after 25 years as a database professional. Writing fiction has always been something I have done for myself and my friends, but after writing my first feature script in 2018, I realized I'd found a format that works with the way I think. Since then, I have become

Keith lived and worked as a teacher in North Africa, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and North America, eventually settling in BC, Canada. His first novel, Drawn into Danger, is set in Algeria, and he used his experience there to write a fictional thriller. Inspired by working in Malaysia

Writing for me turned from a hobby to a love affair when I had an idea for a thriller/drama novel, and 4 years after that idea, I published that novel titled Retribution. I kept on writing and expanding my range of genres to include sci/fi, fantasy/adventure and of course a sequel to my novel.

Shelby Renjifo is a writer from Glen Cove, New York, currently based in Los Angeles. She graduated from Emerson College, where she began writing her first book, A Wasp at a Funeral. This self-published adult fiction has sold over 1,000 copies, attracting attention from literary platforms such as

A Wisconsin based writer, I hold a B.A. in English Communications and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing (Screen & Stage) from Queens University-Charlotte. An award-winning screenwriter and playwright, I thoroughly enjoy the creative journey that unfolds between "FADE IN" and "FADE OUT." It is my hope to

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

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

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

Sasha Kai is a 'neurospicy' writer, producer and podcaster who channels her varied life experience - as a poor kid in rural Ohio, as a political organizer in DC, and as a startup co-founder in Silicon Beach - into dynamic, underdog characters and genre bending narratives. Sasha's stories spotlight

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 am a physician who practices internal medicine in a busy New York City hospital. When I'm not drowning in medical records, I find the time to write screenplays. I primarily write in the horror-comedy and medical genres. My first script, THE ABSCESS, was an Academy Nicholl quarterfinalist, and won

Sayan Kent is an accomplished playwright, librettist, composer, and emerging screenwriter with a passion for storytelling that explores identity, belonging, and cultural intersections. Transitioning from acting to writing, she earned an MPhil in Playwriting from the University of Birmingham and has

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

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

Born and raised in frigid Minnesota before heading to the dry, dusty desert to pursue a film degree, Trevor Murphy has been in the camera department on major and minor film and tv shows for… well… a long time - look him up on IMDb and see if you can figure out which “Trevor Murphy” he is. Finally

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

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

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

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

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