2024 Screenplay Award Finalists

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

Dad, Clinical Psychologist, and Screenwriter. I am keenly interested in giving voice to those injured by my profession.

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

Alistair is a writer and director. He has worked on numerous award winning short films. He has a passion for storytelling and believes the best stories are character driven. He is currently working in the theatre industry. Hoping to one day put on his very own play.

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

Grant grew up in the small Canadian town of Stonewall, Manitoba. There he spent the winters freezing but passionate about playing hockey. The prospects of a professional career in the NHL fizzled out around grade two, but he now resides in Calgary and is fully engaged in his grown-up passion for

Ryan is a screenwriter, TV writer and playwright. Studio Nowhere, a half hour comedy series he created, was optioned by 24 FPS Pictures which led Ryan to sign with his first agent. More recently he sold a one hour drama entitled The Four Mothers to Hirsch Pictures. The pilot is shot and currently

David dropped out of high school at 16, reconsidered, academically rehabilitated at a community college, transferred to Michigan State University, from which he graduated with honors, then went on to earn an M.A. from NYU (where he taught fiction writing to undergrads), and, finally, began work on a

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

Patricia’s interest in the supernatural was shaped during childhood while listening to her Japanese-born mother’s ghost stories. She began writing her first stories as a young child.

Ben Monaco was born and raised in Orange County, CA. From the start, his parents had him watch movies from Die Hard to Dances With Wolves. He studied film and production at the Los Angeles Film School and then went on to obtain a college degree at The Ohio State University. He loves to write dramas

I love creating original genre-bending stories featuring female leaders - particularly adventure thrillers. My goal is to continue to write thought-provoking adventure stories for film and television. Ideally, I'd land at a female-driven genre dramedy like Agatha All Along.

Randall DeSoto wrote and was the assistant producer of the documentary film "I Want Your Money." He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths," which addresses how leaders have appealed to beliefs found in the Declaration of Independence throughout U.S. history. He is a journalist who has been

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

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

Anthony A. Labriola is an alumnus of The School of Visual Arts with background in Film & Television writing. He has been a member of The Long Island Film and Television Foundation since 2015, when he began his work with The Nassau County Film commission and has since been the director of 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

Award-winning screenwriter and non-traditional Indigenous artist, specializing in comedic features and Indigenous sub-genres. Works blend humor with modern perspectives, focusing on narratives that both entertain and resonate with diverse audiences.

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. She is the only one in

As a gay ex-Mormon, a 20-year survivor of HIV/AIDS and conversion therapy, and a Ph.D. classical pianist who has performed in Carnegie Hall… Marcus Ostermiller writes grounded David and Goliath pilots and features about flawed queer underdogs who confront daunting foes ranging from terminal illness

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

Mauro has been living and working for several years in Bucharest, Romania, where he holds the position of manager at the European headquarters of one of the world's leading providers of IT solutions. Originally from northern Italy, he lived in Milan for fifteen years before emigrating, always

I am originally from Brooklyn, New York. I have lived in England for nearly two decades and have dual US/UK citizenship. I have a B.A. in Russian from Columbia University and was an Intelligence Officer in the US Navy. I also have a Master’s degree in Opera and worked as a singer, director and stage

I am originally from Brooklyn, New York. I have lived in England for nearly two decades and have dual US/UK citizenship. I have a B.A. in Russian from Columbia University and was an Intelligence Officer in the US Navy. I also have a Master’s degree in Opera and worked as a singer, director and stage

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.

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

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

Mike Macke is a screenwriter who specializes in character-driven drama and comedy with heart. Through his writing Mike looks to entertain as well as inspire in a fashion that illuminates the power and goodness of the human spirit, excluding no one, inviting everyone along for the ride during our

Chef, artist, grandson of a race car designer. He weaves an alternative history narrative in this maritime western pilot. Through captivating characters, he explores the interplay between tech, environment, and human connection, delving into gritty post-industrial realities. As their flora-powered

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

From scoring 30 episodes of "America Now" to collaborating with platinum artists, from crafting intricate film scores to penning the expansive XOVA7 universe, Quanah's creative journey is as varied as it is impressive. Hailing from Orange County, New York, Quanah Jay Hicks is a true renaissance

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

Hailing from the woods of North Carolina by way of the byzantine streets of New Orleans, Robert is a multi-award winning screenwriter specializing in mystery and suspense. His work has been optioned twice and has reached the finals of the Austin Film Festival, Slamdance, Bluecat and Page