Script Files
Sovereign Citizen
A single mother joins the doomsday cult of armed, anti-government sovereign citizens that kidnapped her son and makes a desperate bid to win his freedom.
A busload of third graders is kidnapped by a doomsday cult. Sylvia, the mother of one of the children on the bus, infiltrates the heavily guarded compound with a daring plan to free her son. As forces from the FBI converge on the area, Sylvia discovers that the children will be used as human shields.
Reverend Stephens, the cult’s charismatic leader, warns the authorities that if they attack, the whole compound will go up in a ball of fire, and all the children will perish.
Sylvia needs to win his trust and bond with the cult if she’s ever going to get her son out alive — but soon finds herself falling under his powerful spell.
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Project Type:Screenplay
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Number of Pages:110
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Country of Origin:United States
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Language:English
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First-time Screenwriter:No
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Student Project:No
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Table Read My Screenplay Semifinalist 2017 Story Pros Quarterfinalist 2017 Fresh Voices Quarterfinalist 2017 ISA Fast Track Fellowship Top 50 2016 Table Read My Screenplay Semifinalist 2016 Script Pipeline Quarterfinalist 2016 Story Pros Quarterfinalist 2016 Shore Scripts Quarterfinalist 2016 Hollywood Hills Screenplay Competition Top Finalist 2015 WeScreenplay Finalist 2015 Script Pipeline Quarterfinalist 2015 (top 3% of 3500 scripts) Write Movies Quarterfinalist 2015
Bio.
After surviving a BA from Stanford and an MFA from UC Riverside, Mr. Peters set out to fulfill his life’s true ambition: to become a starving artist. He was immediately successful.
As an actor, he burst onto the stage, then blazed his way into films, TV, and commercials. Inexplicably, he has spent an inordinate slice of his career on hiatus.
His first stage play was greeted by rave reviews from friends and family, but never produced. During this trying time, he found solace in the violence of the martial arts. His second play won two national play writing awards, receiving a total of seven productions in theaters across the country — and suddenly his mother stopped telling him he should have been a lawyer.
Riding this wave of newfound success, he launched into screen writing as well. Mr. Peters has now penned three plays and six screenplays, all based on former friends who have read his scripts and refuse to speak to him anymore. In the words of the author, his work “reeks with promise.”
Mr. Peters currently resides in Los Angeles with his sweet wife and two dramatic, emotional, bickering, teenage daughters. It’s been nineteen years since he’s had a good night’s sleep. Like most journeymen screenwriters, he looks forward to that happy day in the not-so-distant future when he can finally fork over the Guild’s hefty initiation fee.
Though he’s won or placed in over 100 screenwriting contests, been selected for the prestigious BloodList, had numerous option offers, and enjoys the ardent support of his family and dogs, Mr. Peters has yet to kick down Hollywood’s thick door. He remains undaunted and takes pride in the fact that he’s far too stupid to give up the fight.
Mr. Peters enjoys writing both thrillers and comedies. When he’s working on thrillers, he often wakes up with nightmares — and that let’s him know he's on the right track. On writing comedy, he offers this one insight, “I need to feel funny when I sit down to write. Looking funny is not enough.”
Craig Peters
www.craigpeters.info
Craig Peters
www.craigpeters.info
Resume
Education:
BA Stanford 1976
MFA UC Riverside 1979
Writing Credits for Screen:
THE 49TH DAY
Feature - Horror / Supernatural Thriller
Santa Barbara Screenplay Awards Finalist 2021
Fast Track Finalist Top 50 2021
ISA Horror / Thriller Semifinalist 2021
Filmmatic Horror Competition Finalist 2021
Chicago Screenplay Awards Semifinalist 2021
Creative World Awards Finalist 2020
Atlanta Screenplay Awards Finalist 2020
New York City International Screenplay Contest Finalist 2020
Inroads Screenwriting Finalist 2019
Emerging Screenwriters Semifinalist 2019
Capital Fund Screenplay Competition Hot 100 2018
Big Break Quarterfinalist 2018
13Horror Screenplay Finalist 2017
Official Selection of the FilmQuest Festival 2017
Selected for the BloodList 2016
ScreenCraft Horror Contest Grand Prize Winner 2016
WeScreenplay Third Place Winner 2015
ISA Fast Track Fellowship Top 50 2016
Page Quarterfinalist 2016
Best Screenplay, Horror, Table Read My Screenplay 2015
Circus Road Semi-Finalist 2015
ScreenCraft Horror Semifinalist 2015
Capitol Fund Screenplay Competition — Hot 100 2015
ScreenCraft Fellowship Finalist 2015
WeScreenplay Quarterfinalist 2014
Circus Road Semifinalist 2014
Write Movies Finalist 2014
ScreamCraft Horror Semifinalist 2014
Beverly Hills Screenplay Contest Silver Prize Winner for Horror 2013
Nicholls Quarterfinalist (top 372 out of 7251) 2013
Screenplay Festival Semifinalist 2012
Creative World Awards Finalist 2012
Reel Authors Screenplay Contest Finalist 2012
Fresh Voices Contest Semifinalist 2012
CineStory Writers Retreat Winner 2011
American Screenwriting Competition Semifinalist 2011
Script Pipeline Finalist (top 20 out of 3000) 2010
Story Pros Grand Prize Winner 2009
Script Savvy 1st Place Winner 2008
Blue Cat Semi-Finalist 2008
Screenwriters Showcase 2nd Place Winner 2007
Screenplay Festival Finalist 2007
American Zoetrope Quarterfinalist 2007
THE DEMON OF HOPE STREET
Feature - Thriller
ISA Horror / Thriller Semifinalist 2021
Story Pros Semifinalist 2020
Big Break Semifinalist 2019
Finish Line Script Competition Official Selection 2018
StoryPros Semifinalist 2017
Page Semifinalist 2016
Cinequest Feature Quarterfinalist 2016
Shore Scripts Quarterfinalist 2016
Page Awards Semifinalist 2016
WeScreenplay Finalist 2015
Script Pipeline Quarterfinalist 2015 (top 3% of 3500 scripts)
ScreenCraft Fellowship Semifinalist 2015
Table Read My Screenplay Contest Semifinalist 2015
WeScreenplay Semifinalist 2015
Fresh Voices Quarterfinalist 2015
Big Break Contest Top Ten Thriller 2014
StoryPros International Screenplay Contest Semifinalist 2014
New York Screenplay Contest Finalist 2014
CineStory Quarterfinalist 2014
ScreenCraft Fellowship Semifinalist 2014
Screenplay Festival Semifinalist 2014
Hollywood Screenplay Contest Finalist 2013
Fresh Voices Screenplay Contest 2013, Nominee for Humanitarian
Award. “This award rewards material that highlights social and political
issues around the world, as well as writers that strive to make a positive
difference through their writing.”
Story Pros Quarterfinalist 2013
Happy Writers Screenplay Contest Quarterfinalist 2013
SOVEREIGN CITIZEN
Feature - Thriller
ISA Horror / Thriller Semifinalist 2021
Creative Screenwriting Screenplay Competition Quarterfinalist 2021
New York City International Screenplay Competition Semifinalist 2021
ISA Fast Track Fellowship Top 50 2020
Story Pros International Semifinalist 2020
Creative Screenwriting Semifinalist 2020
Unique Voices Screenwriting competition Semifinalist 2020
Table Read My Screenplay Semifinalist 2017
Story Pros Quarterfinalist 2017
Fresh Voices Quarterfinalist 2017
ISA Fast Track Fellowship Top 50 2016
Table Read My Screenplay Semifinalist 2016
Script Pipeline Quarterfinalist 2016
Story Pros Quarterfinalist 2016
Shore Scripts Quarterfinalist 2016
Hollywood Hills Screenplay Competition Top Finalist 2015
WeScreenplay Finalist 2015
Script Pipeline Quarterfinalist 2015 (top 3% of 3500 scripts)
Write Movies Quarterfinalist 2015
THE SQUAWKER
Feature - Comedy / Action / Adventure
ScreenCraft Comedy Competition Semifinalist 2021
Table Read My Screenplay Genre Competition Top 100 2021
Table Read My Screenplay Genre Competition Top 100 2020
Story Pros International Semifinalist 2020
Emerging Screenwriters Semifinalist 2019
Table Read My Screenplay Semifinalist 2017
WeScreenplay Semifinalist 2016
ScreenCraft Family-Friendly Script Contest Semifinalist 2014
Screenplay Festival Semifinalist 2012
Creative World Awards Semifinalist 2012
Reel Authors Semifinalist 2012
THE MYTHICAL GOLDEN TROUT
Feature - Comedy / Action / Adventure
Scriptation Showcase Script Competition Semifinalist 2021
Filmmatic Comedy Screenplay Awards Semifinalist 2021
Emerging Screenwriters Semifinalist 2021
ScreenCraft Comedy Competition Quarterfinalist 2021
New York City International Screenplay Competition Semifinalist 2021
Chicago Screenplay Awards Quarterfinalist 2021
Big Break Semifinalist 2020
Your Script Produced Quarterfinalist 2020
Table Read My Screenplay Genre Competition Top 100 2020
Stage 32 Comedy Contest Finalist 2020
Fade In Awards Comedy Semifinalist 2020
Austin Screenplay Awards Semifinalist 2020
Filmmatic Comedy Screenplay Awards Semifinalist 2020
Stage 32 Gidden Media Grown Up Movies Contest Semifinalist 2020
New York City International Screenplay Contest Semifinalist 2020
Write/LA Semifinalist 2019
Story Pros Semifinalist 2019
Finish Line Script Competition Official Selection 2018
Story Pros Screenplay Competition Quarterfinalist 2018
LOVE AND VENOM (Completed 5/21)
Feature - Drama
Austin Film Festival Second Rounder 2021
Santa Barbara Screenplay Awards Semifinalist 2021
THE LIBERTY BELL SWEEPSTAKES
Feature / TV Special - Comedy
Based on the author’s original stage play The $88,000 Liberty Bell Sweepstakes that won two national playwriting awards and received seven productions on stages from coast to coast — recently adapted for the screen
Writing Credits for Stage:
THE $88,000 LIBERTY BELL SWEEPSTAKES
Stage Play - Comedy
Productions:
Harlequin Theatre, Cayuga College, NY 1992
Theatre Americana, Altadena, CA 1990
Kingston Showboat Theatre, Eddyville, NY 1988
New Playwright’s Theatre, Ashland, OR 1988
The Y.E.S. National Playwriting Festival Winner 1987 (Playwright in Residence at
N. Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY)
The Uprising Theatre, Long Beach, CA 1987
Glendale College Theatre, Glendale, CA 1986
THE MIGHTY SAMSON SISTERS
Stage Play - Comedy
FOUR DAYS FROM HONEYSUCKLE GARDEN
Stage Play - Comedy
Mission Statement for Craig Peters
“Art is not a mirror to reflect reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.” — Bertolt Brecht.
My artistic vision is to enlighten and transform society. I strive to create works of art that illuminate the depths of the human spirit and influence the course of the world we live in.
My aim is to challenge my audience, to raise their awareness, to uplift them, and give them strength. I seek to change their perceptions, inspire hope, and set them off on new paths
of discovery and action.
It’s all well and good to write stories that entertain and give people a respite from their commonplace lives, and I readily admit that I’ve penned a couple of those myself. But my mission is to highlight the social, cultural, and political issues of our time and make a positive, lasting impact through my writing. I’m increasingly drawn to creating stories that explore
issues of profound importance — scripts with enduring relevance and meaning.
There’s no loftier calling than to be a storyteller, a spinner of powerful tales, a weaver of the fabric of culture. We live in a harrowing world, and I believe that the key to the future lies in finding optimistic, life-affirming stories and letting them be known.
Being selected for a Writers for Writers Fellowship could prove to be a tremendous boon for me. I know I’m a good writer with compelling themes to express, and I’m also aware that I need more guidance. What I seek is a chance to form an ongoing creative bond with a seasoned professional who can help me take my work and career to the next level.
I strive for nothing less than to write scripts that will become masterpieces of cinema.