DIRE CONSEQUENCES

Joe Leone: Award-Winning American Screenwriter and Film Industry Professional

Occupation: President/CEO – Write Now Productions LLC

Biography: Joe Leone is a highly accomplished American screenwriter and esteemed figure in the film industry. He is the President/CEO of Write Now Productions LLC, a successful and growing production company focused on producing compelling cinematic experiences.

Education: Joe Leone is a proud alumnus of Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, a prestigious institution recognized as the #4 film school in the United States by The Hollywood Reporter. Notable industry icons such as The Duffer Brothers, Justin Simien, and Ben York Jones, creator of 'Everything Sucks!,' are among the distinguished alumni of this esteemed institution.

Awards and Recognitions: Mr. Leone's exceptional talent and outstanding contributions to the art of screenwriting have garnered him over 60 prestigious awards. His remarkable scripts have been officially selected by more than 300 film festivals and screenplay competitions worldwide, solidifying his reputation as a master storyteller.

Professional Experience: Joe Leone brings a wealth of industry experience to his craft. He spent six years with Paramount Pictures' Motion Picture Marketing Administration, where he honed his skills and gained valuable insights into the marketing and promotion of films. Additionally, he served as a Story Analyst for Prelude Pictures and Kamin & Howell Entertainment, further deepening his understanding of storytelling and the intricacies of the filmmaking process.

Joe Leone's passion for storytelling, combined with his exceptional talent and extensive industry experience, has established him as a leading voice in the world of screenwriting. His dedication to his craft and remarkable achievements continue to inspire and shape the future of the film industry.

Agent Representation:
Lisa Simpson - Elevated Artists Entertainment LLC
Elevated Artists Entertainment LLC
Clearwater, FL 33764
(727) 350-2665
contact@elevatedartistsent.com

Screenwriter of DIRE CONSEQUENCES (SHORT SCREENPLAY) - selected in (55) Film Festival/Screenplay Competitions in multiple Countries. (8) Award Wins, (1) Honorable Mention, (12) Finalist, (13) Semi-Finalist, (8) Quarterfinalist, and (13) Official Sections to date.
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SCREENPLAY COMPETITION RECOGNITION/AWARDS (as of 04/11/22): SHORT SCREENPLAY - DIRE CONSEQUENCES

AWARD WINNER(S):
San Diego Movie Awards - AWARD OF MERIT - BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY (Jan, 2022)
WRPNSC Screenplay Competition - PLATINUM AWARD WINNER - SHORT SCREENPLAY (Sep, 2020)
Austin After Dark Film Festival - AWARD WINNER - BEST DRAMA - SHORT SCREENPLAY (Sep, 2020)
Redwood Shorts and Scripts - BEST ACTION SCRIPT (August, 2020)
The Wiki Screenplay Contest - AWARD WINNER - SHORT SCREENPLAY (June, 2020)
Siren by the Sea Screenplay Competition - AWARD WINNER - DRAMA (April, 2020)
Show Low Film Festival – BEST OF FESTIVAL - SCRIPT (October, 2019)
Central Florida CineFest - AWARD WINNER - SHORT SCREENPLAY (September, 2019)

FINALIST:
Cinema Soup Film Festival - FINALIST (June, 2021)
Richmond International Film Festival (RIFF) - FINALIST (May, 2021)
Best Script Award - FINALIST (Feb, 2021)
Flixze Film Festival - FINALIST (Nov, 2020)
Lonely Seal International Film, Screenplay and Music Festival - FINALIST (Sep, 2020)
Oregon Short Film Festival - FINALIST - BEST DARK DRAMA SHORT SCREENPLAY (July, 2020)
Red Flight Pictures Screenplay Awards - FINALIST - Top 100 Selection out of more than 3,500 submitted entries received (Feb, 2020)
LA Live Film Festival - FINALIST - BEST FEATURE FILM SCREENPLAY (Nov, 2019)
Las Vegas International Film & Screenwriting Competition - FINALIST - Screenplay - Drama Feature (July, 2019)
Filmmatic Drama Screenplay Awards - FINALIST - Short Film - Drama (June, 2019)
Low To No Film Festival and Writers Competition - TOP 4 FINALIST - BEST SHORT SCREENPLAY - DRAMA (May, 2019)
Hollywood Just4Shorts Film and Screenplay Competition - FINALIST - Short Screenplay (May, 2019)

SEMI-FINALIST:
Outstanding Screenplays (UK) - SEMI-FINALIST (Oct, 2021)
South Shore Film Festival - SEMI-FINALIST (July, 2021)
Your Script Produced! Studios: Season 2 - SEMI-FINALIST (Jan, 2021) - nearly 2,500 submissions
New Jersey Film Awards - SEMI-FINALIST (Jan, 2021)
Nevada City Film Festival - SEMI-FINALIST (July, 2020)
Miami Screenplay Awards - SEMI-FINALIST - Top 16% out of 445 submitted entries (June, 2020)
Austin Revolution Film Festival - SEMI-FINALIST (May, 2020)
Circus Road Screenplay Contest - SEMI-FINALIST (March, 2020)
Irvine International Film Festival - SEMI-FINALIST (March, 2020)
Lake Travis Film Festival - SEMI-FINALIST (Feb, 2020)
Hollywood International Diversity Film Festival - SEMI-FINALIST (Jan, 2020)
The Southern California Screenplay Competition - SEMI-FINALIST - SHORT SCREENPLAY (Jan, 2020)
Filmmatic Short Screenplay Awards - SEMI-FINALIST - SHORT SCREENPLAY (August, 2019)

QUARTERFINALIST:
Australasian Screenplay Competition - QUARTERFINALIST - SHORT - HORROR/THRILLER (Dec, 2022)
Plot Point International Screenwriting Awards - QUARTERFINALIST (April, 2021) - listed #3 by Premium Beat for Top 7 Online Screenwriting Competitions - (May 21, 2020) article
Blastoff - QUARTERFINALIST (Dec, 2020)
Scriptation Showcase - QUARTERFINALIST (Sep, 2020)
Atlanta Screenplay Awards - QUARTERFINALIST - TOP 11th - 25th Percentile out of nearly 1,100 submitted entries (April, 2020)
Chicago Screenplay Awards - QUARTERFINALIST - SHORT SCRIPT (Nov, 2019)
HollyShorts Screenplay Contest - QUARTERFINALIST - Short Screenplay (June, 2019)
New York City International Screenplay Awards - QUARTERFINALIST - Short Screenplay (June, 2019)

OFFICIAL SELECTION:
The Red River Script Competition - OFFICIAL SELECTION (Oct, 2022)
Niagara Falls International Short Festival - OFFICIAL SELECTION (Mar, 2021)
Vienna Indie Short Film Festival - OFFICIAL SELECTION (Mar, 2021)
Queen Palm International Film Festival - OFFICIAL SELECTION (Dec, 2020)
FFTG Awards - OFFICIAL SELECTION (Nov, 2020)
SoCal Film Awards - OFFICIAL SELECTION (Sep, 2020)
Bridge Fest - OFFICIAL SELECTION - SHORT SCREENPLAY (June, 2020)
After Hour Film Festival - OFFICIAL SELECTION - SHORT SCREENPLAY (May, 2020)
Southeastern International Film Festival - OFFICIAL SELECTION - SHORT SCREENPLAY (Sep, 2019)
Eden Studios International Film Festival and Writers Competition - OFFICIAL SELECTION (Aug, 2019)
Anabelle Munro's Most Important Films and Scripts In The World - OFFICIAL SELECTION - SHORT SCREENPLAY (July, 2019)
Hollywood Dreams 3rd Annual International Film Festival and Writers' Competition - OFFICIAL SELECTION - Short Screenplay (June, 2019)
Fabulosis Short Film Night - OFFICIAL SELECTION - Short Film Screenplay (May, 2019)
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Siren By The Sea (Jury Scorecard) - 04/15/20 - This was extremely well written and I would love to see it as a short. Considering that I am both former Military and a call-center employee, I am able to completely relate to this entire story line...even the frustration of Steve. I was actually able to interpose my work place, employees and Management into every facet of this story. Very well done!
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Feedback received from the Austin Screenplay Awards on (03/01/20) - Authenticity is the key word for Dire Consequences. Obviously the plot has some more bombastic elements to them, but it’s all grounded in a tone that takes itself seriously. This is a script where every bullet fired feels consequential, and although we get a lot of violence throughout, there’s a purpose beyond a cheap adrenaline rush. Characters deep seeded internal problems, and the writer treats their internal conflicts with as much seriousness as the bullets that whiz across the pages. It makes for more than a standard popcorn muncher, as we get to know and understand these characters’ motivations and flaws.

The moment-to-moment writing is also great. While still concise, the writer packs in a lot of visual detail that imparts a lot of the writer’s distinctive style and personality. It also imparts a lot of the emotion of the scene by putting the reader right in the thick of the action with the characters. It makes it easy to see the world from the character’s perspective and is a great tool for forming a connection between reader and the cast. It may seem like an odd detail to harp on, but the attention to detail in the action description makes even the basic act of understanding the scene and taking in information interesting. It’s the difference between being told a series of facts about the story and real storytelling. This script falls into the latter category.

With a subject matter like a workplace shooting it must be very tempting for the script to dive into classic dramatic tropes and veer into melodrama. Dire Consequences masterfully sidesteps these pitfalls with highly believable characters that rely on archetypes, but serve their role well. Everyone from the leads to the supporting roles feel like great characters who have specificity in their action and dialogue. The writer does a good job of peppering the dialogue with moments that show a lot of history between characters with maximal efficiency in the page space. We understand the relationships at play quickly, allowing us to see a glimpse of how they can evolve in the early going. It all amounts to a highly engrossing read that I couldn’t put it down from first page to last.