SEMIRFINALISTS ANNOUNCED
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Congrats Semifinalists!
NAME SCREENPLAY
WILSON SHAW A QUIET RECKONING
A. S. VIEIRA A TALE OF TWO MOTHERS
MATTHEW VISCUSE AFTER
BERNIE GOLIAS ALL WE EVER WANTED - PILOT - WORLDS APART
BILL WALKER AVA AND THE ACCOUNTANT
ALLAN SCOTT TAMSHEN BLACK EYES
JOHN FIFE BLOOD TRENCH: PRIMORDIAL THIRST
DAVID KANE BOAT PEOPLE
KYLE GILLIS BUSINESS CLASS
JENNIE WINTERS CAINE REVIVED
PIERCE WHITNEY CAVITY
BRIAN LUSTIG CHAOS
ALVERNE BALL DARK
OLGA HOLTZ DARK MATTER
DAVID PACULDO DISAPPEARED
TARA JEAN O'BRIEN DO NOT GO GENTLY
SHAMILA HABIBI ERRORS WE CARRY
CONNOR HARRINGTON-BRANDT HARVARD VS DREYFUS
LAUREN HACKNEY IN THE HOUSE THAT ELLE BUILT
BRADY KESLING JERRY THE CHRIST (PILOT)
CRYSTAL JUDKINS (XPERIENCE J) KISS
ALEC LIDDLE LEGBREAKER
GARY PARKER LOVE AND GLORY
JAMES OWEN NO GREATER DUTY
DANNY KATZ OBJECTS IN MIRROR
JAKE INGRANDE PARADISE NV
ALEX MARSHA SYLVIA POTENTIAL
DOREENE HAMILTON ROBERTA BLACK
ED WILES SAPIENS
T.K. RIGGINS SHARK ALLEY
ALVERNE BALL SPECTER
BILL WALKER STALAG
TIM BISHOP THE ABBREVIATED HISTORY OF CHARLOTTE PLATT
KEVIN P RYAN THE LAST EMBER
BRIAN FOYSTER THE LAST TAKE
CLAY COLEMAN THE PHOTOGRAPH
NICHOLAS JONAH GREENE THE SIXTH OFFENSE
ELSA SZE THE TIMEWALKERS
SHELDON GLEISSER THE TV LAWYER
STEVE HACKER TRUE BELIEVERS
ANGELLA DAVIS UNKNOWN LEGEND
ERIC MCKEEVER UPTOWN
YAN JU ZENG WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO KNOW?
WENDY BEDNARZ YAHOO BOY
ALEX BRIGHT ZON
The Biggest Drama Screenplay Contest in the World is Back!
Ever dreamt of seeing your drama script come to life on the big screen or streaming on flat-screens in living rooms across the country? This is your chance to turn that dream into reality!
Stage 32 and Mark Creative Management, the boutique literary management company founded by industry veteran Eileen Cope, has partnered to launch the Global Drama Writers Discovery Program—assembling an unprecedented panel of managers, producers, and industry decision-makers committed to discovering new voices.
The Stage 32 + Mark Creative Management Film + TV Drama Screenwriting Contest provides a complete pathway to representation. Winning writers will receive comprehensive script development, direct mentorship from Mark Creative Management's management team, and potential representation—with the company actively seeking to sign new clients through this initiative.
Literary Manager Eileen Cope will also review all Semi-Finalist loglines - eligible for script requests!
PLUS -- All Top 10 Finalists will be eligible for mentorships with execs from
Citizen Skull Management, Arclight Films, Cognito Entertainment, and Footprint Pictures.
But that’s not all! Every finalist’s logline will be featured in a Stage 32 Look Book sent to over 500 top entertainment industry executives, giving your work unparalleled exposure.
"We've spent three decades building relationships and packaging projects at the highest level," said Eileen Cope, founder of Mark Creative Management. "This partnership allows us to find the next generation of writers before anyone else does. In today's market, packaging is everything—writers need direct access to talent, and talent needs great material. We're creating that ecosystem through this competition."
"This partnership represents a paradigm shift in how management companies discover talent," said Stage 32 CEO Richard "RB" Botto. "For years, emerging writers have been told to 'get a manager,' but no one built a direct path. Mark Creative Management is creating that pathway—actively seeking writers to champion, develop, and package. Combined with Stage 32's global reach of 1.3 million members, we're democratizing access to representation in an unprecedented way."
Open to Feature Film and TV Pilot Scripts!
Drama is the basis of every story that endures throughout entertainment. From the anxiety-inducing turmoil of THE PITT to the relentless tension of THE SMASHING MACHINE and the psychological depth of DIE MY LOVE or PLURIBUS, audiences can’t get enough drama storytelling. This year alone, drama films like ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER and A COMPLETE UNKNOWN have crushed it at the box office. The appetite for scintillating drama is insatiable, and we want your story to be the next smash hit!
We’re on the lookout for all types of drama scripts! Classic family melodrama? Atmospheric psychological mind-bender? Passionate period piece? Genre-twisting Legal, War, Musical, Medical, Sports, Fantasy or Sci-Fi? The next legendary biopic? We want to see it all!
We are looking for Feature scripts like:
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER, THE SMASHING MACHINE, MARTY SUPREME, CHALLENGERS, THE HOLDOVERS, AMERICAN FICTION, PAST LIVES, ANATOMY OF A FALL, DIE MY LOVE, BUGONIA, HIGHEST 2 LOWEST, EDDINGTON, IT ENDS WITH US, BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE, THE IRON CLAW, OPPENHEIMER, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, MAY DECEMBER, SORRY BABY, SING SING, NICKEL BOYS, THE LAST SHOWGIRL, BABYGIRL, A COMPLETE UNKNOWN, and many more.
As well as TV pilot scripts like:
THE WHITE LOTUS, TRUE DETECTIVE, SHRINKING, TASK, RIPLEY, KILLING EVE, LANDMAN, YELLOWJACKETS, MASTERS OF THE AIR, SEVERANCE, I MAY DESTROY YOU, EXPATS, THE BEAR, FALLOUT, THE CROWN, SUCCESSION, THE PITT, THE LAST OF US, BAD MONKEY, SLOW HORSES, COBRA KAI, GOSSIP GIRL, and more!
But that's not all, we want to see all new, unique and fresh ideas that we haven't seen before!
For the last 13 years, Stage 32 Contests have led to dozens of success stories including writers getting representation, sold, optioned, staffed, given writing assignments and getting produced. No other contest opens more doors and we want to do the same for you.
If you have a drama story that needs to be told, now is the time to show us what you've got, because our goal is to amplify your voice, give you the access Stage 32 is known for, and take your writing career to the next level!
The Grand Prize Winner Will:
-- Get into a development and mentorship fast track with Mark Creative Management, who will prepare your project to take out to market!
-- Work with Stage 32 to develop a market-ready pitch deck for your winning script.
-- Have your name, logline, and bio sent out and pitched to an exclusive roster of agents and managers actively seeking new talent.
-- Receive a free membership to the Stage 32 Writers’ Room, gaining access to over 3,000 hours of educational content and networking with industry heavyweights.
-- Continued support from the Stage 32 team, who will work tirelessly to get you in front of decision-makers.
But that’s not all — check full contest page on Stage 32 for all our prize details!
And if you make it to the Finals, you’ll still get massive exposure to key industry players. Finalists will receive three free months of the Stage 32 Writers’ Room and have their logline and bio included in our sought-after Look Book, sent to over 2,000 industry execs!
● Mark Creative Management will judge the Top 10 finalist scripts in the contest.
● The winner will be selected based on both creative merit and commercial viability assessment.
● Immediate transition from contest recognition to professional development.
Our Judges this year include the Mark Creative Management team, PLUS:
-- Nick Batzias, Producer GoodThing Production Company (NITRAM, THE MAN IN MY BASEMENT)
-- Lisa Zambri, Independent Spirit Award-nominated Producer (VOX LUX, SHOT CALLER, COLETTE)
-- Ewan Dunbar, Producer, Red Stag Entertainment (BERLIN I LOVE YOU, NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH)
-- John Giwa-Amu, Producer (p.g.a.), Good Gate Media (H IS FOR HAWK, BANK OF DAVE)
Our Mentors this year include the Color Farm Media team, PLUS:
-- Sean M. Butler, Senior Literary and Talent Manager, Citizen Skull
-- Producer Mac Hendrickson of Footprint Pictures (RE-ELECTION, DOTTY & SOUL)
-- Matthew Ozuna, Film Sales, Acquisitions, & Distribution Executive of Arclight Films (FIRST REFORMED, OH CANADA)
-- Producer Adam Fratto of Cognito Entertainment (VIKINGS, GREEK)
Our Screenwriting Contest Winners See Results!
Stage 32 has launched the careers of hundreds of writers over the last 14 years. Stage 32 has quickly emerged as the leading source for industry executives to uncover new talent! Is this your year to move the needle on your career?
Recent Winners Making Waves:
Travis J. Opgenorth - Script optioned by Broken Time Entertainment and signed with Persistent Entertainment after Stage 32 introduced him to nearly a dozen industry pros.
Tanya Klein & Jim Cirile - Script set up for production with $1.5M budget, Lucas Heyne attached to direct.
Christina Pamies - Signed by "Billion Dollar" Literary Manager Jake Wagner, then hired by StudioCanal to adapt BAGHEAD (now streaming on Shudder/AMC+).
Kevin Bachar - Winning script became THE INHABITANT (2022), produced by Lionsgate and released on Hulu.
Jeffrey Wright - Staffed in the Writer's Room of THE GOLDBERGS
Career-Changing Representation:
Josh Miller - Signed with literary manager Tamer Ashan of Zero Gravity Management
Henry Sawyer-Foner - Signed with literary manager Nicholas Bogner through our 2025 Romantic Comedy contest!
Jimmy Miller - Signed with literary manager Marc Manus
Richard Doyle (Australia) - Signed with literary manager Will Rosenfield
Glenn Forbes - Secured representation with Infinity Management International
Alyssa & Griffin Devine - Signed with HG5 Entertainment, writing 2 scripts with 1 going into production
Frank Ponce - Signed with 3 Arts Entertainment, script picked up by Atlas Entertainment, sold Evel Knievel series to USA Network
Diana Wright - Signed to The Cartel and Abrams Artists Agency
Jonathan Jordan - Signed by major agency Verve, script currently in production
Greg Mania - Signed with Cohn/Torgan Management, published NPR Best Book of 2020
The Stage 32 Difference: Winners receive meetings with managers, agents, and producers - not just a trophy. Real careers launched, real movies made, real representation secured.
"Stage 32 isn't about a quick win and a pat on the back. They're serious about opening doors." - Travis J. Opgenorth
At Stage 32, we will set you up on more meetings and put you in front of more Hollywood executives who are actively working in the industry than anyone else!
What Are You Waiting For? Submit Now!
Stage 32 has launched the careers of countless writers, helping them secure representation, land paid gigs, and see their scripts come to life. Could this be the year your career takes off? Our previous winners have gone on to work with major studios, sign with top managers, and see their films produced.
We’re here to make sure your script rises to the top. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to be discovered—enter now and let us champion your story!
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May 2021
