2021 Screenplay Competition Results

2021 Slamdance Screenplay Awards | October 14th, 11 AM PT/2 PM PT

Join Slamdance, the WGA, and hosts Daniel Casey and Jessica Sinyard in conversation on building their careers as screenwriters, as well as the impact of screenwriting competitions on their overall trajectory. We will also announce and celebrate the 2021 Slamdance Screenplay Competition Winners in Features, Horror/Thriller, TV Pilots, and Shorts categories, as well as the 2021 Screenplay Mentorship Award and the Grand Prize winner for Best Screenplay!

This event was streamed live through Slamdance’s Facebook page. Visit the event page to watch the recording of the ceremony.


WINNERS

First Place Horror and Grand Prize Winner: Fishmonger by Neil Ferron

In this supernatural dark comedy, a pathetic Irish fishmonger must survive a sex pact with an ancient sea creature in order to save his mother’s soul from burning in hell.

Screenplay Mentorship Award: Firebird by David Jones

A young African American girl in the Jim Crow south runs away to New York City to pursue her dreams of becoming a Prima Ballerina.

First Place Feature: IRL. by Reese Taylor Givens

Two girls from rural Kentucky scam, cheat, steal, and lie their ways into becoming the biggest and brightest influencers in New York City.

First Place TV Pilot: No Road to Nome by Maddy Schwartz

After escaping their moonshine-dealing, sex trafficking father, a teenage Yup’ik hooch runner and her younger sister journey through the Alaskan wilderness to find their missing mother.

First Place Short: I Am A Gentleman by Nicky Calloway

In a society that rationalizes violence against women, a teenage boy faces the harsh reality and consequences of his new, hormonal compulsions.


FINALISTS

FEATURE

DARKROOM by Robert Phillips

IRL. by Reese Taylor Givens

Welcome Home by Sara Strange

HORROR / THRILLER

Fishmonger by Neil Ferron

They Hunt by Mason Weigel

Worst Night Ever by Joe Bartone

TV PILOT

Entitled by Jenny Ulmer and Hannah Stoddard

Ex-Life by Kevin Walsh and Brian Biancardi

No Road to Nome by Maddy Schwartz

SHORT

I Am A Gentleman by Nicky Calloway

Reign by Diane Russo Cheng and Ban Ban Cheng

The Man In the Cabin by Robbie Lemieux


SEMIFINALISTS

FEATURE

Cheerleader Macbeth by Daniel Strange

DARKROOM by Robert Phillips

Giant Void by Michael Reisinger

IRL. by Reese Taylor Givens

Legends by Suhashini Krishnan

The Busy & The Tired by Randall Palmer

The Gardner Heist by Timothy Paul Driscoll

Welcome Home by Sara Strange

HORROR / THRILLER

Fishmonger by Neil Ferron

Haley Hill by Stephen Tramontana

Heartbeats Only For You by Peter D Fleming

Inside Me by Darien Harte

Our Thing by Andrew Hansen and Matthew Brian Cohen

The Key by Bret James Bordeaux

They Hunt by Mason Weigel

Worst Night Ever by Joe Bartone

TV PILOT

Black Friday by Christopher Peplin

Daddy’s Little Girl by Rob Poquez

Electric Blood by Max Cunningham

Entitled by Jenny Ulmer and Hannah Stoddard

Ex-Life by Kevin Walsh and Brian Biancardi

Munch by Erin Muroski

No Road to Nome by Maddy Schwartz

Small Fry by Madeline Mack and Michael Lincoln

SHORT

Acceptable in the 80s by Mike London

Beans by Brian Rawlins

Becoming by Tramaine Raphael Gray

I Am A Gentleman by Nicky Calloway

Love In The Time Of by Kate Kugler

Pinsetter by Rebecca L Marquardt

Reign by Diane Russo Cheng and Ban Ban Cheng

The Man In the Cabin by Robbie Lemieux


QUARTERFINALISTS

FEATURES

Adam & the Astronaut by Robby Justiss and Jordan Maze

Alice by Tom Albanese

An American in Cairo by Abraham El-Raheb

Barefoot in Bengal by Abhi Kumar

Cheerleader Macbeth by Daniel Strange

DARKROOM by Robert Phillips

Giant Void by Michael Reisinger

Girl Crush by Grace Melon

Grow Home by Jasmine Yuen-Carrucan

IRL. by Reese Taylor Givens

Legends by Suhashini Krishnan

Medicine Show Blues by Jeffrey Howe

Paradis by Oliver Silver

Pulling Seedlings by Eris Qian

Sinking by Paul Clarke

Snow in July by Sera Barbieri and Heather Barbieri

So I Paint by Lee Whittaker

The Busy & The Tired by Randall Palmer

The Future by Randy Yang

The Gardner Heist by Timothy Paul Driscoll

The Neighborhood by Sara Strange

Trigger Warning by Adam Lederer

Wash Me to the Sea by Thien Do

Weight by Caleb John Cushing

Welcome Home by Sara Strange

HORROR / THRILLER

American Slashers by MJ Farber-Ray

Assimilated by Christopher Guerrero

Belonging by Angela Wong Carbone

Broonies by Craig Warren and Joe Kellam

Captive by Preston Peterson and Jason Boesch

Comet from Hell by Jacqueline Marett

Daemon by Daniel Phelps

Deliria by Dan Parenti

F.U. by Tom Putnam

Fishmonger by Neil Ferron

Haley Hill by Stephen Tramontana

Heartbeats Only For You by Peter D Fleming

ILY Annie by Brian McIlroy

Inside Me by Darien Harte

Love After Life by Rich Machin

Minerva by Joel Watson

Our Thing by Andrew Hansen and Matthew Brian Cohen

Project Clean Slate by Jonathan Bowen

Starlight Hacienda or The Secret to Eternal Life in The Desert by Kyle Little

Stuck by Sam Gasch and Harry Valentine

The Key by Bret James Bordeaux

The Murder Show by Shane Spiegel and Justin Reager

The Sky We Look Upon by Ali Imran Zaidi

They Hunt by Mason Weigel

Together by Neal Dhand

Welcome to Wetiko by Robin James Habil

What to Expect When You’re Expecting Werewolves by Matthew Scheffler

Worst Night Ever by Joe Bartone

TV PILOT

Bitch by Joy Frelinghuysen

Black Friday by Christopher Peplin

Church And State by Warren McHenry

Daddy’s Little Girl by Rob Poquez

Damsel by Avery Girion

Electric Blood by Max Cunningham

Entitled by Jenny Ulmer and Hannah Stoddard

Ex-Life by Kevin Walsh and Brian Biancardi

Extracurriculars by Grace Shaffer

Eyepatch McForce by Jay Hammer

Looking Down by Adi Blotman

Munch by Erin Muroski

No Road to Nome by Maddy Schwartz

Open Season by Mason Hsieh

Plug by Summer Chastant

Rapper Girlfriend Pilot by Cody Kostro

Shadow Lakes by Keri Kaiulani Picolla

Skip Tracer by Claire Downs

Small Fry by Madeline Mack and Michael Lincoln

Sunshine Home Health by Laura Skopec

The Bush by Will Seefried

The Watch by Aaron Morrison

The Way Life Should Be by Meghan McGuire

Time Holes by Steve Szlaga

Trail Runs Cold by Steve Robillard

Tweak by Taryn Procsal

Wallington by Andrew Cohen

White Terror by Philip Lyu

Young Country by Ariana Keswani McGinn

SHORT

Acceptable in the 80s by Mike London

Beans by Brian Rawlins

Becoming by Tramaine Raphael Gray

Bold by C Marie O’Connell

breaking, broken by Jae Nichelle

Elephant in the Room by Jennifer Msumba

Ends by Timothy Paul Coderre

Firmitas/Utilitas/Venustas by Bryn Striepe

How to Wear a Sari by Souha Usman

I Am A Gentleman by Nicky Calloway

I’m Sorry, I Tried, I Love You by Goldie Jones

Leopard by Dan Abramovici

Love In The Time Of by Kate Kugler

Pasta by Adam Sheridan

Pinsetter by Rebecca L Marquardt

Quinn Girl by Tandy Versyp

Reign by Diane Russo Cheng and Ban Ban Cheng

Shoot Me Right Here by Rhonda Walsingham-Colonna

Stork by Cathriona Slammon

The Life and Death of Jean-Luc III by Courtney Hope Therond

The Man In the Cabin by Robbie Lemieux

The Mantis Club by Yalian Li

The Masculine Mystique by Mida Chu

The Revver by Mike Hanson and Kelly Moothart

The Torah Portion by Kara Fein

Tickle by Kimberly Carvalho