- WINNER -
Sunshower
by Stefanos Tai
Stefanos Tai is a Chinese–Greek–American filmmaker. In 2023 he released his debut feature, “We Don’t Dance for Nothing”— a super-16 love letter to the Filipina Domestic Workers of Hong Kong. Described as “La Jetée” meets “La La Land”, the film screened everywhere from festivals to universities to the UN, and was written up by Asia Society, Vice, Tatler, Huffington Post, Kodak, and Vogue, and is now available on Amazon and Tubi. His work has been recognized by Tribeca, SFFILM, Film Lincoln Center, EAVE, Scholastic, and the Hong Kong Asia Financing Forum, where he won the 2024 TAICCA Prize. He’s also an alum of the Google Creative Lab, and was previously Head of Film for TBWA\ Hong Kong, where he cut his teeth directing branded content.
Today, he’s developing a feature about aging, in order to convince the world of lessons shared by his grandmother with dementia, to confront his current reality caring for two aging parents, and to make peace with his own potential predisposition for the disease.
- FINALISTS -
Deafblind
by Jeff Williams
Although Jeff is a native Texan, he’s lived the majority of his life in North Carolina, where he currently resides.
He began screenwriting around 2007 and had some early success in a few screenplay competitions that led to representation. Over the years, his demanding architectural career cut into his writing time and energy, so he eventually let his reps go. But now retired from architecture, his goal is to give his screenwriting passion the attention it deserves. This new focus resulted in his finalist screenplay, Deafblind.
Follow on: X
Life or Seth
by Zoey Sidwell
Zoey’s primary goal is to create meaningful roles for women of a certain age—and not just because she falls in that category.
Born in Israel to a Moroccan mother and Polish father, she grew up surrounded by multiple languages and contrary viewpoints—mostly in her immediate family—so dealing with contentious ideas feels like home.
Zoey spent way too much money on a Master’s in Public Policy with the modest intention of changing the world, but ultimately decided to take the harder and more noble path of pursuing a career in show business. The odds of success were about the same.
Rewinder
by Arun Narayanan
Based in Hollywood, California, but born and raised in small-town Connecticut, a neurotic child of weirdly-chill south Indian immigrant parents, Arun Narayanan (“uh-roon nuh-rye-nen”) navigates his personal experiences by creating funny and strange alternate realities populated by characters who struggle to connect with each other and with the world around them. Using a balance of witty dialogue and heartfelt emotion, he aims to turn his stories into fun, wild rides for a wide audience.
A 2023 alum of the Universal Writers Lab, Arun is also the creator and star of the Webby and YouTube Streamy Award nominated comedy web series Arun Considers, and the writer of the 2018 made-for-TV movie Time Capsule starring Reginald Veljohnson (Family Matters, Die Hard) and Chris Kattan (Saturday Night Live, A Night at the Roxbury).
The Corpse Dresser
by Adam Cooper & Daniel Cooper
Adam and Daniel Cooper are identical twin brothers who have directed six award-winning short films, receiving acclaim at festivals such as Cannes, TIFF, HollyShorts, and The Hamptons.
With an extensive background in creative marketing, they have directed content and edited trailers for the world’s highest grossing movies, earning between them a Daytime Emmy, over 100 Clio Awards, and 50 Golden Trailers. They currently have multiple features and TV shows in development with Amazon/MGM, Jeff Robinov, Gilbert Films, and, one day, possibly you!
- SEMIFINALISTS -
Avalanche by Andrew Vasconcelles
Blindsight by James Kriz
Cupcake by Nathan Patton
Defroster by Nathan Patton
Edgeplay by Jason Kaleko
Elizabeth Kline Has No Friends by Emily Wahlund
Grievers by Brendan Ryan
Leonard by Darrell McGregor
Siren Song by Abigail Henkin
The Earth Grinder by Jarom Scott Andrews
The Eyes of the Father by Max Olson
The Othering of Abigail Han by Cassandra Francis
The Red Tapes by Will Link & Lorenzo Manetti
- QUARTERFINALISTS -
Beef Heist by Sam Thomasson
Chosen by Cosmo Wallace
Cutbacks by Andy Garland
Desire by Joe Favalaro
Fair Game by Kev Quaid
Gaslite by Lilli Kay
Good Chance by Tricia Lee
Heifer by Darcy Gore
Lightweights by Will Warren
Listen by Jeffrey Howe
Master by Devon Kerr
Natty Light by Thomas R. Schrack
Nocturnal by James Kriz
Nothing to Say by Taylor Brogan
On Time by Xavier Burgin
Skitching by Thomas R. Schrack
Slash Zone by Sean Reidy
The Garden by Moses Nebraska
The Indigo Eight by Greg Lampman
The Mat by Ralph Lucchese & Jayme McMillan
The Other Side of Solitary by Scott Carelli & Nick Jimenez
These Cuffs Followed Me Home by Vijay Ilankamban
This is How We Do It by Christianne Cruz
VI by David X. Bush