2024 TV Writing Contest Results

Eater
by Cathriona Slammon

Majestic 12
by Jake D. Williamson

Jake D Williamson is a screenwriter and actor based in New York. He teaches screenwriting to the Master’s in Directing candidates at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.

In 2023, his hour-long pilot screenplay Majestic 12 placed in the top 5 Finalists at Austin Film Festival’s screenplay competition for the AMC hour-long pilot award and later became a top-5 finalist in Script Pipeline’s competition. His other hour-long pilot screenplay, Bonds, has placed at Austin Film Fest, Bluecat, Cinequest, and Screencraft. His independent pilot episode, Adventure Capital, premiered at SeriesFest and got picked up to stream on Ficto by former UTA agent Mike Esola after a successful festival run that culminated in winning the HollyWeb Film Festival. The short film he co-wrote, The Book Signing, based on a short story by Pete Hamill, wrapped production in 2024. It was directed by the legendary Bob Girladi—the third collaboration between Jake and Bob.

Jake resides in Brooklyn with his wife and pit bull, Fred, who is, by all accounts, a very g’boy. 

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Pancetta
by Jenah Silver

Jenah Silver is a writer hailing from the Philadelphia suburbs. She moved to New York to pursue a BFA at Tisch’s Dramatic Writing program and has worked across genres at SundanceTV, AMC, USA, & Syfy Networks.

She has a passion for action, horror, and strong female characters, and gets weak in the knees when the three are combined.

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The Houdinis
by Ronald Mondz

Ron Mondz is a dynamic storyteller with a keen knack for big ideas. Having studied at Art Center, College of Design, he’s an award-winning writer and creative director with extensive experience working in the advertising and broadcast industries. His work has resulted in successful campaigns for several brands including Disney, Samsung, and Acura.

He’s also exhibited fine art in Japan, eaten poisonous blowfish, and played drums in a metal band … seriously. But most importantly, he writes. Mainly, one-hour dramas that read fast but don’t skimp on twists and turns. He likes witty dialogue, active dramedies, and imperfect protagonists. Ron’s scripts are fun, exciting, and have received accolades in over a dozen screenwriting competitions.

The Principal
by Talisha Elger

Talisha Elger is an award-winning film director, writer, and photographer from Ipswich, Australia, and a recent MFA graduate in Screenwriting from the AFI Conservatory. She completed her BA in Writing and Film/Television at the University of Queensland with distinction and spent an academic quarter at UCLA, studying Screenwriting, The Art and Technique of Filmmaking, Television Studies, and Entertainment Economics—earning a spot on the Dean’s Honors List and a screenwriting mentorship with her professor, Linda Voorhees, who’s also the founder of ProPath Screenwriting. Talisha also holds an Advanced Diploma of Screen (Film & Television) and a Certification in Photo-imaging from Southbank Institute of Technology.

Her short film, The Fears of Young Caroline, was a Coup de Coeur at Cannes and won awards globally. Her feature screenplays Golden Nugget’ is currently optioned/in development, Utopia Dystopia is currently on the Top Lists on the Black List and is a quarterfinalist in Page International Screenwriting Awards and Screencraft, and her pilot The Principal was a finalist in Script Pipeline. Her AFI thesis film, Some Kind of Paradise, co-written with the director, premiered In Competition at Tribeca and won the Jury Award at OUTshine Film Festival.

With an 18-year background in the dance world, Talisha’s distinct and compelling creative voice gravitates towards dark, bold, strange, and unsettling projects with a subtle comedic undertone. She continually explores new avenues, blending the classic with the unconventional to create tonally unique works.

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