Thank you to the nearly one thousand writers who entered the WeScreenplay Feature Contest in 2016. Your hard work, talent, and dedication to storytelling shines through in the entries we received. We're so honored to be entrusted with your work, which is why every entry is read at least twice and we make all scores transparent to the writer.
After 5 rounds of reads we've determined the top 5 winners for the contest. The Grand Prize Winner will have amazing mentorships with the Director of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the VP of Development for Morgan Freeman, and a Director of Development for Brookstreet Pictures. Not only that, but we're giving away over $20,000 in cash, prizes, coverage, and more to all the winners.
We want to take a moment to recognize our sponsors:
Save the Cat! – Save the Cat! has become an industry staple for all screenwriters as Blake Snyder candidly gives an inside look at how to make your writing ideas more marketable. The success of the book has inspired an educational online experience that can help every writer at every stage of their writing.
International Screenwriters' Association – ISA CONNECT was developed to connect you with Producers, Directors, Agents and Managers who are actively looking for screenplays or screenwriters. It's a fast and efficient way to let approved industry pros find out about you and your work. As they say, whether you're a new writer or well on your way, it's never too late to CONNECT.
Good in a Room – Stephanie Palmer is the former Director of Creative Affairs for MGM and one of The Hollywood Reporter's Top 35 Executives Under 35. She created Good in a Room to help talented creators ensure that they were presenting their ideas in the best possible way.
ScriptNoted – A unique combination of contact management, secure online file sharing and real-time feedback capture, ScriptNoted provides entertainment and media industry professionals with a project development app to better evaluate, manage and sell script-based media properties – in film, television, digital and commercial.
LA Screenwriter – Angela Bourassa is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of LA Screenwriter, a leading source of advice and insights for writers around the world.
InkTip – Where everyone goes for scripts and writers. Producers have made more than 200 films from scripts and writers they found through InkTip.
Writers Store – Always on the cutting-edge of advancements in the craft, The Writers Store knows that the one-of-a-kind products and services available from The Writers Store will benefit you with the artistic process.
The Script Lab – The Script Lab is a comprehensive resource for screenwriters, filmmakers, content creators and film enthusiasts, offering a broad range of educational, motivational and industry-related content.Every writer and script that made the finals was truly stellar.
Story Board Development Group – Storyboard Development Group is an in-person discussion about the screenplays of films about to be release to talk about the writing before people are influenced by what is on the screen. It's an incredible way to learn what to do (and not to do) from scripts in production.
Movie Magic Screenwriter – Movie Magic Screenwriter is the best selling screenplay formatting software and the choice of Hollywood professionals. Integrated outlining, online collaboration, the ability to compare drafts of screenplays and the most comprehensive production features of any screenwriting software all make Movie Magic Screenwriter the clear choice for getting your stories from concept to screen.
Also, we need to and want to send out an enthusastic congratulations to every finalist. The scores of all of the top 26 finalists were within 1 point. If your script isn't on this list doesn't at all mean that our judges didn't enjoy the read – in fact, we're certain that certain scripts that did not win will bring their writer success in the very near future. Thank you for entering your script and always keep writing.
Finally, we'd like to encourage everyone to check out the Diverse Voices Competition presented by WeScreenplay. This contest's winners have signed with management companies and optioned scripts, plus $3 from every entry goes to the Books for Kids Foundation. This contest's missions is to provide a platform for promoting and encouraging diverse voices and stories.
And now, the WeScreenplay Feature Contest Winners:
5th Place Winner
DARLINGS by Aaron Yeung
On a farm in the middle of nowhere, a mysterious old woman and her eight-year old niece welcome in a band of criminals seeking shelter from a blizzard.
4th Place Winner
THE LEAN by Pearse Lehane
A disgraced lawyer must prevent an innocent man from being convicted of the murder of a police officer in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
3rd Place Winner
THE LAST EXECUTION by Tom Vecchio
Dubbed the “mother-in-law from hell,” Elizabeth “Ma” Duncan was the last woman executed in California for having her despised daughter-in-law murdered in 1958 because of an uncomfortably close relationship with her attorney son and her fear of being abandoned and alone in old age.
2nd Place Winner
MESA 1966 by Orson Scott Card
***Novel author Orson Scott Card’s script MESA 1966 received the scores with blind reads to earn second place, so we've selected two second place winners. Full explanation here.
2nd Place Winner
DIMINUENDO by Paul Gross
Ludwig Van Beethoven, racing to complete two symphonies, confronts deafness, an oppressive government, unexpected family responsibilities and a failed relationship with a married woman
Grand Prize Winner
FORGED by Kenlon Clark & William Rubio
Nathan and Rebecca Jacobs are two of the brightest minds in the history of human civilization, but when their son goes missing Rebecca will introduce a scientific breakthrough that will shock the world, and have the human race questioning their morality, mortality, and the potential limits that should be put on science.
Congrats to all of our winners and everyone who entered. The contest will be open again by May 1st for 2017.
