JANUARY NEWS:
Big grat’s to Nancy Bilyeau, whose new historical novel Dreamland launches January 16th. Have a wonderful time at the New York launch party, Nancy! Yay!
NOVEMBER NEWS:
Big grat’s to Della Greenawalt on the option of Sunflower Care. Yay! Also grat’s to Diana Richardson, attached to produce, and Debi Yazbeck, attached to direct. Yay!
Yours Truly (um, yes, that’s me, Max, you do know I run things around here right?) has four consult slots open in December/January (two in January, two in December) I am offering at a special end of year consult rate. (Yes, I know, usually I offer those in September/October, sorry, things were hectic in September/October.) Please grab those time slots now. Once those time slots are filled the special end of year offer is over: :::MAX ONE ON ONE:::
Big grat’s to Peter Andrews on his recent option of Head Case and grat’s to Julie Howe, attached to produce. And more grat’s to Peter on his recent appointment as dramaturgist at the Westchester Collaborative Theater. Yay!
Big grat’s to Nancy Bilyeau whose new novel Dreamland is now available for pre-purchase on Amazon. Dreamland has also been getting stellar advance reviews. Yay!
OCTOBER NEWS:
Everyone survived another Austin Film Festival. Whew! We took photos this year too. Yay! Hit the AFF Gallery if you haven’t been in a while and see what we’ve got in there.
The great streaming project that was going to launch October 21 (today) hit a couple technical hold ups. Oops. That is okay, we could use a breather between deadlines around here.
As of now and barring film festival frenzy this weekend derailing any more deadlines, the streaming webinar launch date has moved to November 29th. Stay tuned for updates — and join the mailing list to really stay up to date. Yay!
Meanwhile —
The Winner! Yay yay yay! (We are launching webinars and streaming here there was a vote on music for one of the lead in clips. This is the winner. Yay!)
If you’d like to stay up on the streaming launch, hit the mailing list. (We are not spammy around here and also we are funny.) :::HIT THAT:::
Two weeks left to register for the last 2019 AFW Online Master Screenwriting Classes of the year: Character Writing, Dialogue Writing, and Mastering Story Momentum.
How do you want to start the new year? Kick ass? Or same old same old?
Exactly. Register now.
5150, the online international screenwriting workshop, has two open November seats. Hit that link: :::THE LINK:::
Austin Film Festival is one week away as I type. Ahhh! Not ready not ready not ready – never mind I will be ready.
A LOT of 5150 and AFW peeps will be there. If you are coming, hit AFW Forum and drop a note. Al is a finalist this year! Yay! Take it home Al!
Big grat’s to Al Finocchio whose short script Give Love a Shot is an Austin Film Festival fellowship FINALIST. Go, Al, go!
Tony Ferrendelli’s micro short A Day in the Life is an official selection of the Berlin Flash Film Festival, Tony’s short The Light is a WeScreenplay short scripts finalist and Tony’s short The Commie is an Austin Short Comedy Film Festival nominee for Best Short Comedy Screenplay. Yay!
Dagmar Blommaert, Debi Yazbeck, and Della Greenawalt have been selected for the Stowe Story Labs 2nd Annual 2019 Palm Springs Writers’ Retreat. Yay!
SEPTEMBER NEWS:
We haz mailing liszt! Oyez! The AFW mailing list is here. Catch updates on AFW & 5150 workshop members’ derring-dos, future Max classes & webinars, special offers available to mailing list members only and all things AFW goodness right in your inbox. What are you waiting for? :::SIGN UP:::
Big grat’s to 5150 member Tony Ferrendelli whose script The Commie is a Houston Comedy Film Festival official fall 2019 selection. Yay!
Catch 5150 member Kristen McNaule’s new Lenny Teaser Trailer on YouTube. Yay!
5150 member Della Greenawalt has a great new write up online: Los Angeles Lift-Off Officially Selected Screenplays
The Online International Screenwriting Workshop 5150 run by screenwriter & author Max Adams has open seats. :::CHECK THAT OUT:::
5150 member Al Finocchio’s Give Love a Shot is a Poe Film Festival Burning Love Screenplay Winner yay!
Big grat’s to Al Finocchio whose short script Give Love a Shot is an Austin Film Festival fellowship semi-finalist. Go, Al, go!
:::JOIN THE AFW MAILING LIST FOR MORE NEWS & UPDATES:::
News about Austin Film Festival second rounders is coming in. Big grat’s to Tony Ferrendelli whose short script The Light is a second rounder, to Kerry Valderrama whose feature script O.B.E. is a second rounder, to Della Greenawalt whose feature script The Gate is a second rounder, to Peter Andrews whose feature script Fragile is a second rounder, to Kristen McNaule whose feature script Polly is a second rounder, to Debi Yazbeck whose feature script Teton Reckoning is a second rounder, James Harbinson whose feature script Satisfaction is a second rounder, to Kim Turner whose half hour comedy Good In a Room is a second rounder, and to Al Finocchio whose short script Give Love a Shot (Al is taking competitions down like dominoes) is a second rounder. Yay! See you all at Driskill in October!
(If your name is not up there yet it is because you have not sent me news yet. Bad you. Send news.)
More grat’s to Al Finocchio whose short script Give Love a Shot is a Poe Film Festival finalist. Yay! And whose script The Monster Ate Phil’s Laptop (And Then Ate Phil) is a an official selection of the July edition of the Berlin Flash Film Festival. Yay!
Big grat’s to Della Greenawalt whose short script Sunflower Care has been selected by Los Angeles Lift Off Film Festival as one of its top five featured script shorts. Yay!
Big grat’s to Al Finocchio whose short script Give Love a Shot is an official FilmQuest Festival selection. Yay!
:::JOIN THE AFW MAILING LIST FOR MORE NEWS & UPDATES:::
AUGUST NEWS:
Big grat’s to Kristen McNaule whose feature script Polly has been accepted into the Oaxaca Film Festival. Yay!
September online screenwriting master classes Character Writing, Visual Writing, and The Writer’s Reel are open for registration. September classes begin September 10th. Please register early to reserve your seat in class.
Big grat’s to Della Greenawalt who is a nominee for the Randall Greenland Screenwriter of the Year Award and whose short script Sunflower Care is nominated for the Comedy Short Award at Austin Revolution Film Festival. Yay!
Big grat’s to Debi Yazbeck whose short film Out of the Walls is a Grapevine Film Festival 2019 Official Selection. Out of the Walls will be playing at at the Grapevine Film Festival October 4th and 5th in Grapevine, Texas. Yay!
Big grat’s to Kristen McNaule whose film From Sarajevo has won the Mirror Mountain Film Festival Best Local Film Award. Yay!
:::JOIN THE AFW MAILING LIST FOR MORE NEWS & UPDATES:::
The AFW online international screenwriting workshop 5150 has an open workshop seat available. To apply for the open workshop seat please read up on the workshop and apply via the workshop page link if it looks like this is the animal for you: 5150 Online International Screenwriting Workshop.
JULY NEWS:
Big grat’s to Ryan Jackson, whose feature project Inside Game has been picked up by Voltron Pictures, producing, starring Tyrese Gibson. Yay!
Big grat’s to Peter Andrews whose ten minute play PIX will be playing in the upcoming Arts Westchester Brand New Shorts: Festival of Ten Minute Plays July 19-28. Yay!
Here is a fun WTC clip too (yay!):
JUNE NEWS:
Big grat’s to Nancy Bilyeau whose novel “The Blue” has been optioned for film/TV adaptation by Nichelle Tramble Spellman, screenwriter/producer of “Justified,” “The Good Wife,” and new Apple series “Are You sleeping?” with Octavia Spencer and Aaron Paul. Yay yay yay!
APRIL NEWS:
Big grat’s to Lynn Vincentnathan whose feature script The Venusian Chronicles is a Zed Fest Film Festival 2018 1st place winner. Yay!
Big grat’s to Della Greenawalt whose short script Sunflower Care just brought home the gold in the 2019 International Independent Film Awards. Yay!
MARCH NEWS:
Big grat’s to Tony Ferrendelli whose screenplay Outsourced is an official selection of the Houston Comedy Film Festival 2019. Yay!
Big grat’s to Peter Andrews whose script Fragile is a Circus Road Films 2018 finalist and whose script Head Case is an official selection of the Houston Comedy Film Festival 2019. Yay!
Big grat’s to Debi Yazbeck whose short film Out of the Walls is premiering at the Shutter Speed Film Festival. Yay!
Screenings, red carpet and awards will be:
April 5-6
Holiday Inn
1311 Wet N Wild Way
Arlington, TX 76011
AND —
Grat’s again, Debi’s TV pilot Those Beneath is a top 1% finalist in the Los Angeles International Screenplay competition (LAIS). And in the running for final end of the year awards. Go, Debi, go!
Congratulations to Dan Goforth on the Netflix premiere on March 8th of his feature Walk. Ride. Rodeo. Yay!
AND —
More grat’s to Dan his short script Dogs of War just won the short screenplay category in the 22nd Annual George Lindsey Film Festival. Yay!
Congratulations to Della Greenawalt whose short script Sunflower Care just placed in the top ten in the Emerging Screenwriters Get It Made competition. Yay!
The AFW online international screenwriting workshop 5150 has an open workshop seat available. To apply for the open workshop seat please read up on the workshop and apply via the workshop page link if it looks like this is the animal for you: 5150 Online International Screenwriting Workshop.
FEBRUARY NEWS:
Big grat’s to Al Finocchio whose script Give Love a Shot has won first place in Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards (LAIFFA) screenplay shorts. Yay!
Big grat’s to Debi Yazbeck who has just made the top 20 in Roadmap Writers Top Tier Competition with her feature script Brokered Heart.
AND even more good news for Debi, her TV pilot Those Beneath has just been announced as a finalist in the Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards, yay!
Big grat’s to Tonia Kempler whose script Haints has just made the finals for the WAN Writers Workshop. Yay!
JANUARY NEWS:
Big grat’s to Tony Ferrendelli whose short The Light just made the finals in the Oregon Short Film Festival for Best Drama Screenplay. Winners will be announced at the film festival on Saturday February 23rd. Go, Tony, go!
Big grat’s to Tonia Kempler whose script Leora just made the Stage 32 New Blood quarterfinals. Yay! Go, Tonia, go!
Max Adams to speak at the Austin Entertainment Business (AEB) One Year Anniversary Event: Max Adams will be a guest speaker at the AEB one Year Anniversary Event January 24th, 2019, at the Speakeasy in Austin Texas.
For more information on dates, times, and how to sign up to attend the event, visit :::AEB::: and RSVP.
Congratulations to Tony Ferrendelli whose short script just made the next cut in the NYC Midnight Short Screenplay Challenge. Yay! And more good January news for Tony, more grat’s are due for his short script The Light being chosen as an official screenplay selection by the Oregon Short Film Festival, go Tony go!
Congratulations to Debi Hill, whose short film script Babirusa has made the top 10 in the Cinequest Screenwriting Competition. Yay!
DECEMBER NEWS:
Big grats to Tony Ferrendelli whose feature script Outsourced just made semi-finals in the Park City 2019 Table Read My Screenplay comp. Yay!
Big Grat’s to Della Greenawalt for her best shorts dialogue win in the Queen Palm International Film Festival. Yay!
OCTOBER NEWS:
Austin Film Festival Photo Frenzy! Yay! Hit the AFW Flickr Photo Gallery to see some of what we were up to.
More grat’s to Tony Ferrendelli whose short The Light just won 1st place for Best Short Screenplay for September in the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival yay!
Congratulations to Della Vance Greenawalt who placed 2nd in two categories with her feature The Gate and with her short Sunflower Care in the Austin Revolution Film Festival. To Tony Ferrendelli whose feature Outsourced was just named a Fall 2018 official selection by the Portland Comedy Film Festival. Peter Andrews whose feature Fragile just placed in the semi-finals in Screenplay Festival. To Tonia Kempler whose short The Child just won Best Horror Short, August 2018, in Just4Shorts, and Tony Ferrendelli whose short The Light just won Best Screenplay August 2018 in Just4Shorts. To Debi Yazbeck whose pilot Those Beneath just made the quarter-finals in Final Draft Big Break. And to everyone else who just placed or won who (ahem) needs to send me email.
SEPTEMBER NEWS:
Congratulations! To Kristen McNaule just nominated for best writing by the Detroit Shetown Film Festival and just announced as a semi-finalist in the Austin Film Festival screenwriting competition! To Austin Film Festival second rounders Tonia Kempler and Debi Yazbeck and Christopher Bosley. Yay! To Screencraft Short Screenplay Quarterfinalists Tonia Kempler and Debra Hill and Helene Taylor and Peter Andrews and Tony Ferrendelli. Yay! To Austin Revolution Film screenwriting finalist Della Vance Greenawalt. Yay! And to WeScreenplay quarterfinalist and Table Read My Script finalist Suzanne Griffin. Yay!
Screenplay consults September 2018 Special: September 15 through September 30, 2018, Max Adams is offering a half off special on screenplay consultations. Consultations will be $475.00 for a limited time only. Please visit seemaxrun.com and hit “contact” to email for more details
AUGUST NEWS:
Big grat’s to Arthur Rains-McNally whose TV pilot Tabitha, Witch of the Order just won best webseries at the California Independent Film Festival. Yay! Tabitha, Witch of the Order will also be showing at the ITVFest in Virginia in October. Yay!
Big grat’s to Peter Andrews whose feature script Fragile has been accepted into the prestigious Stowe Story Labs 2018 fall lab. Yay!
Major grat’s to AFW peeps advancing in the Page International Screenwriting Competition Semi-Finals: Debi Yazbeck (The Wrong Heart); Della Greenawalt (Sunflower Care); Julie Howe (Journey); and Stacy Baker Masand (Pretty Ugly). Yay!
Big grat’s to Peter Andrews whose feature script Fragile is a finalist for a Final Draft Stowe Story Labs Fellowship. Yay!
Big grat’s to Arthur Rains-McNally whose web series Tabitha, Witch of the Order will be playing at the California Independent Film Festival Saturday, August 25th at 11 PM. Yay!
JULY NEWS:
More big grat’s for Kristen McNaule whose short film From Sarajevo has just been selected by the Detroit Shetown Film Festival yay!
Kristen McNaule’s short film From Sarajevo has been picked up by CBC (Candadian Broadcasting Corporation) and will air on Absolutely Ottawa on Saturday, August 4, at 7 PM. Yay yay yay!
Big grat’s to Della Greenawalt, whose feature script The Gate and whose short script Sunflower Care are both final nominations in the Austin Revolution Film Festival. Yay!
Big grat’s to AFW 2018 Page Quarter-Finalists Julie Howe (Down on the Farm, Journey), Kristen McNaule (Alphabet City), Debi Yazbeck (Blind Pursuit, The Wrong Heart), Della Greenawalt (Sunflower Care), and Tonia Kempler (Leora). Jeez, guys, way to take no prisoners. Yay!
(Now I am going to go soak my little carpel tunnel wrists sheesh you movers and shakers you are hard to keep up with.)
Big grat’s to Della Vance Greenawalt whose scripts The Gate and Sunflower Care have just been announced as finalists in the Austin Revolution Film Festival 2018 screenwriting competition. Yay!
Big grat’s to Kristen McNaule whose short film From Sarajevo is a Chain New York City Film Festival official selelction; From Sarajevo has also been sellected by the CBC for broadcast in the CBC short film series. Yay, Kristen, yay!
Big grat’s to Lynn Vincentnathan whose feature script The Venus Syndrome has hit the semi-finals in the Austin Revolution Film Festival screenwriting competition. Yay!
JUNE NEWS:
Big grat’s to Tonia Kempler whose script Oleander has won Best Screenplay in the Hollywood Just4Shorts screenwriting competition. Yay!
Big grat’s to Debi Yazbeck, whose two scripts Those Beneath and Blind Pursuit have been announced semi-finalists in the Table Read My Screenplay competition. Yay!
Big grat’s to Della Greenawalt who just made the semi finals in the Austin Revolution Film Festival. Yay!
Big grat’s to Jodi Lustig who just made the first quarter final’s cut in the Stage32 Comedy Screenwriting Competition with her television spec Boobleyox. Yay, Jodi!
Big grat’s to Peter Andrews whose feature script Fragile just made the finals in the StoryPros screenwriting competition. Yay!
MAY NEWS:
Grat’s to Tonia Kempler whose script Hoodoo just made it to the Screencraft 2018 Fellowship Semi-Finals yay!
APRIL NEWS:
Big grat’s to Tonia Kempler, who has just made the Quarter-Finals of the 5th Annual ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship program with her feature screenplay Hoodoo. Yay!
MARCH NEWS:
Big grat’s to Della Greenawalt whose short Sunflower Care just won Best Comedy Screenplay in the Hollywood Just4Shorts screenwriting competition. Yay!
Sunflower Care also took 3rd place in the March LAIFF screenplay shorts division. Yay!
Big grat’s to Lynn Vincentnathan who just took down the bronze in Best Feature Script in the Global Independent Film Awards yay!
Big grat’s to Debi Yazbeck whose feature script Teton Reckoning is in the top 50 for an ISA Fellowship. Go, Debi, go!
Big grat’s to Michele Koop whose feature spec script Diana Truly just made the Women in Film/Black List Features semi-finals. Yay!
Congratulations to Lynn Vincentnathan whose feature script The Venus Syndrome just won Best SciFi Script in the Sci Fi Miami Film Festival. Yay!
Congratulations to Tonia Kempler who just placed in the finals in the Hollywood Just4Shorts screenplay competition with her short script Passages. Yay!
JANUARY NEWS:
Congratualtions to Tonia Kempler who just placed in the Cinestory Quarterfinals with her TV pilot Tabu, and just placed in Roadmap Writers Top Tier Contest with both Tabu and Lucy, yay
DECEMBER NEWS:
Big grat’s to Kristen MacNaule who just won the 2017 Best Director Award for her short film From Sarajevo at the Ottawa Digi60 Filmmaker’s Festival. Yay, Kristen!
Nektarios Chrissos continues to make December news, Nek’s feature script Exit Permit just made the 11th Annual Story Pros screenwriting competition finals. Yay, Nek!
Congratulations to Nektarios Chrissos whose feature script Exit Permit just made semi finals in the 11th annual StoryPros screenwriting competition yay!
NOVEMBER NEWS:
Congratulations to Nektarios Chrissos whose feature script Exit Permit just made quarter finals in the 11th annual StoryPros screenwriting competition yay!
Congratulations to Nancy Bilyeau whose fourth histoical novel, The Blue, has just been picked up for publication by Endeavor Press. Yay!
Congratulations to Kent Williams who was just named one of ISA’s Top 25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2018 yay!
OCTOBER NEWS:
Major grat’s to the Dallas Law Ladies (from left to right) Laurel Aarsvold, Amy Mattila, Debi Yazbeck, and Diana Richardson who just hit the finals in the Final Draft comp yay!
Congratulations to Suzanne Griffin who just made the Austin Film Festival finals with her script The Chocolate Kandinsky yay!
Congratulations to Debi Yazbeck, Diana Richardson & Laurel Aarsvold who just made the Final Draft Big Break quarter-finals with their series pilot Dallas Law yay!
Big grat’s to Jennifer Mulligan who just received a Festival Director’s Award at Lady Filmmakers Film Festival for her film Death Isn’t the Same Anymore. Yay yay yay!
This is the only shot I have right now I want it up because I love award shots yay!
SEPTEMBER NEWS:
Cool interview with Jennifer Mulligan from We Are Moving Stories about Jennnifer’s short film Death Isn’t the Same Anymore screening this Saturday in Beverly Hills at the Lady Filmmaker’s Film Festival.
Big grat’s to Ana Maria Montoya whose feature script Sofie & Sam is a finalist in the Napa Valley Film Festival’s inaugural screenplay competition. Yay!
Big grat’s to Debi Yazbeck whose feature script Blind Pursuit is a finalist in the Wise Words screenwriting contest yay!
Big grats to Kristen McNaule, Saint Charles Place just slammed home Official Selection at the Atlantic City Film Festival yay!
Big congrat’s to Alvaro Rodriguez on The Last Rampage which will be screening at the 50th Annual Sitges Film Festival in October in Spain.
Big grat’s to AFW’s Austin Film Festival Second Rounders Ana Maria Montoya, Cameron Grieve, Debi Yazbeck, Diana Richardson, Kent Williams, Laurel Aarsvold, and Tonia Kemplar. Yay!
Big grat’s to Della Greenawalt who is a 2017 Austin Revolution Film Festival nominee yay!
Big grat’s to Kristen McNaule whose feature script The Liberation Front is a finalist at the Oaxaca Film Festival yay!
Big grat’s to Julie Howe whose film Cupid’s Proxy releases September 12th on VOD platforms Amazon, iTunes, Comcast On-Demand, DirecTV, Dish Network, Hulu and more! Yay!
Big grat’s to Jennifer Mulligan whose short film Death Isn’t the Same Anymore will have its US debut at the end of September at the 9th annual Lady Filmmakers Film Festival in Beverly Hills yay!
AUGUST NEWS:
Della Vance Greenawalt’s winning entry The Gate in the First Scene Screenplay Festival competition is available to view online on the First Scene Screenplay Festival website, First Scene produces the winning entries, yay!
Christie LeBlanc whose feature project 02 recently attached Anne Hathaway to star is featured in ScriptMag this month: WRITERS ON BREAKING IN: Screenwriter Christie LeBlanc — yay!, go, Christie, go!
Big grat’s to Debi Yazbeck whose pilot Those Beneath just advanced to the semi-finals in the BlueCat 2017 screenwriting competition yay!
Big grat’s to James Habinson whose feature script Hag has just advanced to the semi-finals in the 2017 BlueCat screenwriting competition yay!
Big grat’s to Ana Maria Montoya who has just advanced to the semi-finals in the Napa Valley Film Festival screenplay competition. Yay!
Big grat’s to Laurel Aarsvold whose feature script Editing Chase Parker co-written with Jesse Hendrickson has just advanced to the second round of the 2018 January Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab competition, yay!
Congratulations to Debi Yazbeck whose feature script Dead Motion has just been accepted into Stowe Story Labs 2017. Yay!
Congratulations to Jamie Harbinson whose feature Hag has just made quarterfinals in the Screencraft 2017 Horror Screenplay Contest. Yay!
Big congrat’s to Peter Andrews who just placed in the Page semi-finals yay Peter!
Big grat’s to Debi Yazbeck who just placed in the BlueCat quarterfinals yay, Debi!
Big grat’s to Michele Koop who just placed in the Page semi-finals yay Michele!
Big congrat’s to Jamie Harbinson who just placed as BlueCat quarter-finalist and as a Page semi-finalist. Yay, Jamie!
Big grat’s to Kristen McNaule whose film Saint Charles Place has just been accepted into the Toronto International Film Festival yay!
Big grat’s to Peter Andews whose feature script Off Balance has placed in the Scriptapalooza quarter finals, yay!
Big grat’s to Della Vance Greenawalt whose short Sunflower Care has been selected by Holly Shorts, yay! And more grat’s, Della’s opening pages from her feature script The Gate have been selected by the First Scene Screenplay Festival. Yay!
JULY NEWS:
Big grat’s to Christie LeBlanc, whose sci-fi thriller O2 just attached Anne Hathaway to star. Yay! Go, Christie, go!
Big grat’s to Ana Maria Montoya who just signed with Fourth Wall Management. Yay! Go, Ana Maria, go!
Congratulations to Laurel Aarsvold whose feature script Editing Chase Parker co-written with Jesse Hendrickson just placed in the 2017 Page Quarter-Finals, yay!
Congratulations to Debi Yazbeck whose feature script Blind Pursuit just placed in the 2017 Page Quarter-Finals, yay!
Congratulations to Peter Andews who feature script Off Balance and short script Pix both just placed in the 2017 Page Quarter-Finals, yay!
Congratulations to James Harbinson whose feature script Hag just placed in the 2017 Page Quarter-Finals, yay!
Congratulations to Michele Koop whose feature script Diana Truly just placed in the 2017 Page Quarter-Finals, yay!
Big grat’s to Della Vance Greenawalt whose short Sunflower Care has just been announced as a finalist(!) in the Austin Revolution Film Festival, yay!
Big grat’s to Debi Yazbeck who feature, Blind Pursuit, AND short, Horse Trading, have both just been announced as semi-finalists in the Austin Revolution Film Festival, yay!
Big grat’s to Della Vance Greenawalt whose short Sunflower Care has just been announced as a semi-finalist in the Austin Revolution Film Festival, yay!
Big grat’s to Kristen McNaule whose film Saint Charles Place won the Audience Choice Award at Frostbite International Online Film Festival. Yay!
JUNE NEWS:
Big grat’s to Tonia Kempler whose short script Lucy just won the 2017 Hollywood Just4Shorts Best Screenplay award. Yay!
Big grat’s to Debi Yazbeck whose script Blind Pursuit is a finalist in the 10th Annual StoryPros Awards. Yay, Debi!
Big grat’s to Tonia Kempler whose script Lucy won honorable mention in the NYC Midnight Screenwriting Challenge 2017. Yay, Tonia!
Big grat’s to Alvaro Rodriguez who just joined the Chicago Fire writing staff. Yay, Alvaro, yay!
MAY NEWS:
Big grat’s to Jennifer Mulligan on the screening of her short Death Isn’t the Same Anymore. Yay! Yay!
Big grat’s to Debi Yazbeck on the launch of her first short film project, Saltwater. This is such a cool set photo, yay!
Big grat’s to Kristen McNaule on the official selection of Saint Charles Place by Direct Short Online Film Festival yay yay yay!
Big grat’s to Debi Yazbeck whose feature film script Blind Pursuit is a finalist in the Screenplay Festival Competition. Go, Debi, go!
MARCH NEWS:
Big grat’s to Nancy Bilyeau whose book THE CHALICE is a staff pick at Powell’s in Portland go Nancy yay!
More big grat’s to Della Vance Greenawalt whose short Sunflower Care just took first place at WildSound Writing & Film Festival Review. Yay!
FEBRUARY NEWS:
AFW is partnering up with The European Independent Film Festival. ÉCU – The European Independent Film Festival – is dedicated to the discovery and advancement of the very best independent filmmakers from around the world. The festival provides a unique platform for risk-taking storytellers to reach the broadest audiences possible.
It’s a real pleasure for AFW to be participating and to be supporting the festival and its entrants and winners.
Big grat’s to Della Vance Greenawalt who just won the gold in the Beverly Hills Screenwriting Contest in the shorts category with her script Sunflower Care. Yay!
The fantasy anthology Debris & Detritus featuring the short story The Night I Shot Johnny Valentine from yours truly and stories from other great fiction writers including author Toni McGee Causey and author and editor Patricia Burroughs (among others) is available for presale on Amazon and has a release date of February 14th. You know you want that. :::Go See:::
JANUARY NEWS:
Seattle 5150 members [and visiting Los Angeles member Jerry] had a fun Seattle get together. Left to Right: Jason LaCour, Jerry Hernandez, Staci Bernstein and Jared Thomas. You can see more meet up photos in the AFW Flckr Gallery. Go Seattle 5150 go!
DECEMBER NEWS:
Big grat’s to Toni McGee Causey, winner of the Authors on the Air 2016 Book of the Year Award for her novel The Saints of the Lost and Found yay!
Big grat’s to Christie LeBlanc who just made The Black List 2016 with her script O2. Go, Christie, go!
Big grat’s to Kristen McNaule [pictured above, right, with David Harte Rajsic] for her Digi60 Filmmakers’ Festival Best Screenplay award for Electric Castles yay!
Big grat’s to Debi Yazbeck who just made the finals in the StoryPros International Screenplay Contest with her script Blind Pursuit. Go, Debi, go!
Big grat’s to Christie LeBlanc who just made TrackingBoard’s Hit List: Best Spec Scripts of the Year with her script O2. Go, Christie, go!
NOVEMBER NEWS:
Big grat’s to Anita Wiliams who just received news two of her shorts projects, Side Piece and The Dog Walker, are finalists in the Hollywood Just4Shorts competition. Yay!
Ottawa 5150 Screenwriting Workshop members hot Ottawa get together in November — this is the first Canada get together yay!
New York 5150 Screenwriting Workshop members hot New York get together in November yay! And Chesh grabbed a photo. Yay!
Kerry Valderrama & Kevin Stanford kicking it in New York representing for Sanitarium. Yay! Go Kerry & Kevin go!
Big grat’s to Debi Yazbeck whose script Teton Reckoning is a finalist at the Ojai Film Festival this month. Yay, Debi!
Yours truly is working with Stage 32 to bring you a new Next Level Webinar November 15th: Mastering Story Momentum: How to Jump Start Dramatic Tension & Pacing. Hope to see you there.
OCTOBER NEWS:
Big grat’s to Ryan Jackson who just made the 2016 Blood List with his feature script Let the Devil Out. Way to go, Ryan! Yay!
Austin Film Festival is in full swing, there are Debi Yazbeck and I at the Stage 32 Austin Film Festival party. Yay!
Debi, by the way, just slammed home three (yes, 3) second rounder scripts in the AFF script competition. We’re all calling her the “Yazbeast” now. Go, Debi, go!
Also got a chance to visit with Erik Grossman who moderates my Stage 32 webinars (we have another of those coming up November 15th stay tuned for updates) usually we only get to talk via computer visiting in person was great yay! —
And to catch up with RB Botto from Stage 32 too. Yay!
AND — we were so missing Terry Rossio this year at Austin Film Festival there is an entire photo collage on Facebook of people missing Terry. I can’t show you the WHOLE collage, but here I am with some of the usual suspects including Pamela Segger, Laura Ingles, and Asmara Bhattacharya at Austin Film Festival October 2016 missing Terry Rossio. [Worst festival evah! Never miss again Terry!]
SEPTEMBER NEWS:
There is our Debi Yazbeck representing at the Austin Revolution Film Festival. Or, we are calling her in workshop these days, “The Yazbeast.” Debi also nailed second rounder status in Austin Film Festival this month with 3 scripts. Yes, sports fans. 3 Second Rounder feature scripts at AFF. Go, Debi, go!
Last Call at Murray’s written by Betsy Hannas Morris is premiering at the Burbank International Film Festival on Wednesday, September 7th, yay!
Grat’s to Debi Yazbeck bringing it home again with her feature Teton Reckoning, Debi’s a finalist in the Emerging Screenwriters 2016 Competition, still barreling towards the finish line. Go, Debi, go!
AUGUST NEWS:
Congratulations to Joan Philo, winner Best Writing, The Roof, Madison 48 Hour Film Project. Yay!
Congratulations to Anita Williams, finalist at Peachtree Village International Film Festival. Go, Anita, go!
Congratulations to Debi Yazbeck whose script Teton Reckoning just came in a finalist in the Acclaim Spring/Summer 2016 Screeenplay Awards. Yay!
JULY NEWS:
Debi Yazbeck received the 2016 Best Feature Script award this month at the California Women’s Film Festival. Yay! Go, Debi!
Julie Howe was named one of Austin Film Festival’s 25 Screenriters to Watch 2016 in MovieMaker. Yay, Jules!
Congratulations to Richard Dane Scott who just made the 2016 Page Quarter Finals with his feature script Tumbleweed AND his feature script Star-Cross’d yay!
Congratulations to Debi Yazbeck who just made the 2016 Page Quarter Finals with her feature script Teton Reckoning yay!
Congratulations to Stacy Baker Masand who just made the 2016 Page Quarter Finals with her feature script Dr. Feel Good yay!
Congratulations to Chris Schuepbach who just made the 2016 Page Quarter Finals with his feature script Father’s Day yay!
Congratulations to Christie LeBlanc who just made the 2016 Page Quarter Finals with her feature script 02 yay!
Big grat’s to Jennifer Mulligan whose “BEDS” experimental shorts proposal was just selected for a SAW JumpStart Video Grant. Yay! Go Jenn!
Big grat’s to Debi Yazbeck whose feature script Teton Reckoning just won best screenplay in the California Women’s Film Festival. Yay, Debi!
JUNE NEWS:
Congratulations to Joan Philo, yay! Who just made the top five cut in the New York City Midnight Screenwriting Competition with her script Red yay!
Big grats to Anita Williams Isaroom whose short screenplay Whitewashed won first place in the George Lindsey UNA Film Festival shorts competition yay!
AND! For placing as an official finalist in the Peachtree Village International Film Festival with her feature script Westbound yay!
MAY NEWS:
Big grat’s to Wey Loh whose horror script Universe – Stellar Birth just went into production. Universe – Stellar Birth, coming to you from Unlevelhead Productions and ThoseOneGuys Inc. and produced by Jesse Hatter is directed by James Browning and stars Amber Gelinas and Alexandra Octavia. Yay!
Congratulations to Debi Yazbeck whose Lilyhammer “Bring Jerry Home” won honorable mention in Screenplay Festival’s 2015 One Hour Spec division. Yay!
That’s all for now.
:::JOIN THE AFW MAILING LIST FOR MORE NEWS & UPDATES:::
