EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL AMERICAN ZOETROPE SCREENPLAY COMPETITION
Many thanks to all who entered the 2020 American Zoetrope Screenplay Competition. From nearly 2,000 entries received, Judge Francis Coppola and the Zoetrope staff have selected a winning script.
The winner will receive the grand prize of $5,000.
The winner and nine finalists will be considered for representation by CAA, Circle of Confusion, Energy Entertainment, Exile Entertainment, the Gersh Agency, ICM, Oasis Media Group, Prolific Entertainment, the Radmin Company, UTA, and William Morris Endeavor. Their scripts will be considered for film option and development by leading production companies, including: American Zoetrope, Anonymous Content, Cats & Dogs Productions, Double Hope Films, Forward Movement (an ARRAY Company), Fox Searchlight, Groundswell Productions, Icon Films, IFC Films, Jean Doumanian Productions, Lionsgate, LIT Entertainment Group, Lleju Productions, Number 9 Films, Oasis Media Group, Pretty Pictures Productions, Roserock Films, Sony Pictures Classics, Verisimilitude, and Working Title Films.
Congratulations to the winner, finalists, and semi- and quarterfinalists, whose names appear below. And our thanks to all who entered. We appreciate the opportunity to read your work.
The 2021 American Zoetrope Screenplay Competition will open on June 1, 2021; for details, please visit the website this summer. If you would like to receive updates by email, please write us at contests@zoetrope.com.
Winner:
Careme by Poppy Luard (London, England)
Finalists:
The Paisley Witch Trial (pilot) by Julia Campanelli (New York, NY)
So Goes the Night by Mike Cuenca and Dan Rojay (Los Angeles, CA)
Shel by Beth Curry (Los Angeles, CA)
Sixgun Saint by Warren Lane (Sherman Oaks, CA)
Riding with Charlie by Shintaro Ogai (Toda, Japan)
Homegrown by Abhishek Raghavan and Chad Hermann (Brooklyn, NY)
Jumping into Hemingway’s Pool by Nick Roberts (Austin, TX)
Missionary Style (pilot) by Janna Taylor and Lily Gwyer-Miller (Beverly Hills, CA)
Yes No Hello Goodbye by Dana Turken (Los Angeles, CA)
Semifinalists:
Feliza by Andres Borda and Manuela Ochoa (Cajica, Colombia)
The Lease of Nature by Anderson Boyd (Raleigh, NC)
The Gates by John Burr (Los Angeles, CA)
Jamal Garcia by Nora Contreras (Edmond, OK)
Babelsberg by Jon Davis (Woodinville, WA)
The Weekenders by K. K. Fox (Nashville, TN)
An Irish Errand by Ari Frankel (Boston, MA)
Neural by Sarah Granger (Los Altos, CA)
Pearls by Susan Hahn (Nashville, TN)
The Honourable and Chivalrous Sir Gregor MacGregor of Poyais by Sanj Krishnan (London, England)
Unmaking Love by Evan Laughlin (Venice, CA)
Only You by Lyvia Martinez (Tujunga, CA)
Rosemary and Eleanor (pilot) by Will Roane and Ian Wood (New York, NY)
Avenue of the Giants by Thomas Thonson (Los Angeles, CA)
Jakayla by J. Gabriel Ware (Jersey City, NJ)
Quarterfinalists:
Liar’s Town by Mel Barrett (Somerville, MA)
The Viewing of Elwin Ackley by Shell Dannelley (Farmers Branch, TX)
The Trade Winds by Christina DeHayes (Grosse Pointe Woods, MI)
Heir Apparent by Yellowlees Douglas (Walnut Creek, CA)
The Resident by Mike Gerbino (Brooklyn, NY)
Rhubarb by Jordan Gustafson (Los Angeles, CA)
Darcy and the Vampire by Larry Hankin (Marina Del Rey, CA)
Death’s Hidden Love by Ernestina Juarez (Austin, TX)
Action Figures by Russell Koos (Lincoln, NE)
Dreamboat by Aluísio Leite (Los Angeles, CA)
Motherkiller by Terry Lynam (Vero Beach, FL)
Black Cherry by Travis Maiuro (New Hope, PA)
One Last Save by Amy Maki (Santa Fe, NM)
Off-season by Grant Matakino-Bryant (Christchurch, New Zealand)
And Yet It Moves by Matthew Minson (Tomball, TX)
Biba + Tru by Martina Muhoberac (Calabasas, CA)
Faster Than Horses by Chris Mul and Michael Mul (Brooklyn, NY)
On the Boulevard by Mel Nieves (Brooklyn, NY)
The Wolves by Courtney Pape (Los Angeles, CA)
Concertmistress by Caroline Rovello (Haymarket, VA)
Three Hours by Aemilia Scott (Chicago, IL)
Demeter by Travis Seppala (San Pedro, CA)
Stand Up by Andy Truschinski (Long Island City, NY)
The Club by Gary Van Haas (Aegina Island, Greece)
Why Don’t We . . . by Sanyee Yuan (Hollywood, CA)