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2025 LVIFSF Screenwriter Finalists and Winners

Action Adventure

Lost Kingdom – Denise Elkins

Serpents Path – Mike Roberts

The Sicilians - Frank Mancuso

Voyage of Fire – Colleen Jenkins

What Lurks Beneath – Davis Jones

WINNER:  THE SICILIANS - FRANK MANCUSO

 

Adapted

Eisenhower – J. P. Keller

Empire of Dust – Tori Green

Goodnight, Mrs. Calabash - Jan Ritchie Riddle

The Fallen Star – Michelle Teller

The Killing Jar – Jack Warner

WINNER:  THE KILLING JAR

 

Animation

A Cowboy from Montana – Eric Milestone

A Visit to Candy Land – Tina Rockwell

Dance – Mark Thomas Kelly

Tale of Titans – Max Collins

The Phoenix Project – Terri Maxwell

WINNER:  A VISIT TO CANDY LAND - TINA ROCKWELL

Biographical

Cousteau – Mary Linder

Goodnight, Mrs. Calabash - Jan Ritchie Riddle

Heady Lamar – Deseree Stafford

No Turning Back – Keri Clarity

Simply Teller – Larry Dodson

WINNER:  GOODNIGHT, MRS. CALABASH - JAN RITCHIE RIDDLE

 

Comedy

A Night at Ciros – Alison Broderick

Boys - Taylor Bartczak

Chuckles – Robert Hernandez

Ho Ho Ho – Gloria Bolden

Mourning After - Kathleen M Caprario-Ulrich

WINNER:  MOURNING AFTER - KATHLEEEN M CAPRARIO-ULRICH

 

Crime

A Flood of New Beginnings - Valerie Hockert

A Time for Killing – Darrin Rushing

By the Book – Matt LaBoy

For Whom the Bell Tolls – Kenny Thompson

The Strawberry Fields – Kimberly Dart

WINNER:  FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS - KENNY THOMPSON

 

Drama

After the Rain – Elliott Smith

Bloodline – Casey Thompson

Fathers and Daughters – Emily Greene

Second Lieutenant - Richard Lasser and Robert A Stern

Why Not Her - Taylor Bartczak

WINNER:  WHY NOT HER - TAYLOR BARTCZAK

Faith-Based

Angels, Demons, and a Court-Martial - Chris Kreger

In the Garden - Christal Kahles-Jones and Kathy Krantz Stewart

Never too Late – Erin Moore-Jenkins

Searching for Grace - Lawrence Whitener

Warrior for Kings – Hillary Thibodeau

WINNER:  IN THE GARDEN - CHRISTAL KAHLES-JONES AND KATHY KRANTZ STEWART

 

Family

A Family Affair – Alexia McNeal

An Epic Journey – Erika Langmeyer

 Journey to the Rose Garden – Leslie Genty

Rio Grande – David Lively

The Cat who Knew too Much – Kenneth Vilioa

WINNER: THE CAT WHO KNEW TO MUCH - KENNETH VILIOA

 

Fantasy

Starborn Warrior – Nicole Baxter

The Guardians of the Sunrise – Illiana James

The Serpent’s Code – Miles Jamison

Time Weaver – Delvin Bradshaw

Trust Me - AEG Guaaker

WINNER:  TRUST ME - AEG GUAAKER

Historical – Period Piece

Committee of Five - Kevin Stirling

Death in Poland - Grant Huffman

Eisenhower – J. P. Keller

Forgotten Arctic Explorer – Don Taylor

Lynch - Peter Herlan

WINNER:  COMMITTEE OF FIVE - KEVIN STIRLING

                DEATH IN POLAND - GRANT HUFFMAN

 

Horror

Deadly Intentions – Carl Lingstrom

Marah from Eilat - Leiter S. Daniellson

Moonlight Horrors – Crystal Mendoza

The Pit - Duncan B. Putney and Greg Chopoorian

The Rock-A-Doodle Murders – Terry Bender

WINNER:  THE PIT - DUNCAN B. PUTNEY AND GREG CHOPOORIAN

 

LGBTQ

A Sunset, then Goodbye – Pam Sellers

A Trip to Remember – Winter Jackson

Easy like Sunday Morning – Trish Pollack

Ricki – Parker Jones and Rebecca Cooper

Star of the 80s – Alice Hyland

WINNER:  A SUNSET, THEN GOODBYE - PAM SELLERS

 

Military

Battle of Kursk –Matthew Lederman

Go for Target – Wayne Penix

Okinawa – Oshi Tamaroa

Second Lieutenant - Richard Lasser and Robert A Stern

The Hardest Year: A Love Story in Letters During the Vietnam War - Carole L Wagener

WINNER:  OKINAWA - OSHI TAMAROA

 

Mob-Themed

Black Hat Paul – Jordan Gifford

Greenbaum – Aaron Peyton

Mr. Clean – Robert Hicks

Six Feet Under – Walter Falcone

Vegas Mobster – Eli Carducci

WINNER:  MR. CLEAN - ROBERT HICKS

 

Musical

A Field of Daisies – Robbie Robinson

Garden Valley Choir – Michael Wilkenson

It’s Showtime - Terrance Bethune

Sing Loud and Proud – Kelli Daniels

The Gift - London Flores

WINNER: THE GIFT - LONDON FLORES

 

Mystery

Copper Mountain Murders – Kyle Leatherwood

 Fractured Reality - Dennis Kelly

The Last Alibi – Dupree Johnson

The Mystery of the El Dorado River - Albert Siegel

Vanished – Carol Hixenbaugh

WINNER:  VANISHED - CAROL HIXENBAUGH

Romance

It takes Two – Jackie Warner

Maple Grove - Richard Telesca

Mountain Retreat – Sasha Lennix

Tango Time – Christie Coons and Shelly Hazen

The Long Weekend – Alice Lenoir

WINNER:  THE LONG WEEKEND - ALICE LENOIR

 

Science Fiction

Elliott’s Closet – Charles Blackwell

Green Valley River – Chris Yang

Palo Alto Bang & Burn - Craig Bettendorf

Taylor - Lawrence McMahon

Welcome to Liberty Mountain – Kylie Brock

WINNER:  PALO ALTO BANG & BURN - CRAIG BETTENDORF

 

Sports

Canterbury Trails - Michael Brose

Championship Run – Christian Daniels

Currents of Destiny – Isla Shannon

Darlington - Tony Bustamante

Fair Catch – Ellis Williams

WINNER:  CANTERBURY TRAILS - MICHAEL BROSE

 

Thriller

Edge of Fear – Ada Underwood

No Turning Back – Tinker Bates

The Confession – Danny Greenfield

Unraveled – Nia Crawford

Voice from the Shadows – Eli Farr

WINNER:  EDGE OF FEAR - ADA UNDERWOOD

 

Western

Dust and Thunder – Dean Rubio

Frontier Fury – Yuki Rin

Iron Spur – Lee Maxwell

Marshall Cooper – Mike McGlothin

Trail of the Outlaw – Kurt Floyd

WINNER:  FRONTIER FURY - YUKI RIN

Stage Play

Borrowing Funny - Matt Wexler

I Can Feel it in the Air Tonight – Mike Stockwell

The Band – Kit Sills

The Law of Attraction - Patricia Milton

The Victorian Ladies' Detective Collective - Patricia Milton

WINNER:  THE VICTORIAN LADIES' DETECTIVE COLLECTIVE - PATRICIA MILTON

 

Existing TV Sitcom Spec (1/2 Hour)

Abbott Elementary – I Need a Longer Lunch – Arlene Maulk  

Big Mouth: The Nude Chat - Maitlyn Fletcher

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia - The Gang Gets Diverse - Jordan Champagne

Ted Lasso – He shoots – He Scores – Jim Ralston

The Bear - Burn – David Case

WINNER: BIG MOUTH: THE NUDE CHAT - MAITLYN FLETCHER

 

Existing TV Drama Spec (1 hour)

Euphoria – Mindy Sanders

House of the Dragon – Phoebe Gaines

Severance – Two Weeks’ Notice – Charlotte Stein

The Last of Us – Lauren Day McInteyer

The Morning Show – Jeff Bolten

WINNER:  EUPHORIA - MINDY SANDERS

 

Original TV Drama Pilot (1 hour)

Maddie and Zina - Frances McCoy

Mystic Masala - Sadhana Singhal

Nobody’s Horses – You can’t go Home - Courtney Nicole Graham

​Patches - CR Sherman

Precursor - Steve Brown

WINNER:  PATCHES - CR SHERMAN

 

Original TV Sitcom Pilot (1/2 Hour)

Elliot and Gus – Phil Lattimore

Las Vegas 9-1-1 – Kaleem Akro

Mort - Larry Ziegelman, Terry Ziegelman

Neptunes Point – Cindy Lee

Yahoo Comics – Jack Warner

WINNER:  NEPTUNES POINT - CINDY LEE

 

Short Script Finalist

Shakespaw - Kristian Comer and Sean Collishaw

Singing for my Supper – Andy Jones

The Lady’s Companion – T. L. Simkins

The Promise - Kristian Comer, Sean Collishaw, Peter Simpson

The Thorns - Rachel Klein and Donnelle Fuller

WINNER: THE LADY'S COMPANION - T.L. SIMKINS

Young Story Tellers

Death Curse - Esabella Strickland

Dragon Fly Fields – Denise Fricklin

In the Tundra - Naomi D

Last Unicorn – Dianah Morgan

The Test - Gavin Lee

WINNER:   LAST UNICORN - DIANAH MORGAN

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