2014 ScreenCraft Action & Thriller Script Contest Winners Announced!

by ScreenCraft on December 15, 2014

After months of some explosive debates, hand-to-hand combat and breakneck chases, the jury has come to a triumphant consensus and we’re proud to announce THE ENEMY WITHIN by Ken Miyamoto as the grand prize winner of the 2014 ScreenCraft Action & Thriller Script Contest. It's a fast-paced wrong man thriller with sharp character work that keeps the reader involved in the story and continually elevates the emotional stakes. Gritty and grounded, the script explores quintessential contemporary themes like personal versus national loyalty, how well we can ever truly know another person, counterterrorism doctrine and the perniciousness of fanatical terrorism.

The runner-up is THE NARROWS by Aaron Steven, with a story by Aaron Steven and Aaron Walker. A fact-based, pulpy and classically-inclined thriller, the script centers on an incredible alliance formed between the U.S. Navy and the Mafia to protect World War II-era New York City docks from a German incursion. The script has a fascinating and original hook, clever writing, and ample voice and craft. It deserves to be singled out, as do the rest of our finalists, culled from more than 700 submissions:

WESTGATE by James Leighton
SMOKE by K.E. Pragnell
DEPLOYABLE by Ben Powell
FORT KNOX by Ryan Chong
DAEDALUS by Gareth Peevers
PENANCE by David Linke & Kevin Linke
THE THIRD BOMB by Phillip Parker
THE NIGHT WITCHES by Steven Prowse

First place winner Ken Miyamoto will receive $2,000, a phone consultation with a top action movie producer, and a consultation with Miles Chapman, screenwriter of Escape Plan! Runner-up Aaron Steven will receive $200 and a phone consultation with a top literary manager. Additionally, both will receive a complimentary screenwriting software package from Celtx, and the top ten finalists will receive a page of development notes from one of our judges.

The 2014 ScreenCraft Action-Thriller Script Contest jury included these industry professionals:

Aaron Ensweiler - Aaron is Vice President at 20th Century Fox-based production shingle Hutch Parker Entertainment (THE WOLVERINE, X:MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST).
David Whitney - David is Director of Development at Disruption Entertainment at Paramount. He previously worked for Lionsgate, selling the rights to Academy Award winner CRASH and several installments of the SAW series, and at Universal Pictures and Warner Brothers. David brings a personal love of graphic novels, a passion for manga, and the desire to adapt both for the silver screen.
Ari Lubet - Ari is a manager at 3 Arts Entertainment, the management company behind such talent as Chris Evans, Keanu Reeves, Jessica Alba, Taylor Schilling, James Franco, Charlie Day, Ray William Johnson and many more!
Tanner Mobley - Tanner is a creative executive at Nu Image, the independent production company headed by legendary producer Avi Lerner, whose credits are too numerous to mention (see the IMDB page here for full credits), including OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN, THE EXPENDABLES, CONAN THE BARBARIAN, TRESPASS, BROOKLYN’S FINEST, RAMBO and many, many more.
Juan Castro - Juan is a film producer. He is a graduate of UCLA and co-produced ROLE MODELS, starring Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott, for Universal Pictures. He has several projects set up at different studios (e.g. New Regency, Sony, and Fox Studios) with director Luke Greenfield. He is currently in pre-production on ARABIAN NIGHTS, which will star Sir Anthony Hopkins and Liam Hemsworth and be helmed by director Chuck Russell (THE MASK, ERASER). Juan originated the concept with screenwriter Barry P. Ambrose, based on the classic stories, and serves as executive producer. He has optioned several scripts, as well as performed rewrites and writing assignments for both feature films and a television pilot.
Adi Shankar - Adi is a feature film producer behind such elevated action movies as LONE SURVIVOR, THE GREY, DREDD, MACHINE GUN PREACHER, KILLING THEM SOFTLY, BROKEN CITY and more!
Lucy Mukerjee - Lucy is Vice President at After Dark Films, the production company behind many action films including TRANSIT, BULLET TO THE HEAD and GETAWAY.
Mika Pryce - Mika is a creative executive at the Warner Brothers production shingle Langley Park, the company behind GANGSTER SQUAD.
Cameron Jewell - Cameron is a development executive at Endgame, the production company behind LOOPER, HOMEFRONT and THE BROTHERS BLOOM.
Matt Richmond - Matt is a development executive at ImageMovers, a production company based at Universal and the brainchild of famed writer-director Robert Zemeckis. Zemeckis’ credits include such classics as ROMANCING THE STONE, BACK TO THE FUTURE, MATCHSTICK MEN, CAST AWAY, FOREST GUMP, BEOWULF, REAL STEEL, and FLIGHT.
Michael Colleary - Michael Colleary has been a working screenwriter for more than 25 years. His credits include “LARA CROFT: TOMB RAIDER, UNNATURAL HISTORY for Cartoon Network, and the psychological action thriller blockbuster FACE/OFF, which was helmed by the legendary John Woo for Paramount and which The New York Times named one of the best movies ever made.