Winners of ScreenCraft Family-Friendly Script Contest Announced!

The judges have spoken and we're thrilled to announce Boys Night Out by Suzanne Johnson as the grand prize winner of the inaugural ScreenCraft Family-Friendly Script Contest. It's a wildly entertaining script that follows two brothers--a teen and a six-year-old--who witness a murder and must evade the killers and the cops during one crazy night in New York City. The script fits firmly in the family-friendly genre but, much like seminal genre favorites Home Alone and Adventures In Babysitting, also boasts an exciting tone and slight edginess that truly cements the story as being four-quadrant. The central sibling dynamic feels authentic and lived-in, and the emotional stakes are convincing. We're proud to feature it as our grand prize winner. 

We are also very proud to highlight Free Inside! by Sarah Brockmann as our runner-up. The 1960s-set script boasts a wonderfully original premise: upon discovering that their cereal box toys are really benevolent extraterrestrials, two young boys team up with them to save Earth from a massive alien invasion. The script is fresh, zany and remarkably creative and deserves recognition.

The other eight finalists that compose our top ten are genuinely enjoyable, well-crafted and full of promising core elements. They are:

• Alice Griffith and the Keys of Time by Jeffrey Bradley
• Darby Petty and the Lost Treasure by DC Sayre
• Dogbiskit: The Fastest Mutt In History by Christopher Sansone
• Owney by Wayne Johnson
• Remy by James Grayford
• The Cat That Saved the (Hollywood) Stars by Philip C. Sedgwick 
• The Fearless Foursome & The Danville Treasure by Kranti Pally
• The Mootants by Derek Taylor Kent

In addition to the ScreenCraft team, the judging panel included acclaimed screenwriting consultant Jen Grisanti, whose clients have signed with top agencies and have staffed on dozens of TV shows, family-friendly film producer Mychal Simka, and Great Road Capital’s VP of Creative Affairs Liza Olson. In addition to cash prizes, ScreenCraft consultation and phone calls with literary managers, our top two winners will receive a year’s subscription to Celtx screenwriting software and preproduction application suite. All top ten scripts will also receive a page of ScreenCraft feedback. Congratulations to all of the finalists, who crafted worthy screenplays, and thanks to everyone who submitted. Keep writing! View the semifinalists and quarter-finalists here.