On Time by Xavier Burgin has been selected as the grand prize winner of the 2018 ScreenCraft Drama Competition. Gripping judges with exceptional craft and a topical urgency, it follows unemployed single-mother Renee's battle to regain custody of her daughter, Imani, after leaving her in the car during a job interview. The judges were drawn to the timeliness of the material and potential for an adaptation with awards and festival run potential.

Paper Thieves by Michael Mirabella has been selected as the runner-up. Ride-share driver and experienced con man, Bo, struggles to raise his precocious foster child, Ella. Their idiosyncratic coexistence comes at risk after Bo's car is stolen and a social worker threatens to relocate Ella. With a fluid yet unique execution of plot and structure, judges were captivated by the strong writing and exceptional character-work.

Saving Washington by Jane Hampton Cook has received special mention. Based on Hampton Cook's novel The Burning of the White House: James and Dolley Madison and the War of 1812, it tells of the British Army's 1814 seize of our nation's capital, and the resiliency of first lady, Dolley Madison, that would immortalize herself and the position forever.

In addition to the ScreenCraft team, the judges included: Sara Nestor, a Literary Agent at  Verve Talent and Literary Agency, whose clients include Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World), Michael Arndt (Little Miss Sunshine), and Christopher L. Yost (Thor: Ragnarok); Richard Ruiz, a Creative Executive at Fox Searchlight, the production company behind Best Picture winners Birdman, 12 Years a Slave, Slumdog Millionaire and The Shape of Water; George Heller, a Literary Manager at Brillstein Entertainment Partners, the company behind such renowned Hollywood talent as Amy Adams, Brad Pitt, Charlie Hunnam, Vin Diesel, Eva Longoria, Timothy Olyphant and many more; and Melissa Breaux, a Literary Manager at Management 360, the management company for talent such as Bryce Dallas Howard, Shailene Woodley and Greta Gerwig. Melissa Breaux manages actors, writers and directors behind such projects as The Spectacular Now and Bernie.

Grand prize winner, Burgin, will receive a $1,000 cash prize and hand-picked industry consultations and introductions, while Mirabella will receive $500 and will have his script circulated and recommended to ScreenCraft’s network of over 60 managers, agents, producers and development executives. Hampton Cook will receive $100 and a lifetime license for professional screenwriting software from our official sponsor WriterDuet.

Congratulations to these winning writers, and thank you to our judges and to everyone who submitted projects; we read a number of remarkable screenplays. View the quarterfinalists, semifinalists and finalists here.

And if you’d like to receive a notification when this contest re-opens for entries in 2019, you can subscribe for updates via Coverfly here.

Be sure to check out more of ScreenCraft’s recent success stories here.

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