ScreenCraft Success Stories

Rich Van Tine

After placing as a Top 5 Finalist in the 2019 ScreenCraft Action/Thriller Competition with his contained, terrifyingly real thriller, STUCK, Rich Van Tine signed with literary manager, Jon Hersh of Housefire Management. Rich was also previously a 2017 ScreenCraft Fellowship Semifinalist with his twin detective thriller, UNTIL THE CANDLE BURNS OUT.

“I can’t thank ScreenCraft enough for championing me as a writer. I worked closely with the ScreenCraft team to get STUCK out there for agents and managers to see. They kept pushing the script forward and were super involved in the entire process. It was a great experience and I highly recommend any and all ScreenCraft competitions. Thank you to the whole ScreenCraft team.” – Rich Van Tine

Gabriel Cruz

After winning the half hour category of the 2018 ScreenCraft Pilot Launch TV Script Contest with his script THE KING IS DEAD, Gabriel Cruz worked closely with the ScreenCraft team, taking meetings and drawing interest from several managers before signing with Scott Carr of Scott Carr Management. Congrats Gabe!

“Winning the ScreenCraft Pilot Launch Comedy Competition really jumpstarted my journey. Almost like the flip of a switch, I went from total outsider to multiple managers requesting meetings with me, which was critical for someone with minimal to no connections like myself. Thanks to ScreenCraft, I never felt like I was navigating this new world on my own; I always felt like I had someone in my corner. I still feel that way. Burning for a chance to get my writing out there, I feel tremendous gratitude for ScreenCraft’s dedication.” – Gabe Cruz

KL Hughes

Kaycee Hughes won the 2018 ScreenCraft Pilot Launch TV Script Competition, and through an introduction by the ScreenCraft team, she signed with Abrams Artists Agency!

“Winning ScreenCraft’s Pilot Launch Competition cracked open the floodgates, and within weeks, I had multiple meetings lined up not only with some incredible literary managers and agents but with networks eager to chat about my winning pilot as well. Ultimately, this led to me landing representation with a top-notch agent, a hurdle I had expected to spend years trying to overcome. I am so grateful for their hard work and motivation, and for joyfully championing up-and-coming writers with all the passion and determination of people who truly understand just how vital writers are to this industry. Thank you, ScreenCraft. You have done me an incredible service and kindness.” – KL Hughes

Shiwani Srivastava

2018 ScreenCraft Comedy Runner-Up, Shiwani Srivastava, signed with literary manager Nicholas Bogner of Affirmative Entertainment. ScreenCraft recommended Shiwani’s project Wedding Season and introduced her to Nicholas Bogner.

Christa Rose Avampato

“Thanks to the ScreenCraft team, I got my dream job in film and TV as a Development Manager at Empty Quarter Studios, a TV and film production company in New York City. My book, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was a finalist in the ScreenCraft Cinematic Book Competition this year. I posted about it on social media and a friend of mine saw the post. Once he saw I was a finalist in your competition, it caused him to look more deeply into my work and we began to talk about whether we could work on this project together. These conversations led to something I never expected—a full-time job offer that combines my business experience and creative work, and gives me the chance to develop my own intellectual property as well as scout for the latest and greatest stories that matter. Thank you so much for the visibility you give to writers. It made a huge difference in my life and I’m so grateful!” 

Brock Newell

After winning the 2018 ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship, Brock met with several agents, producers and literary managers in Hollywood. Because of his win at ScreenCraft, he was invited to Coverfly‘s Rep Week program which introduced him to a manager who promptly signed him.

Ian Southwood

Ian won the 2018 ScreenCraft Comedy Screenplay Competition and went on to be invited to Coverfly‘s Rep Week program which introduced him to literary manager Adrian Garcia, with whom he signed.

Tate Hanyok

After placing as a finalist in the ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship and a semifinalist in other ScreenCraft competitions, Tate worked closely with the ScreenCraft team before signing with manager Kendrick Tan and Carrie Isgett at Lit Entertainment Group, formerly Madhouse Entertainment.

“As a character actor I was used to adapting to various tones and worlds, so when it came to writing I truly didn’t know what kind of writer I was. I hadn’t found “my voice,” and so many types of stories interested me as a writer. So I started using ScreenCraft as my own personal development program by utilizing each contest as a self-imposed deadline to explore writing in different genres and formats, simply as a learning experience. I was submitting early drafts to the contests for the feedback, and to get a gage of how far I had to go. It’s easy to work in a bubble, but the subjective opinions of the readers became a fantastic tool. Watching my scores increase with each submission was a great source of encouragement, and motivation! Eventually I wrote a script that was reflective of what I now consider to be “my voice.” It spoke to Tom in particular, and he contacted me to say that ScreenCraft would like to help connect me with a manager. I was floored. I hadn’t won a contest but I had consistently been submitting a growing body of work. Soon we were sitting down and brainstorming who to put on the wish list for representation! Tom was so incredibly knowledgeable, a talented filmmaker himself, who was acting like my guidance counselor helping me apply to and choose the right college. This was such an exciting time and he was so incredibly attentive. I kept thinking, “how lucky am I!?” Here I was just do’n my thing, in my bubble, and this fellow artist I have so much respect for, is helping ME get to this very important step that can be so hard to access on your own. Sometimes it does take a village. I’m so very grateful that ScreenCraft has been an essential part of mine.” – Tate Hanyok

Xavier Burgin

Xavier won the 2018 ScreenCraft Drama Screenplay Competition and has since taken meetings at Blumhouse, Netflix and with independent producers who are interested in his script. Additionally, Xavier was hired to direct a documentary feature Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror which premiered on Shudder on February 7th, 2019. He is repped by manager Hannah Ozer at Kaplan Perrone.

Davia Carter

Davia Carter won the 2018 ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship and just weeks later she was hired as a staffed writer on USA’s TV show QUEEN OF THE SOUTH! 

Jeffrey Field

Jeffrey Field won the 2015 ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship and has recently signed with Writ Large Management. Congrats Jeffrey!

Dante Russo

After winning the ScreenCraft Short Screenplay Competition and subsequently the ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship, Dante Russo went on to get hired as a script coordinator and then a writer on ABC’s A Million Little Things! Congratulations Dante! We can’t wait to see your career develop.

Cat Dale

Cat won the 2017 ScreenCraft Pilot Launch TV Script Competition and subsequently was hired by a producer for an open writing assignment! The producer discovered Cat via our partnership with Coverfly.

Matthew Ryan

After winning the 2017 ScreenCraft Action & Thriller Screenplay Contest, Matthew received many requests from industry professionals. “Thanks to ScreenCraft, I made contact with a producer who got my screenplay into the right hands. I now have an attachment agreement in place for it with a hugely talented director/producer and we’re currently developing the script towards production.” – Matthew Ryan

Joshua Bartolome

ScreenCraft Horror Contest Finalist Joshua Bartolome has signed a shopping agreement with producer Shannon Pierce of 4th Dimension for his project The Crossing, via an introduction by the ScreenCraft team. 4th Dimension is a literary management and production company expanding into original content. Congrats to Josh!

Erica Tachoir

Erica Tachoir signed with a literary manager at MXN Entertainment through an introduction by ScreenCraft. Erica’s screenplay “Scattering Jake” placed as a semi-finalist in three ScreenCraft competitions, including the 2017 ScreenCraft Screenwriters Residency Program, the 2017 ScreenCraft Drama Screenplay Competition, and the 2018 ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship.

Peyton McDavitt

Screenwriter Peyton McDavitt, runner-up winner of the 2017 ScreenCraft Horror Screenplay Contest, just signed with manager Sydney Blanke at Fourth Wall Management an entertainment management company that represents actors, writers, directors, and filmmakers across all media. Congrats Peyton!

Rhonda Baraka

Television writer-director Rhonda Baraka signed with her manager at Heroes and Villains after meeting her manager at the 2018 #ScreenCraft Writers Summit in Atlanta. The ScreenCraft Writers Summit brings together emerging writers and industry professionals so that relationships like this can be made. Congrats to Rhonda!

Ryan W. Smith

ScreenCraft Fellowship winner Ryan W. Smith went on to co-write a film that just sold to Netflix for a reported $30 million at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival!

Colin Dalvit & Andrew Lahmann

Colin Dalvit & Andrew Lahmann won the ScreenCraft Action & Thriller Screenplay Contest in 2016, and they were recently discovered via Coverfly and signed by literary manager Josh Dove at Intellectual Property Group who discovered and read their script The Timbermen. Intellectual Property Group is the literary management company behind such clients as Oscar-winner Paul Haggis (Crash and Million Dollar Baby) and Dennis Lehane (writer of cinematically adapted novels including Mystic River, Shutter Island and Gone Baby Gone).

Ellen Winburn

ScreenCraft’s 2017 Family-Friendly Screenplay Contest semifinalist Ellen Winburn signed a paid shopping agreement with HG5 Entertainment for her feature The Least of These through an introduction made by Coverfly. Inspired by the true experiences of her son, The Least of These follows a teenager with cerebral palsy who dreams of having a girlfriend and forms an unlikely friendship with a troubled girl with a difficult home life.

Nick Watson

Nick was a ScreenCraft Pilot Launch semifinalist in 2014, and subsequently signed with literary agent by Manal Hammad at Abrams Artists Agency. He has since written for Hasbro Studios’ “Littlest Pet Shop: A World of Our Own,” and most recently on Season 2 of TBS’ animated comedy series “Final Space.”

Anna Klassen

Anna Klassen was the winner of the 2017 ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship and subsequently signed with her manager at Plattform and with an agent at WME, her screenplay was recently voted onto 2017’s The Black List! Also, she was just hired by a major company to write a film adaptation (right now her manager has asked us to keep it confidential, but we’ll be able to share details about it soon)!

Jeff Bower

Jeff’s spec script “Halycon Falls” won the ScreenCraft Pilot Launch TV Script Contest. He is now represented by Abrams Artists. ScreenCraft introduced him to manager Alex Creasia at Pathfinder Entertainment, who signed him as a client.

John Griffin 

After winning a full scholarship to ScreenCraft’s Screenwriters Residency Program in The Bahamas in 2015, John Griffin went on to sell his spec screenplay ‘Crater’ to Fox Studios! And he’s now represented by WME agency!

Mark Stasenko

Winner of the 2015 ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship, Mark signed with multiple agents at United Talent Agency and a manager at 3 Arts Entertainment whom he was introduced to by ScreenCraft staff.  Now he has projects in active development and he’s currently being considered by major networks and studios. In the fall of 2017 he sold a TV pilot to a studio and he got hired as a staff screenwriter on the Peabody Award-winning Netflix series American Vandal for their upcoming second season!

Alex Greenfield & Ben Powell

The writing team winners of the 3rd annual ScreenCraft Horror Screenplay Contest signed with a literary manager at Zero Gravity Management! They’ve been hired to write a franchise sequel (TBA)!

Katiedid Langrock 

Winner of ScreenCraft’s Comedy Screenplay Contest, Katiedid was hired to write a Netflix Original Series!

Rowan Wheeler

Our 2015 Pilot Launch TV Script Contest winner Rowan Wheeler has recently signed at United Talent Agency, one of Hollywood’s top agency’s with clients including Johnny Depp, William Petersen, Joan Cusack, Jennifer Jason Leigh and many more actors, writers and directors!

Jared Frieder

Jared’s screenplay “Three Months” won the 2014 ScreenCraft Comedy Script Contest grand prize, and almost exactly one month later he was selected as the Comedy category winner for the Austin Screenplay Competition! Jared has projects in active development with his manager and agent.

Sarah Hopkins

After winning ScreenCraft’s 2015 Action-Thriller Screenplay Contest, Sarah had a call with literary manager Jeff Portnoy at Bellevue Productions, and after 6 months of development conversations about her project, Jeff offered to represent her. Congrats to Sarah for signing with with a great manager at Bellevue Productions!

Dani Bailes

ScreenCraft winner Dani Bailes signed with Echo Lake Entertainment, the management company behind such notable Hollywood clients as Mark Hamill, Dakota Fanning and Naomi Scott! Dani was the winner of ScreenCraft’s 2015 Short Film Production Fund along with her producing partner Alexis Korycinski.

Alexis Korycinski

ScreenCraft winner Alexis Korycinski signed with CAA (Creative Artists Agency)! Alexis was the winner of the 2015 ScreenCraft Short Film Production Fund along with her writing partner Dani Bailes!

Lindsay Golder

Lindsay Golder is a 2014 ScreenCraft Comedy Contest finalist, a 2nd Annual ScreenCraft Fellowship finalist, a 2014 ScreenCraft Pilot Launch Contest semifinalist, and a 2015 Pilot Launch winner for her web series pilot Celebration. She is now represented by manager Jamie Wager at Capital Creations, represented at CAA, and currently staffed on the hit Fox sitcom The Mick. Recently, she penned an editorial for Entertainment Weekly: ew.com/tv/2017/02/14/the-mick-blog-recap-the-mess/.

Evan McNamara

Evan McNamara placed as a top 5 finalist in ScreenCraft’s 2017 Sci-Fi Screenplay Contest and then signed with manager Stephan Dubreuil of Woolf+Lapin, an international agency that represents talents in fields of motion picture, television, and digital.

Michael Thai

Michael Ty was the winner of ScreenCraft’s 2017 Orb Media China-Hollywood Screenwriting Fellowship and signed with a manager at Bellevue Productions!

Chris Osborn 

Chris Osborn won a $10,000 grant from the ScreenCraft Film Fund for his short film True Blue which he wrote, produced and directed. It went on to be accepted to numerous festivals around the world (including New Orleans, Maryland and Atlantic City) and won the Audience Award at Indie Memphis Film Festival in 2017!

Nancy Duff 

Screenwriter Nancy Duff won the ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship and subsequently was selected for the Meryl Streep-backed Writers Lab for Women, as well as the Universal Pictures Global Talent Development & Inclusion program! We look forward to seeing what this woman does next!