LMU School of Film and Television Produces Inaugural MFA Screenwriting Competition

LMU's inaugural MFA Screenwriting Competition highlights the best feature and pilot scripts written by second and third year graduate students from Writing for the Screen and Writing and Producing for TV. Scripts were blindly judged by over 40 industry professionals from Anonymous Content, Riot Games, Entertainment 360, Gotham Group, and many other management companies, agencies, and production companies.

Dean Joanne Moore said, "To rise to the top of such a strong group of graduate students is a great achievement, and we are excited to have established this initiative to give these extremely talented writers the credit and exposure they deserve. This represents just one more way we are acknowledging LMU's commitment to creating work promoting social justice and connecting our students with industry leaders to launch successful careers."

"I am thrilled such high caliber Hollywood companies I have long admired participated as judges in championing emerging voices," Graduate Director of Writing for the Screen Weiko Lin says. Lin launched the competition, and he advised its student organizers alongside Graduate Director of Writing and Producing for Television Michael F.X. Daley.

The winners were presented their awards Tuesday night by distinguished SFTV alumni Melissa Blake ("The Wilds," "Based on a True Story"), Jessica Esteves ("The Republic of Sarah," "Sam Jones") and Evan Romansky, creator of the four-time Emmy nominee "Ratched," which he wrote as his MFA thesis project.

Congratulations to the 2024 honorees:

Feature Drama Screenplay Award

Winner: "The Larson Episode" by John Norton

After exploiting a flaw in the 1980s edition of Press Your Luck, perennial loser Michael Larson becomes the biggest winner in game show history, only to find himself battling the CBS legal team as well as his personal demons to avoid losing everything.

Honorable Mention: "Cyclic" by Fenton Queens

A performance artist uses a journal to travel back in time to stop her grandmother's sexual assault, her mother's, and her own, but may end up destroying the present in the process.

Honorable Mention: "Speak Easy" by Chris O. Lukens

He was an alcoholic TV star until he was accused of a heinous crime. Now he's a sober bottom-rung private eye scouring the gutters of Hollywood for a paycheck. When his daughter goes missing, the trail leads right back to the same corrupt Hollywood system that destroyed his life.

Comedy Feature Screenplay Award

Winner: "Cherry Drive" by Noemie Boucher

A scrappy 6th grader's world comes crashing down after discovering that she's moving away because her house is being foreclosed. But when a local fast-food chain hosts a scavenger hunt across town with a big prize, she convinces her friends to embark on one last great adventure to save her house.

Winner: "Necronomicops" by Aaron Hluch

LA, 1987. When a Satanic cult threatens to usher in Armageddon, a man-child hotshot supercop and his crotchety partner must drive and share their way through their toughest case yet: protecting a feral 9-year-old girl destined to be the Antichrist.

One-Hour Drama Pilot Award

Winner: "Bloody Barcelona" by Brett Cornwell

As Civil War tears through Spain, a gang of radicals last ditch effort to clear their debts threatens to tear Barcelona apart when instead of money, their haul is a young woman and her mysterious painting.

Honorable Mention: "Rising Chief" by Taylor C. McMullan

Genocide forces a young Indian boy to become the Chief leading a rebel tribe of refugees and runaway slaves.

Comedy Pilot Award

Winner: "True Chicago Dream Life" by Sarah Frasco

Emma, a normal human who dreams of having superhuman abilities like her roommates Pasta Girl and Cat Lady, struggles to adjust to adulthood while living her truest, dreamiest life.

Honorable Mention: "unprofessional" by Tia Kaiulani Kanaeholo

An overworked and underpaid, 30-something tries to balance her career, relationships, and sobriety under the pressure of LA's girl boss, 'women can have everything', hustle culture.

Social Justice Feature Award

Winner: "Between Heaven and Hell" by Marisa Martinez Rodenbaugh

1874. While being hunted down by her eldest brother she thought to be dead, a determined Arapaho woman journeys across the plains to save her younger brother, a Dog Man warrior, before the law finds him.

Social Justice Pilot Award

Winner: "Rising Chief" by Taylor C. McMullan

Genocide forces a young Indian boy to become the Chief leading a rebel tribe of refugees and runaway slaves.

Special thanks to the industry professional judges:

Anonymous Content, Temple Hill, AGBO, Scott Free, Riot Games, Entertainment 360, Macro, Artists First, Verve, Gotham Group, Bellevue, Grandview, Tomorrow Studios, Underground, Heroes and Villains, Energy Entertainment, Luber Roklin, Untitled Entertainment, Jam Lit, American High, Allen Media Group, 18Hz Prod, Rain Management, Hivemind, Big Swell Entertainment, Boat Rocker

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