****

So by winning The Script Department’s opportune Silver Screenwriting Competition 2009, I’ve been flown to Los Angeles for meetings with Hollywood insiders and won a cool haul of prizes. So here I am – back in the UK, suitcase empty, study area a mess and the script to my left boasting the win in thick bold type – the latter is all I wanted but I ended up getting so much more.

I’ve spent the best part of a year in hibernation writing and rewriting SHIFT, and, whilst script-editors and writer-friends encourage, read and feed back nothing beats the accreditation of placing at competition. Nothing beats the accreditation of winning. Whilst always harbouring a passion for SHIFT I’ve always been aware that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Though employing the tenets of a standard thriller, its narrative hook gives it complexity and, hopefully, depth. It’s labyrinthine and multi-layered and, at times, convoluted but necessarily so. In short – it does itself little favours when presenting itself to readers. But I don’t care. I’ve loved it. I’ve loved writing it. I’ve loved re-writing it. And, up until now that fulfillment was a satisfactory reward.

Due to the time difference, I awaited Julie’s call long after all my colleagues had gone home. I simply expected more questions about my eligibility to be in the competition – why can’t she just email me? So in that regards, being told – “You’ve won.” – pretty much made my year. Seriously – to go back to LA, meet agents, managers…taste root beer (which, for uninitiated, tastes like Coke but with MORE sugar in it) was more than I could have hoped for but exactly what I wanted when I entered the competition.

So what did I take away from LA 2009? That Los Angeles is populated with more generous people than the rest of the world gives it credit for. From Julie and The Script Department going well above and beyond their capacity for hospitality to the writers, agents and executives that took time out of their heavy schedules to read some Japanese-sounding Brit’s ‘metaphysical thriller’ – and from them giving one-to-one advice and support regarding the maintenance of a Hollywood career to the yet-to-break-in writers who I was blessed to befriend at the Screenwriters Expo a few days later. Aside from the airfare, the hotel and the unrivalled access to inner-Hollywood, winning this competition has ensured that I’ve left town with two of the most valuable commodities any career-forging writer and/or director should have – validation and friendship…

…and a Macbook Air, Final Draft 8 and money. In short, I’ve been humbled and I’ve had a blast but now the real work begins. So, till next time, which won’t be long, adios y buena suerte and my thanks to The Silver Screenwriting Competition and Julie Gray.

ALASKA SAAB STORY (comedy) by Clark Harding

B

BABY GIRL (dramedy) by Jennifer Babin
BET ON BLOOD (horror) by Patrick Barb
BLUE LADY (thriller) by Ron Cecchini
BURIED ON PAGE 8 (dark comedy) by Jennifer Harrison

C

CANARIES (thriller) by Craig Cambria
CHIMANA (romantic drama) by Paiman Kalayeh
CHRISTMAS CAROLE (comedy) by Heidi Bordogna
CRACKER JACK MAN (thriller) by Rich Sheehy

D

DJINN (horror) by Matthew Altman
DRAWING MARIA (drama) by Patrick Kadas

E

EMULSION (neo-noir) by Ryan Lewis
ENDOWMENT (drama) by Ian Samplin
ERASURE (thriller) by Michael Grebb
EVERLASTING (drama) by Brent Spencer

F

FERTILE ATTRACTION (rom-com) by Mariah Wilson
FIGURE 8 (thriller) by Bruce Glassman

G

H

HAIR TODAY (comedy/family) by Dennis Douda
HALFLAND (fantasy) by E. Arriaga
HEMLINES (comedy) by Rachel Parker
HERO QUEST (action comedy) by Joel Dorland
HOLMES (drama) by George Nicholis
HORROR COMIC (thiller) by Stephen Hoover
HUNTING PICASSO (Thriller) by Marlene Shikegawa

I

INUGAMI (thriller) by Rich Figel
IT’S A BIG TOP WORLD (comedy) by William Bienes

J

JACK THE RIPPER’S SISTER (thriller) by Robin Perry JASON (family) by James Khanlarian
JONESING (comedy) by Chris Hansen JUAREZ (action) by Scott Keiner

K

KITTY LOVE (dark comedy/thriller) by Julie Ransom
KOALAS ON BIKES (family) by Sam Gray

L

LIFE AMONG THE RUINS (heist thriller) by Anthony Fisher

M

MEADOWLANDZ (drama) by Moon Molson
MECHANICSVILLE (drama) by Chris Thornton and Jason Thornton
MILLIE AND DANIEL (drama) by Reid Waterer
MY BROTHER MICK (drama/thriller) by Kim Nunley

N

NINJA COWBOY (comedy) by Sean Hartofilis

O

OFFRAMPS (comedy) by Patrick O’Riley
ONE NIGHT STAND (horror) by Ian Coyne
OUTNUMBERED (thriller) by Gary Buglass

P

PIXEL GARDEN (drama) by Odin Ozdil
PLUS SIZE (comedy) by Jacob Roman

Q

R

RAEFORD’S GRILL (drama) by David Meyer
RAINDROP SKETCHES (neo-noir) by Kevin Parnell
REVENGE IN THE RED PALACE (drama) by Amy Quick Parrish (repeat)
RUN FOR YOUR LIFE (drama) by Melissa Goetz

S

SEASON OF MISTS (drama) by Kevin Brodie
SEEKING SAMARKIND (drama) by Felipe Cagno
SHIFT (thriller) by Kodjo Akeseh Tsakpo
SIMPLER (comedy) by Surita Parmar
SWIRLY (comedy) by Earl Bench

T

THE BASEMENT (drama) by Scott Shackleford
THE COOL KIDS (thriller) by Cliff Zimonowski
THE DEATHS OF ARCHITECTS (drama) by Nasar Abich, Jr.
THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF WANNABES(drama) by Bill Hawkins
THE FUNERAL ESCORT (comedy) by Michael Comstock
THE GREAT AMERICAN LOSER (dramedy) by Jess DiGiacinto
THE GREY (family) by Garth Pappas
THE HAPPINESS EXPERIMENT (dramedy) by Alex Darrow
THE OTHER GUY (rom-com) by Jae Yu
THE WARRIORS OF WESTGATE (drama) by Michael Harriel
THE WINE RUNNER (romcom) by Wenonah Wilms
THE WONDER (comedy) by Gregory Abbey

U

UNGRATEFUL DEAD (dark comedy) by Mark Roberts
UPGRADE (sci fi) Louis Rosenberg

V

VIKTOR (action-thriller) by Matt Wheeler

W

WAY TO THE CAGE (drama) by Richard Michael Lucas
WHAT’S DUE (thriller) by Keith Watson
WHEN IN LIMBO (thriller) by Adam King
WITHOUT CONSENT (drama) by Roberta Pleczenik

X

X-RAY AND THE SNEAK (comedy) by John Plunkett

Y

YOU AND ME (drama) by Casey Fenton

Z

123

360 DEGREES OF UNCONSIOUSNESS(drama) by Antwan Ward

2nd Place:
The De-Haunters, Calvin Field and Bryan Bagby

3rd Place:
The Orchard, Diane Stredicke

Top Five Finalists
Blood Snow, Adam Hong
Influence, Dov Engleberg
Snilderholden’s Jungle, Jennifer Thomas
Sleeping with the Lutefisk, Wenonah Wilms
Unsigned: The Feature, Danny Musengo and Christopher Wasmer

A Soldier’s Honor, Mike Scherer
All The King’s Horses, Richard Huber
Another Time, Another Place, Skip Berry
Apricot Harmony, John Killeen
Aurelious Rising, Paul Cooper
Away Games, Michael Cheung

B

Bad Rap, Mark Grisar
Bananafish Sandwich, Kevin O’Malley
Battle Mountain, Kristine Hurst
Blood Money, Michael Eging
Blood Snow, Adam Hong
Blowback, Jeff Travers
Body Work, Haik Hakobian
Bridie Molloy, Daniel Donnelly
Bull’s Eye, Tamara Farsadi
Business or Pleasure, Sara Zofko

C

Chapman, Justin Owensby
Christmas 1914, Robert Milius
Cross My Heart…, Rich Sheehy
Cul-De-Sac, Galen Young D

Devil Of Sorrow, Robert Lewis
Devil’s Due, Neil Cumbria F

Family First, Patrick Barb
Feed the Monster, Rob Rex
Felix the Flyer, Christopher Canole
Fort Miserables, Leonard Lawson
Freebird, Hilary Graham
Free Skate, Caitlin McCarthy E

G

Garbo’s Last Stand, Jonathan Miller
Ghoul, Kelly Parks H

Hanging On, Matthew Kaplan
Hate Day, David Kempski
Head Games, Scott Marengo
Hunger, Michael Hogan I

In God’s Name, John Killeen
In Trust, Justin Owensby
Influence, Dov Engelberg J

Jam the Flow, Galen Young

L

Lights on the Lake, Jason Tucker
Loss of Innocence, Eric Gaunaurd
Lucifer’s Bounty, R.D. Wright

M

Marry Me, Daniel Korb
Mr. Unlucky, Tony Nichols O

P

Phantom Noise, Yvette Bou
Powder Brown, Philip Dorr Q

Qumran, Mike Scherer R

Red Card, P Montgomery
Relative Terms, Deborah Stenard
Revived, Jennie Von Eggers
Running Gun, Mike Bencivenga S

Salt and Light, Natalie Zimmerman
Scavengers, Diana Kemp-Jones
Scent of Jasmine, Israela Margalit
Scents of Justice, James Albert
Searching for Ernie, Ron Vigil
She’s Got A Way, Elise Stempky
Shooting Bambi, William Goins
Sisters in Arms, Barry Leach
Sleeping With the Lutefisk, Wenonah Wilms
Sliding Into Home, Rich Sheehy
Snilderholden’s Jungle, Jennifer Thomas
Something For Me, Juan Sebastian Jacome
Sonny Takes to Peru, Mark Hammer
Soulmating, Christopher Bosley
Stakeholder, Stephanie Branco
Stolen Sky, Dan Fabrizio
Stuck on Love, R.J. Berens
Stupid Love, Steven Zelman
Swing, Christie Havey-Smith T

The 6, Brandon Vega
The ABCs of Mr.D, Alex Darrow
The Adventures of Zara Zancón in Cactus Canyon, Amy Quick Parrish
The Bermuda Prawn, Patricia Semler
The Bottomless Puzzle, Patrick Daly
The De-Haunters, Bryan Bagby
The Devil in Saint Nick, Christopher Burns
The Doll, Rich Figel
The Fire Store, Allen Colombo
The Friendliest Evil Clown Around, Michael Pauly
The Goddess, Rafael De Leon Jr.
The Hinge, Vining Wolff
The Knuckleballer, Michael Murphy
The LAM of God, Drew Langer
The Magic of Merin: Inside the Lamp, David Kiez
The Nazi Method, Matthew Grant
The Nutcracker, Connie Tonsgard
The Orchard, Diane Stredicke
The Placeholder, Amy Neswald
The Price of Vengeance, Patrick Hoeft
The Prisonaires, Mike Freeman
The Saxon, Nigel Grant
The Spinning Wheel, Natashia Saunders
The Terminals, Matt Umbarger
The Tooth Fairy, Michael Hogan
The Warrior Within, Nicholas Wright
Through The Grapevine, Shequeta Smith
Through the Night, Edward Martin III
To The Sea, Elizabeth Robinson
Tool, G.T. Field
Tooth Lake, Richard Topping
Truthies, Carlo DeCarlo
Turnabout, Mike Scherer
Turning Annie, Bruce Stirling
Twilight, Sebastian Moretto U

Unity, Eugene Langlais
Unsigned: The Feature, Christopher Wasmer
Utopia, Kevin Norman W

Wait For Me, Brantley Black
White Niggers in the Woodpile, Paul Van Zyl
World Wide Web, Jason Arnopp
Wrocklage, Stephen Daniels

Y

Yard Sale, Irin Evers