SEASON 5
This season’s 7 awards are:
Best Screenplay
Best Character Arc
Best Genre Script
Best Concept
Best Technique
Bonus: Best Dialogue
Bonus: Best Short Screenplay

Heartbreak Under a Neon Streetlight
Nominated: Best Technique, Nominated: Best Screenplay
“The P.O.V. element provides a unique perspective to this script. Overall, it signals a particular visual motif which helps unlock the TV show as being more of a visual tradition than a plot driven idea – which is rare in TV these days, and recalls a sort of 2000’s mode of exploring new possibilities of TV. It is inventive, and personal (thanks to the close proximity to its character).
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: Moderate

Max and Maria
Nominated: Best Character Arc
“This two hander explores inter-personal relationships with a keen eye. The charactersations are dialogue driven, and provide a lot of room for actors to bring life to the script… overall it feels like a great space for people to really grow within the roles, but perhaps a little shy on room for a director’s style. However, having said all of that – a director’s job is to find a visual world for the script… and so, such a blank slate is a great space for a director to work in. Overall, it is the characters that shine – and the comedic scenarios they provide.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: Low budget

Here’s My Card
Nominated: Best Genre Script
“With a snazzy meet cute set up, this script flies with a great sense of joy as two characters enjoy chatting away. The catch? At 20 pages this is an unusual runtime for such a simple set up. For festival success a 10 pager would be better… but, that doesn’t mean festivals in terms of audiences. There should be a place in the world for films of any runtime. It would be interesting for this concept to be perhaps expanded, much like Night on Earth or Chungking Express – there’s room here for an anthology of comedic meet cutes.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: Low budget

The Dance of Shiva
Winner: Best Character Arc
“The Dance of Shiva comes as a complicated message… but at its heart, there’s a great character and a strong personality within it. If the right actor was attached, this project would be very strong.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: Moderate budget

Sacked
Nominated: Best Character Arc
“Comedic, authentically English and full of fun – Sacked has a retro feeling about it… in the best of ways. This might be one of those scripts that Michael Winterbottom would want to read.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: Moderate budget

The Unforgotten
Nominted: Best Screenplay, Winner: Best Short Screenplay
“Though high budget in terms of logistics, this bombastic 8 page script holds you at your throat with a great punchy delivery.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: High

The Gift of Life
Nominated: Best Technique, Winner: Best Dialoge
“The most dazzling touch in this script is the bold use of dialogue. The actual words chosen are specific, and there’s a real sense of character within the speech design. It is bold, memorable and stands out as a unique element to the script and it’s chosen genre – which ultimately translates as a strong understanding of script writing technique.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: Moderate/High budget

Digging Up the Past
Winner: Best Genre Script
“This is one bizarre twist of events. There’s so much here for a director and cast to love. Very smart.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: Moderate/High budget

Rocketball
Nominated: Best Technique
“The script comes packaged as a well rounded sports concept with a hint of a thriller genre. There’s something wonderfully seedy in this one, and it is well structured with its delivery of information.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: Moderate/High budget

Wednesday’s Child
Nominated: Best Genre Script
“There’s a great sense of urgency in this content – it is stylish, and heavy on the genre indulgence. It also reminds me of EMA by Larrain – which is to say it is bold, unusual and scarily real. The only comment is the runtime is a bit odd, it needs a little more to become a script that can be sold. All in all a great fun read – and definitely commercial.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: Moderate/High budget

Confabulation
Nominated: Best Dialogue
“The script pops with excitement thanks to its rich character driven dialogue – this is a Guy Ritchie type thing that actors would love to spit out.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: Moderate (ready to film by the right team!)

This Is How I Leave You
Nominated: Best Character Arc
“It feels at times like an indie film type that we’ve seen before – which is a good thing really, as there’s no denying that the sub-genre of coming of age films has drifted too far into the mainstream – and this is just the kind of script that would be an interesting project if handled by the right director (and cinematographer – texture is key to these kind of films.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: Low budget

Van Girl
Nominated: Best Character Arc
“The character voice – which seems to tell the story and set the scene the most in this script, really shines both as something unique to this writer but also to the use of genre.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: Moderate

Cinder
Winner: Best Technique (shared)
“Bold, strong, and well delivered – this script is sharp and very timely for the current era we are living in of uncovering abuse. The only pitful is the runtime – this isn’t a short enough short for festivals, and not long enough for a feature – but that isn’t to say it isn’t great… but rather a comment on where it might land in terms of distribution.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: Moderate

An L.A. Story
Nominated: Best Genre Script
“Joining the many noir takes on LA, this script enjoys the steady pile up of certain tropes, whilst engaging with interesting character moments… this would be a delight to see with the right cinematography and strong performances.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: High for indie

No Address
Nominated: Best Screenplay, Nominated: Best Character Arc
“With a firm grip on characters, where they are going, who they are and what they are doing – No Address seems to have a rather strong address. A strong foundation that the content is built around.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: Moderate

Call Manny
Nominated: Best Short Screenplay
“This super short bloody rumble is a real exciting grunt of a film!”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: High for short

Five Percent
Nominated: Best Character Arc
“Comedic, and a great dig at the capitalist world, this script falls into a particular sub-genre of ‘contemporary issues delivered in a loud fashion’ (that doesn’t read like a genre, but it is one in my mind ha). Ultimately, this is a sarcastic and fun experience, and would be great actually on the screen with all its bravado. Ps. The characters and their dialogue steal the show.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: Moderate

Awaken
Nominated: Best Genre Script
“There is a lot going on in this script – which is to say it is rather rich. In the 90’s, this kind of script would have found a home within seconds. It feels as if it was a great throw back to the Interview with a Vampire vibe.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: High for indie – but bite me it is good

White Plan, Red Line
Nominated: Best Screenplay, Nominated: Best Technique
“At times this script feels as if it is already designed for filming. Tha there’s even a directorial voice within the content. Overall it is a very aptly designed piece. If anything. Actors will require commitment to becoming the detailed and exact content.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: High for indie

Saving Ava
Nominated: Best Screenplay, Nominated: Best Genre
“This script recalls the 90’s thrillers – there’s a particular set of characters in this film which are quite great and memorable. It also highlights, with great excitement, the powers of these roles and makes them memorable.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: Moderate for indie

Doughtery
Nominated: Best Genre Script, Nominated: Best Concept
“In the era of podcast narratives, it comes as no surprise that this new subgenre of crime/horror investigation has made its way to the indie scene – this definitely feels fresh, and it has a particular low key approach which makes it great medium based narrative. The real question is how will a director elevate it into a perfect genre piece? – the foundation is definitely here and ready for the taking.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: Low budget

A Broken Soldier
Winner: Best Screenplay, Nominated: Best Character Arc
“It feels like an epic for an indie, but there’s no denying its weight and power. The script is dense, in a rich and verisimilitude type of fashion.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: High for indie

The Club Can’t Handle Us
Nominated: Best Genre Script
“A lot of fun is packed into this script – and so it should, the concept says it all really. It is an easy Hollywood pitch. Some of the scenes could be perhaps slightly cut easier in terms of the script syntax. But overall it is entertaining – and that is quite a big win.”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: High for indie

Bad Love Tigers
Winner: Best Technique (shared)
“A fantastic script, written with exceptional research and skill. The issue – budget. Without the right support, this project will sadly never fly. One can hope that an agent will one day stick their kneck out and help it reach the skies!”
→ Would recommend: Yes
→ Budget scale: A+++ high (can CGI help?)