1st Annual Female Driven Screenwriting Contest

Stage 32 is excited to present our 1st Annual Female Driven Screenwriting Contest!

Open to both Feature Script and Television Pilots!

The Grand Prize Winner will be personally mentored by leading Writer/Producer Kate Sergeant, whose credits include critically acclaimed shows CASTLE, CSI, BLINDSPOT and more!

The Grand Prize Winner will also be flown to Hollywood to meet one-on-one with our judging and mentoring panel whose credits include hits RUSSIAN DOLL, BIRD BOX, SINGLE DRUNK FEMALE, THE ACOLYTE (A STAR WARS SERIES), ARRIVAL, NCIS: NEW ORLEANS and more!

ALL Finalists will receive exposure to our incredible panel of judges and have their titles and loglines featured in the Stage 32's Industry LookBook, which is sent to over 500 executives and professionals who work directly with Stage 32! Previous Stage 32 contest finalists have had their projects optioned and been signed for representation as a result of our industry lookbooks!

There is nothing more important in the entertainment industry today than lifting up unique and diverse voices. For our first contest of 2022, we chose to focus on stories centered around female characters. While Hollywood may have made some strides forward over the last few years, the industry is still dominated by men. Help us achieve our goal of promoting female driven content by submitting your screenplay today!

Female driven content has been on the rise, proving that audiences love complex female characters. Films like BRIDESMAIDS and WONDER WOMAN changed the game, proving that female lead films can be box office smashes, and series like BIG LITTLE LIES and MARE OF EASTTOWN continue to showcase how popular female driven shows can be. Recent releases like SPENCER, THE SEX LIVES OF COLLEGE GIRLS, THE UNFORGIVABLE and BEING THE RICARDOS have taken the lead on featuring all different kinds of women. We know you have fresh, unique takes on the female driven film or series, and our judges can’t wait to read them!

Nowhere else do you find top judges and mentors like you do on Stage 32. The Grand Prize Winner will meet with an incredible panel of judges from companies that have worked on some of the great Female Driven series and films in recent memory including SINGLE DRUNK FEMALE, SNOWFLAKE, LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP and more!

Judges' Credits and Company Credits Include:

If you write Female Lead stories, this contest could launch your career! Whether you write comedy, drama or thrillers, we want to hear your voice! This contest is open to television pilots and features, and we want to see everything you’ve got. Our judges are looking for new content, and we know you’ve got it.

Now - exclusively through Stage 32 - you have the opportunity to meet industry professionals from these prolific companies who will have read your script!

The Grand Prize Winner will be flown to Hollywood to meet:

Kate Sergeant Curtis, Writer & Producer (CASTLE, CSI: CYBER, NCIS: NEW ORLEANS)

Colleen Labella, Producer & Director ("SINGLE DRUNK FEMALE", "RUSSIAN DOLL")

Kate Sharp, Literary Manager & Producer, Bellevue Productions (BEHIND THE MASK, MADAME BOVARY)

Catherine Delaloye, Founder & Executive Director, Female Voices Rock (WITCHES OF BUSHWICK, WHERE TO NOW?)

Carli Haney, Producer ("BETCHES" for Comedy Central, NIGHT SCHOOL)

Dallaslyn Lamb, Lit Manager, Art/Work Ent. (Client Credits Include ARRIVAL, BIRDBOX)

Kristen Lucas, Producer & Manager (SNOWFLAKE; Optioned Stage 32 Writer's Script)

Karolina Bohn, Literary Coordinator, Storied Media Group ("INSATIABLE" for Netflix, AMERICAN HONEY, "MODERN LOVE" for Amazon)

Sarah Cornelius, Creative & Production Executive, Whitewater Films ("TRANSPARENT", "BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER")

ALL FINALISTS will be in a Stage 32 Look Book which includes their script title, logline & bio mailed to over 500 industry executives including, managers, agents, producers, development executives, and financiers! Stage 32 Look Books are respected throughout the industry and have helped secure dozens meetings and which have led to writer success with companies like Verve, Good Fear, 3 Arts, APA, Echo Lake, Amazon, UTA, CAA, WME, First Friday, Pathfinder, The Cartel, Black Bear Pictures, Lit Entertainment and many, many more.

Over the last 8 years, Stage 32’s screenwriting contests have gained a reputation as one of the “most worthwhile screenwriting contests to change your career.” No other contest provides their winners and finalists with the same level of direct access to industry leading professionals who can take your career to the next level! Over the last 8 years, Stage 32 has become an incubator for finding talent and material across the globe.

Christina Pamies - Previous Stage 32 Contest Winner was Signed and Produced after winning a Stage 32 Contest

Kim Britt - Previous Stage 32 Contest Winner

Recent success stories to come out of Stage 32 include:

• Gwenn Joyaux won the grand prize in the 5th Annual Stage 32 Short Film Contest for her film Tomorrow Island and was signed by Le'Ander Nicholson from Believeland Management.
• Ghana born, Montreal-based filmmaker Will Niava was one of the 5th Annual Stage 32 Short Film Contest winners for his film Zoo. Producer Jason Resnick (Serenity, After, Destination Wedding) saw Will's film in the Stage 32 Short Film program and hired Will to work on co-directing a feature film.
• Billion Dollar Production Company Mandalay Pictures optioned the script 99 Dreams Neon by Donnie Hobbie after Donnie connected with Creative Executive Will Raynor through Stage 32.
• Writer Robert Levering's feature script, Discredited Citizen is now in development with John Goldwyn Productions ("Dexter", "Dopesick") after connecting through consultation at Stage 32.
• Search for New Blood Winner Grand Prize Winner - Christina Pamies - was signed by Jake Wagner off of her winning script, A Good Deed! She was hired to write the Horror Thriller BAGHEAD for StudioCanal!
• The Eye of Owou, written by Martin Reese, received a $5,000 option and with a consideration for $100,000 in production financing!
• Eric Jeske - was signed by literary managers Krista Sipp and Devon Byers of First Friday Entertainment after winning the 5th Annual Feature Writing Contest and taking meetings set by Stage 32!
• 10-31, a horror film that will be produced by renowned director Eli Roth, Roger Birnbaum and Orion Pictures,written by Stage 32 member Laurie Ashbourne is greenlit and starts shooting later this year.
• Chick Fight starring Malin Ackerman, Alec Baldwin and Bella Thorne written by Stage 32 member Joe Downey is in post-production and awaiting release!
• What Lies Ahead, written by Stage 32 member William Viglione, directed by Stage 32 member Rob Gardner, and packaged by Stage 32 script services executive Tiffany Boyle of Ramo Law was released in theaters in 2019.
• Vagic, a romantic comedy written by Stage 32 member Julie Ann Cross, received a $7,500 option and is being produced by legendary producer Amy Baer of Gidden Media Group.
• My Clone’s an A-Hole, a comedy written by Julie Ann Wight was offered a $5,000 option by National Lampoon.
• I'm Not Jack, a script written by Stage 32 member Jack Cusick, received a $7,500 option and is being developed by legendary producer Amy Baer of Gidden Media Group.
• Stage 32 member Diana Wright signed with The Cartel after being set up on a meeting by Stage 32!
• Stage 32 member Jonathan Jordan signed with Verve Talent and Literary Agency after being set up on a meeting by Stage 32!
• Stage 32 member Aaron Benjamin signed with Housefire Management.
• Stage 32 member Aaron Bierman signed with Verve Talent and Literary Agency after being set up on a meeting by Stage 32!
• Stage 32 member Chris Torres signed with manager Brooklyn Weaver of Energy Entertainment after being set up on a meeting by Stage 32!
• Stage 32 member Greg Mania was signed by manager Laina Cohn of Cohn/Torgan Management after being set up on a meeting by Stage 32!

This contest has produced some of the most sought after material from our finalists and winners. Requests for our finalists scripts have increased year over year and our winners have met face to face with a who’s who of working industry executives and gatekeepers!

Unprecedented access. Greater opportunities.

Better exposure. More reads.

Real success!

What Types Of Scripts Can I Enter?

We are looking for compelling Female-Driven stories of all genres! This means Female-driven Drama, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Action/Adventure, Family, Horror, and any other genres you can conceive. 

Feature Length Screenplays & Television Pilots:

This contest is open to Feature Length Screenplays and Television Pilots for Limited Series and Recurring Series.

Feedback Option

For an additional fee of only $49 you can receive full coverage from our industry readers on your screenplay or teleplay. Just check "coverage" upon checkout. Coverage will be sent out after the winners are announced.

"I found Stage 32’s contest coverage far better than some other services I have used in the past, where I felt almost assaulted. Please thank him or her for a well-done job. It was my first try with Stage 32 but it will not be my last." - Bob C.

"Stage 32 contest coverage is even better than some of the industry coverage I received. Thank you for these invaluable notes!" - E. Robinson

"The insight from my coverage from the Stage 32 contest helped me improve my script's dimension exponentially. I had looked at the script so much that I can't believe I missed a major plot point. Thank you!!" - S. Persons

The Grand Prize winner will be flown to Hollywood to meet with:

Kate Sergeant Curtis, Writer & Producer (CASTLE, CSI, NCIS)

Colleen Labella, Director of Development, Shoot to Midnight (RUSSIAN DOLL, THE ACOLYTE)

Kate Sharp, Literary Manager & Producer, Bellevue Productions (BEHIND THE MASK, MADAME BOVARY)

Catherine Delaloye, Founder & Executive Director, Female Voices Rock (WITCHES OF BUSHWICK, WHERE TO NOW?)

Carli Haney, Executive Producer (FATHERHOOD, NIGHT SCHOOL)

Dallaslyn Lamb, Literary Manager, Art/Work Entertainment (ARRIVAL, BIRDBOX)

Kristen Lucas, Producer & Manager, Goldilocks Productions (SNOWFLAKE)

Karolina Bohn, Literary Coordinator, Storied Media Group ("INSATIABLE" for Netflix, AMERICAN HONEY, "MODERN LOVE" for Amazon)

Sarah Cornelius, Creative & Production Executive, Whitewater Films (TRANSPARENT, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER)

If you reach the Finals, you still get massive exposure to decision makers!

ALL FINALISTS will receive a FREE MONTH OF THE MEMBER'S ONLY STAGE 32 WRITERS' ROOM and will be in a Stage 32 Look Book which includes their script title, logline & bio mailed to over 500 industry executives including, managers, agents, producers, development executives, and financiers! Stage 32 Look Books are some of the most sought after talent resources for the industry and have helped secure meetings with places like Verve, Good Fear, 3 Arts, APA, Echo Lake, Amazon, UTA, CAA, WME, First Friday, Pathfinder, The Cartel, Art/Work and many, many more.

Stage 32’s contests have gained a reputation as one of the “most worthwhile contests to change your career.” No other contest provides their winners and finalists with the same level of direct access to industry leading professionals who can take your career to the next level! Stage 32 has become an incubator for finding talent and material across the globe.

Kate Sergeant Curtis (Mentor) - Television Writer,

Kate Sargeant Curtis is an accomplished television writer with especially deep experience in network dramas, writing over 100 episodes of network TV on shows like CASTLE, CSI: CYBER, NCIS: NEW ORLEANS and BLINDSPOT. Kate started her career as an actress at the age of eleven, starring as “Emily” in the cult classic film 3 NINJAS, directed by Jon Turteltaub. She has also written, directed, and produced a few of her passion projects including three short films: CHANGING LANES, FACING LIFE, and ANOTHER FOREIGN CONCEPT. In addition, Kate launched an original comedic series that she wrote, directed, and produced called YOU CAN’T DO THAT ON THE INTERNET about our obsession with social media. Most recently Kate served as a Supervising Producer on an upcoming one-hour drama for TBS entitled OBLITERATED.

Colleen Labella (Judge) - Director of Development, Shoot to Midnight

Colleen Labella is the Director of Development for Leslye Headland's company, Shoot to Midnight, which developed the Emmy award winning show, "RUSSIAN DOLL".

 

Colleen is a producer on the upcoming Freeform show, "SINGLE DRUNK FEMALE". Her projects currently in development include "THE ACOLYTE" (a Star Wars series), "MILK FED" (based on the book of the same name), an untitled comedy series for FX, Catya McMullen's feature film GEORGIA MERTCHING IS DEAD and a number of other series under Headland's overall deal with 20th Century Fox.

 

Colleen also has a background in directing theatre and is particularly interested in queer and female-centric storytelling.

Kate Sharp (Judge) - Literary Manager & Producer, Bellevue Productions

Kate Sharp is a producer and literary manager at Bellevue Productions.

Prior to joining Bellevue, Kate was the VP of Development and Production at Occupant Entertainment, producing short-form content for Showtime, MTV, Verizon, Facebook, and U2, and was an Executive Producer on the Hulu original, Emmy-nominated TV series BEHIND THE MASK. Her film credits include PEEP WORLD, BETTER LIVING THROUGH CHEMISTRY, MADAME BOVARY and THE HALLOW.

Kate is currently producing THE BURNING SEASON (recipient of a Film Independent Producing Fellowship, a 2016 Tribeca Sloan grant, a 2018 Fast Track Sloan grant, a 2015 Athena List winner and on the 2016 Black List), as well as AT RISK (recipient of a Film Independent Writing Fellowship and on the 2018 Black List).

Kate is a graduate of New York University where she received a B.F.A. in Film and Television from the Tisch School of the Arts.

Catherine Delaloye (Judge) - Founder & Executive Director, Female Voices Rock

Catherine Delaloye is a director, producer, and writer, who is passionate about social impact and dedicates her work to empowering diverse voices. Her credits include WHERE TO NOW?, THE WITCHES OF BUSHWICK, THAT PART, and the upcoming feature film SLEEPAWAY CAMP, starring Antoni Porowski (QUEER EYE). Growing up between Europe and the US, Catherine has a global perspective that she uniquely brings to each film and project she is a part of. This, along with her avid attention-to-detail, valuable direction, and impressive verbosity, has gained recognition in the film community. Her projects have been awarded with various honors including more recently winning the Grand Jury Prize at Barnstorm Screenwriting Contest for her script Noah & Camille. She's also won the International Honolulu Film Festival Screenplay Award and the International Los Angeles Film Festival Screenplay Award for her script THE DOLLMAKER. Catherine founded Female Voices Rock, an organization that aims to increase the female presence in the film and TV industry. Through her organization, Catherine has raised over 200K for various film projects, creating a substantial platform for underrepresented filmmakers in the industry. The annual Female Voices Rock Film Festival has grown to be rated amongst the “Top 100 Film Festivals in the World” in just two years since its inception.

Kristen Lucas (Judge) - Producer & Manager, Goldilocks Productions & The Bohemia Group

Kristen Lucas is a Producer and Manager who joined forces with Bohemia Group to launch the Boston branch of the company leveraging her extensive knowledge of the talent in the market. Kristen is excited to be a part of this exciting expansion and will be working with actors, writers and directors.

Kristen’s passion for telling unforgettable stories about strong women is the foundation for her independent film company, Goldilocks Productions where the tagline is “We tell stories about badass women.”

 

She is an award-winning Producer and Creator, her short film SNOWFLAKE won “Best Narrative Short” at the Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival in 2017, as well as many others. She is also the founder of Respect Her Hustle, a brand and podcast focused on supporting and honoring women who break the mold and don’t look back.

Planning to sleep when she’s dead, Kristen’s relentless hustle finds opportunity where others find dead ends. Through her vast network of contacts across all areas of entertainment and business she will work tirelessly to ensure the success of her clients.

Carli Haney (Judge) - Executive Producer, FATHERHOOD with Kevin Hart, Executive Producer, FATHERHOOD

Carli Haney is the Executive Producer of the Kevin Hart film FATHERHOOD which hit #1 in over 80 countries through Netflix.

 

Carli has worked in Film and TV development for the last eight years as a Creative Executive and Director of Development. Most recently, Carli ran feature and television development for Kevin Hart at Hartbeat Productions. There, she worked to develop feature projects including NIGHT SCHOOL with Kevin Hart, WHAT NOW?, and LET ME EXPLAIN, as well as the television comedy "DAVE" with Dave Burd.

 

Her next Kevin Hart feature is MONOPOLY, which was just announced, as well as the TV-movie, "ALL FANCY" for NBC.

 

In addition Carli has worked with A-list companies and industry-leading talent including Jennifer Lopez at Jennifer Lopez Enterprises and an A-list production and finance company with a deal at Warner Bros. She got her start in the industry at Tea Time Films.

Dallaslyn Lamb (Judge & Mentor) - Literary Manager, Art/Work Entertainment

Dallaslyn Lamb is a Literary Manager at Art/Work Entertainment, a literary and talent management company. Art/Work's writing clients work in both feature and television and include Sci-Fi and Fantasy Eric Heisserer, best known for his Oscar-nominated adapted screenplay for ARRIVAL, BIRD BOX and LIGHTS OUT, and THE THING. Art/Work also represents writers on the Netflix Sci-Fi Action series "COWBOY BEBOP". 

 

Prior to joining Art/Work, Dallaslyn was the literary and talent management coordinator at a voice over agency. She also previously served as the Coordinator at Fortitude International - the sales company which distributed the 202 Action Fantasy FATMAN with Mel Gibson. 

 

Sarah J. Cornelius (Judge) - Creative & Production Executive, Whitewater Films

Sarah Cornelius is the Creative and Production Executive at Whitewater Films, an independent production company spearheaded by veteran producer Rick Rosenthal. Whitewater Films recently completed their feature Standing Up, Falling Down, starring Billy Crystal & Ben Schwartz with first-time director Matt Ratner.

Rick Rosenthal has more than 100 credits including, Bad Boys, "Transparent", "Beauty and the Beast", Halloween 2, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and"Smallville".

Whitewater has produced numerous notable films which have won Independent Spirit Awards, the Sundance Directing Award, a Primetime Emmy, as well as collecting nominations for an Oscar and the Sundance Grand Jury Prize.

Whitewater has produced projects for Paramount Classics, The Orchard, Showtime, CNN Films, Netflix, IFC, and Samuel Goodwyn Films.