1st Annual Romantic Comedy Screenwriting Contest

THE WINNER HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED!

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Love is in the air! Stage 32 is thrilled to announce our 1st Annual Romantic Comedy Screenwriting Contest!

QUARTERFINALIST ANNOUNCEMENT - MARCH 18TH

SEMIFINALIST ANNOUNCEMENT - APRIL 1ST

FINALIST ANNOUCEMENT - APRIL 15TH

WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT - APRIL 29TH

This year’s Grand Prize Winner will be flown to Hollywood to meet one-on-one with our judging and mentoring panel whose credits include the smash Romantic Comedy hits MAMMA MIA 2, MAN UP with Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Lake Bell, WE ARE YOUR FRIENDS with Zac Efron, I GIVE IT A YEAR with Anna Ferris and Rose Byrne, 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!

What better way to celebrate the holiday season than with some love and laughter? We’re looking for Romantic Comedies like recent hits TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE, CRAZY RICH ASIANS, or THE BIG SICK to spread the joy this year. With 90’s nostalgia spreading through all of pop culture, it’s the perfect time for the next big rom-com! Our judges can’t wait to fall in love with your script. Don’t miss this opportunity to have your work read!

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 produced some of the great Romantic Comedies in recent memory including MAMMA MIA 2, FRIENDS WITH KIDS, MAN UP, and other hits like Netflix’s Dark Rom Com smash “YOU”, I GIVE IT A YEAR, DUMPLIN’ and more!

Judges' Credits & Company Credits Include:

If you write Romantic Comedy, this contest could launch your career! Streaming services love rom-coms, and are always looking for new material - your time to strike is now. Whether your characters are quirky and cute, or sarcastic and snarky, our judges want to see how they end up together! Bring a fresh twist on the class meetcute and take it from there!

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:

Julia Verdin, Producer & Manager (THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS)

Holly Hubsher, Creative Executive (MAMMA MIA 2, DUMPLIN’)

Liska Ostojic, Development Executive (TEST PATTERN)

Tessa Shaffer, Literary Manager (FOREVER MY GIRL)

Watching a Rom-Com is like drinking a mug of hot cocoa - soothing and sweet. If you’ve been working on a romantic comedy script, it’d be our treat to read it. Give us the pleasure of reading your work, and we’ll make sure others get it too!

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.

Jenny Rauch - 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!

Congratulations to our Winners!

Congratulations to our Finalists!

Congratulations to our Semifinalists!

Congratulations to our Quarterfinalists!

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

Julia Verdin, Producer & Manager, Rough Diamond Productions & Management (THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS)

Holly Hubsher, Creative Executive, Anton (MAMMA MIA 2, DUMPLIN’)

Liska Ostojic, Head of Development, 120E Films (TEST PATTERN)

Tessa Shaffer, Literary Manager, Corvisiero Literary Agency (FOREVER MY GIRL)

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.

Julia Verdin (Judge) - Producer & Manager, Rough Diamond Productions & Management

Julia Verdin is the Founder and President of Rough Diamond Productions & Management and is one of the leading independent producers and managers in the industry.

As a producer, Rough Diamond has packaged, produced and obtained financing for over 30 critically-acclaimed projects $10M and under such as THE MERCHANT OF VENICE, STANDER, THE UNWILLING, THE LEAST AMONG YOU, TEMPTATION and 2 JACKS.

As a manager, Rough Diamond represents clients on critically acclaimed projects such as Netflix's Emmy and Golden Globe nominated Narcos, Emmy and Golden Globe winning The Americans, Emmy nominated Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Teen Choice Award winning Pretty Little Liars. They enjoy discovering US, European and Canadian writers for International Co-productions.

Julia's award-winning social awareness short film LOST GIRLS, which she wrote, produced and directed has recently been turned into a feature film, LOST GIRLS: ANGIE'S STORY, which is in post production.

Rough Diamond is especially interested projects with interesting back drops and well-developed lead characters. Thriller, family, rom-com, action and psychological horror features are a plus, as well as social impact projects.

 

Holly Hubsher (Judge) - Creative Executive, Anton

Holly Hubsher is the Director of Development & Production at the film/TV financier Anton. She helped oversee the PVOD hit GREENLAND, the Sundance darling THE NIGHT HOUSE and the recent Netflix acquisition CURS>R. 

Anton has financed Family-friendly features including the PADDINGTON Franchise and DUMPLIN' for Netflix. 

Before Anton, Holly was at Universal Pictures where she was heavily involved with development on projects like DEAR EVAN HANSEN and WICKED and involved with production and post-production for MAMMA MIA 2 and NIGHT SCHOOL. Holly started her career at WME in the Motion Picture Literary department after graduating from USC.

Liska Ostojic (Judge) - Head of Development, 120E Films

Liska Ostojic is the Head of Development for 120E Films, a company run by producer Pin-Chun Liu (PAPER TIGER, TEST PATTERN). Focusing on stories of diverse and underrepresented voices for an international market, 120E Films is interested in short-form and feature-length content that is timely and impactful.

 

Previously Liska worked at Dreamworks Animation where she was involved in films such as MEGAMIND and THE BEE MOVIE. After graduating with an MFA from the American Film Institute Conservatory, Liska co-wrote the award-winning shorts CONTRAPELO and WAY IN RYE, as well as numerous commissioned features.

 

Her passion remains collaborating with and mentoring writers, discovering wonderful stories that deserve to be told, and championing ones that will make a difference in the world.

Tessa Shaffer (Judge) - Literary Manager, Corvisiero Literary Agency

Tessa Shaffer is a Literary Manager with Corvisiero Literary Agency, a boutique agency in NYC that represents both authors and screenwriters. The clients of CLA include many New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon #1 Bestselling Authors.

 

Tessa just signed a writer after connecting through a Stage 32 pitch session! She says, "Thank you for adding such a valuable connection for writers and execs."

Corvisiero Literary Agency has a growing relationship with networks and producers and has successfully negotiated book-to-film deals, most recently FOREVER MY GIRL to Roadside Attractions and Disney International with LD Entertainment producing.

 

CLA is currently looking for made-for-TV movies that would be a good fit for Hallmark or Lifetime as well as high concept, YA, and drama content for streamers.