Stage 32 Feature Drama Screenwriting Contest

THE WINNERS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED! SCROLL DOWN FOR RESULTS!!

Winner flown to Hollywood to meet with judges from MGM (A Star is Born), Schemers Entertainment (To the Stars), Disrupting Influence (Berlin, I Love You), Friday Friday Entertainment, Informant Media (Crazy Heart, Kidnapping Mr. Heineken) and more!

All finalists loglines mailed to 500+ industry executives!

Stage 32 is excited to announce the 1st Annual Feature Drama Screenwriting Contest! Dramas have always held a place of prestige in feature film and Stage 32 is conducting a worldwide search for the best drama screenplays. No matter the size of your project's budget, whether you write indie or studio, it doesn’t matter. Our judges simply want to find the most talented writers and the most interesting drama projects from around the world! And this year, it could be you!

This year, we are welcoming another all-star panel of judges from MGM (A Star is Born), Schemers Entertainment (To the Stars with Milan Ackerman), Disrupting Influence (Berlin I Love You with Oscar-winner Helen Mirren, The Merchant of Venice with Oscar-Winner Al Pacino), First Friday Entertainment (Tunnels with Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon), Rough Diamond Management & Production (The Least Among You), Cold Iron Pitctures, (Swiss Army Man with Daniel Radcliffe) and Informant Media (Oscar-winning Crazy Heart, Kidnapping Mr. Heineken). Our judges have sold or produced dozens of projects and some currently represent writers they've found on Stage 32!

Simply put, Stage 32 screenwriting contests launch careers in the industry. Our track record of success for our winners and finalists is unparalleled and this contest is sure to be no different.  In previous screenwriting contests, our winners have been signed by companies including Verve, Good Fear Management, Energy Entertainment, Kaplan-Stahler Agency, Gotham Group, APA, Paradigm and many more!

This is why, over the last 5 years, Stage 32’s screenwriting contests have gained a reputation as one of the “most worthwhile screenwriting contests to change your career.” 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. 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!

Our grand prize winner will be flown to Hollywood to have in person, one-on-one meetings with all our judges and other executives. ALL of our finalists will have their loglines presented our network of over 500 executives we work with in a private section of Stage 32.

Unprecedented access. Better exposure. More reads. Real success!

What Types Of Scripts Can I Enter?

Feature Film length drama screenplays. Please no television pilots. 

Feedback Option

For an additional fee of only $49 (50% savings!) you can receive submission coverage from our industry readers on your screenplay. Just check "coverage" upon checkout. Coverage will be returned once the winners are announced.

Grand Prize Winner

The Grand Prize Winner will be flown to Hollywood and sent on private one-on-one meetings with the contest judges from MGM, First Friday Entertainment, Schemers Entertainment.

In addition, Stage 32's executive team will send your screenplay title, logline, writer bio & script synopsis to over 500 development executives, producers, managers & agents who work with Stage 32. If an executive requests the script or a meeting, we will facilitate the delivery.

SECOND & THIRD PLACE WINNERS

Stage 32's executive team will send out your screenplay title, logline & writer bio to over 500 development executives, producers, managers & agents who work with Stage 32. If an executive requests the script or a meeting, we will facilitate.

You will also receive 2 free Stage 32 pitch sessions, a free Stage 32 Next Level Webinar and a free Stage 32 Next Level Class.

Top 10 Finalists

All Top 10 Finalists will have their screenplay title, logline & writer bio sent to over 500 development executives, producers, managers & agents who work with Stage 32. If an executive requests the script or a meeting, we will facilitate!

Krista Sipp (Judge) - Literary Manager, Heroes & Villains Entertainment

Krista Sipp is a literary manager at Heroes & Villains Entertainment, in Los Angeles, CA. Originally from Connecticut, Krista started her career at management company Circle of Confusion in 2008. After holding positions at studios and production companies across the industry, she launched her own management company, First Friday Entertainment in 2017, alongside her partner Devon Byers. In 2022, First Friday was acquired by Heroes & Villains, where Krista and Devon continue to represent screenwriters, directors, and IP creators across film, television, and other mediums.

Krista is focused on representing diverse clients from varying underrepresented backgrounds with fresh points of view and working to close the inclusion gap in Hollywood. Her clients include screenwriters and directors who have worked on Abbott Elementary, 4400, A Black Lady Sketch Show, and The Winchesters, as well as comic book writers and novelists who have written for publishers such as Marvel, DC, IDW, and Legendary.

Lorenzo Keels (Judge) - Feature Production Development Executive, MGM

Lorenzo Keels is a Feature Production Development Executive working directly for the Co-President of Production at MGM. In his role, he works in the development of MGM Feature projects – including Jordan Peele’s Candyman and the Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect, starring Jennifer Hudson – and in tracking available material to bring into MGM.

Prior to that, Lorenzo was at Verve Talent and Literary Agency, Flame Ventures Production Co with Tony Krantz.

MGM is a leading entertainment company focused on the production and global distribution of film and television content across all platforms. The company owns one of the world’s deepest libraries of premium film and television content as well as the premium pay television network EPIX.

On the Feature side, MGM boasts more than 177 Academy Awards® in its vast library. MGM’s more recent feature film highlights include the long-running 007 franchise; the hugely successful Creed I and II; the Oscar-nominated A Star is Born (released by Warner Brothers); Fighting With My Family; the Denzel Washington/Chris Pratt hit Western The Magnificent Seven; the Jonah Hill/Channing Tatum Jump Street franchise; the action-packed Tomb Raider starring Academy Award winner Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft; and the surprise hit Overboard, which had the biggest opening in Mexico for a comedy in any language.

 

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.

 

Daniel Seco (Judge) - Manager, Empirical Evidence

Daniel Seco is a literary manager and partner at Empirical Evidence, a literary creative company founded by Derrick Eppich.

He joined CAA in 2014 where he worked in the motion picture literary department before venturing into literary management on the feature side at Writ Large in 2015 as a coordinator/junior manager. A series of consulting jobs including a stop at Netflix in its Original Film department gave way to Seco joining Schemers Entertainment as a literary manager in 2018.

A former sports journalist covering U.S. Soccer, MLB, and the NBA, Seco began his Hollywood career in 2013 at Resolution. Seco is a proud graduate of the University of Maryland and the University of Florida as well as a cancer survivor.

 

Devon Byers (Judge) - Manager, First Friday Entertainment

Devon Byers is the Manager and Producer at First Friday Entertainment, a literary management and production company, founded late last year by Devon and former Circle of Confusion manager Krista Sipp. First Friday Entertainment is dedicated to showcasing fresh and unique voices.

Devon's client, screenwriting Victoria Rose, just had Jaeden Martell of It join Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon on Tunnels, which is Directed by John Krokidas (Kill Your Darlings) and will be produced by Highland Film Group. 

Before starting First Friday, Devon was the Development Coordinator at Ideate Media, the film and TV production company behind the BBC America adaptation of Douglas Adams' "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" starring Elijah Wood, the international TOMBIRUO, the series "Mandatori", and the upcoming ROGUE STAR. Devon received his Masters in Producing from the American Film Institute Conservatory where his thesis film, JONESTOWN, won a number of international awards.

Mansi Desai - Development Executive,

Mansi Desai is a Development Executive at Cold Iron Pictures, where she works directly with the principals of the Director of Development and the Vice President of the company to identify and develop projects for production. 

Cold Iron Pictures is a production/financing company that most recently in post-production on their latest Thriller, GOD'S COUNTRY starring Emmy-winner Thandiwe Newton ("WESTWORLD"). 

They also produced BEING FRANKstarring comedian Jim Gaffigan and Anna Gunn. Previously Cold Iron produced SWISS ARMY MAN starring Daniel Radcliffe and Paul Dano, as well as Marielle Heller’s directorial debut THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL starring Bel Powley, Kristen Wiig and Alexander Skarsgård, both of which premiered at Sundance.

Previous Cold Iron releases also include Joseph Cedar’s political drama Norman starring Richard Gere which was released by Sony Pictures Classic; Don't Think Twice, and Lake Bell’s second film I Do...Until I Don't. They also produced the 2019 Sundance hit Untitled Amazing Jonathan Documentary which premiered in the US Documentary Competition section and is available on Hulu.

Prior to joining Cold Iron, Mansi worked in Mumbai as an Assistant Director on Bollywood films such as Prem Ratan Than Payo and Indu Sarkar and as a Producer's Assistant in Dubai before moving to Los Angeles. She assisted in putting together BloodListX in 2018 and now is a Development Executive at Cold Iron Pictures.

Mansi looks for Thriller, Mystery, unique take on Coming-of-Age stories, Diverse stories, Biopics and Dramas.

Please no Horror. 

 

Please note: The industry executives who work with Stage 32 do not accept unsolicited submissions. Contacting this executive with an unsolicited submission outside of Stage 32 is a violation of our user policy and could result in suspension from the site.

Jason Piette (Judge) - Producer/Founder, Disrupting Influence

Jason Piette is a BAFTA-winning producer and film financier with over 50 movies and TV series to his name, including ​The Merchant Of Venice ​starring Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons, Head In The Clouds​ starring Charlize Theron and Penelope Cruz, the $33m ​"Napoleon"​ TV series for A&E, ​Perfect Creatures​ for Twentieth Century Fox; Mark Pellington’s ​I Melt With You ​for Magnolia Pictures and ​Iron Sky​ for eOne.

He is currently executive producing ​Berlin I Love You​, the anthology movie starring Helen Mirren and Keira Knightley, and producing a $30M adaptation of Jack London’s ​White Fang​ in Canada and China.

Jason is founder, director for sales, production and UK distribution group Disrupting Influence, which represents films and TV shows on a worldwide basis and which actively raises equity for film from the European equity markets.

Jason is a graduate of Cambridge University.

Rick Bitzelberger (Judge) - Development Executive, Informant Media

Rick Bitzelberger is the Development Executive at Informant Media, a Los Angeles-based film finance and production company focused on bringing award-winning features and television to millions of people. In this pursuit, Informant has worked with studios including SONY, FOX Searchlight, Lionsgate, Millennium Entertainment, Paramount, HBO, ABC, CBS, NBC, TBS, ABC Family, Lifetime, Hallmark, and MTV.

Informant produced multiple Oscar and Grammy-winner CRAZY HEART starring Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal, International Film Festival Best Picture - Port Hueneme Award-winner STUCK IN LOVE starring Kristen Bell and Jennifer Connelly, the recent KIDNAPPING MR. HEINEKEN starring Sam Worthington and Anthony Hopkins, Myriad Pictures' ERASED with Liana Liberato and Aaron Eckhart, Sony Pictures Classics HYSTERIA starring Felicity Jones and Maggie Gyllenhaal, BOYCHOIR starring Dustin Hoffman and Kathy Bates, and the upcoming CANDY JAR for Netflix starring Sami Gayle, Jacob Latimore and Helen Hunt.