8th Annual Feature Comedy Screenwriting Contest

THE WINNER HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED!

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Stage 32 is proud to present the 8th Annual Feature Comedy Screenwriting Contest!

Our Grand Prize winner will:

• Be flown to LA for meetings (travel permitting) to meet with top industry professionals working in the industry with Artists First, Intrigue Entertainment, American High and more!
• Work with Stage 32 to develop your script’s pitch deck for the market.
• Get a free membership to the Stage 32 Writers’ Room and free access to some of Stage 32’s educational resources
• Continued support from the Stage 32 team to help move your career forward and get you in front of decision makers!

ALL 10 Finalists will:

• Have your loglines presented to over 500 industry executives including literary managers, agents and producers in a Stage 32 lookbook. Past lookbook writers have been set up on meetings with 3 Arts Entertainment, UTA, APA, Art/Work Entertainment, Zero Gravity and more!
• Get a free one month membership to the Stage 32 Writers’ Room

Stage 32 will be a champion for your script - once you’re part of our community, we make sure you rise to the top!

Our Feature Comedy Winners See Results

We have helped so many of our previous feature comedy contest winners and finalists get signed and in production. Click the "Success Stories" link here for testimonials from our past winners!

Stage 32 has quickly emerged as the leading source for industry executives to uncover new talent! Is this your year to move the needle on your career?

• Last year’s winners, Rachel & Bobby Eddy, are currently working with a producer they met through Stage 32 to develop their winning script,Jew-ish! (see their video here)
• Eric Jeske was signed to Heroes and Villians 
• Greg Mania signed to with Laina Cohn & Jon Taub of Cohn/Torgan Management
• Diana Wright (Roswell, Adjacent) signed with The Cartel and Abrams Artists Agency
• Anthony Guidubaldi & Keith Strausbaugh (Shorebreak) just released their feature film Marathon! They are also going into development on a spec pilot with Panay Films!
• Kelly Anelons (Life's a Beaut) has had meetings with two of the most respected comedy writer, director, producers in town: Jerry Zucker (Airplane, Naked Gun, My Best Friends Wedding) and Scot Armstrong (Old School, The Hangover II, Road Trip)
• Finalists have had their work requested by and met with managers and producers at Good Fear Content, Amasia Entertainment, Aspire Talent, WME, Cross Creak, Mandalay, Echo Lake, Madhouse Entertainment and many others that they are still in contact with!

Still don’t believe us? Let our past Comedy Winners tell you why you should enter!

Congratulations to our Winner!

Congratulations to our Finalists!

Congratulations to our Semifinalists!

Congratulations to our Quarterfinalists!

About the Stage 32 8th Annual Feature Comedy Contest

Comedy features always have the potential to become classics - we all want more reasons to laugh! Your script could be the beloved film of a generation, and we want to help it get there. 

If you write comedy, this contest could launch your career. We are looking for feature comedy scripts of all subjects - whether your film is edgy, wholesome or anything in between, our judges want to read it! This contest is open to feature length scripts only.

About the Exposure For Your Script

The Grand Prize Winner Will be Flown to Los Angeles to meet with:

• Agustine Calderon, Development Executive, 3Pas Studios (HOW TO BE A LATIN LOVER, HORRIBLE BOSSES)
• Matt Sacca, Head of Development, American High (PLAN B, CRUSH)
• Kevin Parker, Manager, Artists First (Client Credits Include 21 JUMP STREET, FIRED UP!)
• Christina Campagnola, Founder/Manager/Producer, GRLBND Media (Client Credits Include TRAINWRECK, STUBER)
• Ryan Christians, SVP of Scripted Development, Campfire Studios (PLAYERS)
• Jason Benoit, Head of Development & Production, WideAwake, Inc (THAT AWKWARD MOMENT, KILLERS)
• Aaron Cruze, Producer, Cruze & Company (OPERATOR, ACCIDENTALLY IN LOVE)
• Joe Wiggins, Head of Development, Intrigue Entertainment
• Samantha Gordon, Independent Producer
• Kayla Rosenberg, Creative Executive, Osbrink Media (GET SMART)

In addition to these meetings, the winner will also receive unlimited access to Stage 32’s Educational resources, be promoted on Stage 32’s social media, and have their complete portfolios and professional biography sent to an exclusive roster of over 30 agents and managers hand picked by Stage 32 who are actively looking for new clients and material. Stage 32 will facilitate introductory meetings to any of the representatives who respond to your material and bio. This is the type of exposure that will change your career forever!

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.

Important Dates to Be Aware Of

Super Early Bird Deadline: September 15th, 2022

Early Bird Deadline: October 5th, 2022

Regular Deadline: October 26th, 2022

Final Deadline: November 30th, 2022

Quarterfinalist Announcement: February 3rd, 2023

Semifinalist Announcement: February 17th, 2023

Finalist Announcement: March 3rd, 2023

Winner Announcement: March 17th, 2023

Submission Options

Feedback & Resubmission Option

Would you like immediate feedback on your submission and the option to make changes and resubmit? Using our NEW Feedback & Resubmission Option you will get 3-5 pages of coverage/notes back in 5-days with a guaranteed option to resubmit one (1) revised draft of your script up to 10 days after the Final Deadline! See what elements of your script are working and what still needs to be developed. You can position yourself for the best chance of success - all for an additional fee of only $99. Please submit revised drafts to contests@stage32.com.

This option is good for a one-time use and is non-refundable/non-transferable if you do not enter an updated draft. See full terms in the Rules Section.

Feedback Option

We offer discounted coverage for $49.00. With this option, you will receive 1-2 pages of coverage/notes after the Quarterfinalist Announcement on February 3rd, 2023. See full terms in the Rules Section.

Resubmission Option

We offer the option to resubmit a new draft of your script later in the contest for $39.00. You only have until the Final Deadline on November 30th, 2022 to submit a new draft. You cannot submit a new draft after the reading process has commenced or after any announcements have been made.

If you have any questions regarding this contest, check out frequently asked questions here.

Agustine Calderon (Judge & Mentor) - VP of Features, Amigos Studios

Agustine Calderon is the VP of Features at Amigos Studios. Previsouly he was VP of Features at 3Pas ("Trey Pās") which has a First Look production deal with Lionsgate for features, and ABC Signature for series. Their previous 3 projects with Lionsgate have made over $250m in the Global Box Office - starting with breakout remake of the classic OVERBOARD with Anna Ferris.

Previously, Agustine identified the IP, and co-produced TETRIS starring Taron Egerton for Apple+. He also just developed CRITICAL THINKING directed by actor, John Leguizamo.

He was previously an executive at a major production company with a co-financing and production deal at Warner Bros. His production and development credits include HORRIBLE BOSSES, MAD MAX: FURY ROAD, THE REVENANT, BIRDMAN, READY PLAYER ONE, WONDER WOMAN, THE LEGO MOVIE & THE LEGO MOVIE II, THE JUNGLE BOOK.

Agustine is also currently in development on a project with producer Beau Flynn (Rampage, Requiem for a Dream, San Andreas). Agustine specializes in Drama, Horror, Comedy, Action-Comedy Features, and Television of all genres.

 

Ryan Christians (Judge) - SVP, Scripted Content, Campfire Studios

Ryan Christians is the Senior Vice President of Scripted Content at Campfire Studios. Ryan was previously on the team at Marc Platt Productions and has many years of experience developing features. 

Campfire Studios is a premium production company known for its broad bench of content across scripted and non-fiction, for both feature film and TV/streaming platforms. They primarily produce content for streaming services, and have been involved in projects like HEAVEN'S GATE: THE CULT OF CULTS for HBO Max and SPECIAL, JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI and STEPHEN KING'S 1922 for Netflix.

Matt Sacca (Judge) - Head of Development, American High

Matt Sacca is the Head of Development at American High, a production company primarily focused on YA comedy projects. Matt worked his way up through the company, starting as assistant to head of the company Jeremy Garelick, and quickly graduating to a development executive. 

American High has produced films like CRUSH and PLAN B for Hulu. They are looking for more content to bring to Hulu in the future.

Jason Benoit (Judge) - Head of Development and Production, WideAwake, Inc

After graduating from the DGA honored Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts, Jason moved back to Los Angeles where he cut his teeth under Debbie Liebling at 20th Century Fox, slaved away in the ICM mailroom, and most recently worked with former MTV Films/Nickelodeon President and Producer Scott Aversano under his Aversano Films and Additional-Dialogue banners. During his tenure in Los Angeles, Jason has worked on several major motion pictures including:

• Safe House
• Dodgeball
• Killers
• The Last Airbender
• That Awkward Moment

Jason is now the head of development and production at WideAwake, Inc. alongside writer-director Luke Greenfield (LET’S BE COPS, THE GIRL NEXT DOOR). Jason lives and works in Los Angeles. He has two dogs, two cats, and a wife who hates all four.

Aaron Cruze (Judge) - Producer, Cruze & Company

Aaron is the Producer at Cruze & Company, the budding film and television production company that recently released OPERATOR, a comedy that took home Best Director at the Phoenix Film Festival and the Roger Ebert Prize at the Traverse City Film Festival. The film features an all-star cast including Martin Starr ("Silicon Valley", KNOCKED UP, SUPERBAD), Mae Whitman ("Arrested Development", "Parenthood", THE DUFF) and Retta ("Parks and Recreation").

Aaron is currently prepping a horror/comedy with 2-time Emmy-nominee Adam Penn ("The People v. O.J. Simpson", "American Horror Story") writing/directing and producing with Sam Esmail (creator of "Mr. Robot"), that we’ll be shooting early next year. Aaron also just optioned a Romantic Thriller and an action book series to adapt for TV.

Aaron got his start as a Development Executive at Persistent Entertainment (PASSENGERS, DEEP IN THE VALLEY, REMEMBER THE DAZE) before moving to FX Networks and then founding Cruze & Company in 2013.

Kevin Parker (Judge) - Manager, Artists First

Kevin Parker is a talent manager with Artists First. With over 20 years of experience, Parker represents actors, writers, and directors for both film and television. In his time at Artists First, Parker’s clients have created and/or starred in over 50 televisions shows and movies including the feature films BEATS (Netflix), MORTAL KOMBAT (New Line Cinema), BAD BOYS FOR LIFE (Sony) as well as the Hulu series WOKE, the Peacock series BEL-AIR, the NBC series GRAND CREW, and the CW series TOM SWIFT.

Kayla Rosenberg (Judge) - Creative Executive, Osbrink Media

Kayla Rosenberg is a Creative Executive at Osbrink Media, ran by Writer, Director, Producer, and Actor Chris Osbrink. Chris is also the Director at ShadowMachine ("BoJack Horseman", "Robot Chicken", "TripTank") and the former VP of Development at Callahan Filmworks (GET SMART, GRUDGE MATCH, THE LONGEST YARD).

Chris recently produced STAND with Dreamscape Media, and is currently showrunning the live-action/animation hybrid series "Greatest Party Story Ever" for MTV. He has multiple comedies in development, a puppet feature with YouTubeRed, and is hard at work on the feature film COLLARED, with the producers of WHIPLASH. COLLARED is the inaugural feature launching the new Bron Studios (FENCES, UNA, THE BIRTH OF A NATION) genre label, The Realm.

Kayla is an accomplished screenwriter in her own right, having written for both live-action and animated comedy television series. She is currently staffed on an animated series at ShadowMachine.

Christina Campagnola (Judge) - Manager & Producer, GRLBND Media

Christina Campagnola is one of the founders of GRLBND, a female-owned and operated collective of managers and producers who are committed to amplifying diverse voices across all genres and platforms.

Christina started her management career at Imagine Artist Management. Before management, Christina was an agent in the Motion Picture Literary Department at the Agency for the Performing Arts where she represented filmmakers. During her time at APA, she helped launch their Independent Film Packaging and Sales division where she sold independent features and consulted for film funds.

She is the co-founder of the Untitled Ladies Script Club and serves on the Dean’s Council of the Florida State University Film School, where she received a BFA in Film Production.

Joe Wiggins (Judge) - Head of Development, Intrigue Entertainment

Joe Wiggins is a Creative Executive with Intrigue Entertainment, a Santa Monica-based film and television production company founded in 2009 by Tariq Jalil, dedicated to producing outstanding, engaging and occasionally poignant film and television programming.

They most recently produced "Game of Silence" for NBC and currently have a dozen television projects set up around town. Intrigue is in development on "Hail Mary" and "Paperhanger" with ABC, "Blowback" & "Braunschlag" with The CW, "Elements" with USA & co-produced with Amblin Entertainment, "Dr Illegal" & "Lynch" with CBS, "Ouro" with FX, "Dealers of Lightining" with History Channel & co-produced with eOne, "Einstein", with Universal Television Studios, and more!

They are already in development on BOOK OF LEO set up at Universal Pictures (Sean William Scott set to star), CAMDEN packaged with Laurence Fishburne and set up with The Exchange (OBVIOUS CHILD), INTRUSION set up at MGM slated for production, and THE GUN SHOW spec was recently sold to Paramount Pictures.

Wiggins worked for manager/producer Sukee Chew (JESUS HENRY CHRIST, DARK TIDE) and casting director Nancy Nayor (ROAD TRIP, THE GRUDGE, SCREAM 4) before joining Intrigue in early 2012.

Samantha Gordon (Judge) - Independent Producer,

Samantha is an independent producer. She currently works with Executive Producer of Ted Lasso, Jamie Lee. Previously, she has worked with some of the top production companies such as Cate Blanchette’s Dirty Films, Playground Entertainment, and MGold Productions. She has a few features on her slate and looking to add more.