The Nashville Film Festival Screenplay Competition receives over a thousand screenplays every year. Over several months, readers select the best of the best to honor the work of writers across the globe.
It’s an honor to announce this year’s semifinalists, a dedicated and diverse group of artists that have dedicated hours to crafting an entertaining story. Thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s competition. Your words have made us laugh, cry, and jump every time we hear an unexpected noise.
-Cat Stewart, Screenplay Competition Manager
Congratulations to the scripts that advanced from quarterfinalists. Stay tuned in the coming weeks to see which of these scripts makes it to the final round! The winners will be announced at the 55th Nashville Film Festival taking place Sept. 19-25, 2024.
Comedy Feature Semifinalists
- Bad Dates and Aliens by Navid Mehrjou
- Bass Champs by Elizabeth Baquet
- Boom the Conquerer by Ana R. Dominick
- Brave John Burns by John Biolsi
- Cheekbones by Deantre Henderson
- Dick Nixon: Crisis in Space by Danny Rathburn
- Down at the Val by Neil Goodchild
- Emily’s Toy Boy by Paula Smith
- I’m Begging You to Date Me by Fiona Kida
- Janice Beside Herself by Laura Jaques
- Nothing to See Here by Josh Long
- Our Christmas Anniversary by Gary Templeton
- Playing Hero by Warren Lane
- The Formidable Miss Bennet by Alisa Kindsfater
Horror Feature Semifinalists
- Assimilated by Christopher Guerrero
- Blue Dreams by Jonathan Samuel
- Desolation by Frank Kelly
- Edgeplay by Jason Kaleko
- House Of The Deaf Man by Henry Harper
- Indigent by Briana Cox
- Mars One by Andrew Henderson
- No Control by Jeff Bower
- Noctua by Andrew M. Henderson
- Seeking Sugar Mason by Christopher O’Bryant
- The Designer by Em Johnson
- The Knocking At The Marsh by Gina Deangelis
- The Mantis by Wylie Rush & Jessie Gill
- Titch by Jody Matzer
- White Bone by Richard B. Pierre
- Witchsign by Scott Hawthorne
Drama Feature Semifinalists
- Aman And Flor Against The M*ther**cking World by Emilie Blythe McDonald
- Becoming Elizabeth by Aimee Veronica Pitta
- Black Woman Down by Felicia Baxter
- Bounce by Chris Manydeeds
- Crescendo by Michael Carrithers
- Demanding An Answer From God by Kevin J. Howard
- Elephant Path by Robert Wooldridge
- Flowergiver by Alex Ramirez
- Good Chance by Tricia Lee
- Hattie’s House by Dewane Alexander
- How To Heal by Josh Wilson
- Myriam by J Rainsnow
- On The Hook by Sassy Mohen
- R.e.g.g.i.n by A. D. Smith
- Sacrificial Prodigy by Kristen Mcnaule
- Sad Gopher by Brian Koukol
- Speak Easy by Christopher O. Lukens
- Spitting Fire by Angie M. Comer
- Take My Life by Larry Collins
- The Brockton Brawler by Timothy Driscoll
Genre Feature Semifinalists
- Angels In Hip Hop Land by Gail E. Davis & Clyde Santana
- Anywhere by Adam Seidel
- Checkout by Hunter Davis & Bryan Bock
- Driverless by Wilder Konschak & Stirling Mclaughlin
- Echoes In The Dark by Renee Miller
- Falling From The Sky by Robert Rhyne
- Heartrace by Will Bermender
- Inner Station by Matt O’Reilly
- Rikkorrokkir by James Steele Haney
- Riveters by Max Rissman
- Silhouettes by Dustin Richardson
- Stormheart by Meshal Alsaleem
- The Most Marvelous Man In The World by Khris Burton & Colin Scott
- The Night Watchman by Thomas Gaunt
- Tunnels by HF Crum
Half Hour Pilot Semifinalists
- And Also With You by Olivia Marie Haller
- A Black Girl’s Guide… by Aadrise Johnson
- Andi Lake Has Things To Do by Teri Elam
- Blkr Than Black by Emeka Orjiakor
- Kiss My Highness by Michael Rodriguez
- Me! by Deontae Simolien
- Mister Miss America by Neil D’Astolfo
- Procreation, Inc. by Lex Powell
- The Detail by Jonah Einstein
- The Sex Witch Of Templecombe by Christine Burright
- The Switch by Victor Dean
- The Temp by Devi Snively
Hour Pilot Semifinalists
- A Question Of Service by Hans Obma
- Before The After by Laura Brienza
- Butch by Rae Binstock
- Crescent Sun by Ladarrion Williams
- Displacement by Toby Marks
- Free Huey by Phillip Charles
- Melvin by Jeremiah Nemeth
- Men Will Be Boys by Torthell Robinson
- Molotovs by HF Crum
- Superstition by Jeremy St. Romain
- The 147 by John White
- The Battleground by Teri Elam
- The Dragon and The Pendant by Adam Velasquez
- The Girl With The Devil Eyes by Toby Marks
- The Many Girlfriends Of Manny by Kahlil Maskati
- There Goes The Gayborhood by Larry Collins
- Unpredictable by Lisa Hickey
Short Competition Semifinalists
- A Few Perfect Heads by Ben Hirschhorn
- A Long Road Ahead by Bernhard Riedhammer
- Bank Robbery Hottie by Ruby Mainieri
- Become The Wounded by Gabe Berry & Amir Zargara (story by)
- Bomb Ass Boss(es) by Shanice Williamson
- Bound by Kirk Richardson
- Butcher Box by Victor Dean
- Canopy by Shiv B
- Chaste by Joanna Koss
- Cheekbit by William Winston
- Derby City by Tyler Totten
- Heaven Knows by Randall C Willis
- Hood by Dante Desmond
- In Time by Molly-Anne Dameron
- Las Maldecidas by Alycya Magana
- Make A Wish by Lucy Johnson
- Mary Go Round by David-Matthew Barnes
- Me, The Dog, And The Dark Fog by Christopher Shank
- Mirrored Opposition by Nick Mendoza
- Pat by Quamã© Hamlin
- Scars That Define Us by Edward Worthy
- Shinobi Of The West by B.A. Buffong
- The Double’s Life by Cindy Di Xin & Martin Aguilera
- The Evil That Men Do by Steve Hanisch
- The Neuroinfernal Friend by Melissa Balint
- Vital by Gabe Berry & Amir Zargara (story by)
Tennessee Writer Semifinalists
- 901 by Phillip Charles
- Bestial by Tyler Fedele
- Burnt Umber by Seth Christian
- I Am by Phillip Charles
- Let Her Go by Melissa Sheridan & Amy Traurig
- Lunatic by Sally Jane Pitts & Ryan Louis Gaumont
- Mary/mary by Connor Scott Thompson
- Miss Ney by Jan Morrison & Kelly Brownlee
- Music Store Miracle by Alan Sproles & Lizanne Southgate
- R.e.g.g.i.n by A. D. Smith
- The Anchoress by Matthew Fisher
- The Creighton Chronicles: Master Of Death by Ben Parsons
- To The Family Of Verlean Banks by Briana Cox
For more information on the 55th Nashville Film Festival, visit the official festival webpage below:
