Member Achievements:
September 2008:
Congratulations to the top three finishers in the 2008 WA State Screenplay Competition! Granz prize winner is “Castaway Vacation” by Deborah Kellogg of Woodinville, NWSG Member and Former President. Runner up goes to “Crawl” by David Rech of Seattle, NWSG Member. First runner up goes to “Gravity Gaming” by Ruth Mary Kulstad of Seattle, another NWSG Member.
Aadip Desai (and his writing partner, Jen Peel) made it to the second round of the Austin Film Festival with their script, "Happy Accident."
David Larson's "Laced Up" also made it to the 2nd round. This year, second rounders comprised of the top 12% out out over 4,000 entries.
July 2008:
[OPTION ALERT] Betty Ryan and Carinn Mammen had their script, "The Guy's Girl" optioned by Ruthe Rosaler, Head of Production at Empire Entertainment. This is their first option.
Former NWSG Member, Kent Jameson won first place in the Screenwriting Category of the 2008 PNWA Literary Contest.
Deb Kellogg, with her script "Castaway Vacation" and Ruth Kulstad, with her script "Gravity Gaming" are finalists in the Washington State Screenplay Competition.
June 2008:
Betty Ryan and Carinn Mammen had their script, "The Guy's Girl" requested by Empire Entertainment, Mark Gordon Company, Neo Art & Logic, and Shamrock Motion Pictures (development deal with DreamWorks). This was a result of Betty's attendance at the Great American PitchFest.
Aadip Desai (and his writing partner, Jen Peel) sent off their script, "Happy Accident," to Palak Patel at Spring Creek Productions.
May 2008:
Former NWSG Board Member, Michael Callahan's script "The Last Gunfighter" made it to the Quarter-Finals of the Nicholl competition. Congrats, Michael. That is truly exciting.
[OPTION ALERT] Independent Producer Joseph Barmettler of New Integrity Films has optioned the screenplay "Control Alt Delete" (aka "Gravity Gaming") from Ruth Kulstad. This is Ruth's first option! New Integrity Films produced the hybrid feature, "Alien Secrets," which is being distributed by Warner Home Entertainment. Barmettler is also the producer of the soon-to-be-released, "Green Flash," starring David Charvet ( “Baywatch,” “Melrose Place” ), Torrey Devitto (“I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer,” “One Tree Hill”) and Kristin Cavallari (“Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County”). Barmettler, who found the screenplay by searching InkTip.com, is an established independent producer of feature films, dramatic series and Discovery Channel documentary series.
Marilyn Atlas requested the first Act of Joe Hawkin's script and Shawn Boxe's feature script.
Aadip Desai (and his writing partner, Jen Peel) sent off a synopsis of their script, "Happy Accident," to Victoria Wisdom.
Betty Ryan and Carinn Mammen sent off their requested script, "The Guy's Girl," to Village Roadshow and Misher Films.
Apr 2008:
Aadip Desai (and his writing partner, Jen Peel) sent off their script, "Happy Accident," to Misher Films.
[OPTION ALERT] Julie Bliss Umbreit's soccer comedy script, "Hot Tamales," was optioned by Howard Dratch, a producer/director/writer from L.A. Dratch was nominated for a Primetime Emmy and other awards as executive producer of PATH TO WAR (2002).
Feb 2008:
James Canfield Wolf's original TV pilot "Private Investigations" was a semi-finalist in this year's Scriptapalooza.
Oct 2007:
Former NWSG Members, Troy Hunter and Geoff Miller took first place in the science-fiction category of the 2007 Austin Heart of Film Screenplay Competition, with their script, "Keys To The Kingdom."
Eva Sutherland was a top 30 finalist out of 3,519 entries in this year's Scriptapalooza.
Bill Abelson (and Mark Kirby's) comedy "Chocolate Fudge Darts" (now titled "The Blacktivist"), was a Quarterfinalist in the 2007 Filmmakers International Screenwriting Competition, out of 1,300 entries. They also just missed the quarterfinals in the Nicholl Fellowship by 100 entries.
Yarrow Wayman's comedy script, "Messiah #247" received the 2007 Moondance Starfish.
Victoria MacDonald's script, "Gyldan Birthday," was a Spirit of Moondance Award Winner for best feature animation.
Clete Smith's script, "Heistwise," was named a quarterfinalist in the 2007 Screenwriting Expo Screenplay Competition (top 10% out of 2,500 entries) AND was a finalist in the 2007 Script Savvy Screenplay Competition (top 10 scripts out of 587 entries).
Sep 2007:
Margaret Friedman has done it again! Her two scripts have advanced to the quarterfinals and now to the semifinals of the 2007 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting. CONGRATULATIONS MARGARET and thanks for all of your many years of work as both a Compendium Member and Board Member of the NWSG.
Aug 2007:
Congratulations to the winners of the NWFF 2007 Washington State Screenplay Competition, including Margaret Friedman for "Do No Harm," Carinn Mammen and Betty Ryan for "Imagiro," and former member Brian McDonald for "Graverobbers."
Joe Acton's movie Courage Doesn't Ask has been selected by 24 film festivals and received 5 awards. Joe hopes to have it qualified for Academy consideration in August. Also, two of his screenplays finished 1st and 3rd at the RealheArt International Film Festival from a field of over 600 screenwriters.
Yarrow Wayman is a top ten finalist in the 2007 Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA) Screenplay Competition. Yarrow's screenplay "The Etruscan Star," placed in the top ten of the 2006 Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA) Screenplay Competition.
July 2007:
Aadip Desai's screenplay treatment, "Torn," has been requested by Virgin Comics for a possible graphic novel/comic book series.
Julie Umbreit's screenplay "The Youngest Convict," is one of 117 quarterfinalists in the American Screenwriters Association (ASA) International Screenwriting Competition and has gone on to the next level of judging. Semifinalists and finalist to be announced in August at the San Diego Film Festival. It also placed in the top ten of the 2006 Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA) Screenplay Competition.
Peter Koslik's spec, “Dust My Blues,” co-written with noted blues musician and playwright Jon Morris, received a bronze medal in the 2007 Houston Worldfest screenplay competition. Based on its standing in the 2006 Slamdance Film Festival, it was requested by Lee Daniels Entertainment, the producers of "Monster's Ball." Incidentally, Lee Daniels accepts unsolicited scripts.
Nov 2006:
[OPTION ALERT] Susan Johnston and Select Services Films, optioned “The Reckoning,” a futuristic action script with a western flair, written by Michael DiMartino. Susan also optioned Michael's screenplay “The Road to Tombstone,” after he pitched to her at our July pitch session. Richard Tyson (Blackhawk Down, Something About Mary, Three O'Clock High, Kindergarten Cop, Two Moon Junction) has signed on and Susan is busy finding a director and arranging for distribution.
Margaret Friedman was a quarterfinalist in the 2006 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting and her screenplay, “Big Mouth” was second runner up in the 2006 Washington State Screenplay Competition.
Aadip Desai's short script, "A Kiss At The Zoo," placed in the Top 20% (out of 1,176 entries) at the 2006 American Gem Short Competition and made it to the second round of the 2006 Slamdance Screenplay Competition.
James Canfield won the Columbine Award in the 2006 Moondance Screenplay Competition with “Broken Record.”
Sandra Ahola's screenplay “Maura's War," a nine-minute drama, was one of three selected for the 2006 Fly Filmmaking Challenge by the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF).
Mark Martino's “The Magic of the Deal” placed in the top ten of the 2006 Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA) Screenplay Competition. “The Magic of the Deal” also made the first cut into the top fifteen percent of over 4,000 entries in the 2006 Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition.
If you have an achievement you'd like to tell us about, please Contact us with details.