First annual Montana Screenwriting Competition names winners
The winner and finalists have been selected in the first annual Montana Screenwriting Competition, which challenged writers to create scripts set in Montana. The screenwriting competition was held in conjunction with the fourth annual Bigfork Film Festival, which was postponed from April to Oct. 2-4 due to the coronavirus pandemic. While the festival won’t be held until the fall, script judges were still able to evaluate screenwriting entries and awarded first prize to Larry Baer’s screenplay “Where Buffalo Roam.” The screenplay will be read live by members of the Bigfork Community Players under the direction of Michele Shapero on Sunday, Oct. 4. The screenplay is described as a mystery-romance set in Flathead Valley.
These scripts were evaluated by a judging panel of experienced script readers and industry pros coordinated by competition creator, Barbara Schiffman, a retired Hollywood script reader and creative producer now living in Whitefish.
“I treat screenplays as a literary art form – not just a blueprint for a film. The creativity and craft seen in the submissions to our new regional competition was impressive, and I’m delighted that many of the semi and finalist writers are from Flathead Valley and Western Montana,” Schiffman said. “We’re eager to honor more Montana screenwriters in 2021 as well as film stories that can showcase our state’s memorable and unique locations — especially now that the Montana Economic Development Industry Advancement Act provides generous tax incentives for movies and TV series to be shot in Montana. We want to help Hollywood and also local filmmakers find Montana writers and scripts.”
The 2021 Montana Screenwriting Competition entry period is set to open in mid-August and will close in late February 2021. Schiffman also provides free education for Montana writers about screenwriting and adapting books to film through the Montana Screenwriting and Storycrafting Meetup group, which features script of the month discussions and online interviews with MTSC 2020 judges.
Finalist Writers:
Larry Baer, of Polson: “Where Buffalo Roam”
Nancy Ann Bevins, of Missoula: “Blonde Instinct”
Libbie Sue Lapp, of Kalispell: “Mirebalais”
Michael John Petty, of Bozeman: “Bright Morning Star”
Marsha Nash Sultz, of Kalispell: “Murder on the Fly”
Cynthia Webb, of Helena: “Wolf Con”
Semi-Finalist Writers:
Mark Beech and Linda Gray, of Battle Creek, Nebraska: “Open Road”
Diana T. Black, Kaneohe, Hawaii: “Long Path to Peace”
Josiah Burdick, of Kalispell: “Useless”
Douglas Hall and Mark Bracich, of Marion: “Survivor’s Faith”
Scott O’Neill, of Temecula, California: “Back”
Michele Page and Dana Summers, of Whitefish and Whitewater, Colorado: ”Ghost Dogs”
Vincent Rannazzisi and Nick Simko, of Olney: “Take 5”
Michael Rhodes of Austin, Texas: “Bison Man”
Justin Spencer and Jason Farley, of Moscow, Idaho and Spokane, Washington: “Timshel, MT”
Serita Stevens, of Sylmar, California: “Logan’s Land”
Sarah Stusek, of Annapolis, Maryland: “Three Rivers”
Kyle Weingart, of Los Angeles, California: “A Secret Santa”