Official 2024 Screenplay Selections
En Root
Written by Rashmi Singh
Logline
A Brooklyn woman returns to her mother’s home in India after many years and reconnects with estranged family unearthing old secrets and wounds.
Screenwriter Bio
Storytelling beyond genres and mediums, connecting past borders and barriers, Rashmi is a multi-hyphenate content creator and performer. A 2023-2024 WGAE & FilmNation NY Screenwriting Fellow, Baldwin Fellow For The Arts, Rashmi writes character-driven, female-fronted stories across genres.
Website: linktr.ee/everythingrashmi
Social Media:
Spitting Fire
Written by Angie Comer
Logline
A hip hop fairy tale about the profound effect rap music and a rebellious poetry teacher have on a student with a severe stutter.
Screenwriter Bio
Angie did not choose writing and directing; it chose her. A fangirl of horror, dark comedies and true crime, Angie started writing specs for TV shows, like “30 Rock,” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” An alumna of the AFI Directing Workshop for Women, Angie directed her 7th short film in 2022; a dark comedy entitled “The Smartest Dumb Girl,” featuring stand-up comedians Zainab Johnson from Amazon Prime “UPLOAD” and Jenny Zigrino. “Spitting Fire” is Angie’s 8th feature screenplay. Determined to make this her feature directorial debut, Angie has a pitch deck and concept trailer to join her script.
Website: www.angiecomer.rocks
If I Die in America
Written by Ward Kamel
Logline
After the sudden death of his immigrant husband, a young American man’s tenuous relationship with his foreign Muslim in-laws reaches a breaking point as he tries to fit into the funeral they’ve arranged in the Middle East.
Screenwriter Bio
Ward Kamel is a Syrian filmmaker based in Brooklyn. He is an Academy Nicholl Fellow, and his latest short, If I Die in America, premiered at SXSW®. His work has screened at Palm Springs Shortfest, Hollyshorts, Newfest, and NFFTY, where he won Best Director. His work has been featured as a Vimeo Staff Pick and a Short of the Week selection. The latest short he produced, Aziz, was a semifinalist in the Student Academy Awards®. Ward is a graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and was the commencement speaker for his class.
Website: wardkamel.com
Social Media:
Kevin
Written by Camrus Johnson
Logline
When a teenager suddenly becomes the caretaker for his “evil” great- aunt, he’s forced to grow up in more ways than one.
Screenwriter Bio
A true multi-hyphenate, Camrus Johnson adapted the Best-Selling Novel HIDE & SEEKER into a 2022-23 Blacklist selected feature script entitled THE SEEKER, directed the television movie REAL LOVE for Mary J. Blige/SONY, and won over 30 awards & nominations for his three short films (two of which being animated).
Johnson not only starred as ‘Batwing/Luke Fox’ in 3 seasons of the CW/HBO Max series BATWOMAN but also directed episode 311. Most recently he appeared in the Emmy Award-winning television movie QUIZ LADY and will soon be seen as Mr. 5 in season 2 of Netflix’s ONE PIECE.Social Media:
Fuego
Written by Edwin Frank Ortiz
Logline
Ignited by his late Father’s “Fuego”, a bartender takes one more shot at starting a business by stepping into the world of salsa dancing. However, he struggles with patience from a demanding brother and a secret romantic desire for his salsa teacher, threatening to extinguish his fantasies.
Screenwriter Bio
Edwin Frank Ortiz is a Puerto Rican, Mexican American filmmaker from Barrio Logan of Southeast San Diego. He graduated from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts with an emphasis on directing and production planning. Edwin began his artistic journey as a break dancer at Point Loma High School before pursuing film. He learned how to dance by watching MTV music videos before the morning school bus rides. The catalyst in his journey was when a colleague asked Edwin if he could dance and act in his film. Being new to acting, he loved it and wanted to pursue it ever since. This eventually introduced him to film production and the rest is history. FrankO is currently a teaching artist for Media Arts Center San Diego and loves to host story development workshops for the community. In his free time, he can be found dancing Salsa or Bachata.
Website: instagram.com/fuego.shortfilm
Social Media:
SCREENPLAY FINALIST MENTOR
JAMAL JOSEPH
Jamal Joseph is a two-time recipient of the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame Prized Pieces Award, a New Foundation of the Arts Fellowship, a recipient of the Paul Robeson Award from the Actors Equity Association, a best song Academy Award Nominee and an alum of the Sundance Directing Lab. He is a Professor of Professional Practice in Film at Columbia University’s Graduate Film Program and Co-Chair of Columbia U. School of the Arts Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
His feature film (director, co-writer) “Chapter & Verse” (theatrical and BET) won the Pan African Film Festival Audience Choice Award and was a New York Times Critic’s pick. Jamal’s other writing and directing credits include “Drive by” and “Da Zone” for STARZ in BLACK, “Hard Chorus” and “Hip Hop in the Promised Land” for Comedy Central,” and “Hughes Dream Harlem” for PBS. Additional screenplay credits include “Knights of the South” for A&E and “Ali: An American Hero” for FOX. Jamal is co-Creator and Executive Producer of the Productivity Media action series “Shotgun Mary” (a spin-off of Neflix’s Warrior Nun). Jamal is a producer and is featured in the upcoming FX Docuseries “Dear Mama” about the life and legacy of Tupac and Afeni Shakur. Jamal is featured in the PBS documentary “Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution” and the EPIX docuseries “The Godfather of Harlem.” He is the author of “Tupac Legacy” and his memoir “Panther Baby” which he is developing as a dramatic series for STARZ.
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