#NFF18 Showtime's Tony Cox Feature Screenplay, Episodic Screenplay (60 Min), and Shorts Writer Semifinalists Announced!

Congratulations to all - keep an eye out for finalists, to be announced soon!

Feature Screenplay Semifinalists:

CAMBRIDGE by Henry Hayes and Zolan Kanno-Youngs
DEALING WITH DAD by Tom Huang
FELL SWOOP by Clay Prietsch
THE HEART OF A TIGER by SreyRam Kuy
THE NOVICE by Lauren Hadaway
OIL AND WATER by Alfred Thomas Catalfo and Morgan Webster Dudley
OSCAR AND ELLA by Lindsay McRae
QUEENS by Max Sokoloff
SAINTS AND POETS by Richard LaPorta
YOUTH DECAY by Brandon Hall

Episodic 60 Min Pilot Screenplay Semifinalists:

BETWEEN THE EYES by G.J. Lee
DETESTABLE by Brandon Morrissey
KYLA'S WAR by Hank Isaac
LEGACY by Kellen Hertz
OH, MIGHTY RIVER by Dan Ritter
SUNDOWN by Melody Cooper

Short Screenplay Semifinalists:

ASSISTS, GOALS, SAVES by Kelly Pike
CINDERELLA WAR by Margaret Kane-Rowe
EMPATHIC by John Burdeaux
THE INVISIBLE MONSTER by Gordon LePage
SAL by Zoe Mancuso

Showtime's Tony Cox Episodic Screenplay (30 Min) Competition Semi-Finalists

NFF is pleased to announce the five semi-finalists of our Showtime Tony Cox Episodic Screenplay (30 Min) Competition. These five are in contention to win the following: a $1000 cash prize, an all-access badge to the 2016 Nantucket Film Festival, consultation with a Showtime executive, participation in the Mentor’s Brunch and, new this year, an all-inclusive, two-week-long writer's retreat on Nantucket in June with The Screenwriter's Colony and NFF.   
Also new this year is announcing the 30 Minute TV Pilot category earlier than the other three categories in the Showtime Tony Cox Screenplay Competitions.  Stay tuned for news on the other categories in May, but for now, learn about the 30 minute scripts and screenwriters below. Be sure to check back during the week of April 25th for the announcement of the winner.

30 Minute TV Pilot Semi-Finalists

ARUN NARAYANAN

The Adventures of Ash and Owen                                                                                                                                   Synopsis: Ashwin "Ash" Balasubramanian is a Dr. Dre fanatic and a social outcast in his predominately white middle school in Connecticut. When a new student, Owen Morris, approaches him with a scheme to charge five dollars to complete their peer's math homework, they form a friendship that is anything but simple.

Bio: Arun Narayanan is a writer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. His writing/directing credits include the short films: CELLULOID DREAMS, which aired on PBS’s Shorts Showcase in 2013, and FALSE WITNESS, which will air on ShortsHD in 2016. He is currently writing a made-for-television feature film for Larry Levinson Productions, which is his first paid job as a screenwriter.

HUONG NGUYEN

The Disappointments
Synopsis:  Christine, a Vietnamese American, has put her career on hold to deal with her divorce. Through flashbacks we find out that her three siblings have also left promising careers--violinist, lawyer, entrepreneur-- behind, and now all four are running their overbearing mother's donut shop.

Bio: Huong Nguyen was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and raised by a single-mother in Virginia. Huong graduated from the University of Virginia in 2005.  After graduation, Huong pursued a corporate career, but kept writing at night. While working at Kaiser Permanente, her first spec for Modern Family made her a finalist in the Nickelodeon Writing Fellowship. Since leaving Kaiser, Huong has worked as a writer’s assistant on Mr. Box Office. She currently works as a writer/producer for WorldWise Productions. 

WYNDHAM LEWIS

The Godmother
Synopsis:  The dark horse of a perfect family is called on to take care of her spoiled niece and nephew when her rich sister and brother-in-law go to prison for fraud.

Bio: Wyndham Lewis is a television writer who most recently served as Story Editor and Staff Writer for the Emmy Award winning Showtime series, Nurse Jackie. Previously, Wyndham served as Speechwriter, Press Secretary and Chief of Staff serving four Massachusetts Governors.  During his time in television and politics, his political, food, lifestyle, sports and technology articles were published in several newspapers and magazines including: Esquire; Details; Boston Magazine; Boston Globe; Boston Herald; Boston Phoenix.

MATTHEW GALLAGHER

My Right Wing Bride
Synopsis:  When sparks fly between a media savvy right wing political dynamo and a hard-core liberal journalist, their romance rattles their families, and their own world views.

Bio:  Matthew Gallagher hails from Danbury, Connecticut and attended Tisch School of the Arts at NYU.  Gallagher is the playwriting professor at Eastern Connecticut State University, where he also teaches acting and writing.

BRYAN RIEDEL

WPRO
Synopsis:  A failing sports talk radio station has one last shot at returning to its former glory, before ownership decides to sell it for good.

Bio:  Bryan Riedel has been a professional writer for over nine years with experience in film, television and commercials. He worked on NBC’s 30Rock for six seasons, beginning as a production assistant, moving up to writer’s assistant. He is a member of the Writers Guild.  In addition to pitching his television comedy pilot, he’s writing a ten-episode webseries.