1st Annual Diversity Springboard Screenwriting Contest

THE WINNER HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED! SCROLL DOWN TO SEE!!!

In our ongoing mission to discover new talent from all over the world, Stage 32 is thrilled to announce our first Annual Diversity Springboard Screenwriting Contest!

ALL Finalists will not only receive exposure to our incredible panel of judges, but they will also have their titles and loglines featured in the Stage 32's industry Look Book which will be sent to over 500 executives and professionals who work directly with Stage 32. If an executive requests your script or a meeting with you, we will facilitate!

Our Grand Prize Winner will be flown to Hollywood (travel permitting) to meet with some of the most connected and successful executives in the business.

This is access and opportunity like no other.

Feature and television projects from diverse writers, and stories with traditionally unheard perspectives, are essential to art, entertainment, and advancing the conversation in a way that has largely been ignored by Hollywood. However, these days, much to our contentment, things are changing. With the powerful evolution of new voices in both features and TV, projects like QUEEN AND SLIM, THE FAREWELL, ATLANTA, CRAZY RICH ASIANS, BLACK-ISH, POSE, LOVE SUGAR, INSECURE are thriving and leading the charge for more stories featuring diverse characters.

In Stage 32's ongoing commitment to find the top undiscovered talent in the world, we are proud to announce our inaugural Diversity Springboard Screenwriting Contest. Since its inception in 2011 when we launched with our "One Love" initiative, Stage 32 has been committed to providing opportunities and a platform for unrepresented and underrepresented creatives from all backgrounds, including people of color, women, LGBTQ+, and those who are passionate about storytelling despite adversity. (Check out our ONE LOVE initiative here)

Now, Stage 32 is conducting a worldwide search for the best screenplays and teleplays from writers of diverse backgrounds or writers with diverse and unique stories.

If you have a diverse and unique story that needs to be told, or if you come from an underrepresented background, now is the time to bring show us what you've got, because our goal is to amplify your voice, give you the access Stage 32 is known for, and springboard your writing career to the next level!

The Grand Prize Winner will be flown to LA (travel permitting) and meet with your Mentor Board from:

• NBCUniversal
• Disney/ABC Television Group
• CBSViacom
• Lee Daniels Entertainment (LEE DANIELS' THE BUTLER, PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE)
• MetaMorphic Entertainment (Amazon Studios)
• Artists First Entertainment (CRAZY RICH ASIANS, BLACK-ISH, MIXED-ISH)
• Alta Global Media (BLACKKKLANSMAN)
• Energy Entertainment
• First Friday Entertainment
• Bounce TV
• And more

If you make the top 10, you still get massive exposure to decision makers!

ALL FINALISTS will be in a Stage 32 Look Book which includes their script title, logline & bio mailed to over 500 industry executives including, managers, agents, producers, development executives, and financiers! Stage 32 Look Books are respected throughout the industry and have helped secure dozens meetings and which have led to writer success with companies like Verve, Good Fear, 3 Arts, APA, Echo Lake, Amazon, UTA, CAA, WME, First Friday, Pathfinder, The Cartel, Art/Work and many, many more.

Who's the Mentor Board? 

Stage 32 Gets Results!

Stage 32 screenwriting and television writing competitions have springboarded over TWENTY screenwriting careers!  All of these writers have either been signed, optioned, or are now working screenwriters in the industry.

Some highlights from Stage 32 contest winners and finalists in the last 12 months alone include:

• Eric Jeske - was signed by literary managers Krista Sipp and Devon Byers of First Friday Entertainment after being set up on a meeting by Stage 32!
• Greg Mania - was signed by Laina Cohn and Jon Taub of Cohn/Torgan Management after being set up on a meeting by Stage 32! 
• Christina Pamies - was signed by prolific spec script selling manager Jake Wagner of Alibi Entertainment after being set up on a meeting by Stage 32! She was hired to write the horror Thriller BAGHEAD for StudioCanal (see the announcement on Deadline here)!
• Christine Torres - signed with prolific manager and producer Brooklyn Weaver of Energy Entertainment after being set up on a meeting by Stage 32!
• See dozens of success stories below under "Our Track Record"

What Types Of Scripts Can I Enter?

We’re looking for any and all original screenplays and teleplays.

Feature Length Screenplays:

All genres of feature film screenplays are welcome.

Teleplays:

All genres of 30 or 60 minute Original Pilots. Please no spec scripts based on existing shows.

Feedback Option

For an additional fee of only $49 you can receive full coverage from our industry readers on your screenplay or teleplay. Just check "coverage" upon checkout. Coverage will be sent out after the winners are announced.

"I found Stage 32’s contest coverage far better than some other services I have used in the past, where I felt almost assaulted. Please thank him or her for a well-done job. It was my first try with Stage 32 but it will not be my last." - Bob C.

"Stage 32 contest coverage is even better than some of the industry coverage I received. Thank you for these invaluable notes!" - E. Robinson

"The insight from my coverage from the Stage 32 contest helped me improve my script's dimension exponentially. I had looked at the script so much that I can't believe I missed a major plot point. Thank you!!" - S. Persons

Unprecedented access. Greater opportunities. Better exposure. More reads.

Real success!

The Grand Prize Winner 

The Grand Prize Winner will be flown to Hollywood (travel permitting) and sent on private one-on-one meetings with their Diverse Voices Springboard Screenwriting Contest Mentor Board:

• NBCUniversal
• Disney/ABC Television Group
• Lee Daniels Entertainment (LEE DANIELS' THE BUTLER, PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE)
• MetaMorphic Entertainment (Amazon Studios)
• Artists First Entertainment (CRAZY RICH ASIANS, BLACK-ISH, MIXED-ISH)
• Alta Global Media (BLACKKKLANSMAN)
• First Friday Entertainment
• Energy Entertainment
• Bounce TV
• Producer of FOX's SEARCHING
• Managers from First Friday Entertainment
• And more!

In addition, Stage 32's executive team will send your screenplay title, logline, writer bio & script synopsis to over 500 development executives, producers, managers & agents who work with Stage 32. If an executive requests the script or a meeting, we will facilitate the delivery.

If you make the top 10, you still get massive exposure to decision makers!

ALL FINALISTS will be in a Stage 32 Look Book which includes their script title, logline & bio mailed to over 500 industry executives including, managers, agents, producers, development executives, and financiers! Stage 32 Look Books are some of the most sought after talent resources for the industry and have helped secure meetings with places like Verve, Good Fear, 3 Arts, APA, Echo Lake, Amazon, UTA, CAA, WME, First Friday, Pathfinder, The Cartel, Art/Work and many, many more.

Brian Dobbins (Mentor) - Co-President/Manager, Artists First

For the past 19 years, E. Brian Dobbins has been a Talent and Literary Manager at Artists First. Dobbins began his career at United Talent Agency and subsequently left to work in development at HBO Pictures.

 

His experiences at UTA and HBO lead him to realize the vital nature of managers and decided to pursue a career in talent and literary management. Dobbins left HBO and joined Interact Management where he utilized his knowledge of development in order to build a client list consisting of young and exciting writers and directors. Eighteen months later, Dobbins added actors to his list of clients and moved to Polestar Management. A year-and-a-half later, he joined Artists First, where he was recently named Co-President of the company.

 

At Artists First, Dobbins has expanded his management career to also include producing. His producing credits include Fox’s TV series “Do Not Disturb,” the Oxygen cable network series “Campus Ladies,” ABC and 20th Century Fox’s TV pilot “Adopted,” and the film THE SEA OF TREES starring Matthew McConaughey and directed by Gus Van Sant, which premiered at Cannes. Dobbins currently serves as an Executive Producer on the critically-acclaimed ABC series BLACK-ISH, created by client Kenya Barris that also stars clients Tracee Ellis Ross and Anthony Anderson. Most recently, BLACK-ISH took home five awards at the NAACP Image Awards. In addition, BLACK-ISH and clients Anthony Anderson and Tracee Ellis Ross were each nominated for Golden Globes over the past two years; Tracee Ellis Ross won the Golden Globe in 2017 for her performance on the show. Dobbins is also an executive producer of the BLACK-ISH spinoff GROWN-ISH on Freeform.

 

In addition to Anthony Anderson, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Kenya Barris (all of BLACKISH), Brian also represents clients such as writer/actor Nat Faxon (THE WAY WAY BACK, Oscar Winner for THE DESCENDANTS, FRIENDS FROM COLLEGE), Andre Braugher (BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREET), Jon Chu (CRAZY RICH ASIANS, NOW YOU SEE ME: THE SECOND ACT), Niecy Nash (CLAWS, SCREAM QUEENS, GETTING ON, WHEN THEY SEE US), Tracy Oliver (GIRLS TRIP, BARBERSHOP: THE NEXT CUT, FIRST WIVES CLUB) and producer Stephanie Allain (DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, HUSTLE AND FLOW).

 

A native of Long Beach, California, Dobbins graduated from UCLA with a degree in English.

Meagan A. Culberson (Judge & Mentor) - Management Coordinator, Alta Global Media

Meagan A. Culberson is the Management Coordinator for Alta Global Media, a joint venture between Peabody Award-winning Manager/Producer Steven Adams and Theo Dumont that represents international talent, writers/directors, and media companies for the US Market. At AGM, Meagan helps manage international talent and media companies and helps clients develop their tv and film slates.

Steven Adams is a producer on the Netflix Original adaptation of Roger Guenveur Smith’s solo performance piece RODNEY KING and the Peabody Award winning A HUEY P NEWTON STORY for Starz, both directed by Academy Award winner Spike Lee. Adams recently collaborated on the marketing of 2 seasons Spike Lee’s hit series Netflix SHE’S GOTTA HAVE IT, and the Academy Award winning BLACKKKLANSMAN.

Theo Dumont has a tremendous amount of entertainment publicity experience. He is the co-founder and co-director of the Oscar-Qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival, Hollywood Comedy Festival and co-founder of the Mammoth Film Festival. Prior to Alta Global Media, Dumont was Head of Marketing at Buffalo 8 and Director of Corporate Communications at MGM Studios.

Director of TV Development (Judge) - Director of TV Development, Lee Daniels Entertaiment

This judge is the Director of TV Development at Lee Daniels Entertainment. Lee Daniels is an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker whose work is trademarked by authenticity and candor, providing audiences with a unique and refreshing experience with each of his projects. In 2013 he released the critically acclaimed box office smash LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER. The film, released in August 2013, held the number one box office spot for three consecutive weeks and has to date grossed over $175million worldwide.

Daniels is widely known for his Academy Award-winning film PRECIOUS: BASED ON THE NOVEL PUSH BY SAPPHIRE, in 2009. PRECIOUS was nominated for six Academy Awards, including nominations for Daniels in the category of "Achievement in Directing" and "Best Motion Picture of the Year, and wins in the categories of “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” and “Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay.”

Daniels was the first African American to be nominated for the Director's Guild of America Award for "Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film" on behalf of PRECIOUS. It was also nominated for three Golden Globe awards including "Best Picture Drama," and was nominated for eight NAACP Image Awards, six of which it won, in categories including "Outstanding Motion Picture" and "Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture, Theatrical or Television.”

Lee Daniels is set to direct the highly-anticipated Billie Holiday film starring Andra Day and written by Suzan-Lori Parks this fall, with several other films in development.

Courtney Miller Jr. (Judge) - Director, Producer, Writer (A Stone Cold Christmas, Saints & Sinners), Relevant Pictures

Courtney Miller Jr. is a 5-time award winning director who has worked with the biggest names in entertainment including Michael Jackson, Beyonce, Usher, and Britney Spears.

He's a staff writer for the hit show "Saints & Sinners" on Bounce TV and recently completed his first feature film A Stone Cold Christmas for Bounce TV, where he served as the co-writer and director. His award winning short film REPAIRations! - The Musical, received the Director's Choice Diversity in Cannes Best Musical.

Courtney has development deals with TBS, Lionsgate, MGM, Legendary, Weed Road, Viola Davis' company Juvee, Bounce TV, and Will Packer.

Janean Jeffries (Judge) - Senior Coordinator, ViacomCBS

Janean Jeffries is the Senior Coordinator at ViacomCBS working directly with the Executive Vice President Head of Production for MTV, VH1, CMT, Paramount TV, Logo, Smithsonian Channel, MTV Studios, TVLand, Pluto TV, Comedy Central, and Pop which produced and distributed the hit series "SCHITT'S CREEK."

Paramount TV released THIS IS PERSONAL which took an insider look at the struggle for intersectional activism among the Women's March leadership. While Logo released "RUPAUL's DRAG RACE", "CHASING BEAUTY, and "HUNGRY". 

Janean has over 15 years experience in the entertainment industry, giving her a broad knowledge of what executives want and need on their screens. Previously, Janean worked for Love Life Entertainment & CBS Films.

Jalessa Jones (Judge) - Development Executive, CRUEL SUMMER, YELLOWJACKETS

Jalessa Jones (pronounced like Melissa with a J) was most recently manager of scripted TV development at Entertainment One where she worked on CRUEL SUMMER (Freeform) and YELLOWJACKETS (Showtime), was the point executive for Keke Palmer's producing deal with the studio, and similarly contributed to the development slates for Marti Noxon, Constance Wu, Tim Story, Sherry Marsh, and Niecy Nash. Previously, she's worked at literary management company, MetaMorphic Entertainment, Columbia Pictures, Media Res, and Circle of Confusion.

A mid-western girl both at heart and in superior taste in pizza, Jalessa attended Columbia College Chicago's excellent Television program, where her academic focus revolved around the development, writing, producing, and directing of scripted and unscripted television. Always the romantic, she prides herself on her inability to set what some might consider practical or tangible goals, so naturally, she aspires to one day be the Shonda Rhimes of the Y.A. television space.

Natalie Qasabian (Judge) - Producer, Searching (Sony), Run (Lionsgate),

Natalie Qasabian is a film producer based in Los Angeles. After producing three films for the Duplass Brothers including “Duck Butter” directed by Miguel Arteta, she went on to produce "All About Nina" starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Common.

Most recently Natalie produced "Searching," a thriller starring John Cho and Debra Messing which was acquired by Sony at Sundance in 2018 and went on to gross $75M at the box office. Currently she's producing "Run," starring Sarah Paulson for Lionsgate.

Natalie studied film at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and recently earned an MBA from Pepperdine University.

Nelson Cole (Judge) - Literary Manager, Independent

Nelson Cole is an independent Literary Manager with a roster of clients who have projects in association with Shondaland, Llewellen, Silkmass, Sugar 23, Chronology, and many more.

Nelson began his career working at Energy Entertainment, a management and production company founded by Brooklyn Weaver, the producer of THE NUMBER 23 with Jim Carrey, RUN ALL NIGHT with Liam Neeson, and OUT OF THE FURNACE with Christian Bale and Woody Harrelson. Brooklyn's clients included Brad Ingelsby (MARE OF EASTOWN), Rob Liefield (DEADPOOL) as well as Mickey Fisher (REVERIE and EXTANT).

At Energy, Nelson helped identify clients such as Sarah Lampert who went on to create GINNY AND GEORGIA, Audrey Wong Kennedy who developed material with SPIDER-MAN Producers Ari Arad for the DARKER THAN BLACK live-action Manga series as well as Jordan Kalms who had projects with Hillary Swank and Adam Scott.

Nelson started his career working for producer Scott Budnick, THE HANGOVER, WAR DOGS, JUST MERCY, and RESPECT. After 1Community, Nelson worked at Bellevue Productions helping identify clients such as Bradley Kaaya Jr. who went on to make the end-of-year screenplay shortlists.

Austin Harris (Judge) - Development Manager, Disney/ABC Television Group

Austin S. Harris manages the development slate at Lincoln Square Productions’s scripted content division of the Disney/ABC Television Group. Lincoln Square Productions is the production company for ABC News. The division focuses on adapting true stories into scripted content.

Austin is currently developing projects for ABC, Disney+, and Lifetime, among others. The division’s projects have included the miniseries Madoff starring Richard Dreyfuss, The Lost Wife of Robert Durst, and the upcoming Lifetime film Stolen by My Mother: The Kamiyah Mobley Story starring Niecy Nash.

Before working at Lincoln Square, Austin was at ABC News working directly with correspondents Elizabeth Vargas and Deborah Roberts.

 

Devon Byers (Judge) - Manager, First Friday Entertainment

Devon Byers is the Manager and Producer at First Friday Entertainment, a literary management and production company, founded late last year by Devon and former Circle of Confusion manager Krista Sipp. First Friday Entertainment is dedicated to showcasing fresh and unique voices.

Devon's client, screenwriting Victoria Rose, just had Jaeden Martell of It join Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon on Tunnels, which is Directed by John Krokidas (Kill Your Darlings) and will be produced by Highland Film Group. 

Before starting First Friday, Devon was the Development Coordinator at Ideate Media, the film and TV production company behind the BBC America adaptation of Douglas Adams' "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency" starring Elijah Wood, the international TOMBIRUO, the series "Mandatori", and the upcoming ROGUE STAR. Devon received his Masters in Producing from the American Film Institute Conservatory where his thesis film, JONESTOWN, won a number of international awards.

Krista Sipp (Judge) - Literary Manager, Heroes & Villains Entertainment

Krista Sipp is a literary manager at Heroes & Villains Entertainment, in Los Angeles, CA. Originally from Connecticut, Krista started her career at management company Circle of Confusion in 2008. After holding positions at studios and production companies across the industry, she launched her own management company, First Friday Entertainment in 2017, alongside her partner Devon Byers. In 2022, First Friday was acquired by Heroes & Villains, where Krista and Devon continue to represent screenwriters, directors, and IP creators across film, television, and other mediums.

Krista is focused on representing diverse clients from varying underrepresented backgrounds with fresh points of view and working to close the inclusion gap in Hollywood. Her clients include screenwriters and directors who have worked on Abbott Elementary, 4400, A Black Lady Sketch Show, and The Winchesters, as well as comic book writers and novelists who have written for publishers such as Marvel, DC, IDW, and Legendary.

Chanlamar Carey (Judge) - NBCUniversal Television Group

Chanlamar Carey is in the office of Head of Current Programming and Head of Unscripted Programming at Universal Content Productions.

Universal Content Productions (UCP) is a premium content studio that operates with a highly curated indie sensibility, while simultaneously leveraging the power and scale of NBCUniversal.

As fierce advocates for creators with an eclectic point of view, the UCP team develops pioneering and award-winning scripted programming with partners such as Amazon (“HOMECOMING”), Netflix (“THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY”), Hulu (“THE ACT”) and YouTube (“IMPULSE”), as well as NBCUniversal’s USA (“MR. ROBOT,” “THE PURGE,” “SUITS,” “DIRTY JOHN”) and SYFY (“THE MAGICIANS”).

Chanlamar has contributed to series including THE SINNER, PSYCH THE MOVIE 2, DIRTY JOHN, and more, providing notes for content to their showrunners. She has discovered many talented, diverse voices in to meet with development and current execs for future staffing opportunities, including staffing opportunities on NBCUniversal's streaming platform, Peacock.