Stage 32 Annual Feature Contest

Winners announced! Click the Winners tab above!

• Three (3) Grand Prize winners will be flown to LA for meetings with 10 leading industry executives
• Second through Fifth place winners will meet with leading industry executives one-on-one via Skype
• 10 Writers Receive Prize Packages
• All Finalists will have their loglines exposed to over 300 industry executives including literary managers, agents and producers

Congratulations to our judge David Lancaster, who was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar (WHIPLASH)!

ABOUT THE STAGE 32 HAPPY WRITERS ANNUAL FEATURE CONTEST

In our biggest screenwriting opportunity yet, we are thrilled to bring you The Stage 32 Annual Feature Contest. We are looking to find the top undiscovered writers and the best feature scripts of 2015. As a result of our history with industry insiders and our global reach, we are able to connect the top writers from around the world to leading executives who can make a difference in their career. We develop and champion our writers and our executives certainly agree, click here to see what they say about us. Also, our success stories speak for themselves.

This year alone FOX broke the box office record bringing in $5.5 billion worldwide. From BIRDMAN, UNDER THE SKIN, BOYHOOD to NIGHTCRAWLER, movies are continuously pushing the boundaries and bringing the audiences memorable worlds, unique characters and adventures of all shapes and sizes. Feature films have the ability to persuade people to think and feel a certain way. It's one of the most powerful mediums the artistic universe has to offer. This contest is a way to showcase more worthy writers to the industry and help their voices be heard!

At Stage 32, we take access and exposure very seriously. To that end, we've lined up amazing opportunities for the top 10 writers of our feature contest. This year we will be flying out the top THREE Grand Prize winners of The Stage 32 Happy Writers Annual Feature Contest to Los Angeles! Each winner will meet with 10 executives from top literary and production companies all around Hollywood. In our previous contests, our winners met with executives from Relativity, Revolver, Atlas Entertainment and Circle of Confusion to name a few. And, as if that isn't enough, the top three Grand Prize Winners will also get unlimited access to a Stage 32 Happy Writers team member who will continue to champion their work for one year. With over 300 executives in our roster (many of them working exclusively with Stage 32), that Stage 32 Happy Writers team member will act as a gateway for the writer to gain access to the industry's leading companies and executives in Los Angeles, New York and London.

Plus, we are also offering our Second through Fifth Place Winners amazing opportunities including one-on-one meetings over Skype with our executives. And, in addition, 3 Honorable Mentions will also receive a Stage 32 Happy Writers online pitch session with the executive of their choice and a free screenwriting class on the subject of their choice. All of the Second through Fifth Place and Honorable Mention Winners will have their loglines mailed directly to over 300 executives. That's right. Ten writers will place in this contest!

But that's not all. As we all know, screenwriting is an extremely subjective craft. Some very deserving scripts may make the finals but not move on. In this contest, that's OK. We're still creating opportunity by placing all our finalist's loglines on a special section of Stage 32 that only our 300+ executives can access. If any request your script, we will notify you and ask your permission to forward your work.

We have worked tirelessly to come up with the best possible opportunities for our writers from all over the world. With that, we are extremely proud to introduce our Stage 32 First Annual Feature Contest.

WHAT KINDS OF SCRIPTS CAN ENTER

All feature scripts are welcome to enter. We are looking for: comedies, horrors, dramas, dramedies, sci fi, thrillers, actions, westerns, high-concept and anything in between. All genres are welcome. No shorts or TV pilots will be accepted.

All writers submitting a script between 120-150 pages must pay an additional $15. No scripts over 150 pages will be accepted.

RECENT STAGE 32 HAPPY WRITERS CONTEST RESULTS

Stage 32 Happy Writers has helped change the lives of hundreds of writers, just look at our last contest results. In less than two months after our Search for New Blood Contest winner was revealed, our writer Glenn Forbes was signed to literary manager Seth Nagel from Infinity Management International. A month after our Working Writer's Contest winner was revealed, our writer Michael Madden was signed to BenderSpink and ICM and became a full time writer on ABC series Black Box.

Glenn Forbes was signed by Seth Nagel at Infinity Management International.

“As of yesterday I have signed with a management company in LA, Infinity Management Intl. I met them when Stage 32 flew me down to LA, and now the deal is done. This could be a game-changer for my career...and I'm so thrilled to have Stage 32 Happy Writers and The Blood List in my corner for this ride. I've been plugging away for more than 10 years to secure representation. So I guess my message is never give up on your dream, and surround yourself with people who can help you get there. For that, Stage 32 has become my lynchpin.” -- Glenn Forbes (Canada)

See a video here:

Michael Madden was signed by Daniel Vang at Benderspink, which lead to being repped by ICM and being hired as a writer on ABC's show, Black Box.

"I was fortunate enough to win The Stage 32 Happy Writers Working Writers 2013 competition, and the enthusiastic endorsement of Joey Tuccio captured the attention of an outstanding managing agent. The agent read my script, offered representation, and soon thereafter I became a staff writer on the ABC drama, Black Box. It’s apparent that Joey is widely admired by agents and producers for his discriminating eye, and his recommendations are held in the highest regard. The success I‘ve enjoyed would not have been possible without the support and commitment of Joey and his staff at Stage 32 Happy Writers, and I’ll always be grateful." -- Michael Madden (Stanfordville, New York)

See a video here:

JUDGING CRITERIA

Our readers grade each script on ten different categories. These categories include premise, execution of premise, formatting/spelling/grammar, character creation and arcs, dialogue, pacing, style/tone, theme, commercial appeal and the overall "It" factor.

JUDGES

We have hand selected a group of high profile producers, managers and executives for our judges panel based on their hands-on involvement in the industry. In the past year alone these judges have had projects that won Sundance, garnered Oscar buzz, sold their clients' scripts for six figures, oversaw some of the most anticipated projects and TV series of the year and helped writers catapult their careers. We pulled out all the stops to get you the most impressive roster of judges around. We are committed to giving you access to some of the best decision makers in the industry. Check our the JUDGES and PRIZES tabs above - you have to see it to believe it!

Winner Announcements

June 17th, 2015: quarterfinalists announced on Stage 32

July 8, 2015: semi-finalists announced on Stage 32

July 22, 2015: Finalists announced on Stage 32

August 7, 2015: Winners will be announced on Stage 32

Three (3) Grand Prize Winners

The top three (3) winners will receive all of the following:

• Plane ticket to Los Angeles
• Meeting with 10 Top Executives
• Cocktail hour with various executive contest judges
• A Stage 32 Happy Writers team member as a mentor for 1 year to help provide access to the over 300 executives we work with
• Personal email from Joey Tuccio, President of the Stage 32 Happy Writers, with your logline sent to our executives
• Script's title, logline and writer's name will be listed on the Stage 32 Happy Writers site accessible by industry executives

2nd and 3rd Place Winners

2nd and 3rd place winners will receive the following:

• 5 Skype Meetings with Top Executives (from this list)
• Personal email from Joey Tuccio, President of the Stage 32 Happy Writers, with your logline sent to our executives
• Script's title, logline and writer's name will be listed on the Stage 32 Happy Writers site accessible by industry executives

4th and 5th Place Winners

4th and 5th place winners will receive the following:

• 2 Skype Meetings with Top Executives (from this list)
• Personal email from Joey Tuccio, President of the Stage 32 Happy Writers, with your logline sent to our executives
• Script's title, logline and writer's name will be listed on the Stage 32 Happy Writers site accessible by industry executives

Three (3) Honorable Mentions

Three (3) Writers will receive Honorable Mentions. They will each receive the following:

• Personal email from Joey Tuccio, President of the Stage 32 Happy Writers, with your logline sent to our executives
• 1 Free Stage 32 Happy Writers Pitch Session
• 1 Free Stage 32 Happy Writers Class
• Script's title, logline and writer's name will be listed on the Stage 32 Happy Writers site accessible by industry executives

ALL Finalists

• All finalist's loglines will be listed on a special section on Stage 32 that only our executives can access. We will send out a notification with the announcement of the loglines to all of our executives. If a script is requested, the Stage 32 Happy Writers will act as the liaison.

Stage 32's Commitment: Opportunity. Access. Networking. Education.

TESTIMONIALS

"I was fortunate enough to win The Stage 32 Happy Writers Working Writers 2013 competition, and the enthusiastic endorsement of Joey Tuccio captured the attention of an outstanding managing agent. The agent read my script, offered representation, and soon thereafter I became a staff writer on the ABC drama, Black Box. It’s apparent that Joey is widely admired by agents and producers for his discriminating eye, and his recommendations are held in the highest regard. The success I‘ve enjoyed would not have been possible without the support and commitment of Joey and his staff at Stage 32 Happy Writers, and I’ll always be grateful."- Michael Madden (Stanfordville, New York)

Michael was signed by Daniel Vang at Benderspink, which lead to being repped by ICM and being hired as a writer on ABC's show, Black Box.

“As of yesterday I have signed with a management company in LA, Infinity Management Intl. I met them when Stage 32 flew me down to LA, and now the deal is done. This could be a game-changer for my career...and I'm so thrilled to have Stage 32/Happy Writers and The Blood List in my corner for this ride. I've been plugging away for more than 10 years to secure representation. So I guess my message is never give up on your dream, and surround yourself with people who can help you get there. For that, Stage 32 has become my lynchpin.” -- Glenn Forbes (Canada)

Glenn was signed by Seth Nagel at Infinity Management International.

We are excited to announce the winners of the Annual Stage 32 Happy Writers Feature Contest! We were honored to have had judges from BenderSpink, Gold Circle Films, Night & Day Pictures, Rumble Films, Jeremy Platt Management, Sundial Pictures, Future Films USA, Magnet Management, Echo Lake Entertainment and more. The judges continually told us that the quality of scripts coming from Stage 32 was phenomenal.

Our winners scripts will receive unparalleled access and exposure to the top executives that work with Stage 32. We will be flying out our top 3 winners to LA to meet with executives, and all of the top 10 scripts listed below will receive prizes (click on the PRIZES tab above for details.)

A heartfelt congratulations goes out to all who participated.

The 2015 Stage 32 Happy Writers Feature Contest Winners Are:

3 Grand Prize Winners

  Neverbrides by Brittni Brown and Jenna Palermo

(Romantic comedy) A hopeless single catches a wedding bouquet that puts her next in line to be married. It's up to the bridal party to kickstart her dating life in a desperate attempt to break the curse of being always a bridesmaid and never a bride.

  The Pink House by Trish MacEnulty

(Drama) A hard-drinking, struggling actress and her altruistic sister join forces with a group of women inmates in a drama program to keep their prison from being privatized by an unscrupulous senator and the assistant warden.

  Adam & Eve by John Vasicek

(Action comedy) After getting kicked out of the Garden of Eden, ADAM tries to win back EVE when they both end up in modern-day New York City.

2nd Place

  Double Decker by Aarthi Ramanathan

(Family comedy) In a world where everyone is a superhero, an overweight teen with no supergenes gets his chance to prove his worth when an evil force takes away everyone's powers. 

3rd Place

  Your Friends at True Matchmaking by Martin Ponferrada

(Romantic comedy) A dating agency convinces their former intern to sabotage another dating agency by breaking up with their client, but she ends up falling in love with him.

4th Place

  Superhero Now by Christopher L. Dockens

(Drama) A soldier returns home after 8 years of captivity and tries to reignite his abandoned hoop dreams, but becomes a vigilante instead.

5th Place

  Dark Side by Michael Wright

(Action/thriller) An American operative is sent to a lunar mining colony to investigate a gruesome murder, only to discover a geopolitical conspiracy that threatens millions of lives back on Earth.

Honorable Mentions

  Touchdown by Sharlin L. Quest

Touchdown is about a veteran pro quarterback with a shot at the Super Bowl who is falsely accused of murder and has to go on the run from the police and the mob, then meets with resistance from the woman who can verify his innocence.

  Saint Death by Greg Caiafa

When gangbangers brutally slaughter his family, a timid college professor seeks revenge and finds himself at war with the biggest drug cartel in Mexico.

  Stillwater by Christopher Schultz

A hit man becomes a target when he's unable to pull the trigger and vows to protect the mark, a woman and her son.

Congratulations to our winners!

Don't forget to share on Instagram (@stage32online), Twitter (@stage32online) and Facebook (@stage32)!

Finalists:

Semi-Finalists

Quarterfinalists

Jake Wagner (Judge) - Manager/Producer, Alibi Management

Jake Wagner is one of the most respected Literary Managers and Producers working in the business today, he served as the Executive Producer on the hit Netflix comedy SENIOR YEAR starring Rebel Wilson, the action-comedy STUBER starring Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjiani, and the horror feature BAGHEAD starring Freya Allan (KINGDOM OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, THE WITCHER, and HBO's THE THIRD DAY).

Jake signed Stage 32 writer Christina Pamies who wrote the hit film BAGHEAD for Studio Canal which was featured in the Hollywood Reporter.

Jake has also been one of the top-selling spec script managers of the last decade. Jake was responsible for the largest spec sale of the last 10 years (and one of the biggest in history), with SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN which sold to Universal Pictures. After an illustrious and celebrated career at Benderspink and Good Fear and Film + Management, Jake owns and founded Alibi Management. Jake’s clients have made some of the most popular recent horror films including POLAROID, CRAWL, and CHILD'S PLAY.

Jake has a long history of finding material for development and loves working with Stage 32 writers.

Brad Kessell - Producer & Development Executive, Gold Circle Films

Brad Kessell most recently developed and produced CHAMPIONS for Focus Features and Gold Circle, starring Woody Harrelson and Kaitlin Olson in a feel-good comedy directed by Bobby Farrelly.

Brad began his movie career first as a story analyst then VP under the legendary Sherry Lansing at Paramount. At Paramount over nearly 20 years, Brad worked on scores of pictures including FATAL ATTRACTION, THE ACCUSED, INDECENT PROPOSAL, FIRST WIVES CLUB, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, TIMELINE and many others. He was fortunate enough to work with directors as diverse and talented as Francis Coppola, Billy Friedkin, Adrian Lyne, Dick Donner, and Phillip Kaufman and such esteemed producers as Scott Rudin, Alan Ladd Jr., Mace Neufeld, David Picker, Gale Ann Hurd, Lauren Shuler Donner and Robert Evans.

Brad requested 11 scripts and 10 meetings from their Pitch Sessions!

After nearly 20 years at Paramount, Brad segued to work at Gold Circle, one of the most long-lived and successful independent film financiers in the business. There, he contributed his development skills to Gold Circle's slate which emphasized mainly comedies and supernatural horror films. Brad produced or had a significant hand in developing such pictures as the WHITE NOISE franchise, THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT, WEDDING DATE, BECAUSE I SAID SO, LIFE AS WE KNOW IT, THE FOURTH KIND, PITCH PERFECT 1 and 2, GREEK WEDDING 2, THE NEW DAUGHTER, I STILL SEE YOU, and recently, Lionsgate’s Halloween release PREY FOR THE DEVIL.

Through the years, Brad has purchased and developed scripts by many unproduced writers and/or first time directors, often giving them their 'first break'. He has gained a reputation for working with and mentoring talented but inexperienced writers to bring out the best in their work.

Brad is particularly interested in stories (no matter the genre) which invest us in the emotional journey of the protagonist. Feel-good comedies, romantic comedies, dramedies and dramas that make us laugh AND cry. Stories that inspire. Horror that scares us in an elemental, existential, character-based way, not just with 'jump scares' or gore. Characters we CARE about. Characters succeeding against impossible odds.

Brad specializes in all genres of Feature Film and TV scripts. 

 

 

 

 

Michael Roiff - Owner/Producer, Night & Day Pictures

Night & Day Pictures is a boutique independent production and development company in Los Angeles, CA founded by Producer Michael Roiff.

Night & Day's first feature film, WAITRESS, premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival where it was acquired by Fox Searchlight. The film, written and directed by Adrienne Shelly and starring Keri Russell and Nathan Fillion, was released in the Spring of 2007 and was the highest grossing specialty release for the subsequent year. Following the release, Roiff was named one of Variety’s “10 Producers To Watch”. He is currently collaborating with Tony Award Winning Broadway producer Barry Weissler and director Diane Paulus to develop a stage adaptation of the film.

Most recently, IFC released Night & Day's film SAVE THE DATE starring Lizzy Caplan, Alison Brie, Mark Webber, Martin Starr and Geoffrey Arend. The film, written and directed by Michael Mohan and based on the works of acclaimed graphic novelist Jeffrey Brown, premiered in competition at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.

Currently, Night & Day is in post-production on IN YOUR EYES, written and Executive Produced by Joss Whedon, directed by Brin Hill and starring Zoe Kazan, Michael Stahl- David, Mark Feuerstein, and Nikki Reed. They are also in post-production on LOVESICK, directed by Luke Matheny, and starring Matt LeBlanc, Ali Larter and Chevy Chase. Meanwhile, principal photography just wrapped on CARDBOARD BOXER starring Thomas Haden Church, Terrence Howard, and Macy Gray as well as LARRY GAYE: RENEGADE MALE FLIGHT ATTENDANT starring Mark Feuerstein alongside Stanley Tucci, Henry Winkler, Marcia Gay Harden, Taye Diggs and Jason Alexander among others.

Roiff’s additional credits include: the Lifetime film RESTLESS VIRGINS, Neil Abramson’s AMERICAN SON (Nick Cannon, Melonie Diaz), which premiered at Sundance where it was acquired by Miramax; Brin Hill’s BALL DON’T LIE (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Nick Cannon, Melissa Leo), which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival; and Cheryl Hines’ SERIOUS MOONLIGHT written by Adrienne Shelly (Meg Ryan, Timothy Hutton, Kristen Bell, Justin Long) which also debuted at Tribeca where it was acquired by Magnolia Pictures. He has also been a producer on the Ball Up Streetball Tour airing nationwide on Fox Sports Net.

Roiff grew up in Boston, Massachusetts and graduated from Harvard University where he was Vice President of The Hasty Pudding Theatricals.

 

David Lancaster - President/Producer, Rumble Films

David Lancaster has been in the industry for over 30 years. Since the early 1980s, he has been involved in the development, finance, production and distribution of over 35 motion pictures and several major stage plays. From 2006-2014, Lancaster joined Bold Films as co-President and served as producer on all of the company's features including the Ryan Gosling-starrer Drive, the Sundance hit and Oscar buzzed Whiplash, the Jake Gyllenhaal-starred Nightcrawler and the summer series Black Box on ABC and Dominion on Syfy. David is the president of the newly formed production company Rumble Films and recently wrapped production on Gavin Hood’s thriller Eye in the Sky with producer Colin Firth, starring Helen Mirren and Aaron Paul.

Jeremy Platt - Owner/Manager, Jeremy Platt Management

Jeremy Platt is one of the most sought out managers in Hollywood repping some of the hottest up and coming and name genre writers and directors. Clients credits include The ABCs of Death, You're Next, Cheap Thrills, Autopsy, Cold in July, and Bellflower. Jeremy is also a Producer and credits include The Lords of Salem, Enter the Dangerous Mind and The Violent Kind. He is also the Co-Executive Producer of the web series spin off The Walking Dead. Before becoming a manager, Jeremy worked for producer Eric Kopeloff (Savages, Stranger than Fiction, Stay, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps). Jeremy is one of the most connected managers in Hollywood and is proficient is repping genre writers and genre directors.

Matthew Stein -

DO NOT USE!

Gives terrible feedback

 

Matthew Stein is a producer and the owner of MES Productions.

He is a former production executive for Dimension Films/Blumhouse, and the former Vice-President of Production for SONY Pictures International. He has projects at SONY Pictures, and has overseen the production of over 35 films including Halloween, Apollo 18, 1408, Youth in Revolt, and The Mist. 

Matthew is the Executive Producer of features like Piranha 3DD, Superhero Movie, Scream 4, and the upcoming Hellraiser and Amityville: The Awakening film reboots.

 

Credits include:

Anne Clements - Independent Producer,

Anne Clements is an award-winning Producer whose credits include movies, television, commercials and music videos. She has gained a reputation for the highest possible production standards, at a fraction of the cost. In 2006 Clements produced the feature film Quinceanera that went on to win numerous awards including:

• the prestigious Sundance Audience Award as well as Grand Jury Prize
• Humanitas Prize
• John Cassavetes Award for Best Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards

Sony Pictures Classics released the film. Clements also produced the critically acclaimed documentary Gay Republicans for Trio, which won the Audience Award at the AFI Film Festival, and Pedro for Bunim-Murray Productions/MTV that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Panorama section of the Berlin International Film Festival. President Bill Clinton introduced the film when it aired simultaneously on MTV, MTV Tr3s, LOGO and MtvU.

She also executive produced Shelter written and directed by Jonah Markowitz that was distributed by Regent Releasing and produced the comedy feature Ping Pong Playa by Academy Award winner Jessica Yu. Ping Pong Playa had its world premiere at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival and was theatrically released by IFC. Quinceanera and Ping Pong Playa earned Clements a Producer’s Award nomination at the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards.

Other credits include King of the Avenue starring Ving Rhames and Esai Morales, Wrath of Cain also with Ving Rhames, Mangus! starring Jennifer Coolidge, Heather Matarazzo and Leslie Jordan, Worst.Prom.Ever for MTV and she supervised Marc Forster’s Machine Gun Preacher starring Gerard Butler.

More recently she produced Highland Park starring Danny Glover and Parker Posey which Tribeca Films is distributing in Spring 2013 and the Telly Award winning music video “I’m Still Hot” with Betty White and pop artist Luciana. She is currently in post-production on the thriller Come Back to Me written and directed by Paul Leyden and Ladies' Man a feature comedy for MTV.

Projects Anne have produced:

Stefan Nowicki - President/Producer, Sundial Pictures

Stefan Nowicki is the president of Sundial Pictures, a New York City-based independent film production company dedicated to supporting independent documentary and narrative feature films. Sundial works to guide filmmakers at all stages of the filmmaking process, from development to funding to distribution.

As an investor, Sundial aims to provide financial backing in a profitable and responsible way. The goal is to unite filmmakers with production companies, film investors, and philanthropists to help create powerful and affecting motion pictures and bring these films to as wide an audience as possible. Sundial provides the resources and supervision to help filmmakers bring their visions to reality.

Sundial’s productions have included writer/director Elgin James’ LITTLE BIRDS, starring Juno Temple, Kay Panabaker, Kate Bosworth, and Leslie Mann, which world-premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival; Libby Spears’ PLAYGROUND; Tom Donahue and Paul Hasegawa-Overacker’s GUEST OF CINDY SHERMAN; Marc Nathanson’s SMALL TOWN, BIG DREAMS: Lake Placid’s OLYMPIC STORY; and J.J. Beck and Joey Carey’s GREASY RIDER. Stefan was a producer for the highly acclaimed documentary JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI, the Sundance winning comedy OBVIOUS CHILD and the Gotham and Sundance Award Winning drama PARIAH.

Currently in production or post-production are Juan Carlos Saizabitoria and Kelley Whitis’ In the Nest; Doug Karr’s Art Machine, starring Joseph Cross and Jessica Szohr; and Brian Brightly’s Liars All, starring Matt Lanter, Torrance Coombs, Gillian Zinser, with Alice Evans and Sara Paxton.

Ricky Margolis - Vice President, Future Films USA

Click below to watch a Stage 32 Happy Writers exclusive interview with Ricky!

Ricky joined Future Films USA in March 2007 as its Production and Development Executive, where his responsibilities included the sourcing and tracking of projects that required financing and helping them to progress into production, working closely with the London office to provide the Future Film Group with a global outreach for its fundraising and production activities. Other elements of his work included liaising with the various film commissions to keep abreast of their legislation, and the development of relationships with producers, sales agents and financiers.

Since 2010, Ricky has been working in the role of Vice President of Future Films USA, continuing his work on the financing side whilst also becoming a more integrated part of the Future Film Group’s production activities, working closely with its London office. He has recently been directly involved in the production and financing of such high-profile films as VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE (starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Melissa Leo), BREAKING THE GIRLS (starring Agnes Bruckner), LAST PASSENGER (starring Dougray Scott), and WALTER (starring William H. Macy and Virginia Madsen), among others, often serving in an Executive Producer or Associate Producer capacity, as well as serving as an Executive Producer on television shows including ULTIMATE BRAIN for the BBC.

Ricky is currently in production on the film B&B, which is now shooting in England starring Paul McGann. 

Prior to joining Future Films USA, Ricky worked for nearly three years at Filmax International in Barcelona, Spain, one of the country’s leading audiovisual companies, as its International Marketing Coordinator in the international sales department. As part of a “mini-studio”, Ricky gained extensive experience working directly with producers, directors, writers, talent, agents and financiers, whilst also regularly attending important international markets and festivals, including Cannes, the AFM, Toronto, Berlin, Montreal, MIPCOM and MIPTV, where Ricky spearheaded the marketing campaigns for a variety of large-budget films for the company. He was also required to work closely with the production team at Filmax and was involved in the development and progress of such high-profile films as FRAGILE (starring Calista Flockhart), THE KOVAK BOX (starring Oscar-winner Timothy Hutton) and THE BACKWOODS (starring Gary Oldman), among others.

Ricky’s first experiences in film production came as soon as he left school while working on UK-based features including the hit British comedy WAKING NED DEVINE. He is a regular speaker on panels and at festivals, and a four-time jury member for the Woods Hole Film Festival.

Aside from films, he has spent time working in Germany at the sportswear giant adidas as part of their promotional team for the World Cup in 1998, and also as a teacher at a secondary school in France.

Ricky holds a Bachelor’s Degree (with honours) from the University of Leeds in English and French, and a Masters Degree from the University of Manchester in Modern European Cinema. He is fluent in English, French, Spanish and German.

Tips on pitching to Ricky:

Know your audience. When going into a pitch know who the demographic is and mold the pitch so it feels like it could be attractive to that demographic. 

Bob Sobhani - Founder/Manager, Magnet Management

Magnet Management is a passionate advocate for screenwriters. Founded in 2004 as a literary boutique with a handful of select clients, Magnet has since grown into one of the most well-respected management companies in the entertainment industry, with over seventy clients thriving in film and television careers.

Bob Sobhani and his partners originally joined forces at Zide/Perry (American Pie, Final Destination) where they innovated the first internet submission system of its kind allowing writers to submit specs online. Through that experience the threesome learned to identify literary ‘diamonds in the rough’, and they went on to help many of their discoveries build successful careers after Zide/Perry disbanded in 2004 and Jennie, Zach and Bob formed Magnet Management.

Magnet is fueled by its founders’ relentless drive to attract the best writers in entertainment and help their clients realize—even exceed—their personal goals. The company maintains its relevance by balancing passion with pragmatism, always encouraging clients to write what they love while remaining fiercely practical about each writer’s best career options

As it has grown, Magnet has attracted the executive talent necessary to best serve its growing client list. In 2005 Magnet brought Chris Mills into its newly formed TV division. With the benefit of Mills’ television expertise, Magnet has set up a myriad of script deals and client-created shows, as well as placing staff writers, directors and producers at almost every major studio or network. The same year Magnet also created its production arm, Magnet Pictures, in partnership with producer Mitch Solomon, whose experience spans over fifteen years in both development and production (Cider House Rules, Quiz Show).

Each member of Magnet’s diverse staff now contributes his or her talents to the acquisition of financing for an increasing number of independent films and the growth of a roster of projects in development at major studios such as Paramount, Sony and Disney.

But credits do not fully capture Magnet’s most significant achievements. When an aspiring writer is able to quit his day job to write full time; when production closes on a client’s film that Magnet fought to get off the ground; when an opportunity is created for a client to work with an artist she has long admired: those are the moments that remind the Magnet team that they have the rare luxury of only working with clients they truly believe in.

Ilda Diffley - Director of Development, Echo Lake Entertainment

Ilda Diffley is the Director of Development for Echo Lake Entertainment. Echo Lake has produced films like Nebraska (6 Oscar nominations), Romeo & Juliet with Damian Lewis, The Joneses with Demi Moore, The Numbers Station with John Cusack, You Kill Me with Ben Kingsley and Away From Her (2 Oscar nominations). They most recently produced Truth with Cate Blanchett, Robert Redford and Topher Grace. Echo Lake also has a management division which includes LaToya Morgan (Shameless, Turn), John Hyams (Universal Soldier III, Universal Soldier IV), Guy Moshe (Bunraku, Holly), David Regal (Zeke and Luther, Everybody Loves Raymond), Mike Teverbaugh (Better Off Ted, Last Man Standing), Brenda Hsueh (How I Met Your Mother, Sullivan & Son), as well as the Zenescope Entertainment comic book company.