September 2020
> 2 weeks ago
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About Joel
A William Goldman screenwriting workshop at the University of Hawaii ignited in McElvaney a passion for film that burned throughout his decades teaching high school literature and creative writing.
After earning a credential at the Georgia Film Academy to teach a new screenwriting course for high schoolers, McElvaney began writing his own scripts and soon became a full-time screenwriter.
Having spent his teaching career sharing stories with others and helping young adults tell their own stories, McElvaney has a deep understanding of narrative and audience as well as a veteran teacher's calm and comfort with collaboration.
A 2nd-rounder at AFF in 2022 for a TV dramedy pilot, McElvaney also recently earned semi-finalist placements for two original features as well as a Top 5 Finalist spot in the Save the Cat! Screenplay Challenge for Dragons of the Gloaming, a fantasy/action comedy feature.
A father of two adult children, McElvaney is an active member of the screenwriting community in San Francisco where he lives with his wife. Praised for emotionally resonant scripts and compelling characters, McElvaney continues to write screenplays that hum with the language and energy of today's youth.
Screenwriting is Joel's full-time job, and you can find his work on InkTip and Coverfly as well as the Script Revolution site.
Unique traits: Can juggle and ride a unicycle at the same time (not ex-circus member).
Certifications
Links
Loglines
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Twisted Justice Budget: $100K - $1M | Thriller ⋄ Drama Pregnant from a sexual assault, the pro-life granddaughter of a conservative Supreme Court justice attempts to escape her forced-birth state to obtain an abortion, but gets apprehended by a vigilante group headed by her brother and incarcerated at a "Life Mall" where she must remain until she gives birth.
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Reasonable Suspicion Budget: $1M - $5M | Thriller ⋄ Comedy A suspicious wife thinks she sees her lawyer husband cheating on her but must go on the run with him when a shady millionaire client sends a hitman to kill them both.
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Dragons of the Gloaming Budget: $30M+ | Fantasy ⋄ Comedy When a reluctant sister joins her twin brother’s mysterious role-playing game, she and the other players accidentally get transported into the game world and must discover a mystical castle and defeat a formidable dragon in three days or be trapped in the game forever.
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Sent Away Budget: $100K - $1M | Drama When an abused teen gets sent to stay for a summer with his dad, who just finished doing time for murder, their shared memories of the night of the killing point to a dark truth about the teen’s mother and stepfather, leading the teen to run away when court-ordered to return to them.
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Lockdown Generation Budget: $100K - $1M | Thriller ⋄ Drama After a humiliating video goes viral, a bullied loner seeks revenge against his longtime tormentor, forcing his best friend to decide whether to participate in the loner’s violent plan or put his life on the line to protect the bully.
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Swinging 101 (Pilot) Budget: $0 - $100K | Comedy ⋄ Drama Troubled by the infidelity of her best friend's husband, an overworked, sexually-frustrated wife convinces her own husband to explore the bizarre, often hilarious world of swinging in order to spice up their sex life and save their marriage.
Awards
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Quarterfinalist in WeScreenplay TV Contest (Swinging 101)
(2022) -
Top 5 Finalist in Save the Cat! Screenplay Contest (Dragons)
(2021) -
Semi-finalist is Script2Comic Contest (Dragons)
(2021) -
Quarterfinalist in Finish Line Script Competition (Sent Away)
(2021) -
Quarterfinalist in Outstanding Screenplays TV Pilot Competition (Swinging 101)
(2021)
Education
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Georgia Film Academy
(2018-2018) -
Kennesaw State University
(2006-2008) -
University of Hawaii at Manoa
(1984-1991)
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