The Baltimore Screenwriters Competition is held annually by the Baltimore Film Office. It is designed to create/raise awareness of screenplays as a literary art form, and to encourage new screenwriters.
Congrats to writer/director Darryl Wharton-Rigby, who has contributed articles to S&A in the past – read his “Crowd Funding Tips For African American Artists” piece HERE! His screenplay, Prodigal, won the top prize!
His obvious next step is to turn the script into a film.
Darryl is currently in Japan directing his first documentary, Don Doko Don: The Yamakiya Taiko Club Story.
The list of winners (and judges) follow below:
2013 Winners:
Darryl Wharton-Rigby, “Prodigal” (First place)
The screenplay “Prodigal” is about a Baltimore City police officer that gets the heart to leave his drug addicted son alone for good. His son gets caught up in a drug bust and is captured by a drug lord and held for ransom. Will the cop compromise his way of life to save his son one more time?
Bob Cairns and Matt Gaffney, “Two for the Show” (Second place)
“Two for the Show” tells the story of an ambidextrous pitcher, having suffered a debilitating accident that damaged his better hand, harbors a rivalry with his successful pitcher brother, earns a spot on the Orioles and finds love with his sports psychologist before winning the World Series.
Brad Cartwright, “Skunk Ape” (Third place)
“Skunk Ape” spotlights a tough tweener who navigates ennui/poverty/peer pressure in post-recession no-collar Baltimore neighborhood.
2013 Judges:
Nina Noble is an award-winning television producer. Her experience in both the film and television industries expands decades. She has worked with several notable film-makers including Alan Parker, Paul Mazursky, Ron Shelton, Stephen Frears, Paul Verhoeven and Ivan Reitman. Noble has produced or managed acclaimed productions including “Treme,” “The Wire,” “The Corner,” “Homicide: Life on the Street,” “Live Free or Die Hard” and “Basic Instinct.” During her career, she has collaborated with prominent directors: Alan Parker, Paul Mazursky, Ron Shelton, Stephen Frears, Paul Verhoeven and Ivan Reitman.
Doreen Spicer-Dannelly is a talented writer, producer and director. The New York native and Morgan State University alumna has experience in all three areas, television, animation and film, as well as her own company, Spicerack Productions. She has produced tween show “The Wannabes,” which has been licensed internationally in more than 100 countries; developed and wrote the Humanitas Prize nominated film “Jump In!” which broke a Disney Channel record with 8.2 million viewers, in addition to the highly acclaimed animated series “The Proud Family” and “Coqui Loco.” She began her career on the 90’s sitcom “Hangin with Mr. Cooper,” followed by assistant writer or executive assistant positions on several shows, including “The Cosbys,” “The Jamie Foxx Show,” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”
Norman Steinberg is an accomplished producer, writer, director and current professor of writing and producing for television at LIU Brooklyn campus. He has received an Emmy Award and Writer’s Guild Award, as well as worked with legends Bill Cosby, Gene Wilder, Richard Pryor, Flip Wilson and Mel Brooks. His extensive portfolio includes “Blazing Saddles,” “My Favorite Year,” “Johnny Dangerously,” “Cosby,” “When Things Were Rotten,” “Doctor, Doctor” and Showtime’s “Paradise.”
The 2013 Baltimore Screenwriters Competition is a project of the Baltimore Film Office, in conjunction with film programs at Johns Hopkins University and Morgan State University. Funding is provided by Morgan State University. Additional support is courtesy of the Maryland Film Festival, NEXTCAR, Visit Baltimore, Landmark Theatres and The Charles Theater.
For more information on the Baltimore Screenwriters Competition call 410-752-8632.
