RIIFF ANNOUNCES 2015 SCREENPLAY COMPETITION WINNERS

.... 433 submissions received from throughout the United States and across the globe

• Download the 2015 News Release

Photo by Mike Braca

(PROVIDENCE, RI) • Lukas Hassel from New York City, NY is the Best Screenplay Grand Prize Winner for this year's FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) Screenplay Competition. His winning screenplay is entitled “Galapagos.” George T. Marshall, RIIFF Executive Director/CEO, made the announcement of the 2015 awards.

The “Galapagos” storyline: Year 2437. Earth has frozen over. At the brink of oblivion, Mankind has relocated to the one remaining habitable place - the ocean floor. When Station Galápagos loses its food source, a small group of tight-knit humans faces the question: is life for the sake of living any life at all? Extinction is the rule. Survival, the exception.

"This is an original and inventive screenplay. From exceptionally strong writing to evocative imagery, Lukas has created a microcosm of humankind that represents what storytelling is all about." said Shawn Quirk, RIIFF Program Director.

“What an amazing year for storytelling and our screenplay competition. This year’s entries were compelling and engaging, and were scored on criteria that included character, dialogue, setting, plot and technique,” added Quirk. “We reviewed the largest entry base in competition’s history – 442 submissions -- making for difficult decision-making on the part of our international group of judges.”

"After extensive and careful deliberation, prize winners were chosen in six distinct categories: Best Screenplay, Best International, Vortex Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror, Best LGBTQ, Spotlight on New England and Best Short Screenplay," Quirk noted.

"Our sincere congratulations to this year's winners," stated George T. Marshall. "This competition has introduced us to some of the world's brightest and most talented writers in the craft."

THE 2015 PRIZE WINNERS:

BEST SCREENPLAY GRAND PRIZE

Grand Prize:

Galapagos

Written by: Lukas Hassel, New York, NY

First Place:

Welcome to Camelot

Written by: Rachel Goldberg, Burbank, CA

INTERNATIONAL SCREENPLAY

Grand Prize:

The Searcher

Written by: Can Kutay, Turkey

First Place:

True Religion

Written by: Kara Smith, London, UK

VORTEX HORROR/SCI-FI SCREENPLAY

Grand Prize:

Stem

Written by: Iqbal Ahmed, Los Angeles, CA

BARREN BRANCHES LGBTQ SCREENPLAY

Grand Prize:

Halle

Written by: Ben Hatt, Los Angeles, CA

SPOTLIGHT ON NEW ENGLAND

Grand Prize:

Rogue Island

Written by: Duncan Putney, Providence, RI

First Prize:

Fight or Play Basketball

Written by: Mike Messier, Providence, RI

SHORT SCRIPT

Grand Prize:

The Red Chair

Written by: Gary O. Bennett, New York, NY

First Place:

Doretha’s Blues

Written by: Channing Godfrey Peoples, Los Angeles, CA

Prizes awarded to the winners of the screenplay competition (which vary with the specific screenplay category) include: a free year of screenplay promotion services to the winners, through ScreenwriterShowcase.com; 1 Script Listing and 1 Magazine Listing from InkTip; a 1-year Writers Database membership from Script Pipeline; Final Draft software featuring Final Draft Screenwriting Suites; and Passes to the 2016 Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival and the ScriptBiz™ Screenwriter's Workshop.

The Best Screenplay Grand Prize winner will be brought to Providence to attend the 2016 ScriptBiz program, where their screenplay will be a central focus of the program, plus receive a private script consultation and an official award on RIIFF's Opening Night Celebration. Lodging will also be provided.

The 2015 Semi-Finalists:

Bianca

Written by: Arianna Lyons, Los Angeles, CA

Boiler Room Drag

Written by: Jennifer Harrison, Fanwood, NJ

Brick’s Oven

Written by: Tuck Tucker, Dallas, TX

Coastline

Written by: Ned Farr, Los Angeles, CA

The Cutting Run

Written by: Kelsey Brown, Kingston, RI

The Devil and Madison Rose

Written by: Geoff Ryan, New York, NY

Doretha’s Blues

Written by: Channing Godfrey Peoples, Los Angeles, CA

The Everything Game

Written by: Ryan Gielen, Los Angeles, CA

Fight or Play Basketball

Written by: Mike Messier, Providence, RI

Flight of the Wasp

Written by: Andrea Brusa, Burbank, CA

Galapagos

Written by: Lukas Hassel, New York, NY

The Ghost of Providence

Written by: Scott Kirkpatrick, Chicago, IL

Glow

Written by: Raymond Just, Pasadena, CA

Halle

Written by: Ben Hatt, Los Angeles, CA

Indentured (He Taught Me Elegance)

Written by: Marie-Emmanuelle Hartness. Cambridge, MA

In Quest of the Bluebird

Written by: Connie Zerden, Dunwoody, GA

Living While Dying

Written by: Haley Stamp, Kingston, RI

Mariano

Written by: Chase Brogan, Meriden, CT

Outside Harmony

Written by: Timothy Casto, Burbank, CA

The Plague Doctor

Written by: Jon Mennella, Brooklyn, NY

Real Estate Boom

Written By: Casimir Nozkowski, Brooklyn, NY

The Red Chair

Written by: Gary O. Bennett, New York, NY

Rogue Island

Written by: Duncan Putney, Providence, RI

The Searcher

Written by: Can Kutay, Turkey

Stem

Written by: Iqbal Ahmed, Los Angeles, CA

True Religion

Written by: Kara Smith, London, UK

Two Headed Snake

Written by: Petong Sakulchai, Bangkok, Thailand

Virtues & Flaws

Written by: Bruce Zewe, Paoli, PA

Vodoun

Written by: Stuart Creque, Moraga, CA

Welcome to Camelot

Written by: Rachel Goldberg, Burbank, CA.

When You Wish

Written by: Troy Graham, Lane Cove, Australia

ABOUT THE FLICKERS: RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF), has secured its place in the global community as the portal for the best in international independent cinema, earning the respect of domestic and foreign filmmakers, filmgoers and trend watchers. This confluence of art and commerce brought together world-class celebrities, award-winning filmmakers, new talent and audience members in record numbers last year. Ranked as one of the top 10 Festivals in the United States, RIIFF is also a qualifying festival for the Short Film Academy Award in the live action, animation and documentary divisions through its affiliation with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. There are 6 film festivals worldwide which share this distinction and RIIFF is the only festival in New England. The Festival takes place every August.

The next Festival will take place August 9-14, 2016. 

2015 Sponsors:

• InkTip Script Listing: A listing of your script on InkTip so thatproducers and reps can find you.

• InkTip Magazine: Publication of your logline in InkTip's magazine sent to nearly 15000 producers and reps.

• InkTip helps writers sell their scripts and get representation. Producers have made more than 200 films from scripts and writers they found through InkTip.