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< Back Kelly Jo Brick kellyjobrick@gmail.com https://kellyjobrick.com Kelly Jo Brick is a Sundance Fellow and alum of the Women In Film Writer/Showrunner Mentoring Program. She received specialized training through both the FBI and LAPD community academies and is a member of a national intelligence-gathering agency dedicated to protecting US infrastructures. Originally from a small town in the heart of Wisconsin’s dairy country, Kelly Jo developed a love for storytelling when as a child she’d gather up her stuffed animals and toy horses to create adventure after adventure. With degrees in creative writing and English, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin where she played trombone in the highly acclaimed Wisconsin Marching Band. She writes "The Bricks of Breaking In," an interview series for Final Draft that focuses on breaking in and growing your writing career and is currently the Vice Chair of the WGA Genre Committee. From crime and mysteries to underdogs and dysfunctional families, Kelly Jo is fascinated with building the journeys of characters put into situations where they have to struggle, grit, and grind through huge hurdles and do so with heart, perseverance, and passion. WGA Associate Member Female THE RIDGE (TV Crime Drama) A Las Vegas FBI agent exposes corruption in the police department of her suburban Pittsburgh hometown, resulting in her being appointed interim chief, set with the task of chasing down a powerful drug ring while also having to survive her wildly dysfunctional family. Character-driven, Crime, Thriller, Procedural Female unrepped

< Back Veronica Chavira v.chavira@gmail.com https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2737758/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 Veronica is a Los Angeles-based queer Latinx feature and TV dramedy writer whose family hails from East Los Angeles. She writes character driven coming-of-age stories about people who challenge the status quo and forge new paths with humor and gusto to create a better world. She attained her MFA in Screenwriting from Stephens College and is a proud active volunteer at the LGBT Center in Los Angeles. Honors & Awards Semifinalist - Austin Film Festival - NOT YOUR CHINA DOLL - 2022 2nd Rounder - Austin Film Festival - ON HER TURF - 2022 2nd Rounder - Austin Film Festival - THE WIN - 2022 non-WGA Female, Latinx, LGBTQ+ NOT YOUR CHINA DOLL (One hour Drama - think SELF MADE, MAID) In 1915, Asian American film pioneer Marion Wong decides to become a silent filmmaker after watching a racist Hollywood film of actors in yellow face to tell authentic Asian stories in the face of her family and society’s opposition. ON HER TURF (Half-hour Dramedy - think FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, GLOW) Identical twins Summ and Sarah were raised by their father, an NFL legend, to be athletic and driven. Together they dreamed of playing on the university football team until Sarah finds a newfound calling: to join a sorority. Character-driven, Female-centric, Queer, Coming-of-Age, Limited Series Female, Latinx, LGBTQ+ unrepped

< Back Matija Šraj matijasraj@gmail.com Coverfly Matija Šraj is an Australian/Slovenian screenwriter from Melbourne, Australia. With a lifelong obsession for storytelling, Matija has had a circuitous pathway to screenwriting – from working in an Aboriginal school in the outback, to working as a refugee and conservatorship lawyer, to working as a fitness instructor. Immediately prior to screenwriting, Matija worked for the Australian Greens political party, including as an adviser to senators and a lead adviser during Australia’s marriage equality campaign. As an LGBTQIA+ person and the child of an immigrant, Matija writes mostly queer multicultural stories. Matija works in the Australian screen industry as a production assistant and writers’ assistant, including on Amazon's global hit, DEADLOCH. Honors & Awards CineStory Foundation TV Competition - Fellowship Winner QUEENMAKER - 2024 CineStory Foundation Feature Competition - Semifinalist/scholarship winner - THE RIP - 2023 Page International Screenwriting Awards - Honorable Mention QUEENMAKER - 2025 non-WGA Non-binary, Multi-Ethnic, LGBTQ+ ANONYMOUS Action thriller - THE BOURNE IDENTITY meets RED SPARROW After being double-crossed in a black ops mission gone wrong in Europe, a queer American spy must uncover an international conspiracy to clear his name and save the anonymous hookup who’s inadvertently caught in the crossfire. QUEENMAKER Comedy - VEEP meets RUPAUL'S DRAG RACE After a cash-strapped, publicity-seeking drag queen who impulsively decides to run for Australian parliament is unexpectedly elected, he has to overcome childhood trauma, inept housemates-turned-staffers and constant battles with the Prime Minister to try and change politics for the better. Character-driven, Female-centric, Queer, Thriller, Sci-Fi, Horror, Dark, Snarky Non-binary, Multi-Ethnic, LGBTQ+ unrepped

< Back Jori Lynn Felker joriwritestv@gmail.com Agent: Michael Chung (Verve) Coverfly Forged amidst the biting winds of Chicago, Jori once earned a Neuroscience degree just to spite a misogynistic ex, only to pivot into entertainment upon realizing GREY’S ANATOMY wasn’t real life. With over ten years in the assistant trenches, Jori's eclectic journey spans from Disney kid’s comedies (GABBY DURAN & THE UNSITTABLES) to erotic thrillers (THE IDOL). Blending sharp wit and emotional depth, her writing transforms high concepts into intimate explorations of humanity’s rather… unsavory facets. Jori’s frozen-time coming-of-age feature BETWEEN THE RAINDROPS sold on spec in 2020, marking her as a writer to watch. Currently, she is penning the feature adaptation of the indie-darling game THE UNFINISHED SWAN for PlayStation with Hisko Hulsing (UNDONE) attached to direct, and supporting the writers’ room of an upcoming Apple Sci-fi show. Her horror short story, TOO CUTE, exploring the neurological phenomenon of ‘cute aggression,’ will be published in Dark Matter’s ‘Haunted Reels’ summer of 2025. Jori is also a recipient of the prestigious USC Renaissance Scholarship, noted for her exemplary work across diverse disciplines. Between projects, Jori works her way through her self-imposed 'alphabet hobbies,' which have included everything from Blacksmithing to Exotic Dancing. She is currently on the letter ‘H’ and learning ‘computer hacking’ – because why not? Honors & Awards ● Writer – Writer’s Lab 2020: Bonfire (Baobab) ● Top 10% Nicholl’s Fellowship 2020 – The First Year ● Finalist Unique Voices 2020 – The First Year ● Finalist Unique Voices 2020 – Between the Raindrops ● Semifinalist ScriptShadow 2020 – Between the Raindrops ● Quarterfinalist Emerging Screenwriters 2020 – Between the Raindrops ● Quarterfinalist Screencraft 2020 – Between the Raindrops ● USC Renaissance Scholar - 2015 current member Female, disabled, 40+ THE UNFINISHED SWAN (Feature -Magical Realism - ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND meets GROUNDHOG DAY ) Struggling with a tough decision, a teenage boy accidentally stops time, but can’t figure out how to restart it. Based on the video game. PlayStation producing. GLITCHIKER (Pilot - Sci-fi/Drama - THE DROPOUT meets MR. ROBOT ) A disgraced tech CEO must decide how far she’ll go to redeem her legacy when she stumbles upon technology so earth-shattering, the world might not be ready for it — teleportation. THE FIRST YEAR (Feature - Drama/Coming of Age - AN EDUCATION meets TULLY ) An introverted freshman is taken under the wing of her peculiar RA and finds herself forced to grow up in ways she never expected. Character-driven, Female-centric, Thriller, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, YA, Children's, Satire Female, disabled, 40+ repped

< Back Sabine El Gemayel sabine.el.gemayel@gmail.com http://www.sabineelgemayel.com SABINE EL GEMAYEL is a writer, director, and editor known for exploring socio-political dynamics across Canada, France, Iran, the Levant, and the US. Born in Tehran to a Lebanese father and French mother, her artistic journey reflects the diverse cultural influences and the intense civilian war experiences that have shaped her. Her feature narrative NILOOFAR and feature documentary GENERATION ZAPPED have garnered international acclaim, along with nominations and awards at prestigious festivals like Berlinale, Cannes Junior, AFI FF, Sedona IFF, Dubai IFF, and many more. Her screenwriting skills have earned her fellowships from Hedgebrook and DreamAgo. Her screenplay, BRINGING IT HOME, was nominated at the Breaking Through The Lens 2022 screenplay competition and became a semi-finalist for The Abortion Pipeline Grant of the Athena FF in 2024. As a film editor, she edited Lebanon’s official submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2020 Oscars, 1982, as well as Palestine's submission in 2004, THE OLIVE HARVEST. Fluent in French and English and proficient in Arabic and Persian, El Gemayel's multilingual and multicultural background adds a unique perspective to her storytelling. Currently, El Gemayel has several projects in the pipeline and is actively engaged in the industry, mentoring for the Royal Film Commission of Jordan's MOSAIC Post Lab 2025, serving on their Film Fund 2024 jury, and evaluating for Film Independent’s Global Media Makers program. Honors & Awards Fellowships from Hedgebrook (2019) and DreamAgo (2010 & 2012). Nominated at the Breaking Through The Lens 2022 screenplay competition - BRINGING IT HOME - 2022 Semi-finalist for The Abortion Pipeline Grant of the Athena FF - BRINGING IT HOME - 2024 non-WGA Female BRINGING IT HOME (Drama) When Kay, a war veteran with a high-risk pregnancy due to depleted uranium exposure, meets Hadiya, a refugee and former Iraqi midwife, they’re forced to find common ground over the fate of Kay’s unborn child. BE MY BABY (Trilingual drama) Colette, a French working professional and single mother living in LA, hires Tracy, an American surrogate, and Luna, a Hispanic wet nurse and caregiver, only to be confronted with the complexities of motherhood as Tracy carries the baby, Luna cares for him, and Colette only has the time to raise him part-time. Character-driven, Female-centric, Coming-of-Age, Limited Series, Satire, Naturalistic, International Female repped

< Back Bettina Lopez Mendoza bettina.lopez.mendoza@gmail.com Coverfly Having spent her childhood moving across borders, first to Mexico then to the U.S., Bettina has always been fascinated by reality as a subjective construct. Her work often centers underdog characters who challenge the limits the world imposes on them. After studying Psychology and Screenwriting at the University of Southern California, Bettina worked with and mentored under director Michael Gracey (“The Greatest Showman"), helping develop and produce works for commercials, film, theater, and animation. Most notably, it was through this close collaboration that she learned how to push the limits of cinematic storytelling through visual language. During this time, Bettina also had the opportunity to shadow Academy Award-winning screenwriter Michael Arndt (“Little Miss Sunshine”). These experiences led to Bettina’s first writing assignments, including adapting Tom Fletcher’s best-selling novel “The Christmasaurus,” co-writing Netflix’s animated film “Ladybug & Cat Noir: The Movie,” and showrunning Audible’s Ambie Award-winning fiction podcast “PREVIA: A Tech Heist,” which she also directed. Currently, Bettina oversees the fiction slate at Sonoro Media, where she has developed and story edited over 20 fiction podcasts. Most recently, Bettina completed her debut short film “Más Allá,” a live-action coming-of-innocence tale, which uses magical realism to explore the power of imagination in a young girl’s will to survive. The film is set to make its festival premiere in 2025. Honors & Awards Ambie Award for Best Fiction Podcast, The Podcast Academy – PREVIA: A TECH HEIST – 2024 Semifinalist, ScreenCraft Film Fund, ScreenCraft – MÁS ALLÁ – 2023 non-WGA Female, BIPOC, Latinx VIVAS Dark Comedy, Crime, Mystery - The White Lotus & Big Little Lies When a Y2K New Year’s Eve party leaves a dead body in its wake, four upper class women in Mexico City become the prime suspects. THIS WICKED WORLD Dark Comedy, Crime - Fargo & Burn After Reading Set in 1977 after the real-life kidnapping of Charlie Chaplin’s corpse from his grave, this dark comedy pins incompetent criminals against incompetent detectives, while a grieving widow finds bizarre comfort in what seems to be her late husband’s final practical joke. WILD ONES Coming-of-Age, Dramedy - The Kings of Summer & Hunt for the Wilderpeople When a cynical, young girl who suffers from paralyzing climate anxiety learns she was adopted from a Native American community, she sets off to find her biological grandmother. Character-driven, Female-centric, BIPOC-centric, Thriller, Psychological, Coming-of-Age, Animation, Magical Realism Female, BIPOC, Latinx unrepped

< Back Dana Braziel-Solovy dana.braziel@gmail.com https://www.danabrazielsolovy.com As a former Chicago punk rocker, Dana knows how to rebel but promises only to do so for good. Through properly timed, insensitive jokes, she hopes to help people see the world differently. Dana believes strongly in interpersonal understanding, which is why she spent time in Berlin studying German and continues to learn the silent language of circus arts. Having grown up with a suicidal mother, Dana knows the importance of safe forms of escapism. Her writing seeks to lessen pain through laughter. Dana's first foray, a comic book mini-series, landed her on the Diamond indie bestsellers list twice. To support her compulsive writing habits, Dana works as a television Art Director with credits on shows such as CSI: VEGAS and WANDAVISION. Honors & Awards Fellow - Hollywood Radio & Television Society Fellowship Program - 2025 Fellow - Disability Belongs Entertainment Lab - 2025 Mentee - Women in Film Mentorship Program - 2022 non-WGA Female, LGBTQ+ RESTING BITCH FACE ( Half-Hour Comedy ) When a people-pleasing junior architect loses her ability to fake a smile, she must learn to embrace her inner bitch despite a world that expects women to play nice. GOOGIE'S DINER ( Half-Hour Comedy ) In the 1950s, the waitresses at Googie’s iconic diner - who have very different ideas of their gender roles - must work together to create the ideal future-forward dining establishment, despite spilled coffee and guts, mixed up orders and feelings, and handsy, too honest teenagers in the drive-in. NO GIRLS IN THE GANG ( Half-Hour Comedy ) After being bullied by her judgy suburban peers, a misunderstood 2000s high-schooler seeks acceptance from a punk rock gang in the city and tries everything to become the first girl in the gang. Inspired by a true story. Character-driven, Female-centric, Dark, Snarky, Magical Realism Female, LGBTQ+ unrepped

< Back Megan J. Wilson megan@dirttotem.com Megan lives in Los Angeles but considers the Pacific Northwest home. She’s worked at a publishing house in Seattle, a law firm in North Carolina, the NFL in New York, and a cannery in Alaska – and yes, there were bears. She was a writers assistant for CBS for 3 years, and she wrote and produced a 6-episode webseries (The Sanctum, 2009). She writes action/drama, action/sci-fi, and action/comedy, and her stories often feature families dealing with mental illness. She’s been finalist for the PAGE Award, quarterfinalist for the Nicholl, Script Pipeline and Austin Film Festival and she's been featured on the Red List and the Next List. Megan currently has two features and a short in development. Megan is active in the LA-writing community, as co-founder of the League of Women Writers and co-founder of the Writer X Director Mixer. She loves quilting, snowboarding, writing graphic novels, and has a complicated relationship with her crockpot. Honors & Awards Finalist, PAGE Awards - AVALANCHE EXPRESS - 2023 Quarterfinalist, Nicholl Fellowship - AVALANCHE EXPRESS - 2022 Official Selection, The Next List - 2024 - https://www.tracking-board.com/the-next-list-2024/ non-WGA Female, 40+ AVALANCHE EXPRESS (Action Feature) When a passenger train traveling through the Alps is caught in an avalanche, the Syrian-Swiss conductor must surmount her own fear of being buried alive to lead the remaining passengers in a struggle for survival. DROP ZONE (Hourlong Procedural) When the prodigal daughter of a firefighting family returns home to Montana as a forest service firefighter (a “smokejumper”), she clashes with the father who disowned her and confronts the sister who married her high school sweetheart. DUSTRISE (Horror Feature) When two sisters take a back road to Burning Man to avoid the fees, their dream trip becomes a nightmare, as a 100-year flood wakes terrifying monsters from a dry riverbed to feed on festivalgoers. Character-driven, Female-centric, Crime, Thriller, Procedural, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror Female, 40+ unrepped

< Back Carolyn Kras Manager: Doorie Lee, 42 - doorielee@42mp.com 213-354-9700 https://carolynkras.com Carolyn Kras has developed projects for 20th TV Studio, Escape Artists, Welle, and more. She was named to ISA's List of "Top 25 Screenwriters to Watch." Her former experience working at a law firm influenced her writing as she enjoys telling stories of ambitious people in high-stakes conflicts. Her awards include the Hamptons International Film Festival Screenwriters Lab, Alfred P. Sloan First Place Screenwriting Award, Visionary Playwright Award, New York Television Festival Official Selection, Plume & Pellicule Screenwriting Award, Middlebury Script Lab Selection, Hearst Creative Artist Fellowship, and a Fulbright to the United Kingdom. She has been a writer-in-residence at Ucross Foundation, Hawthornden Castle, Ragdale Foundation, and Anderson Center at Tower View. Her plays have been produced or developed at The Road Theatre Company, The Blank Theatre, Theatre 40, Pacific Resident Theatre, Chicago Dramatists, Stage Left Theatre, Centenary Stage Company, Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre, Williams Street Rep, Theater Masters, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and more. Carolyn is an alum of the NBC Page Program, Women in Film Mentorship Program, and Shakespeare at the Globe Theatre Program. She has a B.A. in Drama from Washington University in St. Louis and an M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing from Carnegie Mellon University. Originally from Chicago, Carolyn is now based in LA. non-WGA Female CUTTHROAT (Teen Horror Feature - SCREAM meets CLUELESS) The competition to get into college is killer…literally. When a masked murderer targets top students at a prestigious prep school, Senior Class President Ruby and her friends attempt to solve the mystery of his identity—but they have to hurry before they become the next victims. NEW REALITY (Romantic Dramedy Feature - DESK SET meets UP IN THE AIR) When a major tech corporation flies international H-1B visa holders into the U.S. to cut costs by replacing its American staff, Maggie is directed to train Shen to take over her job. She's torn between sabotaging him to save her dream career and falling for him. THE SECOND CITY (TV drama/crime procedural - PEAKY BLINDERS meets BOARDWALK EMPIRE) In the aftermath of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, an escaped convict invents a new identity and joins the police department as the city struggles to rise from the ashes. Character-driven, Female-centric, Medical, Crime, Procedural, Romantic, Horror, Historical/Alternative History Female repped

The Independent Writers' Caucus is guided in its efforts to lead its membership into eligibility with the Writers Guild of America by its leadership - which includes the guidance of the Board. The Board is comprised of Howard A. Rodman, Meg LeFauve, Lorien McKenna, Nitza Wilon, Elizabeth Kaiden (of The Writers Lab), Garrick Dion and AJ Feuerman. Independent Writers' Caucus Chairs and Board Members IWC Chairs - 2025 Our Chairs are members of the IWC whose leadership helps elevate all of our members and bring opportunity to the organization James Moorer James, one of the newest co-chairs to serve with the IWC brings the same passion for helping he created while working for Roadmap Writers. James proudly serves on several committes including Diversity and New Membership. James is also a champion for writers with disabilities and helping writers understand the business of screenwriting. Kimberley Sparks Kim has been a member of the IWC since the organization’s inception, and she became a Chair in 2023. She is happy to serve on the Script Challenge, Meet and Greet, and New Members committees. She is dedicated to helping writers of film, television, and video games develop and further their careers Kim Turner Kim has been a Chair since the IWC's inception in 2021. She is proud to serve in Leadership as well as a member of the Marketing/PR/Merchandise; Finance; Best of the IWC; and New Membership committees. She is an engaged advocate for emerging writers and enjoys building relationships that help to bring opportunity to the group. Rich Orstad Rich joined IWC in 2024, volunteered for Finance Committee, and became Treasurer later that year as IWC pursues 501c7 non-profit status. Passionate about storytelling and helping others to do so, Rich brings this same passion to the future of IWC’s growth, outreach, and stability as Chair. IWC Board of Directors - 2025 Carolyn Kras is a Co-founding Member of the IWC and former Co-chair. She has developed projects for 20th TV Studio, Escape Artists, Welle, and more. Her awards include the Alfred P. Sloan First Place Screenwriting Award, Hamptons International Film Festival Screenwriters Lab, Visionary Playwright Award, New York Television Festival Official Selection, Plume & Pellicule Screenwriting Award, Middlebury Script Lab Selection, Hearst Creative Artist Fellowship, and a Fulbright to the United Kingdom. Carolyn Kras AJ Feuerman AJ FEUERMAN is a PR and social media executive representing a diverse client roster across the entertainment industry. AJ founded @ajfeuerman Communications in January 2018; clients have included agencies (i.e., Rogers & Cowan PMK), indie studios and distributors (Gravitas, Freestyle, VMI), podcasts and individual talent, among others. As Valhalla Entertainment’s VP of Publicity and Marketing, she directed all publicity, social media and marketing efforts for the industry stalwart, best known for titles like The Terminator, The Abyss and “The Walking Dead.” AJ was previously VP of Communications at influencer marketing agency QYOU and was the Director of PR and Social Media for global film distributor, Gravitas Ventures. Elizabeth co-founded The Writers Lab with Nitza Wilon in 2015, and they co-produce the flagship international lab based in New York, plus labs in the UK, Europe, Canada, in addition to global virtual programming for audiences in Africa, Australia and more. Elizabeth is also a founding Partner, with Nitza, of Women in the Script Trade (WIST), where she works individually with exceptional women screenwriters. WIST developed and ran the Athena Screenwriting Labs alongside the Athena FIlm Festival from 2016 to 2019. Elizabeth previously served as Head of Development at Tangerine Entertainment, an independent production company that produces films directed by women, and has mentored at Stowe Story Labs. A former theater and film critic and graduate of Princeton and the Yale School of Drama, she lives in New York with her family. Elizabeth Kaiden Nitza Wilon Nitza co-founded The Writers Lab with Elizabeth Kaiden in 2015, and they co-produce the flagship international lab based in New York, plus labs in the UK, Europe, Canada, in addition to global virtual programming for audiences in Africa, Australia and more. Nitza is also a founding Partner, with Elizabeth, of Women in the Script Trade (WIST), where she works individually with exceptional women screenwriters. WIST developed and ran the Athena Screenwriting Labs alongside the Athena FIlm Festival from 2016 to 2019. Prior to committing to script development for women, Nitza was an actor, journalist, and magazine and book editor. She earned her BA from the Annenberg School of Communications at UPenn. In addition to her work advocating for women in film, Nitza is a writer and voice actor. She lives in New York City with her family. Lorien McKenna Lorien McKenna is an Emmy-nominated and NAACP Image Award-winning writer. As a Story Manager at Pixar Animation Studios, Lorien worked on UP, BRAVE, INSIDE OUT, and THE GOOD DINOSAUR . She was the Development Producer on several animated features at Paramount Animation and was the Co-Executive Producer for CURIOUS GEORGE for the TV series and animated feature films. She has written and developed for platforms including NBC, Hulu, Comedy Central, and Netflix. Lorien has also worked on multiple projects for the CGI media based attraction studio Red Raion, and as a script editor for Screen Australia, Screen Queensland, and Screen Ireland. Recently, she was the Showrunner for the Emmy-winning YouTube/Kids at Play preschool show TAB TIME . A mentor for the Cinestory Foundation and the Nostos Screenwriting Retreats, Lorien also served as an adjunct professor for St. Mary’s College of California, where she received her BA and MFA. Meg LeFauve An Oscar Nominated writer, Meg LeFauve won an Annie Award for writing Pixar’s blockbuster Inside Out and its sequel, Inside Out 2 . She also wrote Pixar’s Golden Globe nominated film “The Good Dinosaur” and was a writer on Marvel’s “Captain Marvel.” She adapted the classic book “My Father’s Dragon” for Netflix and Cartoon Saloon in 2022. She began her career running Jodie Foster’s Egg Pictures , developing and producing films nominated for an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a Spirit Award and she won a Peabody Award. A world wide consultant, she has taught at AFI and UCLA Graduate Film School, and is a returning mentor at The Writer’s Lab (sponsored by Meryl Streep), the Sundance Creative Labs and is a mentor and Board Member of the CineStory Script Sessions . Garrick Dion is a former VP of Development at Brön, following an 8-year run in a similar role with Bold Films. At Bold, Garrick was involved with such acclaimed projects as Damien Chazelle's Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning drama Whiplash; Nicholas Winding Refn's Drive; the coming-of-age drama Middle of Nowhere starring Anton Yelchin and Susan Sarandon; Sony Pictures' sci-fi sequel Starship Troopers: Marauder , and Lost River , the forthcoming directorial debut of actor Ryan Gosling. He has overseen a slate of projects that includes Robert Rodriguez's live-action remake of Ralph Bakshi & Frank Frazetta's Fire and Ice; and screenwriter Dan Gilroy's directorial debut Nightcrawler starring Jake Gyllenhaal. Prior to joining Bold, he worked in feature development for producers Joel Silver (The Matrix ) and Denise DiNovi (Batman). Garrick Dion Howard A. Rodman Howard A. Rodman is a screenwriter, author and educator. He is the former President of the Writers Guild of America, West; professor and former chair of the writing division at the USC School of Cinematic Arts; and an artistic director of the Sundance Institute Screenwriting Labs. Rodman is a Governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He is a member of the National Film Preservation Board, which advises Librarian of Congress on the annual selection of films to the National Film Registry, and on national film preservation planning policy. He also serves on the Brown University President’s Advisory Council on the Arts. AJ Feuerman Elizabeth Kaiden Nitza Wilon

< Back Johnny Gilligan gilligaj@yahoo.com (310) 945-7707 Coverfly The Black List Born in Ireland into a family of cops, Johnny jumped ship and became a coder in Silicon Valley. Later, Johnny took up acting where, ironically, he plays a lot of cops... Four years ago, his mother's sudden death, while he was 10,000 miles away on a movie set, ignited his screenwriting journey. Johnny mines his day job working in cutting-edge technology, his acting, and his life experience as the son of a wheelchair mother, to create grounded scifi stories led by richly complex characters. Honors & Awards Page Awards - GOLD PRIZE WINNER SCI-FI - 2023 Final Draft Big Break - TOP 5 SCI-FI - 2020 9 OVERALL 8 OUT 10's ON BLCKLST.COM non-WGA Male, 40+ THE STREAM Grounded Sci-Fi Feature - LOOPER meets THE DISCOVERY In the near future, when a tech company perfects a way to communicate with the dead in a scientifically discovered afterlife, known as The Stream, a failed novelist fights to save his daughter’s soul from being permanently erased by the company’s CEO… his estranged brother. INHERITANCE Grounded Sci-Fi Feature - TRUE DETECTIVE: NIGHT COUNTRY meets MIDNIGHT SPECIAL When alien DNA is discovered in an innocent Native Alaskan teen, a tenacious geneticist fights to stop her shadowy biotech bosses from weaponizing him. LIFELINK Grounded Sci-Fi Feature - DIE HARD meets FINAL DESTINATION When bio-implants give users 24-hour notice of their death, a grieving ex-marine fights to undo the past-death of his daughter, unearthing a catastrophic secret about the implants and their creator. Character-driven, Science, Thriller, Sci-Fi Male, 40+ unrepped

Member News DEADLINE EXCLUSIVE : The Independent Writers’ Caucus has added seven new members to its board of directors. Meg LeFauve, Howard A. Rodman, Lorien Mckenna, Garrick Dion, Nitza Wilon, Elizabeth Kaiden and AJ Feuerman will all join long-standing organization chairs James Moorer, Kimberly Sparks, Kim Turner and Rich Orstad. Read the full article here . Rebekah Mueller was chosen as one of five writers, out of 2000 applicants, for the Paramount Writers Mentoring program . The program offers emerging TV writers mentorship and career development with showrunners and EPs. Each writer is paired with two executives from CBS network and CBS Studios. Stephen Nolly and Philippe Boygen were both selected to the Mentorship Matters program (sponsored by Screencraft and Coverfly). Mentorship Matters is a year-long mentorship program created by showrunners to help boost opportunities for emerging diverse writers, has selected 19 scribes for 2024-2025. Danielle Weinberg ’s directorial debut, INVASION ’53 , screened at San Diego Comic-Con. Well-known sci-fi actor Jeffrey Combs stars in this sendup of 1950s sci-fi movies. The short film premiered at the Oscar-qualifying Cinequest Film Festival and won Best Short Film at the Seattle Worldcon 2025 Film Festival. On its festival run now, the movie has been selected by more than twenty festivals. Gina DeAngelis ’s short film adaptation DOORS premiered at the Indie Short Film Festival in Charlottesville, Virginia. In DOORS, an elfish empty-nester pressures his gentle, eccentric wife to downsize their beloved farmhouse, until he discovers she’s taken his request literally. In addition, Gina’s short script BA, an action thriller, won the script competition and had a live reading at the festival. On their Happier in Hollywood podcast , showrunners Liz Craft and Sarah Fain gave the IWC and members Ellen Ancui and Steve Holbert a shout out. They read Ellen and Steve's bios as examples of "Giving Good Bio." Carolyn Kras 's screenplay AUTHORESS, about an untold chapter of Jane Austen’s life, has been named a Top 10 Script in the WritersxWriters Competition. In AUTHORESS, Jane Austen is a struggling writer who has a complicated romance with a mysterious sea captain who inspires her final novel Persuasion. The script may be requested from Manager Doorie Lee at 42. Matija Šraj 's comedy pilot QUEENMAKER, about a drag queen who accidentally gets elected to Australian parliament, was awarded Honorable Mention in the 2025 Page International Screenwriting Awards – Stowe Story Labs Fellowship. This follows winning the grand prize in the 2024 CineStory TV Fellowship. Merridith Allen got 8 on the Blacklist with her pilot script, STUNTWOMAN, a half-hour dramedy about a woman who attempts to improve her life by going back to stunt performing at age 40. Merridith rewrote the script after attending the prestigious Cinestory Episodic Retreat. Leah Simmons ' feature GERMINATION is a finalist selection for the 2025 Abortion Pipeline Project (APP) as part of the Athena Film Festival’s Creative Development Program. The Abortion Pipeline Project (APP) is an annual lab for feature film scripts centered on abortion and reproductive freedom. Part of the Athena Film Festival’s Creative Development Program, APP writers take part in a virtual lab and receive a grant to continue to develop their project. Gabe Berry has been hired by Canadian production company Zargara Productions to write a feature. The film is based on the award-winning short that Gabe co-wrote, currently in post-production. This is the second time Gabe has been hired to write a feature screenplay. Thomas R. Schrack directed the short film S.K.A.T.E. The project is currently in post-production.