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< Back Rich Orstad richorstad@laughingo.com http://www.laughingo.com Coverfly The Black List Rich started writing his first story, the sci-fi thriller Lightmares, in his High School Creative Writing class, where his teacher commented he had a difficult choice to make; do the practical thing and become an Engineer or heed Robert Frost’s advice, take the road less travelled and become a writer. Well, after graduating college as a Mechanical Engineer and starting his career, the monkeys never stopped scratching at that story until it finally poured out of him nearly twenty years later, and he's been writing ever since. Since then, he has become a two-time winner and twelve-time finalist with two features in various stages of development. He won the Screencraft True Story Competition with his inspirational bio-pic ENDURANCE, currently in development with Noble Story Co, placed Silver in PAGE with his family feature RESCUE DOG, and is working with Redwoods Studios with his Austin After Dark Finalist horror-comedy NAMASTE ALIVE! Growing up, Rich consumed every Stephen King novel he wrote, was lucky enough to watch Star Wars when it first came out in theaters and had a dad that loved to tell stories about growing up on a farm in depression-era North Dakota. Which is why Rich loves telling stories across all genres because like a well-lived life, every story should pack an emotional punch. Rich is looking for the right representation, is open to OWA’s, and resides in Los Gatos, CA with his wife, Kim. non-WGA Male, 55+, Middle Eastern ENDURANCE (Feature, Family Drama) After losing his legs to an IED in 2012, an Afghanistan War veteran commits his life to completing the Boston Marathon one year after the 2013 bombings and to finish the most important race of his life…his commitment to faith and bringing hope to wounded veterans. Based on a true story. KEEPSAKES CHRISTMAS (Feature, Family Drama) When a social worker discovers that an elderly woman’s Christmas keepsakes have the power to magically transport them both back in time to the memory each holiday memento represents, she takes on the fight to save the senior’s home and her lifetime of precious holiday memories. NAMASTE ALIVE! (Feature, Horror Comedy) When a shy Cali girl says her mantra wrong during Hot Mindfulness Yoga Class and becomes possessed by the Hindu God of Destruction, her best friend must assemble a rag-tag team of friends, family, and mystics to save her life and prevent the end of humankind. Character-driven, Thriller, Sci-Fi, Horror, Magical Realism Male, 55+, Middle Eastern unrepped

< Back Lisa Kenner Grissom lisa.kenner@gmail.com 310-770-8887 https://lisakennergrissom.com Coverfly The Black List Lisa is a Boston-born, LA-based award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and producer who writes comedic dramas and dramatic comedies. She is known for creating multi-layered characters, exploring the complexity of human emotions, and finding levity in discomfort. Lisa wrote and produced the multiple award-winning short film, TATTOO YOU, which has screened at 15+ film festivals nationally and internationally. Lisa is currently on a jag writing about female Jewish resistance fighters and is generally drawn to writing stories about fascinating, undiscovered, badass women, set either in the past or today. Her hour-long TV Pilot, FANIA IN THE FOREST, was a Top 5 ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship Finalist, among other accolades. Additional TV and Film projects include FOLLOWING FANIA, a documentary in development, and the comedy feature, GROWN-UP BULLY. In the works is a feature adaptation of her award-winning, critically-acclaimed play, HERE COMES THE NIGHT. In addition to the IWC, Lisa is a proud member of The Dramatist Guild, Playwrights Union, and Reboot. Lisa is a graduate of Wesleyan University and received her MFA in Stage and Screen at Lesley University. When she’s not typing away, she’s probably walking on a beach, taking in some art, or listening to live music. Fun fact: Lisa played left wing for her Division 3 collegiate women’s ice hockey team. Honors & Awards Top 5 Finalist - ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship - FANIA IN THE FOREST - 2022 non-WGA Female, Over 40 FANIA IN THE FOREST (TV hour-long Drama - A SMALL LIGHT meets WE WERE THE LUCKY ONES ) When a rebellious 16 year-old Jewish girl narrowly escapes the Vilna ghetto for the forest to join a group of young resistance fighters intent on disrupting the Nazi war machine, her goal to find her scattered family will test the safety of the entire brigade. GROWN-UP BULLY (Comedy Feature) When Tammy, the bully who never grew up and never left her small town, learns that her teenage daughter is being bullied, she embarks on a mission to seek forgiveness from her high school target, redeem herself as a mom, and grow up—even if it means finally leaving her hometown to do it. Character-driven, Female-centric, Historical/Alternative History, Coming-of-Age, Limited Series, Bittersweet, Snarky, Naturalistic Female, Over 40 unrepped

< Back Sofia Drummond-Moore sofiadrummondmoore@gmail.com Coverfly The Black List Sofia has a Bachelors Degree in Creative Writing from Knox College and a Masters Degree in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute, where she was an Academy Nicholl Fellowship Quarterfinalist and won the Writers Room Ready Award. Sofia primarily gets excited about drama, horror and thriller stories with a specific interest in strange historical curiosities, LGBTQ+ stories and those focused on female protagonists. She believes ghost stories can be some of the most important stories. Her prose writing has been published in New Delta Review, Pithead Chapel, Door Is A Jar Magazine, Cleaver Magazine and many others. She has recently been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Sofia has worked as an intern at Conner Literary and Ghost House Pictures, as a writers assistant to a prominent author, and as an executive producer on a teen mystery series for streaming. She is currently a freelance writer for prose and film. Her short film THE LAST BIRTHDAY, about the Romanov family, was the Winner of Berlinale European Film Market Premier, nominee for the European Independent Film Awards, selection for The Still Voices International Film Festival, The Southside Film Festival and Mammoth Film Festival . When she's not writing Sofia has been a figure skater, a museum curator, fever specialist, tree devotee, nostalgia expert and gravestone attendee. Honors & Awards Winner, Big Break Final Draft Competition - ADA - 2024 Semi-Finalist, Austin Film Festival - RIKO'S CIRCLE - 2024 Finalist, ScreenCraft True Story & Public Domain Award - QUIET BODIES - 2023 non-WGA Female, LGBTQ+ QUIET BODIES (Historical Drama) Based on the true stories of ballerinas who burned to death on stage in the 1860s. Paris 1861, a young dancer joins the famous ballet only to be surrounded by persecution and danger, yet through the love of another dancer she finds hope and rebellion. CLY (Psychological thriller) A woman still grieving the sudden loss of her daughter lands the lead role of Clytemnestra in a retelling of the Greek tragedy Agamemnon only to be set on a path of violence she must escape from as the lines between reality and play blur. REGRESSION (Horror) A young student travels to Copenhagen to study the conservation of bog bodies but after trying past life regression therapy becomes convinced her body and her life are being taken over by a dangerous man from 280 BCE. Female-centric, Queer, Thriller, Psychological, Horror, Dark, International, Magical Realism Female, LGBTQ+ unrepped

< Back Danielle Weinberg Attorney: Mark S. Temple, (310) 888-0044, mst@entatty.com http://WrittenByDanielleWeinberg.com Coverfly Writer, producer, and director Danielle Weinberg won The Script Lab's 2024 Free Screenplay Contest with her feature screenplay COASTAL WATCH, which placed first out of more than 15,000 scripts. She recently sold an original romcom feature script, and her play MURDER, PARTY OF TEN was featured in the 2023 New Works Festival of the Long Beach Shakespeare Company. Danielle’s directorial debut is the sci-fi short film INVASION ’53, starring Jeffrey Combs. The movie had its world premiere at the Oscar-qualifying Cinequest Film Festival and won Best Screenplay at the First Contact Sci-Fi and Fantasy Film Festival. INVASION '53 is on its festival run and will play this summer at San Diego Comic-Con. A graduate of the Writing Seminars at the Johns Hopkins University, Danielle earned an M.F.A. in Feature Film Screenwriting from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. She worked in development for Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (STAR TREK, SLEEPY HOLLOW), Orlando Jones and Legion of Creatives. Danielle is currently in development on several independent features as a multi-hyphenate. Her influences include Steve Martin, Mel Brooks, and Steven Spielberg. Danielle is passionate about classic Hollywood, Sherlock Holmes, Disneyland, swimming, Bing Crosby, the Anaheim Ducks, and the Washington Capitals. Honors & Awards Winner of The Script Lab's 2024 TSL Free Screenplay Contest - COASTAL WATCH - 2024 The Best of the IWC - COASTAL WATCH - 2025 The Best of the IWC - IRL - 2024 non-WGA Female, 40+ COASTAL WATCH (Feature) In the vein of Hitchcock’s REAR WINDOW: A recently traumatized teen witnesses a murder in the beach house across the street, but when no one believes her, she seeks out the answers herself and finds her own life in jeopardy. CRIMINAL CARE (Feature) To pay for his mother's nursing care, a cash-strapped medical resident moonlights as a doctor for criminals but finds himself trapped in a ruthless world he may never escape. CURIOSITY (Pilot – comps: CASTLE, VERONICA MARS) Sherlock Holmes with a sci-fi twist: An outgoing young undergrad teams with a brilliant but socially inept A.I. researcher to solve baffling murder cases — and gradually comes to realize that her genius partner is the world's first android. Character-driven, Female-centric, Thriller, Procedural, Romantic, Sci-Fi, Coming-of-Age, YA Female, 40+ unrepped

< Back Nelson Downend ndownend@gmail.com http://www.nelsondownend.com Coverfly Nelson Downend is an award-winning screenwriter, director and lighting designer based in New York City. His work explores emotional and psychological trauma and the power of the human connection in the aftermath. Informed by his experience as a lighting designer, Nelson’s work often employs a grounded surrealism that enhances the visual storytelling. Nelson's character driven projects include dark dramas, psychological thrillers, mysteries, and dramatic comedies which have won or advanced to the later rounds in various screenwriting programs and contests including Table Read My Screenplay, the Austin Film Festival, the Page International Screenwriting Awards, ISA, Stowe Story Labs, Roadmap Writers, ScreenCraft and Final Draft’s Big Break. He currently has several projects on Coverfly’s Red List. Most recently, Nelson worked as a screenwriter on multiple TV projects being developed by Little River Entertainment. Nelson's films have screened at various film festivals, including The New York Shorts International Film Festival, New York CineFest, the Garden State Film Festival, the Lighthouse International Film Festival and the Richmond International Film Festival. Nelson received his MFA in TV Writing from Stony Brook University and holds a BFA in Lighting Design from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Honors & Awards Table Read My Screenplay (Hollywood) - Grand Prize Winner – Rock Bottom – 2024 Austin Film Festival - Finalist – Rock Bottom – 2024 Cinequest – Finalist - The Divinity Cycle - 2023 non-WGA Male, 40+ THE DIVINITY CYCLE One-Hour Drama - Psychological Thriller A disillusioned Catholic Priest is drawn into a grisly homicide investigation after one of his parishioners confesses to multiple murders. VITALS One-Hour Drama - Mystery Recovering addict Nieve is obsessed with a new museum installation by seminal light artist Henry Saint-James. But when Saint-James’ assistant is found dead, and he shows up on Nieve's doorstep asking for help, Nieve soon begins to worry she may be harboring a murderer. ROCK BOTTOM Feature - Dark Dramatic Comedy Following a chance encounter while throwing up in the same public bathroom, a fifty-five year old alcoholic and a twenty-four year old bulimic form an unlikely bond as they attempt to address their unresolved trauma, mend fences with estranged family and slowly head down the path toward recovery. Character-driven, Crime, Thriller, Psychological, Limited Series, Dark Male, 40+ 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 Tony Ferrendelli ajferrendelli@gmail.com 720.988.7203 https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm14584960 Coverfly The Black List Tony Ferrendelli is a Colorado native who sporadically relocates to Southern California because it doesn’t snow. There are more reasons but this is the short version. His background is comedy and there’s a strong humorous element that leans toward sarcastic or observational present in his writing. His stories are largely character-driven and include people uncomfortable with themselves who must change to move forward. Tony is equally versed in developing and delivering a strong dramatic story. Much to the dismay of his 4th grade English teacher, and Mom, he can’t conjugate a verb to save his life. Luckily for him, screenwriting allows a little leeway in that area as confirmed by his Top 50 placement with Academy Nicholl Fellowships and recent win at the Austin Film Festival. Current project: Exploring the dark comedic depths of medically-assisted suicide with his writing partner, and the significantly funnier, Kim Turner. non-WGA Male, 55+, Over 40 SAIGON DOLL (Feature/Drama, Historical Fiction) In the final chaotic hours of the US exodus from Saigon, a grieving Marine struggles against enemy soldiers — some of whom share his uniform — in order to shepherd an orphaned 8-year-old Vietnamese girl to the American embassy. 2ND RATE FAIRY (Pilot/Comedy; Hybrid live action and animation) An irresponsible fairy in danger of being expelled from the fairy union and reduced to mere human status, forces her godmothering services on a comedian who has trouble saying no. OUTSOURCED (Feature/Supernatural Comedy) A down-on-his-luck 20-something accidentally sells his girlfriend’s soul to Satan and must go to Hell to retrieve it. Character-driven, Dark, Snarky Male, 55+, Over 40 unrepped

< Back Steven Goldman sgoldmannn@aol.com Matthew Wallerstein; The Wallerstein Group: mbw@walersteingroup.com Steven Goldman is an internationally syndicated film journalist based in Los Angeles. His UK credits include: Time Out, The Sunday Times, The Guardian, BBC Children's Television, The Evening Standard and British Esquire. In the US, his work has appeared in The New York Times, Premiere, Interview and Artsmeme. He is the writer of two animated TV specials for Film Roman/HandMade Films - based on the Eloise books by Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight, featuring the voices of Tim Curry and Lynn Redgrave. He has provided promotional materials for NBCUni, Sony, MGM, Paramount, Amblin, Disney, STX, Warner Bros, Imax, Lionsgate, and Apple TV. He is a member of the Writers Guild of America’s Animation Caucus, The IWC, and The Critics Choice Association. non-WGA Male, 55+ STILL LIFE WITH FRUIT (TV Comedy; Live Action/Animated) Two grapes sitting on a fruit plate wrestle with the petty dramas of daily life, the limitations of their dreams & aspirations, and their own mortality - living in the shadow of an unpredictable and lethal entity, The Hand. HOWDY DOODY TIME (Feature; Caper Comedy) A well-meaning minion's life goes to hell when he gets his best friend a job as his assistant. But as he struggles to get rid of him, neither is aware that the workplace itself is a front for an international forgery ring. TRANSITIONAL BOB (Animated; Limited Series) An eccentric drifter on the run from the law sets off to find his long lost brother, only to discover the man he’s looking for is the same man who’s pursuing him and the hitchhiker he’s picked up along the way may be planning to eat him. IWC BEST OF 2024 Character-driven, Children's, Animation, Limited Series, Dark Male, 55+ unrepped

< Back Rebekah Mueller Jake Weiner, Good Fear rebekahlmueller.writes@gmail.com http://www.rebekahmueller.com Coverfly The Black List Rebekah Mueller is a drama and genre writer from the Bible Belt of rural Pennsylvania, where she always knew she was close to home by the "Repent or Burn in Hell" barn murals. Growing up with mysterious seizures, she learned early on the importance of self-advocacy in finding your way through the rabbit hole. She began her career as a video editor before pivoting into the tech industry. Her disillusionment as an executive for Fortune 50 companies led her to write her TV pilot, MOONRISE, featured on the Blood List and winner of WeScreenplay's Diverse Voices Lab. Rebekah loves to create characters who escape societal and familial pressures to discover one's true self by embracing chaos. Her scripts have trended #3 on the Black List, and have been selected by the Austin Film Festival and ScreenCraft. She participated in Stowe Narrative Lab, Stowe Producing Lab, and UCLA’s TV & Film Producing program. Rebekah is currently in the 2025 cohort for the Paramount Writers Mentoring program. In addition to writing, Rebekah helped produce the drama short SUNKISS. She is in development on her first horror-thriller short, as both writer and director. Rebekah is repped by Good Fear. Honors & Awards Paramount Writers Mentoring Program , Paramount - BLOOD RELATIVE - 2025 Semifinalist, Austin Film Festival - EVIL "The Sin of Forgiveness" Spec - 2024 Official Selection, Blood List - MOONRISE - 2021 non-WGA Female, Disabled BLOOD RELATIVE (Thriller - DEXTER meets KILLING EVE ) As problems pile up in her life, a tightly-wound woman reconnects with her protective older sister. KILL THE RABBIT (Darkly Comedic Psych Thriller - UNITED STATES OF TARA meets BABY REINDEER ) A recently widowed game designer struggles to balance work, motherhood, and her own individuality when visions of her dead husband encourage her to stalk her new coworker. MOONRISE (Sci-fi Thriller - TRUE BLOOD meets DISTRICT 9 ) When an ambitious scientist uncovers the barbaric truth behind a cure-all DNA therapy, she must choose between healing her father’s illness and destroying her employer’s cruel vampire-industrial complex from within. Character-driven, Female-centric, Thriller, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Psychological, Horror, Dark Female, Disabled Repped

< Back Daniel Gámez dannygamez@me.com 917-626-0031 Originally from Central America, Daniel writes dysfunctional tales of the Salvadorian-American experience, both as a former immigrant (who didn’t become naturalized until the age of seventeen) and now as a guilt-stricken American Citizen with far too many rights. Having fled from the Salvadorian War at the age of three, Daniel’s take on the Latinx point-of-view is rooted in trauma yet explored through humor. At the core of his writing—whether it be as an overly judgmental spectator of his ancestors or as an ethnically put-upon participant—is Daniel’s cautionary experiences in the never-ending assimilation process, a discipline that Daniel refers to as “A Rights of ‘Otherness’ Passage.” Daniel is also a proudly maladjusted homosexual, which comes with its own otherness stories. As a film instructor, Daniel has taught at AMVA, a vocational film school for teenagers and adults on the Autistic Spectrum. Currently, he runs the Cinema Arts Focus Program at Providence High School in Burbank. non-WGA Male, Latinx, LGBTQ+ LITTLE EL SALVADOR (One-hour dramedy pilot) A thirty-something Salvadorian-American Latino who, after getting dumped by his boyfriend for being too white-washed, attempts to win him back by moving into an ethnically populated apartment complex, all in an attempt to find the Latin roots he suppressed whilst over-assimilating in America. INJUSTICE FOR ALL (One-hour dramedy pilot) Set within the cutthroat world of high school mock-trials at a Law and Government Magnet program, underachieving MANNY (16) has just transferred in, determined to overcome immigrant invisibility by learning the justice system as he navigates coming-of-age as a pansexual, Latinx, illegal teen. “MOST LIKELY TO BE MURDERED” (Feature traumedy) Death-obsessed SANTIAGO (17) befriends a retiring serial-killer to help him commit suicide. However, Devon’s ‘murder-me’ plan takes an unexpected turn when the two outcasts set-out on a victim-prey love-affair that has the power to heal both their wounds. Character-driven, Queer, Romantic, Coming-of-Age, Dark, Bittersweet Male, Latinx, LGBTQ+ unrepped

< 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 Tonia Kempler http://www.bellementertainment.com Coverfly Tonia Kempler is a multi-hyphenate, genre-agnostic filmmaker who lives in New York. Her focus is on projects with IP/multi-revenue stream potential. She specializes in world-building and character development. She develops comics, podcasts, unscripted & scripted TV, and features. She is currently in development with Radar Pictures on a horror feature . Her approach to storytelling and understanding audience engagement is fortified by a career in the Music Industry, including concert production and managing Grammy-Award-Winning producers, engineers, and songwriters. “No Scrubs” for TLC and “Survivor” for Destiny’s Child are among over 100 Billboard Chart Topping songs created by her previous clients. Tonia is a serial entrepreneur. She is the founder of Bellem Entertainment, Entangled Exposure Entertainment, The 9 Armadillos (Writer's Room), and The Old Orchard Film Festival. Tonia is a connector by nature. She is a member of The Vine Impact Global, Orchestrated Connecting, and The Renaissance Weekend. Over the course of her career, she has amassed an expansive network in both entertainment and finance. In 2024, Tonia began to altruistically connect impact-driven producers with financiers. She is actively helping A-List projects (only). Honors & Awards The Academy Nicholl Fellowship - Top 10% - THE OUTPOST - 2021 Emerging Screenwriters - Horror/Thriller Genre Winner, - THE OUTPOST - 2022 Oregon Short Film Festival - Best Drama - NOT YOUR FAMILY - 2022 non-WGA Female THE OUTPOST LGBTQ Coming-of-Age Thriller - STAND BY ME meets SUPER DARK TIMES Life quickly turns into chaos as two teen boys, struggling with their sexual identities, attempt to cover up an accidental murder, leading one to unravel a disturbing truth about the other. THE LEATHERFACE LADY Horror Feature - CREEP and T HE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT with a touch of PSYCHO . A young woman and her friends encounter the fabled Leatherface Lady, believed to slay hikers on the Appalachian Trail, only to discover the killer may, in fact, be the local urban legend’s grandson. GURCAN Action Feature inspired by true events - THE MARKSMAN and MAN ON FIRE meets the world of THE BRIDGE A federal agent pushed beyond his limits is forced to awaken his military past when his son gets kidnapped by a human trafficking organization within the government. Character-driven, Female-centric, Thriller, Psychological, Horror, Coming-of-Age, Dark, International Female repped