Independent Writers' Caucus
Michael Monteiro
Michael Monteiro was born in Detroit, Michigan, as Michael Henry Monteiro, proudly of Cape Verdean descent. The eldest of six children, he spent his early years in Wareham, Massachusetts, before moving to the Bronx borough of New York City. He is a graduate of the UCLA Extension Feature Film Writing and the UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television’s Professional Screenwriting Programs.
An award-winning screenwriter and retired U.S. Navy Iraq War veteran, Michael brings discipline, honesty, and emotional depth to every project he undertakes. His screenwriting achievements include winning the Wiki Screenplay Contest for My Yoga Mat and being a quarter finalist in the Final Draft Big Break Contest for Soul Food Saigon. His experience in acting and directing—supported by multiple directing awards—continues to influence his cinematic approach, emphasizing strong visual storytelling, complex characters, and authentic human emotion.
Beyond his work as a screenwriter and director, Michael has appeared in several film and television projects, including I Thought You Knew (2022), To Kill a Cop (2021), and Abigail Haunting (2020). He remains committed to telling stories rooted in truth, character, and lived experience. His latest project, Lessons Unbound, is currently in post-production, marking the next step in his expanding body of film and television work.
Honors & Awards
Winner, Best Screenplay, Festigious International Film Festival, MY YOGA MAT - 2025
Winner, Best Screenplay, Wiki: Screenplay Contest, MY YOGA MAT - 2024
Winner, Best Direction, IndieFest Film Awards, TO KILL A COP - 2022
Non-WGA/Caucus-only Member
Male, Black
ONE WHO GIVES VICTORY
Crime, Drama
An Iraqi exchange student, covertly recruited by extremists, struggles with her conflicting loyalties between duty and a forbidden romance with a Black Muslim classmate as her secret life raises suspicion and begins to draw the attention of the FBI.
SOUL FOOD SAIGON
War, Romance
During the Vietnam War, a Black soldier deserts the army to build a new life with his Vietnamese girlfriend, risking everything to open a soul food restaurant in Saigon as racial conflict and military police close in around them.
JUVIE HALL
Crime, Drama
A mental health counselor is determined to save a teenage girl who suffers with acute depression. She is being released on probation from the Juvenile Detention Center, "Juvie Hall"; her life on the outside is uncertain.
Character-driven, Crime, Limited Series
Male, Black
unrepped