Meet the 6th International Screenplay Contest WINNERS

	10 Minutes From Paradise, by Janyce Lapore Grand Prize Winner Billy, Jerry and Sherry leave Cleveland to make it big in New York City. Billy and Sherry are lovers, and Jerry, their lifelong friend, is gay. But New York has some hard lessons in store, and the little "family" leads a desperate existence...until Billy conceives a bold and reckless plan to hijack a commuter train. From that moment on, their shot at finding Paradise faces some very long odds... That's 10 MINUTES FROM PARADISE, our Grand Prize Winner, a gripping and human drama with characters we won't soon forget.
Janyce Lapore began her writing career as a playwright. Her plays have been produced all over the world...even Off-Off-Broadway. Her award-winning play "Ferris Wheel", published by Dramatic Publishing, has also been translated into Dutch and soon, German. Janyce was invited by Dan Lauria to come to LA for a production of one of her plays and while there, she began working on a screenplay which became our Grand Prize Winner. The script was further developed in New York City under the auspices of Coppola�s Zoetrope, and has gone on to win several awards in film festivals across the country. Janyce now works entirely on writing for film and to date has completed 6 award-winning screenplays...and one feature film in progress!
	Steen's Folly, by Jeffrey Gold 2nd Place Winner The Uranium Boom is on, and Charlie Steen intends to be strike it rich. He's got a great deal of vision, but precious little luck. And his long and dogged quest strains his wife and family's patience to the limit. And when success does strike, Charlie finds that it wasn't exactly what he thought he was looking for...
Jeffrey Gold became aware of this true story when visiting Moab, Utah, and the surrounding desert. "There was this large house that loomed over the town and, inquisitive me, I asked some locals whose house it was, and after being told it represented another era of our history, I had a hunch there was a story here -- long before I was in film and interested in telling stories. It never left me." Originally trained as a physicist, Jeffrey Gold is an award-winning screenwriter, playwright, and producer. Educated at Cambridge University, Westminster College, and the University of Utah, his works have premiered at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Centres in London and Cardiff, Canada, France, PBS television, radio, and at international film festivals. He is an alumnus of the Sundance Institute Independent Producers Conference, a full member of the Dramatists Guild of America, and a member of ASCAP.
	The Umpire Has No Balls, by Debbie Bolsky 3rd Place Winner Jessie Stiles has a dream -- to be the first female umpire in the major leagues. There's only one problem: There are no women in baseball.
In this script, Debbie Bolsky tells "the almost true story of a young woman's struggle up the ranks in the male-dominated world of baseball to become the first female umpire in the major leagues." The script is a synthesis of two of Debbie's greatest passions -- baseball, and writing. "After going to many minor league and spring training games and seeing only one female ump in a game, ever, I was curious. I did some research and discovered that only a handful of women have ever worked as an umpire in the minor leagues -- and none in the majors. No matter how capable they are they hit that glass ceiling. So I decided to write the story of a woman who tries to break through it." Debbie is a playwright/screenwriter who has written over ten stage plays and screenplays. Her stage play Biking With Andrew Scott enjoyed a successful run in Los Angeles in 2008. She's also worked on several indie films, and at Columbia Pictures in motion picture media advertising and marketing.
	Rules To Live By, by Julian Harker 4th Place Winner 1980's Glasgow. Jakob is an outcast, a loner. Then he meets Helen, who shares the same fate. The two wind up forming a unit -- until, that is, an ill-advised plan to rip off their rich boss sends them on the run across the U.K. The ensuing odyssey tests their affection and teaches them about life and consequence.
The script, according to Julian Harker, was inspired by "Michael Apted�s Up Series, Phillip Larkin�s poem This Be The Verse and the philosophy of Utilitarianism." This stately and affecting script explores issues of love, self-interest and the legacy of family and social upbringing -- "hopefully all in an entertaining manner". Julian studied Philosophy and Comparative Literature at Cornell University, before going on to get an MFA in Film from NYU�s Tisch School of the Arts. He has written and directed several short films and documentaries and is currently living in Los Angeles.
	Will Powers, by Andrew Eisen 5th Place Winner Will Powers is a gruff retired cop, who's got his hands full dealing with the manifold issues of advancing age, family illness and filial disappointments. When an old foe decides to settle an old score -- and unleashes a peculiar and eccentric assassin against Will and his family -- Will's got to rise to the occasion, and protect what's his.
Andrew Eisen holds a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University at Albany, State University of New York. As a Professor and Child Psychologist he has been writing scholarly articles and books for twenty years. "While this kind of writing is very rewarding," says Eisen, "I also wanted to explore my creative side." "I wanted to write a story about the importance of family, within a fast-paced action thriller," he says. This script pays homage to classics like Gran Torino, Death Wish and Taken -- linking tense and gripping action with powerful human relationships. An original and distinctive ride!