OFF’23 Screenplay Finalists
Congratulations to the OFF’23 Screenplay Finalists!
Feature Length Scripts:
Filthy by Lisa Cole *
Foxes by Hollis Sherman-Pepe
Icebox by Jeffrey Field
Plume Raiders by Jeff Zampino
Remote by Anthony Rainone *
The Ushers by Mike Swift *
Teleplays:
Betty Lee Is Missing by Allyson Morgan *
DeCayne, MN by AE Stueve, Kitty Bardot
Emmett Grey: So Long by John Pisano-Thomsen
Faithful Intentions by Chris Poore *
The Jackrabbit by Mike Swift
Short Scripts (under 30 pages):
Please Stand By by David Michael Sutera *
The Judge’s Portrait by Doug Sasse *
* indicates inclusion in the Writers Theatre
Congratulations to the OFF’23 Screenplay Semi-Finalists!
Feature Length Scripts:
A Place Where The Sun Sets by Sam Bench
Donavan Emery, the Android & Himself by Jesse Dorian
Filthy by Lisa Cole
Foxes by Hollis Sherman-Pepe
Granddad by Nick Madison
Heart in the Game by Nancy Wilkinson
Icebox by Jeffrey Field
Plume Raiders by Jeff Zampino
Pop Hit by Jeffrey Field
Remote by Anthony Rainone
Technicolor Noir by Madison Sean Flannery
The Family Secret by Alix Lindbergh
The Fourth Psalm by John L. Martins III
The Ushers by Mike Swift
Three Unlikely Friends by Lori Kay Allred
Virtual Magick by A.S. Templeton
Willa Cather Would Not Approve by David Matthew Barnes
Teleplays:
Betty Lee Is Missing by Allyson Morgan
Casual Sex Club by Brian Hastert
Cozad’s Canaan of the West by N.A. Wilkinson
DeCayne, MN by AE Stueve, Kitty Bardot
Emmett Grey: So Long by John Pisano-Thomsen
Faithful Intentions by Chris Poore
Lajjawati: A Love Story by Sumathy Ram, Charles Leopardo
Play Date by Jessica Wei
The Jackrabbit by Mike Swift
The Mâr Chronicles by A.S. Templeton
Short Scripts (under 30 pages):
Dave’s Lucky Day by Kevin Fintland
Maggie’s New Boyfriend by Allison Beda
Movie Magic With Cinema Joe by Mike Swift
Please Stand By by David Michael Sutera
Statuesque by Martin Richmond
The Judge’s Portrait by Doug Sasse
Wildflower by Peter Salisbury
OFF’22 Screenplay Finalists
Congratulations to our OFF’22 Screenplay Finalists!
Feature Length Scripts:
City of Cousins by Victoria L White *
Maria Isabella Slivalessa by Hunter Ridgway
Nameless Children by Laura Valin-Penalba
The Disruptor by Jeffrey Field *
Wampus Cat by Jessica Wei *
Short Scripts (under 30 pages):
Hot Iron by Maya Peirce *
Icebox by Jeffrey Field
Next Please by Diego Trovarelli *
The Boneyard by M.r. Fitzgerald
Thingamajigs by A.S. Templeton *
Teleplays:
Cream City by Jeffrey James Keyes & Matt W. Cody *
Love Lives by Allyson Morgan
Room to Let by Daniel Talbott & Addie Johnson Talbott *
* indicates inclusion in our Writers Theatre on March 10th at the Brownell Talbot Theatre
Congratulations to the OFF’22 Screenplay Semi-Finalists!
Feature Length Scripts:
City of Cousins by Victoria L White
Cloudy by Jeffrey Field
Darling by Kathleen Rucker
Eskimonaes by Stephen C. Settle
Hangman by Paul Peterson and J.C. Doler
Maria Isabella Slivalessa by Hunter Ridgway
Nameless Children by Laura None
Nightfall by Joseph Mueller
No. 4 to Ogallala by Alec Reece Konz
Old Friends by Aaron Nix
Run the Program by Noah L Kim
Seen by Isabel del Rosal
Spur by Cody Rea
The Disruptor by Jeffrey Field
The Greek Passage by Lorenzo Guarnieri
The Jew From Chisinau by George Bradford Collins Jr
The Tain by Luke Hart-Moynihan
The Vengeance Symphony by Soowan Bang
Two Dog Night by Cameron Webb
Wampus Cat by Jessica Wei
Short Scripts (under 30 pages):
Aurum by S Bettaney Brady
Call Me Nevada by Alexander Julian III
Emmett Grey by John Pisano-Thompson
FreeBird by Michael Joseph McDonald
Gloomy Sunday by Kevin Machate
Icebox by Jeffrey Field
Interstate 80 by David L. Anderson
It Couldn’t Hurt by Michaela Wadzinski
Next Please by Diego Trovarelli
Rascal by Joanna Koss
Runaways by Dillon Slack
Stranded by Kevin Machate
The Boneyard by M.r. Fitzgerald
Thingamajigs by A.S. Templeton
Teleplays:
Counterfeit by Ashley Rose Tropea
Cream City by Jeffrey James Keyes and Matt W. Cody
Dad Bod by Michael Brewer
Georgia Beats by Gregory Vines
Love Lives by Allyson Morgan
Room to Let by Daniel Talbott and Addie Johnson Talbott
Thou Shalt by Jeffrey Field
Unchained Melody by Carl Burcham
Whittier by Rio Eddie Johnson
OFF’21 Screenplay Finalists
Congratulations to the screenplay finalists for the 2021 Omaha Film Festival!
To celebrate the craft of screenwriting, the Omaha Film Festival is thrilled to present the 2021 Writers Theatre. The Writers Theatre will be a virtual event this year streaming right to your desktop or mobile device. Check our online schedule for virtual listings.
Feature Length Scripts:
Harveybrook, Alaska by Trevor R Lawrence
Land of Light by Nicholas Batchelder
Riding Shotgun by Nafi Ayvaci
Short Scripts (under 30 pages):
Addie and the Lightning Bugs by Alexander Jeffery, Paul Petersen
Cairns by Samantha Soule
Containment by Lennon McGuigan, Christine Burright
Damned If You Do by Liz Renner
Teleplays:
Grace in the Clutch by Addie Talbott
Second Crossing by James Howells
The Lighthouse by Daniel Talbott
Congratulations to the screenplay semi-finalists for the 2021 Omaha Film Festival!
Feature Length Scripts:
Riding Shotgun by Nafi Ayvaci
Philip Glass, Philip Glass by Martin Barshai
Land of Light by Nicholas Batchelder
Swank’s! by Ed Bookman
Action Figures by Russell Coos
Macho Man Route 2 by Bethany DeCarolis
Days in the Wake by Dina Fiasconaro
Sixgun Saint by Warren Lane
Harveybrook, Alaska by Trevor R Lawrence
Instead of God by Tom McCown
The Whirligig Beetle by Chuck Mittan
Refuge Nation by Brigitte Timmerman
Cactus Junction by Philip C. Sedgwick
One Man Army by Lawrence Whitener
The Leave-Takers by Steven Wingate
Short Scripts (under 30 pages):
Come as You Are by Daisy Friedman
A Trespasser on Rancho Rivera by Douglas Harms, Joe D’Leon
Addie and the Lightning Bugs by Alexander Jeffery, Paul Petersen
Come Along, Harry Higgins by Kevin Machate
As Time Goes By by John Martins III
Containment by Lennon McGuigan, Christine Burright
Millicent by Dennis Ostermaier
Damned If You Do by Liz Renner
Cairns by Samantha Soule
Boundaries by Jake Teeny
The Body of Chris by Erin Brown Thomas
Frostbite by Sarah Wharton
The Break-App by Alison Zatta
Teleplays:
Case. Dismissed. by Michael Brewer
High Achievers by Chelsea Bunn
Family Politics by Arielle Haller-Silverstone
Second Crossing by James Howells
Will and Grace: “A Bottle, Brunch, and a Bad Boy Neighbor” by CJ Minifee
Be Here Now by Katie Micay
Grace in the Clutch by Addie Talbott
The Lighthouse by Daniel TalbottOFF’
OFF’20 Screenplay Finalists
OFF’20 Screenplay Finalists
To celebrate the craft of screenwriting, the Omaha Film Festival is thrilled to present the 2020 Writer’s Theatre.
The Writer’s Theatre will take place at the College of Saint Mary
on Saturday, March 7 from 2:00pm – 4:00pm
College of Saint Mary, Gross Auditorium – 7000 Mercy Road
See schedule for more details!
Highway 83 written by Anthony Rainone (Feature Screenplay)
A driven sheriff in the Badlands of 1970 South Dakota desperately tries to stop her convict father’s execution by hunting down the real killer – a Nazi who escaped from a German POW camp in Nebraska decades earlier.
Float Me Up written by Daniel Talbott (Feature Screenplay)
Emma lives on her own in the house where she was raised, her parents both gone. She travels far out of New Orleans each week to care for her wayward brother Cody—their family a tightly closed island of two. When her brother makes a decision that breaks open her life and leaves her utterly alone, Emma emerges from the smallness of her existence and ventures into the chaos and swirl of the French Quarter and greater New Orleans, whose eclectic inhabitants, lost souls, and fellow travelers will either drown her or help her toward some new shore of possibility.
They Went On written by Anthony Gilmore & Drew McCoy (Feature Screenplay)
They Went On begins with the narrator, a young Marina Hernandez, in the middle of escaping a Kansas City mental ward in 1979. We learn that Marina, charismatic and electric despite signs of a hard life, has undifferentiated schizophrenia … and that she has a story to tell us, starting from the end.
Black Star Rising written by Doug Williams (Feature Screenplay)
Barbara Jordan conquers poverty and racism to become a leading black politician in the 1970s. But as she rises, Jordan’s allies sabotage her career because she doesn’t act like a stereotypical “black woman politician.” Though crippled by illness and betrayal, she confronts her critics in one last war against injustice.
Hippy Dippy written by Anthony Rainone (Short Screenplay)
Two men set out to steal a rodeo bull and come up against a migrant woman tougher than all of them.
Bronko and Dorothy written by John T. Frederick (Short Screenplay)
Two old folks discuss disappointment, anger, death and life at The Gardens Of Eden… a modern elder care warehouse.
People In A Box written by M.r. Fitzgerald (Short Screenplay)
A passionate, naive singer is trapped in a mysterious Black-Box Theatre where she and other entertainers must perform to survive.
Undone – Pilot written by Christine Burright McGuigan (Teleplay)
A jaded wedding photographer must come to terms with her career and her views on marriage after splitting up with her husband.
Shadowpoint – A Domestic Incident written by Doug Sasse (Teleplay)
After accidentally killing his wife during a heated argument and burying her in the woods, a guilt-ridden husband begins to see his dead wife all over town. This is an episode in a new anthology series.
The Group written by Joel Stevens & Angee Stevens (Exhibition Short Screenplay)
In Dr. Kyle’s Teen Coping Group, the only thing more terrifying than the secrets revealed are the ones that aren’t.
Congratulations to the screenplay semi-finalists for the 2020 Omaha Film Festival!
Feature Length Scripts:
Highway 83 by Anthony Rainone
The Apostle by John Martins III
Float Me Up by Daniel Talbott
They Went On by Anthony Gilmore & Drew McCoy
Project Fog by Adva Reichman
Black Star Rising by Doug Williams
A Tent on Jupiter by Derek Nicoletto
Short Scripts (under 30 pages):
Rubert Becomes by David J Schroeder
Hippy Dippy by Anthony Rainone
Finding Shelter by Mehrtash Mohit
The Crime by Pamela Perry
Bronko and Dorothy by John T. Frederick
The Joymaker by Tara Grover Smith
Mismatch by Bernhard Reidhammer
In Your Hands by Carlo Liberatore
People in A Box by M.R. Fitzgerald
I Am Ranger by Nathan Romesser
Teleplays:
Barrio – El Niño by Charlie Gandez
Rails – Pilot by Craig Miller
Undone – Pilot by Christine Burright McGuigan
Shadowpoint – A Domestic Accident by Doug Sasse
See BLOG for past Screenplay Finalists.
OFF’19 Screenplay Finalists
To celebrate the craft of screenwriting, the Omaha Film Festival is thrilled to present the 2019 Writer’s Theatre.
The Writer’s Theatre will take place at the College of Saint Mary
on Saturday, March 9 from 2:00pm – 4:00pm
College of Saint Mary, Gross Auditorium – 7000 Mercy Road
See schedule for more details!
DON’T GO THERE by Jeffrey R Field (Feature Screenplay)
Directed by Christina Rohling
A housebound senior struggles to stay alive when a mass murderer takes refuge in her home on the coldest night in eighty years.
EATS YOU ALIVE by Zack Eagles (Feature Screenplay)
Directed by Laura Kendall
A man in the post-apocalypse comes face to face with the beings who destroyed the world.
MISS ME WHEN I’M GONE by Matthew Gomez (Feature Screenplay)
Directed by Aaron Sailors
The mother and brother of a man who has committed suicide spend the next seven days searching for a location to host his Celebration of Life ceremony in Omaha, Nebraska.
HOOSIER DADDY by Jeffrey R Field (Feature Screenplay)
Directed by David M. Weiss
After accidentally destroying his future father-in-law’s prized autographed basketball, a hapless college student and his slacker buddy have one week to re-gather the signatures of the 1976 Indiana University basketball team.
MYOSOTIS LOVE by Charlie LaTourette (Short Screenplay)
Directed by Christina Rohling
A woman plants flowers in the garden and challenges her husband to remember how they met.
HOME by Katie Micay (Short Screenplay)
Directed by Jason Levering
Megan, who suffers from agoraphobia, is alone for her first holidays since her wife moved out. Sydney, a young widower, has been living in her car outside Megan’s house since she lost her apartment. When Sydney knocks on Megan’s door to sell her makeup, the two only see each other’s differences. But after a scary incident forces Megan out of her house to come to Sydney’s aid, they realize that they are two lonely souls with more in common than they first thought.
PANCAKE SKANK by Savannah Rodgers (Short Screenplay)
Directed by Laura Kendall
Pancake Skank is a surrealist, satirical comedy about our titular anti-heroine and her unlikely partner-in-crime, Lover Boi, as they wreak havoc on a small town and its breakfast joints.
HEAD ON by Christine Burright McGuigan (Short Screenplay)
Directed by Aaron Sailor
Two people meet under unusual circumstances.
THE SYNDICATE by Peter Jang (Teleplay)
Directed by David M. Weiss
After a child sees his parents brutally murdered, his dad’s police partner, connected to a covert organization known as The Syndicate, turns him into a one-man killing machine, primed to take out those who took his parents’ lives.
MIDWEST MOM GROUP by Darcy Lueking Bahensky (Teleplay)
Directed by Jason Levering
A fed-up LA mom relocates her family to Nebraska, but she quickly learns that parenting in a flyover state has its own rules.
See BLOG for past Screenplay Finalists.
OFF’19 Festival Parties
OFF’19 dates are March 5-10 and will feature amazing independent feature films, documentaries, short films, animated films, and screenplays from around the world. Each night after the film screenings will be VIP parties for All Access badge holders.
March 5th – Tuesday – Opening Night
Aksarben Cinema Lounge
2110 South 67th Street
Drink specials and food from Le Voltaire
Free entry for All Access pass holders!
$10 entry without a pass.
Immediately following our opening night film!
March 6th – Wednesday
LIV Lounge
2285 South 67th Street
Free drinks for All Access pass holders provided by Tito’s, Brickway, and Soaring Wings
Free entry for All Access pass holders!
$10 entry without a pass.
10:00pm – midnight
March 7th – Thursday
Dante
16901 Wright Plaza #173
Food provided by Dante
Drink specials / Cash bar
Free entry for All Access pass holders!
$10 entry without a pass.
10:00pm – midnight
March 8th – Friday
Ring the Bell Party
Julio’s
2820 South 123rd Ct
Free taco bar provided by Julio’s
Drink Specials / Cash bar
Free entry for All Access pass holders!
$10 entry without a pass.
10:00pm – midnight
March 9th – Saturday
Beacon Hills
6750 Mercy Road
Free food and drinks provided by Beacon Hills
Free entry for All Access pass holders!
$10 entry without a pass.
10:00pm – midnight
March 10th – Sunday
Closing Night Party
Herbe Sainte
1934 South 67th Street
Heavy hors d’oeuvres
Free drinks for All Access pass holders provided by Tito’s, Brickway, and Soaring Wings
Free entry for All Access pass holders!
$10 entry without a pass.
7:30pm – 11:00pm
OFF’18 Conference
All Conference Sessions will be at the Village Pointe Theatre
304 North 174th Street
All sessions will be in Theatre #15
All Conference Panelists are “scheduled to appear”
Saturday, March 10, 2018
9:30am – 10:15am – Documentary Panel
A conversation with visiting documentary filmmakers about their process.
10:30am – 11:15am – Filmmaker Panel
Attending (non-Nebraska) filmmaker’s Q&A panel.
11:30am – 12:30pm – The Moments That Mattered
A frank discussion about the moments, choices, and decisions that turned out to make a big difference in our filmmaking careers at every level along the way. With Pamela Ribon and Jason Headley.
1:00pm – 1:45pm – Filmmaking in Nebraska
An open panel discussion about filmmaking in Nebraska.
Sunday, March 11, 2018
12:00pm – 3:00pm – Writer’s Theatre
A live reading of selections from this year’s OFF screenplay finalists
Panelists:
Pamela Ribon is a screenwriter (Moana, Smurfs: The Lost Village), TV writer (Samantha Who?), comic book writer (SLAM!, Rick & Morty), author, and best-selling novelist. She’s currently co-writing Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2. She was recently named one of Variety’s 10 Screenwriters to Watch and was a 2017 Film Independent Directing Lab Fellow. She has been a member of the Disney Animation StoryTrust since 2013. She was a writer and narration consultant on the DisneyNature documentary Bears. Her comedic memoir Notes to Boys (and Other Things I Shouldn’t Share in Public) was praised by NPR as “brain-breakingly funny.” Her first graphic novel, My Boyfriend is a Bear, (co-created with Cat Farris) will be released April 2018 from Oni Press. She’s been in comedy rooms for both network and cable television, and developed original series and features for ABC, ABC Family, Sony, Warner Bros., Disney Channel and 20th Century Fox Productions.
Jason Headley’s feature film, “A Bad Idea Gone Wrong,” won a Special Jury Prize at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival and the Grand Jury Award at the deadCenter Film Festival. Called “a talent to watch” by the Hollywood Reporter, Jason is currently writing an upcoming feature film for Pixar Animation Studios. His short films—including the viral videos “It’s Not About the Nail” and “F*ck That: An Honest Meditation”—have been featured at Banksy’s Dismaland, NBC’s TODAY Show, SundanceTV, the TED Conference, Vimeo Staff Picks, and film festivals far and wide. Jason has been a part of the IFP Narrative Labs, IFP Emerging Storytellers, and SFFILM FilmHouse. He’s also been commissioned by Heineken, Sony, and Chrysler to write, direct, and produce original short films. Fun fact: Jason is more handsome in real life than he is on camera, but he’s still not actually handsome.
2018 OFF Academy Schedule
All OFF Academy Sessions will be at the Funny Bone
17305 Davenport Street, Suite 201
All OFF Academy Panelists are “scheduled to appear”
For more information or to find out how you can get involved with the OFF Academy, send an email to omahafilmfestival@gmail.com.
Thursday, March 8, 2018 – Day 1
8:00am – 9:00am – participant check-in / breakfast
Students will check in for the day
Beverages and a light breakfast will be provided
8:30am – 9:00am Welcome from OFF Staff
9:15am – 10:30am Breakout Sessions
“Special FX Makeup: Creating A Character”
Tim Welch, Sarah O’Connell from Scream in the Dark
“How to Talk the Talk”
Pamela Ribon, Jason Headley from Pixar
Lighting/Cinematography For Your Scene
Ben Drickey from Torchwerks
“Directing: The Ups, Downs, and Enjoying the Ride”
Visiting Filmmakers
10:45am – 12:00pm Breakout Sessions
“Special FX Makeup: Creating A Character”
Tim Welch, Sarah O’Connell from Scream in the Dark
“How To Talk The Talk”
Pamela Ribon, Jason Headley from Pixar
Lighting/Cinematography For Your Scene
Ben Drickey from Torchwerks
“Directing: The Ups, Downs, and Enjoying the Ride”
Visiting Filmmakers
12:00pm – 1:00pm Lunch
Beverages and lunch will be provided
~ Funny Bone Main Room ~
1:00pm – 1:20pm Group Photograph
1:20pm – 2:15pm Say What? Sound Mixing
Kevin Keplar
2:15pm – 2:30pm End of the Day Wrap Session
Friday, March 9, 2018 – Day 2
8:00am – 9:00am – participant check-in / breakfast
Students will check in for the day
Beverages and a light breakfast will be provided
8:30am – 9:00am Welcome from OFF Staff
9:15am – 10:30am Breakout Sessions
“How To Walk the Walk”
Pamela Ribon, Jason Headley from Pixar
“Documentary Filmmaking: How Do I Tell My Story?”
Dana Nachman and Robin Berghaus
“Live Auditioning For Film”
Visiting Actors
“Live Storyboarding for Your Movie”
Dave Weiss, Jason Levering
10:45am – 12:00pm Breakout Sessions
“How To Walk the Walk”
Pamela Ribon, Jason Headley from Pixar
“Documentary Filmmaking: How Do I Tell My Story?”
Dana Nachman and Robin Berghaus
“Live Auditioning for Film”
Visiting Actors
“Live Storyboarding for Your Movie”
Dave Weiss, Jason Levering
12:00pm – 1:15pm Lunch and Learn with Filmmakers
Beverages and lunch will be provided
Vegetarian option available
~ Funny Bone Main Room ~
1:30pm – 2:30pm Visiting Filmmaker Panel
2:30pm – 2:40pm End of the Day Wrap Session and Goodbye
OFF’18 Festival Parties
OFF’18 dates are March 6-11 and will feature amazing independent feature films, documentaries, short films, animated films, and screenplays from around the world. Each night after the film screenings will be VIP parties for All Access badge holders.
March 6th – Tuesday
Opening Night Party
Cheeseburger in Paradise
17304 Davenport Street
Free appetizers provided by Cheeseburger in Paradise
Drink specials / Cash bar
Free entry for folks with All Access passes!
$10 entry without a pass
8:00pm – 11:00pm
March 7th – Wednesday
Tavern 180
203 North 180th Street
Food provided by Tavern 180
Drink specials / Cash bar
Free entry for folks with All Access passes!
$10 entry without a pass
10:00pm – midnight
March 8th – Thursday
Playmakers Pizzeria & Sports Grill
12744 Westport Pkwy, La Vista
Drink specials / Cash bar
Free entry for folks with All Access passes!
$10 entry without a pass
10:00pm – midnight
March 9th – Friday
Ring the Bell Party
Julio’s West
2820 South 123rd Ct
Free taco bar provided by Julio’s
Drink Specials / Cash bar
Free entry for folks with All Access passes!
$10 entry without a pass
10:00pm – midnight
March 10th – Saturday
Dante Ristorante Pizzeria
16901 Wright Plaza #173
Free pizza provided by Dante
Drink specials / Cash bar
Free entry for folks with All Access passes!
$10 entry without a pass
10:00pm – midnight
March 11th – Sunday
Closing Night Party
Brickway Brewery & Distillery
1116 Jackson Street
Free appetizers provided by Brickway
Drink Specials / Cash bar
Free entry for folks with All Access passes!
$10 entry without a pass
7:15pm – 11:00pm
OFF’18 Screenplay Finalists
Feature Length Scripts:
The Road to Matanzas written by Christopher Helton
American Mule written by Ian James Ortiz
Sam’s War written by Stephen C. Settle
Alice in War written by Steven Bogart
Short Scripts (under 30 pages):
Memories for Sale written by Doug Sasse
Honor written by Ed Vela
Mad Rush written by Christine Burright
Monkeys written by Matthew Strasburger
Teleplays:
Stranger Things: f7/f2 written by Ana Ziegler Loes
Hell Hound – “The Legend of Robert Johnson” written by Giancarlo Fusi
End of Life written by Sean Collins-Smith
Buffalo Nation written by Alexander Major
