Virginia Screenwriters Forum

A screenwriting group based in Richmond, Virginia

VSF News

March Critique

We are diving into spring with our March Critique on Saturday, March 16, 2024.  Our featured writers include Robin Farmer and Tom Sanchez Prunier.

Enter via the security entrance next to the loading dock on 7th Street, sign-in and proceed to the 3rd Floor.
If you are a guest writer interested in joining us, please email info@virginiascreenwritersforum.com and we will notify you on how to participate.
We continue to monitor the COVID rates and adjust our schedule accordingly.  Our regular in-person meetings are held at The Dominion Energy Center, 600 E Grace Street – 3rd Floor, Richmond, Virginia.

PLEASE NOTE: Please try to arrive by 9:30 am. Our meetings usually start promptly at 10:00am.

Contact us if you are planning to attend, as space can sometimes be limited. Emerging and experienced writers are always welcome to attend a meeting to learn more about us. VSF membership is at capacity and we are no longer accepting applications. Guest attendance is limited to three visits. Hope to see you there!.

Congrats to VSF’s 2024 Contest Winners!

VSF is starting off the new year strong with another round of screenwriting contest placements! Please join us in congratulating the talented writers of the VSF:

Adam Lapallo

  • Atlanta Film Festival Quarterfinalist
  • ScreenCraft Spring Film Fund Semifinalist
  • Filmmatic Screenplay Horror Awards Quarterfinalist
  • Horrific Hope Film Festival Official Selection

Bob Eason

  • Selected Script from the VSF Producer’s Pitch Day, to be produced by the Northern Virginia Motion Picture Co-Op in 2024

Karen Lanning

  • Fade In Awards TV Pilot/Web Series Semifinalist

Vicky Dupuis

  • Frights! Camera! Action! Horror Screenplay Contest Honorable Mention

Kristofer Haase

  • Chicago Short Film Festival Finalist

 

 

VSF Celebrates the Holidays With Our First-Ever Producer Pitch Session!


It was a wonderful time at VSF’s year-end Holiday Party! Members participated in a potluck and a three-page Feedback Frenzy. VSF capped off the event with our first-ever pitch session, where writers pitched their short screenplays to a panel of indie film producers for the chance to have their scripts produced in 2024. It’s an exciting time to be a screenwriter in Virginia!


Congrats to (L to R) Adam Lapallo, Robin Farmer, and Eric Carlson for being voted the top scripts of Feedback Frenzy! Eric took third, Adam took second, and Robin was the grand prize winner.

The 2023 VSF Short Film Showcase was a Smashing Success!

The 2023 VSF Short Film Showcase was a night to remember. With more than 200 moviegoers in attendance and seven outstanding short films written and produced by members of the Forum this year, VSF’s second annual showcase nearly filled the historic Ashland Theatre for an afternoon of film screenings, Q&As, and award presentations. Legendary casting director Erica Arvold (Dopesick, House of Cards, Black Adam) came to announce the winner of this year’s First Act, First Look Screenwriting Contest, 36-time Emmy-winning director Jesse Vaughn (Juwanna Mann, Living in a Food Desert) announced the Audience Choice winner, and Swagger Executive Producer Joy Kecken recorded a special video appearance to announce her award selections for the films.

2023 VSF SHORT FILM SHOWCASE AWARD WINNERS:

Best Picture
Wisteria by Adam Lapallo

Best Director
Lucas Krost for Put Him Down

Best Screenplay
Brian Weakland for Handsy

Best Actress
Ashley Thompson for The Downline
Runners-up Seleste Cowie for Wisteria and Ramsey Hanchette for Put Him Down

Best Actor
KaVon Gitten for Disconnected 
Runner-up Christopher Glick for Wisteria

Audience Choice
Disconnected by Robin Farmer

First Act, First Look Screenwriting Contest Winner
Daredevil by Mark Andrew Ricche
Runner-up In Tarnation by Jenn Weatherly
Honorable Mention The Finish Line by Bob Eason

VSF Announces the Lineup of the 2023 Short Film Showcase!

VSF is proud to unveil the seven short films written (and in most cases, directed) by our members, to be included in the Second Annual VSF Short Film Showcase:

A Batmobile for Charity (Documentary, 12:20)
Written and Directed by Tom Sanchez Prunier
From the SPORK SYNDICATE YouTube channel, this chronicles
the customization of a Hot Wheels remote-controlled Tesla
Roadster into a Batmobile for a charity auction.

Handsy (Comedy, 3:34)
Written by Brian Weakland and Directed by Tom Sanchez Prunier
A superstar hand model, whose career depends on the untouched
beauty of her hands, suppresses her inner diva to promote the sale
of a lab-created ruby necklace on a television shopping network.
A technical glitch wrecks everything – until it doesn’t.

Put Him Down (Thriller, 15:58)
Written by Kristofer Haase and Directed by Lucas Krost
When co-owners of a local diner fall out of love, they make
plans to improve their lives—without each other.

Kissing Frogs (Comedy, 4:36)
Written by Terry Menefee Gau and Directed by Brendan Riley
What was your worst kiss – ever?

The Downline (Drama/Thriller, 12:51)
Written and Directed by Rachel Weatherly
A top-earner in a multilevel marketing company struggles to
maintain her sanity after one of her recruits commits suicide.

Disconnected (Comedy, 15:52)
Written and Directed by Robin Farmer
A young techie discovers artificial intelligence is no match
for real human emotion.

Wisteria (Horror, 16:35)
Written and Directed by Adam Lapallo
When three adult siblings vote to sell their childhood home
after the death of their mother, an ancient family curse
returns to restore the balance.

The showcase will be held August 26 from 12pm-3pm at the Ashland Theatre and will feature a Q&A with the filmmakers and an Audience Choice Award vote.

Congrats to all of VSF’s 2023 Contest Winners!

VSF is on a roll this year! Congrats to our members who are racking up global, national and state awards and placements:

Robin Farmer:

    • Selected as a Stowe Story Lab Bellem Entertainment fellow
    • Awarded a Hedgebrook Residency
    • Short screenplay Top 25 (semifinalist) in the Roadmap Writers Shorts Competition

Rachel Weatherly:

    • Feature screenplay semifinalist in the Richmond International Film Festival
    • Feature screenplay Second Rounder in the LaunchPad Screenwriting Contest

Adam Lapallo:

    • Semifinalist in the Austin Film Festival Screenwriting Contest
    • Feature screenplay Second Rounder in the LaunchPad Screenwriting Contest
    • Quarterfinalist in the Screencraft Fall Short Film Fund
    • Feature screenplay Top Official Selection and short film Finalist in the Richmond International Film Festival
    • Short film Official Selections at the James River Short Film Showcase, the AtomaCon Film Festival, the GenreBlast Film Festival, and the Northern Virginia International Film Festival
    • Nominated for Best Virginia Film, Best Actress, and Best Music at the Magic of Horror Film Festival

Bob Eason:

    • Short screenplay finalist at the Richmond International Film Festival

K.E. Lanning:

    • Best TV Drama Pilot at the New York Screenwriting Awards
    • Second Rounder in the Austin Film Festival Screenwriting Contest
    • TV Pilot Drama Quarterfinalist in the Showcase Script Contest
    • Third Place finalist in the Williamsburg Film Festival
    • Short Screenplay quarterfinalist in the Vail Screenwriting Contest

Brian Weakland:

    • Feature screenplay winner of the Florida Script Challenge
    • Feature screenplay semi-finalist in the Nashville Film Festival

Paul Schutte: 

    • Feature screenplay semifinalist in the Chicago Screenplay Awards
    • Semifinalist in the Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest

Barry Hite: 

    • Short film Official Selection at the Austin Comedy Film Festival

 

VSF Unveils its Second Annual Short Film Showcase!

After a successful inaugural event in 2022, the Virginia Screenwriters Forum is proud to announce that our 2023 Short Film Showcase will be held Saturday, August 26, from noon-3PM at the Ashland Theatre. The event will feature short films written by members of the Forum and produced by Richmond’s independent film community in the past year. The winner of the 2023 First Act, First Look Screenwriting Contest will be announced at the event, and an Audience Choice Award will be given to one of the films in the showcase. Invite your friends and family, because the event is free to the public!

FILM LINEUP COMING SOON.

2023 First Act, First Look Screenwriting Contest Now Open For Submissions!

VSF’s second annual national screenwriting competition, “First Act, First Look” opens for entries April 1, 2023. Writers who wish to enter can do so via FilmFreeway.com.

Send us your best First Act (thirty pages max) that grabs the reader’s attention and prepares your potential audience for the drama, laughter, romance, suspense or horror that is to come.
Prizes include $500. The earlybird deadline is April 11, where you can take advantage of a reduced fee.  The deadline is May 31.

This year‘s guest judge is Erica Arvold, an Emmy nominated casting director, producer, writer/director, and educator. She has contributed to, participated in, or helmed the making of over 150 films, 90 television shows, and countless multimedia & commercial projects.

We look forward to reading many wonderful submissions!

Submit Here.

Celebrating 2022!!

Virginia Screenwriters’ Forum wrapped up an exciting year with its first in-person holiday potluck party that included mimosas, meatballs and pie following prizes awarded for Feedback Frenzy. Terry Menefee Gau won the holiday themed contest, which required the opening pages of a new script.

2022 End of Year Celebration!

Tom Sanchez Prunier takes Honorable Mention, Robin Farmer as Runner Up and Terry Gau as the winner of this year’s Feedback Frenzy!

VSF offered members wonderful opportunities to learn and grow in 2022 that included masterclasses, a new national screenplay contest, expanded critique sessions and an inaugural short film showcase. Onward to more enriching and innovative possibilities in 2023!

VSF Announces Winner of First Act, First Look Contest

CONGRATULATIONS to Andrew Carnwath of Richmond, Virginia, the winner of the 2022 First Act, First Look Screenwriting Contest!  Andrew’s script, “Somewhere Between” was selected for the top prize of $500 and a script analysis from our panel of award-winning writers.

Andrew was presented with his prize by celebrated filmmaker, Jesse Vaughan and VSF Director, Robin Farmer, during the recent 2022 Short Film Showcase!