Contests

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 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 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.