Harvardwood has announced the winners of its writing contest and the Most Talented TV Writer award. Now in its 18th year, this prestigious competition has seen a significant increase in submissions to the Features category.
In particular, last year's winner in the feature category came back and won once again with a new project. The TV category is headlined by writers from the Harvardwood Writers Program, which has doubled its participation since the start of the pandemic and expanded participation globally. Writers will receive mentorship from top TV and film experts, read from top producers, and be considered for representation at established agencies and management companies.
“We are proud to develop these talented writers and build on our track record as a source and resource for diverse and engaging artists of all experience levels,” says Harvardwood founder Mia Riverton Alpert.
The winners of each category of the Harvardwood Author Contest are as follows:
Feature Category Winners:
fisherman of man by Anthony Jonfreli
A self-destructive addict navigates internal transformation as he confronts religion, love, sex, and past trauma while working with a ruthless loan shark to pay off his drug debt.
TV Category Winners:
King of B By David Aguilar-Rodríguez and Jamie Holt Aguilar-Rodríguez
During the Golden Age of Hollywood in the 1950s, Stanford-educated genius engineer ROGER CORMAN desperately tries to make a name for himself in the entertainment industry. But when mainstream studios reject him, Roger decides that if he can't make it in Hollywood, he must try to make it in Hollywood by immersing himself in the world of B-movies.
Harvardwood's most talented writers: David Aguilar-Rodriguez & Jamie Holt Aguilar-Rodriguez (King of B). David and Jamie received the additional honor of “Most Talented Writers” because their TV pilot was incubated in the Harvardwood Writers Program.
These authors were selected through a blind judging process by a panel of industry experts. Each writer is provided with one-on-one mentoring and cash prizes.
This year's mentors are:
Naomi Funabashi (Chairman of Film and Television at Hillman Grad—The beauty and the beast, tooth, I'm curious) and Chris Salvaterra (HBO Senior Vice President, Original Programming—american pie, used up, visitor)
In recent years, Harvardwood Writers Program and Competition participants have found success with pilot sales to ABC, The CW, Disney+, The Jim Henson Company, Netflix, Showtime, Sony, Syfy, and TV Land, as well as a blind script deal at ABC. Studios and Warner Bros. have staffed more than two dozen shows with Harvardwood writers, including: almost heaven (WGN), american dad (fox), Animaniacs (Hulu), Awkwafina is Nora from Queens. (Comedy Central), billions (Showtime) and bridgerton (Netflix). Participants are represented by 3 Arts, Sculpture, Benderspink, Brant Rose Agency, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, CAA, Circle of Confusion, Echo Lake, Gersh, ICM, Madhouse Entertainment, Management 360, mosaic, Original Artists, UTA, WME, and more. .
To contact this year's winners and for more information about the Harvardwood Writers Contest and the Harvardwood Writers Program, contact Program Director Laura Yumi Snell at admin@harvardwood.org.