Getting your short script produced is the quickest way into the industry. Many famous writer/directors have started with short films like Damien Chazelle with WHIPLASH, Wes Anderson with BOTTLE ROCKET, Taika Waititi with TWO CARS, ONE NIGHT, Christopher Nolan with DOODLEBUG, Martin Scorsese with THE BIG SHAVE, and the list goes on...

With that in mind, Palm Springs Women in Film & Television (PSWIFT) partnered with Stage 32 to launch the first of its kind Short Script Competition open to filmmakers from all countries from around the world, and after many rounds of judging an impressive and massive group of submissions, we're excited to announce our Grand Prize Winner, whose Short Screenplay will be PRODUCED for a GUARANTEED budget of $10,000!

Our Grand Prize Winner is Pat Semler, who wrote EXIT INTERVIEW

Watch Pat react to finding out she won in the video below:

We would also like to recognize Jess Hendel, writer of EM UPGRADED, who impressed the judges so much that they named her Runner Up!

"Part of the mission of Stage 32 from Day One has been to shine a light on undiscovered talent and present opportunities to get their work seen. Palm Springs Women in Film & TV shares this mission and it's been a pleasure joining forces with them on this worthy initiative. We couldn't be more thrilled for Pat. We're excited to see her film come to life and to continue assisting her on her creative journey."

-Richard "RB" Botto, CEO/Founder Stage 32

"Palm Springs Women in Film & Television is absolutely thrilled with our partnership with Stage 32 in selecting a winner for the 2023 Short Script Competition. Working together, we created a dynamic competition for aspiring writers and we're excited to bring our winner's project to life by producing it through our Filmmakers Lab"

-Kim Waltrip, Board of Directors PSWIFT

Pat's script will be produced by PSWIFT’s “Filmmakers Lab” (https://www.filmmakerslab.org/) for a guaranteed budget of $10,000. We can't wait to see her amazing short script unfold on screen, so let's show our support for Pat and congratulate her for this incredible achievement!

Let's hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Got an idea for a post? Or have you collaborated with Stage 32 members to create a project? We'd love to hear about it. Email Emily at blog@stage32.com and let's get your post published!

Please help support your fellow Stage 32ers by sharing this on social. Check out the social media buttons at the top to share on Instagram @stage32 , Twitter @stage32 , Facebook @stage32 , and LinkedIn @stage-32 .