2026 Screenwriting Contest Results
Winners
1st Place: Nissa Braun - “Waiting in the Wings”
Hello, I'm Nissa Braun! I have a deep love for writing of any kind, performing and watching theater, and traveling the world. I grew up in Florida, but when I was 10 years old my family packed up our lives and moved to Spain for a year. Seeing and experiencing the world at such a young age has taught me to dream big and find inspiration everywhere. After our adventure abroad, we moved to Washington state to be closer to family. I'm super excited for this next season of life, especially because I get to move back to the sunshine and really focus on what I'm passionate about.
2nd Place: Lauren Groves - “Mercy”
My name is Lauren. I'm a filmmaker, screenwriter and multi-media artist from Kansas City. I have always loved to create and tell stories. Although growing up my main art form was performing live theater, I realized just how much I enjoyed being behind the scenes. In high school I started taking my movie watching a lot more seriously. I reviewed films on Letterboxd, started a film club and began writing my own screenplays. I absolutely love crazy thrillers and weird A24 films. I can only hope to make something really cool and interesting like that, hopefully for a lifetime. I know I have so much more to learn, to enjoy, and to experience. I can't wait to continue my creative journey now that I have found an emphasis that speaks to me more than ever, filmmaking.
3rd Place: AJ Leewarner - “Voluntary Confinement”
My name is AJ Leewarner and I was born in Seattle, Washington. Shortly after my birth my family moved to Barcelona Spain, then five years later to Oman in the middle east, and six years after that finally ended up in Virginia. Growing up overseas provided me a unique perspective on my home country that I find rare in my peers. I have always been a creative individual and I knew that I wanted to pursue one of the arts. Over my years I've dabbled in drawing, painting, piano, guitar, saxophone, 2D animation, 3D animation, writing, tailoring, acting, woodwork, light fixture programming and more. But these past couple years I've come to the conclusion that my real passion is film, screenwriting and cinematic direction. I believe it is the ultimate form of storytelling and I'm amazed about how it evolves every year. I grew up around many different types of cultures and arts, and from my experiences I've learned one great thing: The United States is the center of the world's film industry and I'd love to join it.