INTRODUCING KITTY CUMMINGS

Dramedy Short by Kay Gleaton

LOGLINE: A misguided woman goes from drugs, alcohol, and affairs with married men to becoming a wealthy guru after a scorned wife comes to her for sex advice.

WRITER BIO: An original Georgia peach, Kay is a screen writer, script supervisor and producer. A lover of all genres whose characters go on self-discovery journeys that make you feel every emotion imaginable!

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THE OFF SEASON

Drama/Thriller Feature by Comika Hartford

LOGLINE: A world-renowned investigator is pulled into a puzzling case when a desperate stranger collapses on his doorstep claiming to have witnessed the murder of a man everyone else in town insists never existed.

WRITER BIO: Comika began her career writing and performing at the historic LORRAINE HANSBERRY THEATER in her hometown of San Francisco. She's a Stowe Story Labs alum and a 2024 Open Screenplay M Lab Fellow. Comika co-produced the horror/sci-fi podcast DOMESTICATED and is a founding member of the B3 film collective in Oakland that focuses on strange stories and twisty tales. She has also worked with Community Works West writing plays and new media projects for their Art & Social Change program and was the head of their Creative Writing Program WRITING ON WALLS: Storytelling in the Digital Age.

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THE SINTERVIEW

Romantic Suspense by Alexandra Whyte

LOGLINE: When a young, ambitious journalist cons his way into an exclusive interview with a powerful, enigmatic businesswoman, he finds himself ensnared in a dangerous game of manipulation, seduction, and power, as each seeks to expose the other’s deepest secrets throughout a single night.

WRITER BIO: A screenwriter who loves creating complex characters that challenge societal norms. "It's impossible,' said Pride. "It's risky," said Experience. "It's pointless,' said Reason. "Give it a try," said her Heart.

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THE LUCKY CARD

Thriller Short by Torian Allen

LOGLINE: A struggling graphic designer takes an unbelievable opportunity from a charismatic MLM recruiter: Write dark gift cards, get paid a livable wage. The only catch, the cards have a sinister price.

WRITER BIO: I'm an impulsive creative. I didn't start to like writing until I met my wife. I'd write her love letters while on missions during my time in the Army. Eventually, I began writing short stories and realized I'd like to make movies. So, I left the military and moved west to attend the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. I studied the camera instead of screenwriting because I liked how things looked just as much as I liked how they were said. That said, I owe all my creative talent to the amazing people who have stood over my shoulder since moving to this fictive place.

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HORROR FILM

Horror Short by Kay Gleaton

LOGLINE: Serial killers, dressed as serial killers, killing people...

WRITER BIO: An original Georgia peach, Kay is a screen writer, script supervisor and producer. A lover of all genres whose characters go on self-discovery journeys that make you feel every emotion imaginable!

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MAMA

Thriller Short by Monet Ravenell

WRITER BIO: Director, writer, actor, powerful human being lol

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FATHER TIME

Drama Short by Alex Troxler

LOGLINE: Before his son moves, a father, typically reserved, wrestles with the words to convey his longing for more time with his son.

WRITER BIO: Hi Storyteller Family, It's me, Alex. Writer, Editor, Producer based in LA and looking forward to making a few more shorts before the year runs out.

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THE TALENTED TENTH

Drama Pilot by Sabah Muhammad

LOGLINE: Eva dreams of becoming an international journalist, first she must land a coveted internship with Philadelphia’s premiere Black Newspaper but her work responsibilities to her family and rivalries with candidates of better pedigree threaten to kill her dreams before she ever has a chance.

WRITER BIO: Sabah Muhammad is an advocate attorney dedicated to criminal justice and mental illness reform. Her one true love is powerful story telling based on growing up Black, weird, Muslim and poor in the bible belt South. As a kid in the Nation of Islam, Sabah Muhammad was the plucky eldest of seven whose spirited intelligence usually earned her a timeout for not being righteous; alone in a room thinking about what she’d done, usually something feminist, proved to be an excellent place to develop characters. Art, as an escape, prepared Sabah for a ten-year acting career that included countless exciting projects like: "The Brooke Ellison Story" directed by Christopher Reeve, starring Jon Slattery and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio; "The Skeleton Key", starring Peter Sarsgaard and Kate Hudson; and a 12-city arena tour, sponsored by Coca-Cola: the Go for It! Roadshow.

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FLEDGE

SciFi/Horror Short by Comika Hartford

LOGLINE: A new age guru hellbent on saving the planet hides a dark secret in plain sight.

WRITER BIO: Comika is an Open Screenplay M Lab Fellow and a founding member of the B3 film collective in Oakland that focuses on strange stories and twisty tales. She has worked with Community Works West writing plays and new media projects for their Art & Social Change program and was the head of their Creative Writing Program: WRITING ON WALLS: Storytelling in the Digital Age. Her latest short film The Interview premiered at the Vertifilm Festival in Prague and her award winning web series The Grey Area is available on the PARAflixx platform.

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FADE INTO BLACK

Horror Feature by Loki D. Wolf

LOGLINE: A Black photographer seeking escape ventures to a mysterious desert art installation, unaware he’s being hunted by a vengeful vampire with ties to his bloodline. Transformed into one of the undead and manipulated into attacking his beloved girlfriend, he embarks on a relentless quest for revenge, leading to a final confrontation where love and betrayal collide.

WRITER BIO: About Me I am of the rerun days. As a kid I got the pleasure of watching shows like What's Happening, TAXI, M*A*S*H*, The Honeymooners, The Jeffersons, Good Times and many more shows. All the emotions they made me feel I wanted to do the same. My mother, family and friends were my first audiences. I loved seeing them react to whatever I said or did. I went to Columbia College in Chicago for theater. Then Sarantos Studios for film and improv. Currently I'm in Los Angeles attending Playhouse West learning the Meisner Technique. Wanna get creative? Hit me up!

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The Storyteller Q&A

A Conversation with Storytellers in our Industry

Our August Guest

WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER KRISTINA THOMAS

Born in east oakland, california…

Kristina emerged as a rising talent in the documentary world, making her mark by winning a contest for $50,000 to direct a compelling TV pilot in New Orleans for MTV/Endemol. Transitioning through roles like script coordinator on acclaimed shows such as “Greenleaf,” “Lovecraft Country,” and “The Haunting of Bly Manor” (S2), Kristina's journey reached a pivotal moment when her feature script, "WORTH IT," garnered well-deserved recognition as a semi-finalist in prestigious competitions like Women in Film/The Black List and BET's Project Cre8 Feature.

While her achievements in the feature realm are notable, Kristina's prowess extends to the realm of shorts, with her comedy short "HOUSE OF BALLS" earning accolades such as lead actress Mariah Robinson's triumph at the Alt Film Festival and Best Actor recognition. The 1/2 pilot also claimed a spot as a semi-finalist in BET's Project Cre8: TV and the Hollyshorts Festival. The concept short film for "WORTH IT" has been making waves at esteemed festivals, including the Canadian Screen Award qualifying Toronto Black Film Festival, and an honorable mention at the Lady Filmmakers Festival.

Kristina's influence extends beyond the screen as she has lent her expertise to scripted comedy podcasts like "YES WE CANNABIS" and "STRANDED" for Broadway Video. A former mentee in Women in Film Mentorship Program for directors and Amy Aniobe's TRIBE, Kristina recently finished Film Independent's Project Involve fellowship as a directing fellow. She’s staffed on JJ Abrams HBO show ‘Demimonde” and Dick Wolf’s CBS drama, “FBI: INTERNATIONAL.” This year, Kristina’s actively developing her feature, "Worth It."

Proudly an alumna of both Howard University and the University of Southern California, Kristina embodies a fusion of creativity, dedication, and a commitment to pushing the boundaries of storytelling in the world of film.

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GRISKA

Horror/Comedy Feature by Comika Hartford

LOGLINE: An old woman with a secret takes her last cruise and comes face to face with a past that sinks its fangs into the present.

WRITER BIO: Comika is a screenwriter and founding member of the B3 film collective in Oakland that focuses on strange stories and twisty tales. She has worked with Community Works West writing plays and new media projects for their Art & Social Change program and was the head of their Creative Writing Program: WRITING ON WALLS: Storytelling in the Digital Age. Her latest short film The Interview premiered at the Vertifilm Festival in Prague and her award winning web series The Grey Area is available on the PARAflixx platform.

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HOME COOKING

Drama Short by Profound Clarke

LOGLINE: A son learns how to prepare a home cooked meal from his mother.

WRITER BIO: With a pension for seeing the BIG in small stories, Profound focuses his storytelling on perspective. As a first generation Jamaican-American and the youngest of four, he's always looked to see the world through the eyes of others. This addiction to perspective has guided Profound's creative ambitions from an early age where he wrote endlessly. This continues today in his screenwriting, where his work focuses on the varied viewpoints in the complex lives of simple people no matter the genre.

Writing is a passion Profound had to come back to after adventures in the music industry. He first worked as a consultant for feature film writers and independent film studios since 2014. His first feature placed in many competitions which lead to a deeper relationship with the filmmaking industry. He wrote the award winning short “CLEAN SLATE” in 2019. While on his writing journey,

Profound was given the opportunity to work as a casting assistant for OAS Casting, working on projects like DYNASTY, COBRA KAI, and LEGACIES. In 2020, Profound birthed THE STORYTELLER SESSION, a community birthed from his need to connect during the pandemic and lead to doing reads for around 100 stories a year along with bringing in industry guests, organizing work shops, and pushing towards the goal of alleviating industry isolation for creatives, especially creatives from historically underheard communities.

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BLACK SEEDS CONTINUE TO GROW

Drama Short by Laura C.

WRITER BIO: A current film school student looking to improve.

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THE CHARRED ONE

Fantasy Drama by Adelle Drahos

WRITER BIO: Adelle Drahos is an actress and writer with a love for the fantasy genre. You might spot her in the wild working on a crafting project, hiking, or eating white cheddar cheese puffs.

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SILLY ME

Comedy Pilot by Victoria Briggs

LOGLINE: A conservative retiree and her eclectic group of roommates find an unconventional method to save their retirement house from foreclosure.

WRITER BIO: Victoria is a sex positive writer. She found the lack of black female representation disheartening. She thus decided to write about the sexual experiences of black females. Her scripts explore black femininity/sexuality. Her characters are blackity black, diverse and are leads in their own stories.

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The Storyteller Q&A

A Conversation with Storytellers in our Industry

Our July Guest

CASTING/DEVELOPMENT EXECUTIVE COLIN STUDEBAKER

Colin Studebaker has over 15 years of experience in casting and development, most recently serving as Vice President, Comedy Development at CBS Network and was instrumental in bringing the hit comedy GHOSTS to CBS. He worked as coordinator in CBS’ Talent & Casting where he was part of scouting talent, casting and producing their renowned emerging talent showcase. He then spent 12 years on the CBS Network Comedy Development team, most recently as Vice President. While there, he heard thousands of pitches, developed hundreds of comedy projects (both single-cam and multi-cam), oversaw the production of dozens of pilots and helped launch many hit series, including GHOSTS, THE NEIGHBORHOOD, YOUNG SHELDON, BOB HEARTS ABISHOLA, THE UNICORN, MAN WITH A PLAN and LIFE IN PIECES. Originally from Ohio, Colin met his wife at Ohio University and they now reside in Los Angeles with their two boys.

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MAGE BOUND

Fantasy, Drama Pilot by Taylor Reese

LOGLINE: Bridgerton meets Game of Thrones

WRITER BIO: A writer and stage and Voice-Over actress and NIU graduate

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CONTRA

Intellectual Thriller Feature by Ahyende Sandy & Jerry Stokes

WRITER BIO: Ahyende brings over 15 years of experience supporting brands and companies ranging from start-up to Fortune 100 and publicly traded. He has collaborated with private investors, CEOs, executives, influencers, entertainers, and entrepreneurs to cultivate partnerships that forge sustainable initiatives across entertainment, tech, and CPG.  Ahyende has curated partnerships for companies such as Sony PlayStation, Dick Clark Productions, Universal/Island Def Jam, Warner/Electra/Atlantic, American Express, Electra Meccanica, Starlight Media Culture (HK), and the U.S. Olympic Committee’s World Beach Games.  Ahyende has also served as a Consulting Producer for films procuring and overseeing product integrations, Co-Producer of short film “Crossroads” premiered at the Cannes France Film Festival and has facilitated a seed capital raise for Amazon/Minelive affiliate entertainment-tech start-up 24H. Ahyende was a Letterman for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Delaware State University Men’s Track and Field. He holds a BA in Arts Management from Delaware State University.

Jerry Stokes is an entertainment executive who has an extensive network of connections in the entertainment industry. Recently, Jerry Founded Chess Warz LLC to use as a base to leverage his relationships to produce and promote chess related content and help build culture awareness help create a new and more exciting way of viewing chess. Throughout his career, Jerry has facilitated deals with companies such as BMG, Universal and Sony. Jerry works with A-list celebrity artists on a regular basis, giving him the connections and experience necessary to create the best environment to jumpstart a new business in today's industry. In the early 2000's Jerry began playing chess and now considered to be a street chess expert. He has earned this title by playing blitz chess on the streets of New York City for over 15 years competitively and earning an income from playing. As an entertainment executive Jerry Stokes and his partner Ahyende Sandy have put together an entire ecosystem for the chess world which includes a film, podcast documentaries series and chess betting app and more. Jerry stokes is committed to revolutionizing the chess culture by creating opportunities for revenue generation and raising awareness on a global scale.

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REACHER: #301 "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground"

Hourlong Action Drama by Stephen Nolly

LOGLINE: As Reacher attends the funeral of an old friend in Texas, he gets dragged into a dispute that splits the town's crime family in two: between his friend's old business partner and his friend's developmentally disabled son - and one of them is responsible for the murder.

WRITER BIO: RespectAbility Fellow, WB Finalist, Paramount Finalist, Soho House Script lab, ISA Fast Track Thriller winner, CA Individual Artist Fellow. Stephen is a biracial Japanese/Jewish military brat who cut his teeth in New York’s theater scene. After graduating NYU/Tisch, he was an artist at the Flea Theater (Drama Desk). Locksmith, horologist, competitive ballroom dancer, member of Mensa, and commercial Food Photographer.

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POWER RANGERS: NEXT GENERATION

Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure, Superhero, Drama by NJ Robins

LOGLINE: Many years after the events of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, five new teenagers with attitude to protect their planet from an evil sorceress' daughter who vows revenge.

WRITER BIO: An aspiring autisitc screenwriter

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THE CHARRED ONE

Fantasy Drama Feature by Adelle Drahos

LOGLINE: A traumatic childhood has left Charlie lonely, wayward, and resentful. But everything changes when an incident gone horribly wrong pits her between two choices: become the caretaker of a mysterious prisoner or end up behind bars herself. From that moment on, Charlie is thrust into the dangerous world of the Soul Weavers...with more at stake than she ever could have imagined.

WRITER BIO: Adelle Drahos is an actress and writer with a love for the fantasy genre. You might spot her in the wild working on a crafting project, hiking, or eating white cheddar cheese puffs.

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ASHES TO ASHES

Fantasy, Drama Thriller Pilot by Rianna Lynn

LOGLINE: Detective Nikols fights to prove himself as he takes on a case a little put of this world.

WRITER BIO: I am a creative bug, I love to create stories and entertain people. I'm also an aspiring actor, working to get my name out there.

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MIXSTREETS KIDS

Coming-of-Age, Musical, Drama Feature by NJ Robins

LOGLINE: A group of Brooklyn teenagers form a boy band that takes the 90s pop music scene by storm while navigating the highs and lows of fame.

WRITER BIO: I'm just a screenwriter with autism, one of the first of my kind.

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Page to Screen with Andi Behring

Andi Behring Talks Directing Off the Page

THIS MONTH’S GUEST

DIRECTOR/PRODUCER JOHN BEHRING

June 10th we are planning a special script to screen with John Behring. John has directed over 250 episodes of television including FBI International, Law and Order, Arrow, Numb3rs, Charmed, Dawson's Creek, Blue Bloods, and many more. We will be focusing on how to storyboard and tackle a big action sequence with multiple cameras on a show like Law and Order, as well as talking about casting guest roles. Join us for the double director delight of Andi Behring and her father John Behring.

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THE CHARRED ONE

Fantasy Drama Feature by Adelle Drahos

LOGLINE: A traumatic childhood has left Charlie lonely, wayward, and resentful. But everything changes when an incident gone horribly wrong pits her between two choices: become the caretaker of a mysterious prisoner or end up behind bars herself. From that moment on, Charlie is thrust into the dangerous world of the Soul Weavers...with more at stake than she ever could have imagined.

WRITER BIO: Adelle Drahos is an actress and writer with a love for the fantasy genre. You might spot her in the wild working on a crafting project, hiking, or eating white cheddar cheese puffs.

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LAKE FOREST

Drama/Thriller Pilot by Comika Hartford

LOGLINE: A troubled investigator finds himself pulled into a case that threatens to destroy him.

WRITER BIO: Comika is a screenwriter and founding member of the B3 film collective in Oakland that focuses on strange stories and twisty tales. She has worked with Community Works West writing plays and new media projects for their Art & Social Change program and was the head of their Creative Writing Program: WRITING ON WALLS: Storytelling in the Digital Age. Her latest short film The Interview premiered at the Vertifilm Festival in Prague and her award winning web series The Grey Area is available on the PARAflixx platform.

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SOUL STAR

Sci-Fi Feature by Daniel Albino

LOGLINE: In the 1970s, a Bronx teen is convinced by a time-traveling squirrel to join the fight against a fire-wielding soldier sent from the future to kill them both.

WRITER BIO: I am a Bronx-Bred Latino. I’ve been a baseball player (scouted by the Mets), a Wall Street drone, and now a 6th-grade math teacher - no wonder why I write, right? My stories focus heavily on the Bronx, single-parent families and sibling rivalry. Don't be surprised to find characters who use bats and baseballs to fight monsters, time-traveling squirrels, and kids who just want to be loved.

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THE SIN OF VICE

Mystery Thriller Feature by Taylor Reese

LOGLINE: Two women attempt to confront the man who has betrayed them each only to discover that he is dead. Now they must fight to prove their innocence against forces who are trying to pin the murder on one of them.

WRITER BIO: Taylor Reese, a writer, actress, and voice-over talent. Graduating at Northern Illinois University graduate with two Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies and Writing Studies with a minor in Media Studies, she currently resides in Texas.

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MR. MEETS M.S. - A MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS STORY

Drama Short by Loki D. Wolf

LOGLINE: After a recent Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis an optimist battles depression and suicidal thoughts as he awaits the results of an innovative procedure that may restore his ability to walk.

WRITER BIO: Loki D. Wolf - I have been acting for the last 16 years as I bounced around this country trying to figure out this and that. I studied in Chicago at Columbia and Sarantos Studio for theater and acting. I have been writing for almost a year after being inspired and pressured in a friendly way to do so. I hate loglines. I love winter. I'm odd and proud of it. If I don't fit in, well, that just means I'm being honest about who I am.

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