Screenwriters of 2024

The 2024 writers

Discover the screenwriters

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  Leanna Woodley

  A Puerto Rican, Native American writer and actor with a rich and diverse background in the arts and education. Leanna is an award-winning screenwriter, a budding non-fiction author, and a certified life coach at Spain Abroad, the wellness study abroad program that Leanna and her husband opened in Southern Spain for teens and young adults. Leanna has a B.A. in Television Writing & Producing from Columbia College, is a Second City and Meisner Conservatory trained actor and a certified elementary educator.

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  Dimitri Devyatkin

  An American director, producer, screenwriter, video artist, and journalist, Devyatkin uses elements of humor, art, and new technology in his work. He is known as one of the first video-makers to combine abstract synthesized imagery with camera footage. His programs have been broadcast domestically and internationally on ABC, PBS, Channel 4 UK, WDR Germany, France 3 andTF1, and Channel One Russia.

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  Colin Francis Costello

  A biracial, Midwest Emmy-nominated WGA East writer/director based in LA, Colin’s features include The Stream (2013) with Rainn Wilson and Alternate Universe (2017) with Steve Guttenberg. He was Emmy-nominated in 2015 for his work on PBS Kids’ Moochie Kalala Detectives Club.

  His award-winning shorts include Committed, The After Party, Dreamwisher, and From Russia with Motive. Colin specializes in superhero, family, comedy, horror features, and edgy YA dramedies. He also teaches screenwriting at UCLA and serves as West Coast Editor for Reel 360.

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  Partha Majumdar

  As a storyteller, I draw from a deep well of professional experiences and a lifelong passion for narrative craft. My journey in software engineering, project management, and business leadership has taught me the value of precision, innovation, and strategic thinking—qualities I bring to my writing. My scripts are crafted with the same meticulous attention to detail, balancing technical rigour with emotional depth to create compelling, character-driven stories. Every script should entertain and resonate, offering audiences a glimpse into the complexities of the human experience. My unique blend of technical expertise and narrative insight allows me to approach storytelling from fresh perspectives, creating engaging and thought-provoking scripts.

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  Bryan Regan

  An attorney with over 17 years of experience, ventured into screenwriting eight years ago, encouraged by his mother to pursue his passion for creative writing. He has since completed several screenplays, including Beacon Beyond the Bay, a true story about a family’s escape from China in 1968, and his fourth feature, The Flamenco Dancer. His dedication to authentic character development and his ability to blend real-life experiences with compelling storytelling have garnered him recognition and success in the screenwriting world.

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  Bryan Matthews

  An Associate Member of the Dramatists Guild, playwright and author Bryan Matthews has written full length plays, authored the novel “Friendship One Night Stands”, the children’s book “Best Friend Buddy Bear”, and is currently working on a number of additional writing projects for theatre, film and TV. Having served as a Public Relations Manager for both Broadway and National Broadway Touring productions, he has also performed on multiple theatrical stages.

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  John-Francis Nero

  John-Francis is a versatile screenwriter with a passion for storytelling that started early and led him to blend creativity with structured fundamentals in his work. His project “Wisdom of Dragons,” part of his PhD research at Essex University, is set in Liverpool’s first European Chinatown, where he learned Cantonese to connect with local residents. As a writer for Verona Films, he focuses on resourceful storytelling due to budget constraints, with a simple philosophy: a successful screenplay keeps you engaged from start to finish. He’s currently directing two short films and has a feature film set for summer production. His advice to aspiring screenwriters is simple: “Write, write, write... never stop and never take no for an answer.”

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  Diane Thomassin

  Diane Thomassin is a freelance screenwriter of Mexican-American, Native-American and Azorean descent. She is a creative screenwriter renowned for plots that celebrate the resilience of the human spirit. Her work often avoids traditional stereotypes, instead creating richly drawn archetypes who resonate with audiences. A staunch advocate for diversity in the film industry, Diane actively champions the representation and empowerment of women and underrepresented groups.

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  Chad Hutson

  Storytelling is our species’ way to communicate, preserve human history, inspire, and connect. I have been a storyteller from a very young age, starting with an overactive imagination as a young boy growing up in Spokane, Washington, to my move westward working as a newspaper reporter with Washington daily newspapers and the Associated Press. Being too opinionated, I left journalism and went into marketing/communications for the private sector and for the last 15 years, the federal government. A couple of years ago fate intervened and I received an unsolicited flyer from the University of Washington for a screenwriting class. One year later I typed “Fade In” for the first time and found my true calling. Since then, I’ve won the Northwest’s Bigfoot Screenwriting competition and the Santa Barbara International Screenplay Competition. I have also been named as a two-time second rounder at the Austin Film Festival and have placed in the finals of another ten screenwriting competitions for various features and pilots. Someday, when I grow up, I’d like to be a full-time screenwriter.

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  Theresa Ann James Shotwell

  Dr. Taj Shotwell, aka Theresa Ann James Shotwell, educator, author, poet, screenwriter, playwright and songwriter. Raised in Memphis, Tennessee by a career Army Sargent and a gospel singer/homemaker during segregation as the sixth child of eleven children. Obtained former education in San Francisco where she taught business at colleges and universities while working as an accountant. Later joined the faculty at FAMU in the business school and later in education. She taught accounting, professional development, educational leadership courses, and Chaired a department before retirement. She has written and published non-fiction and fiction books including a 3-part coming of age in Memphis based on her life called Middle Child. Founder/President of the upcoming day and boarding school called the, Business of Arts Academy International for 7-12th graders. The keystone for the school is the book she wrote Professional Development for Preprofessionals… She wrote a dramatic faith-based book Maggie: Never Bitter which she adapted as a musical and won awards. The related album of 16 songs is sold on iTunes. Her book Family and Faith, is an inspirational memoir of fifty short stories/poems about several generations of family and friends in Memphis and her international travels. On her birthday in 2019, Taj humbly received a “Memphis Living Legends Award. “ Taj currently lives in Tallahassee. Has one daughter and two grandchildren.

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