Thirty-one screenwriters from Chicago and other Midwestern cities made the first cut in the Chicago Screenwriters Network’s second annual script contest. The 2012 contest attracted 130 entries which CSN president and screenwriter Colin Costello considered to be “an excellent turnout.”
To put it into perspective, he says, “The famous Nichols Fellowship received a record of 6-8,000 entries from throughout the US but only 260 from the Midwest. So we got half of that number for a still relatively new contest.”
Starting with the 31 quarter finalists, industry professionals will read the designated screenplays twice again and cull them down to 15. Judges will announce the semifinalists on Aug. 4.
The quarter finalists are:
The Suits, Lucy Arenberg
The Twelfth Summer, Thomas Beach
Afterseeker, Noreen Cashman
Running Wild, Eric Diekhans
Deprivation, Jason Doty
The Moonbeam Fisherman, John Drummer
Out of the Wetlands, Bruce Golde
Burning River of Love, Mickey Hadick
The Self-Conclusion Plans, Kristin Hansen
Terrible Love, Luke Helmer
Black Magic, Paul Hennessy
Chicago Stunt Woman Flips, Maryann Kelman
The Bend in the Bridge, Julia Kubik
The Abominable Snowman, A.J. Manaseer
Sexiled, A.J. Manaseer
The Head, Dave Merhar/Bob Merlotti
Settling The Books, Russ Meyer
Out to Sea, Sara Michal
Forked, Dan Ochwat
A Whimsy Dreary, Alejandrina Perez
A Part of This Land, Michael Peterson
Get the Girl, Michael Peterson
The Badminton Warrior, Thomas Radovich
To Hell, Matthew Rafferty
Borders of the Heart, Ruth L Ratny
The Alliance, Tracy Ryan
Eke’Bolos, Stephen C. Settle
Vengeance, Robert Shelton
Our Story, Brian Smith
The Giants of Elmfield Rd., Brian Welch
Uncommon Interests, George Zielke
Four-day L.A. trip, meetings for grand prize winner 
The grand prize winner and four runners-up will receive their awards at a special ceremony to be held Sept 9 at the Mayne Stage in Rogers Park.
The grand prize winner will spend four days in L.A. in meetings with industry executives, from agencies like Wm. Morris Endeavor, Lawrence Bender and Paradigm Agency who have read their screenplay. The L.A. trip for two will include airfare, hotel and car rental.
Further, the grand prize script will be read by CSN’s industry friends in addition to a VIP package of 10 pitches from Virtual Pitchfest and The Sonny crystal star trophy.
All five winners will receive industry script reads; a year’s worth of pitching by CSN; Final Draft 8 software and a DVD of Pilar Alessandra’s book, “On the Page.”
The four runners-up also will each receive $250, a signed copy of Dave Trottier’s “The Screenwriter’s Bible,” a plaque and a script consultation.
Finally, one lucky finalist also will win The Script Doctor Eric Award, a $250 value, from the professional screenwriter who will help the winner take their script to the next level with his notes and phone consultations.
