LOS ANGELES: The inaugural Del Shores Foundation Writers Search has selected the first winners of the competition. They are Jiggs Burgess of Texas, who takes Best Play for his work The Red Suitcase. Milo Silver and Monet Noelle Marshall of North Carolina are winners of the Best Screenplay for their work Knead, and Vandy Beth Glenn of Georgia is the winner of the Best Short Film Script Award for her script Shelter in Place.
The competition awards LGBTQ+ screenwriters from Southern states for their unproduced plays, screenplays, shorts, and web series scripts. Submissions were accepted from August through December, and winners were selected by a committee of industry professionals within the arts and entertainment industry.
The winners not only receive a cash award but also a grant to aid in the production and development of their work. The grants range from $10,000 to $20,000 to cover the production and travel costs. The Screenplay Award and Production Grant are sponsored by Cindy Warner and Michele Ryan. The Play Award is sponsored by Jeffrey Johnson and Michael Keegan. The Play Production Grant is sponsored by Dennis Frisman.
“It thrills me that we have found these amazing LGBTQ+ Southern storytellers and they found us,” said Shores in a statement. “Our goal is to give them opportunity, exposure, and guidance, and to help open some doors to get their beautiful stories told. I cannot wait to see what is next for all of them.”
The runners-up were Paris Crayton III, for his play Only Some of God’s Children or Mississippi Magnolias, and T.J. Parsell for his screenplay Fish. A complete list of finalists and semi-finalists can be found at www.delshoresfoundation.org.
Named for the writer of the plays Daddy’s Dyin’, Who’s Got the Will?, Sordid Lives, and Southern Baptist Sissies, the Del Shores Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit with a mission to find and facilitate the development of unknown Southern queer artistic voices. The Del Shores Foundation Writers Search is open to writers who identify as LGBTQ+ and reside in Southern states. The 2022 Del Shores Foundation Writers Search will open again for submissions in August.
