After working through over 100 scripts and multiple judging rounds, the results of the 2015 Harvardwood Writers Competition are in!

First, a big congratulations to all FINALISTS — choosing between the best scripts was difficult in every category. Once again, the quality of your writing speaks for itself.

Also, a huge thank you to everybody who helped out as JUDGES in the 2015 HWC. You’ll remain anonymous as promised, but we’re grateful that you lent us your time and expertise.

Each winner will receive a one-on-one mentorship, as well as a cash prize. This year's mentors are:

• Samuel Baum -  Creator & Executive Producer, Lie to Me (Fox); Writer, upcoming HBO film The Wizard of Lies
• Adam Fratto - Executive Vice President, Pukeko Pictures / Weta Workshop
• Couper Samuelson - President of Features for Blumhouse
• Nell Scovell - Co-Executive Producer, The Muppets; Creator, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch

Without further ado, please join us in congratulating:

FEATURE SCREENPLAY

Winner: Meredith Bagby - Rain to Make a River (Drama)
     A woman, whose husband has dementia, pretends to be his mistress in order to solve her mysterious death.

Runner-Up: Dustin Stevens - Be My Eyes (Drama)
     Two unlikely companions, one seeking a second chance and one their last chance, depart on a journey together that will define them both for the rest of their days.

TELEVISION PILOT

Winner & Most Staffable List TV Writer: Todd Bartels - Heat (One-Hour Drama)
     In the explosive restaurant scene of early 90s New York, at the dawn of the celebrity chef craze, a revolutionary but reckless young chef packs up his knives from the top place in town and attempts to open a restaurant of his own, fueled by a dash of Nirvana, a heaping portion of sex, and a side of coke snorted out of dried penne.

Runner-Up: Alison McKenzie* - Serum (One-Hour Drama)
     Richard Vine is a top FBI agent until a car wreck leaves him brain damaged. Now, his father’s pharmaceutical company has developed a serum that temporarily returns his previous high intelligence, so he can try to unravel the criminal conspiracy he was investigating at the time of the accident.

SHORT

Winner: Alex Lee* - Twin Study (Adaptation)
     As identical twin sisters with remarkably divergent lives attend a series of scientific studies, eerie contradictions in their mannerisms reveal a disturbing truth that would destroy their personal and professional lives if it ever came to light.

*Eligible for diversity consideration

In recent years, participants in the Harvardwood Writers Program and Competition have seen unprecedented success with pilot sales to ABC, the CW, Showtime, Sony, Spike, Syfy, and TV Land, in addition to blind script deals at ABC and Warner Bros. Harvardwood writers have been staffed on Agent Carter (ABC), American Dad (Fox), Community (NBC), Covert Affairs (USA), Family Guy (FOX), The Flash (CW), The Good Wife (CBS), Gotham (Fox), How to Get Away with Murder (ABC), Jane the Virgin (CW), Justified (FX), The Newsroom (HBO), Perception (TNT), Sleepy Hollow (Fox), State of Affairs (NBC), and The Tomorrow People (CW). Among our feature film writers, successes include the theatrical releases of Jamesy Boy and Unfriended, as well as OddLot Entertainment’s optioning ofSeptillion to One; previous HWC feature category winner Capture is in post production with Circle of Confusion producing. Participants have also secured representation at Apostle, Benderspink, Brant Rose Agency, CAA, Circle of Confusion, Echo Lake, Gersh, ICM, Management 360, Original Artists, WME, and others.