AIM is proud to announce our Silver Bullet Screenplay Contest, a unique competition designed to discover and promote the work of writers over 40 and to create a more accurate representation of characters over 40; on the page and the screen. Now, we want to bring YOUR story to the spotlight!
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AIM advocates and champions age inclusion across all media and entertainment platforms through a variety of programs and events that support career, craft, and growth. Silver Bullet is positioned to directly embody our mission by requiring one of two criteria for all submissions.
ALL ENTRIES MUST
*** Be written by a writer over the age of 40, OR
*** Revolve around a major character who is over 40 years of age
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Besides original screenplays, Silver Bullet also allows entries:
*** Based on previously published material (i.e. adapted), AND
*** Scripts that have been optioned​
With our age-empowering criteria as a core focus, Silver Bullet is dedicated to supporting writers over 40
and attract the best stories for a massive, underserved older audience. Readers are recruited on the basis of their experience and to ensure a diverse and inclusive mix of ages, gender, ethnicity etc. All readings before the final are double-blind. This means that both readers and writers are anonymous to each other. No reader can know the age, sex and gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc. of any writer.
Judges are approached based on their experience with assessing scripts and working with writers. Potential judges representing a wide range of inclusivity groups are invited to participate. Of the final selection, additional factors that come into play include a judge's schedule and availability, plus the desire of the judge to donate a significant amount of time and effort to a nonprofit that focuses on age inclusivity.
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We are so grateful to our readers and judges for sharing their time, and efforts with us.
Winner of 2021's Competition
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SLEEPING UPRIGHT
DANA COEN
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A failed writer awakens from a six year coma to discover that the novel he had been struggling to finish has been published...and he’s famous.
What the judges loved - This is a story of a man’s literal reawakening to who he is and what he wants out of life. Our judges thought the concept was great and that Dana delivered on the premise with writing that caught their attention through its wry sense of humor and with authentic characters who popped off the page.
SPONSORS
DOG OF WAR
Katterina Powers
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DOUBLE EAGLES
Vince McKewin
LUNA
Sandra O'Connell
MUSCLE AND BARK
Gina DeAngelis
OUR MOMS NEED FRIENDS
Venetia Ginakakis & Katharine Konietzko
ROANOKE
Matt Tegtmeier & Robert Warzecha
SAVING CHRISTMAS
Bob Shayne
SLEEPING UPRIGHT
Dana Coen
THE BIG D
Michael Weinreb
THE GARDENIA POCKET WATCH
Jan Tilley
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THE LAST ONES
C. D. 'Pete' Peterson
THE LOST BROTHER
Pablo Fenjves
THE PAISLEY WITCH TRIAL
Julia Campanelli​
A CLOCKWORK TESTAMENT
Bill Walker
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BLACK GOOSE OF BALDOON
Janet Hetherington
BLOOD MOON
Sara Hallowell
CRABS IN A MOTHER F*CKING BUCKET
Kari Mote
LADY JUSTICE
Troy Fresch & Aaron Michael Bailey
MURDER ME
David Luz
REVIEW
Jonathan Zarantonello
ROSES IN THE WATER
La'Chris Jordan
SNARL
Mark C. Spera
STRAYS
Robert Wooldridge
THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF THE ELEVATOR
Katy Regnery
WHAT IS TRUE
Debra Bruce Nazarian & Laurent Sanz
BETSY AND THE EMPEROR
Staton Rabin
BIG SISTER
David Chester & Blake Pinter
CHOKEPOINT
Tamra Teig
CLOUD 9
Kat Smith
DENHAM FOUTS
Michael Johns
ENEMY
Clint Williams
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Patricia Luke
GHOST SPECIES
Justin Hayward
I MARRIED ALANIS MORISSETTE
M Adrian Brassington
INDEPENDENT LIVING
Lise Pyles
INTO THE NUMINOUS MOON
John McCarthy
IT COULD BE WORSE
Troy Fresch & Aaron Michael Bailey
NEED TO KNOW
Simon Craven
NICK'S THERAPIST
Mark Hoover
​
OLIVER'S ARMY
Michael Preston
ON THE END OF SPECIES
Christopher Cayen-Cyr
OUR BETTER ANGELS
Steven Michael
PARIS, I HATE YOU
Lisa Kohn
REVOLUTIONARY SPY
James Foye
SALT OF THE EARTH
Leslie Nipkow
SIR KEVIN
Randall Greenland
THE GENERATION GAP
Marianne R. Klein & Vikki Young
THREE GRAVES
Holly Jurbergs
TILLIE
David Hal Chester
TRUST ME
Susan Crawford
WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS
Mary Martinez
(alphabatized by script title)
DOG OF WAR
Katterina Powers
​
DOUBLE EAGLES
Vince McKewin
LUNA
Sandra O'Connell
MUSCLE AND BARK
Gina DeAngelis
OUR MOMS NEED FRIENDS
Venetia Ginakakis & Katharine Konietzko
ROANOKE
Matt Tegtmeier & Robert Warzecha
SAVING CHRISTMAS
Bob Shayne
SLEEPING UPRIGHT
Dana Coen
THE BIG D
Michael Weinreb
THE GARDENIA POCKET WATCH
Jan Tilley
​
THE LAST ONES
C. D. 'Pete' Peterson
THE LOST BROTHER
Pablo Fenjves
THE PAISLEY WITCH TRIAL
Julia Campanelli​
RUNNERS UP (alphabatized by script title)
DOG OF WAR - by Katterina Powers
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Based on the true story of the only animal in WWII to become an official prisoner of war - After being interned in a Japanese POW camp, a hard-hearted young soldier must join forces with a discarded dog in order to survive the war and learn to trust again.
What the judges loved - Engaging with strong dialogue and nice character turns
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DOUBLE EAGLES - by Vince McKewin
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DOUBLE EAGLES is about a fortune in gold coins stolen by two young drifters in 1881. The gold is discovered 140 years later by an out of work, sixty year old cynic. This is the story of how the gold drastically changed three lives.
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What the judges loved: The judges were greatly impressed with this script's originality. They found the story, the writing, the characters, the dialogue, and the dark humorous moments to keep it fresh and appealing.
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LUNA - by Sandra O'Connell
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When she and her partner receive visitors to their home on Oregon's wild coast, a woman in a turbulent relationship wrestles with memories of her role in a fatal love affair. The dramatic mystery examines guilt, belonging, desire, and obligation as the past is unraveled in a series of twists.
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What the judges loved - A compelling story with complicated characters. Our judges believe the writer’s got a great storytelling sense and great artistic vision.
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THE BIG D - by Michael Weinreb
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An ambitious young football coach in booming 1980s Dallas, Texas, falls under the spell of a charismatic and ruthlessly competitive mentor, who exposes him to the dark underbelly of college sports. Inspired by true events.
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What the judges loved - The judges loved the story and the writer’s voice and craft to bring to life the subculture of college football in Texas at the peak of its decadence.
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THE PAISLEY WITCH TRIAL - by Julia Campanelli
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A 17th century midwife with an illicit past is accused of witchcraft when a child she delivered becomes demonically possessed, in the true, untold story of the last witch hunt in Scotland.
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What the judges loved - Our judges thought this was very original and an interesting story.
MUSCLE AND BARK
​
OUR MOMS NEED FRIENDS
Venetia Ginakakis & Katharine Konietzko
​
ROANOKE
Matt Tegtmeier & Robert Warzecha
​
SAVING CHRISTMAS
​
THE GARDENIA POCKET WATCH
Jan Tilley
​
THE LAST ONES
C. D. 'Pete' Peterson
​
THE LOST BROTHER
Pablo Fenjves
FINALISTS 2021
OUR MOMS NEED FRIENDS
Venetia Ginakakis & Katharine Konietzko
​
THE GARDENIA POCKET WATCH
Jan Tilley
A CLOCKWORK TESTAMENT
Bill Walker
​
BLACK GOOSE OF BALDOON
Janet Hetherington
BLOOD MOON
Sara Hallowell
CRABS IN A MOTHER F*CKING BUCKET
Kari Mote
LADY JUSTICE
Troy Fresch & Aaron Michael Bailey
MURDER ME
David Luz
REVIEW
Jonathan Zarantonello
ROSES IN THE WATER
La'Chris Jordan
SNARL
Mark C. Spera
STRAYS
Robert Wooldridge
THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF THE ELEVATOR
Katy Regnery
WHAT IS TRUE
Debra Bruce Nazarian & Laurent Sanz
SEMIFINALISTS 2021
A CLOCKWORK TESTAMENT
Bill Walker
​
CRABS IN A MOTHER F*CKING BUCKET
Kari Mote
​
REVIEW
Jonathan Zarantonello
​
STRAYS
Robert Wooldridge
BLACK GOOSE OF BALDOON
Janet Hetherington
​
LADY JUSTICE
Troy Fresch & Aaron Michael Bailey
​
ROSES IN THE WATER
La'Chris Jordan
​
THE STRANGE AFFAIR OF THE ELEVATOR
Katy Regnery
BLOOD MOON
Sara Hallowell
​
MURDER ME
David Luz
​
SNARL
Mark C. Spera
​
WHAT IS TRUE
Debra Bruce Nazarian & Laurent Sanz
BETSY AND THE EMPEROR
Staton Rabin
BIG SISTER
David Chester & Blake Pinter
CHOKEPOINT
Tamra Teig
CLOUD 9
Kat Smith
DENHAM FOUTS
Michael Johns
ENEMY
Clint Williams
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Patricia Luke
GHOST SPECIES
Justin Hayward
I MARRIED ALANIS MORISSETTE
M Adrian Brassington
INDEPENDENT LIVING
Lise Pyles
INTO THE NUMINOUS MOON
John McCarthy
IT COULD BE WORSE
Troy Fresch & Aaron Michael Bailey
NEED TO KNOW
Simon Craven
NICK'S THERAPIST
Mark Hoover
​
OLIVER'S ARMY
Michael Preston
ON THE END OF SPECIES
Christopher Cayen-Cyr
OUR BETTER ANGELS
Steven Michael
PARIS, I HATE YOU
Lisa Kohn
REVOLUTIONARY SPY
James Foye
SALT OF THE EARTH
Leslie Nipkow
SIR KEVIN
Randall Greenland
THE GENERATION GAP
Marianne R. Klein & Vikki Young
THREE GRAVES
Holly Jurbergs
TILLIE
David Hal Chester
TRUST ME
Susan Crawford
WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS
Mary Martinez
QUARTERFINALISTS 2021
BETSY AND THE EMPEROR
Staton Rabin
​
CLOUD 9
Kat Smith
​
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Patricia Luke
​
INTO THE NUMINOUS MOON
John McCarthy
​
NEED TO KNOW
Simon Craven
ON THE END OF SPECIES
Christopher Cayen-Cyr
​
REVOLUTIONARY SPY
James Foye
​
THE GENERATION GAP
Marianne R. Klein & Vikki Young
​
TRUST ME
Susan Crawford
BIG SISTER
David Chester & Blake Pinter
DENHAM FOUTS
Michael Johns
​
GHOST SPECIES
Justin Hayward
​
INDEPENDENT LIVING
Lisa Pyles​
​
NICK'S THERAPIST
Mark Hoover
​
OUR BETTER ANGELS
Steven Michael
​
SALT OF THE EARTH
Leslie Nipkow​
​
THREE GRAVES
Holly Jurbergs
​
WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS
Mary Martinez
​
​
CHOKEPOINT
Tamra Teig
​
ENEMY
Clint Williams
​
I MARRIED ALANIS MORISSETTE
M Adrian Brassington
​
IT COULD BE WORSE
Troy Fresch & Aaron Michael Bailey
​
OLIVER'S ARMY
Michael Preston
​
PARIS, I HATE YOU
Lisa Kohn
​
SIR KEVIN
Randall Greenland
​
TILLIE
David Hal Chester
*Note: Readers are recruited on the basis of their experience and to ensure a diverse and inclusive mix of ages, gender, ethnicity etc. All readings before the final are double-blind. This means that both readers and writers are anonymous to each other. No reader can know the age, sex and gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc. of any writer.
SPONSORS