RICHMOND, VA — The Virginia Film Office has announced the three winners of the 2023 Virginia Screenwriting Competition, an annual event founded in 1989 as a way to promote Virginia’s in-state talent and give exposure to aspiring screenwriters.

The winners and their screenplays are Jody Matzer (Richmond) for SHARKS & MINNOWS, Lindsey Paulette (Richmond) for BEYOND THE FENCE, and Ryan DeLucie (Virginia Beach) for SLAY.

The Virginia Screenwriting Competition was created by the Virginia Film Office to celebrate the accomplishments of Virginia writers, as well as to promote the future of filmmaking in Virginia. It provides screenwriters with a forum for their work and an opportunity to present their scripts to decision-makers in the film industry. The competition accepts both feature-length screenplays, and hour-long pilot teleplay submissions as a reflection of the evolving content-creation landscape.

The competition is one of the few in the nation requiring no entrance fee. Well-known past winners include Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul creator Vince Gilligan, who won in 1989 for his screenplay Home Fries and went on to produce with frequent competition judge Mark Johnson; and winner Megan Holley, who won for her screenplay Sunshine Cleaning.

Virginia Film Office Director Andy Edmunds acknowledged the winners in front of a filled audience of moviegoers and filmmakers at the 2023 Virginia Film Festival in Charlottesville on October 28, 2023, prior to a screening of the acclaimed feature film THE HOLDOVERS, presented by producer Mark Johnson.

2023 VIRGINIA SCREENWRITING COMPETITION WINNERS

Jody Matzer (Richmond)

SHARKS & MINNOWS: a professional hit man is suddenly confronted by the ghosts of his past deeds.

Lindsey Paulette (Richmond)

BEYOND THE FENCE: Four sisters must fight their way out of the cult they grew up in all the while struggling to maintain their relationships with one another.

Ryan DeLucie (Virginia Beach)

SLAY: After witnessing a serious crime, an aspiring drag queen and her famous mentor must fight off the men trying to kill them.

The Virginia Screenwriting Competition is held annually and is open to Virginia residents. Most of the script must take place in Virginia or at locations that could reasonably be filmed in Virginia. For further information on the competition visit www.filmvirginia.org.