2026 Laing Screenwriting Contest Winners

The Department of Film & Media Studies is happy to announce the 2026 screenwriting contest winners in the categories of features, pilots, and shorts.

Features

  • First Place: Plum Genuine by Colby Soutter
  • Second Place: Martha and Frank by Chelsea Paradiso
  • Third Place: Keys to Freedom by Sean Hughes
  • Honorary Mention: Desert Bloom by Caroline Lemcke
 

Pilots

  • First Place: Dirty Shirley by Eloise Langan & Sophie Cohen
  • Second Place: Secondary Questioning by Victoria Tan
  • Third Place: Good Ol’ West by Arianna Young
  • Honorary Mention: The Playgirls by CJ Tebben; On Air by Trudy Silver
 

Shorts

  • First Place: Black Lavender Marriage by Victoria King
  • Second Place: The Afterlife Of by Victoria King
  • Third Place: Sex and Other Failures by Julianna Wong
  • Honorary Mention: 42nd Street by Juliet Findlen