2026 Winners

Emerging Screenwriters Family & Holiday Screenplay Competition

Quarter-Finalists

(Alphabetical Order by Title)

.(Mostly) Happily Ever After by Jasmine Aziz and Dan McNeil
A Barrio’s Christmas Carol by Carolina Palacios
A Blue Eye Christmas by David M Hyde and G.Michael Nicolosi
A Bookish Little Christmas by Rebecca Leigh
A Brontë Family Christmas by Melissa McCabe
A Carol Christmas by Jenna St John and Gabe Uhr
A Christmas Knight on Roan Mountain by Debra Pittman Tobin
A Christmas to Remember by Shannon Murphy
A Doggone Christmas by Michael Toay and Travis Mann
A Frost for Navidad by Gillian Wade
A Haitian Christmas by Aly Laveaux Laveaux
A Holly Trolley Christmas by Cricket Daniel
A Motor City Throwback Christmas by Julia M Chan
A New Kind of Christmas by Elise Marenson
A New York Christmas Story by J.R. Rodriguez
A Pirate and a Princess by Mark Kelly
A Royal Danish Christmas by Stephanie Olivieri Bourbon
A Sweet Christmas by Don Santiago
A Vacation from Christmas by Duncan Putney
A Very Metal Xmas by George O’Connor
A White Christmas Getaway by Lynn Vincentnathan
Adopting Jamie by Dani Renee
After the Sirens by Nathan Bassett
aliEN VY shark by Matthew Lowe
All Downhill From Here by Monte Albers de Leon
All Through the Night by Lauren Hackney
An A+ Christmas by Amy Fredericks
An Empty Chair by Suzanne Birrell
Angel in Paradise by Debra Holland
Angel Pass by Drina Kay
Back Door Santa by James Newton
Bad Elf and the Krampus by John Rae
Bah Humbug by Jo Garrett
Baking Christmas by Dennis Doud
Because I Can by Cynthia Roberts
Becoming Dancer by Jessica Green
Benita the Invincible by Terry Lynam
Best. Gift. Ever. by Clinton Irey
Between Stars & Snow by Maria D’Haene
Bramblewood by Alex Mehta
Breaking Up With Christmas by G F Miller
Buck Up For Christmas by Julianne Korogodon
Carly’s Koala Christmas by Willie Hynd and Edoardo Crismani
Catch! By Paul Rosengren and Mandy Rosengren
Chinook’s Christmas by Chris Staviski
Christmas across America by Gary Laney
Christmas at Crony’s by Rune Vedel Thisted and Ebbe Vedel
Christmas at the Record Store by Kay Ann Kesnter
Christmas by the Pound by Cecile Lee
Christmas Can’t Wait by Natalia Chown
Christmas Confessions by Rita Doyle Roberts
Christmas Creep by David Goulet
Christmas Edition by Erika Sovey
Christmas Homework by Clem Martini
Christmas in Croatia by Erin McInnis
Christmas in Dreamland by Stephen Dexter
Christmas in Kayoss by Janet Prescott and Andrea Ferrell
Christmas On Campus by Eric J Vardeman
Christmas Rose by Adam L Russell
Christmas Underdogs by Eric Adams
Church Choir Christmas Party by Becca Blackmore
Cloud to Ground by Ellen Lent, PhD
Come to Life by Stephen Dexter
Crack’d by Greg Emetaz
Dachshund Through the Snow by Casey Apregan
Dapple of a Maple by Doug Mattis
Dating Daughters by Terry Daniels
Dinner with Rembrandt by Gabrielle Restivo
Divine Intervention When God Steps In by Liv Love
Echo the Wind by Thomas G Mazzola
Elf Force by Jennifer Bonner
Emma and the Impossible by Jan Kimbrough
Eve’s Promise by Brad Catherman
Father Material by Michele Kyrouz
Finding Mary by Sarah Brockmann
Foes for Christmas by Ty Davis
Free Inside! by Sarah Brockmann
G.I Bro by Pete Whiting
Garden Variety Aliens by Cat Girczyc
Gargoyles on the Case! by Johnny Sheehy
Gelato for Christmas: A Royal Twist by Carmen Bright
Ghost Karate by Joshua Brooks
Ghost of the Year by Jayde Rossi
Goodbye, Kid. Hurry Back by Terri Kauffman
Gotham Ghouls by Franck Benayoun
Grace by Billie Harris
Harper’s Fairy by Jeffrey Stein
Have an Ice Christmas by Herbert Robertson and Robbie Robertson
Headlong Into Love by Christine Carson
Heart of Genesee by J R Underhill
Homework for the Holidays by David Falke
Hubby Holidays! by Mary Huckstep
I Only Wanted to Help by Victoria Posey
I’m Dreaming of a Perfect Christmas by Laura Harbin
Imaginary Ruby by Marta Reeder
Imperial by Madeline Kane
Indiana Christmas by Megan Peterson
Influence Christmas by Misty McAfee
Introducing Queen Amira by Hannah Robertson
It Had to Be Hugh by Jeff Reese
It Started With the Ears by Kristen H Brakeman
Jasper’s Place by Donna Bellorado
Jeremy by Jonathan Turner Smith
Keep It in the Family by Idalia Gonzalez
Keeper of the Winds by Cara Rogers
Keepers of the North Pole by Joshua Essenburg
Kringle & Co by Sanchez Taylor
Kris Kringle by Maria Ciampi
Letting Go by Estes Tarver
Little Snowflakes by Hannah Joyner
Liv by Donna Richards
Lost Claus by Colleen Driscoll
Love and Redemption by Michael Mendershausen
Loving the Spirit by Richard Carson Bailey
Lucy and the Last Christmas by Arun Narayanan
Maisie by Chris Gerard
Max Hopper Battles the Locust Swarm by Adam Hersh
May We Christmas – Together by Tracy Streeter
May We Christmas by Tracy Streeter
Meeting Stella Whitlock by Laura Cryan
Merry Karishmas by Jasmine Aziz and Dan McNeil
Mobster in the House by Sibella Giorello
Mojave by Ryan McCarvill
Mother Marilyn’s Motor Tours by PG Hodgson and JLO Hodgson
MotherCode by Richard Scott and Justin Sloan
Museum of Time by Veronica Tabares
Mutiny in the Dugout by Rod Kent
My Angel in the Crowd by Stephen Joseph Olson and Richard Liersch
My Christmas Angel by Mark DiStefano and John Distefano
My Son Is a Dragon by Phoenix Black
Next Santa by Shero Syndicate
Noah’s Bark by Mike Murphy
Not Just on Christmas by Martin Leyva Millan
Not Your Parents’ Christmas Story by Toni Gallagher
On Being Gus by Candy Fox
Once Upon a Chewish Xmas by Lisa Scott and Alan Field
Once Upon a Christmas in Hollyville by Joanne Bellew
Opening Nights by Susan Kohler
Operation Santa Bear by Richard Podkowski and Patricia Podkowski
Operation: Christmas Lights by Eric Glawe
Optimist Society by Ron Meliment
Over the Monster by Douglas Folsom
Past Plus Present Equals Perfect by Suzanne Saunders
Pigsford Hollow by Jacqueline Sandee Valle
Pixylations by Joe Laudati
Playing for Blood by Michael Kloian
Reindeer Paws by Frances McCoy
Relatively Christmas by Cara Rogers
Repeat Noel by David Schwartz
Rescue Me This Christmas by Eva Sippel
Royally Decorated by Stephanie Olivieri Bourbon
Run Santa Run by James Newton
Ryder’s Christmas Comeback by Xavion Niles
Sandi Claus by Lee Tidball
Santa 86 by Elliot Book
Santa AI by Stephanie Olivieri Bourbon
Santa Claus Lane by Lynda Halligan
Santa.com by Dean Love
Santas AI World by Jeff Peck
Santa’s Business by Mary Perrotta Andrews
Santa’s Conundrum by Robert Herold
Saving Christmas by Bob Shayne
Schrodinger’s Cusack by John Dover
Scrooge Returns by Nancy Froeschle and Stephen Trow
Sew This Is Christmas by Tracey Satterwhite
Shift by Kim Botbyl
Single Bells by Nicole Larson and Sadie Katz
Sled Race by Kevin Jordan
Snow Globe by Garison Piatt
Southern Christmas Spirits by Jeanee Ledoux
Space Cadets: The Next Generation by Edwin McDonald IV
Spumante! by Philip Rossetto
Starstruck at Christmas by Hadley Dion and Marisol Diaz
Substitute Down by Paul Rosengren
Summer at the North Pole by Kelly Cochran Yzquierdo
Sweet Dreams by Dianne Janis
Tannenbaum by Jeremy Rodman
Thanxmas by Lisa Wilson
That Christmas Movie Kind of Love by LaToria Pierce
The Bark Before Christmas by Dawn Prato
The Bench Warmer by Craig Cosgray
The Boy Who Stole My Heart by Wayne Middleton
The Bullying Squad by Mike Murphy
The Butler Did It (Not a Murder Mystery) by Laura Bell
The Caterpillar by Marc Prey
The Christmas Cake by ZoE-Helen Alexander Hamilton
The Christmas Coach by David Congalton & Andrea Zastrow
The Christmas Crash by Michael L Williams and Inka Mehtola
The Christmas Key by Rebekah Reaves
The Christmas Lantern by Justin Kojok
The Christmas of You by Lauren Kettler
The Christmas Project by Kristine McQuown
The Corporation Rules by Jess Paxton
The Extraordinary World of Ottilie Darewell by Laura Lyte
The First Noelle by Grace Stalley
The Ghost of Christmas Present by Noelle Nelson
The Gingerbread Boyfriend Recipe by Romily Bernard and Jess Burkhart
The Holidays Can Be Murder by Robert Dean Palmer
The Immortal Gift by Christopher N Orr
The In-Between by Madeline Olejnik
The Jingleheimer Christmas Tree Farm by Jon Jacobmeier
The Last Checkerboard by Gerard Hamann
The Last Christmas Song: A Yuletide Adventure by Jeff Viens
The Last Mermaid by Steven Supparits
The Layover Club by Elizabeth Blanco
The Leprechaun Trap by Carlton Welch
The Long View by Len Uhley
The Long Way by Jon Marc Newberry
The Miffletoe Connection by Andre Campbell and Brandon Bott
The Miracle Tree by Austin Highsmith Garces and Noam Dromi
The Moondance by Colleen Asbury
The New Housewife of the North Pole by Stephanie Olivieri Bourbon
The Paper Crane by Alexis Ann Croyle
The Patels Save Christmas by Mehul Shah
The Perfect Christmas Movie by Andy Munsey and Jamie Munsey
The Pianoman at Christmas by Pier Bellini
The Pinata Whisperer by Richard Scott
The Plow Man by Gerard Hamann
The Pointe of Christmas by Gregory Cusumano and Michael Catangay
The Return of the Santa Fe Super Chief by Douglas Folsom
The Second Noel by Kevyn Richmond
The Secret of Christmas Eve by Dani Renee
The Silent Star by John Anselmo
The Smiles of Cheshire, Mass by Stephen Evans
The Smugglers’ Tunnel by Eric Murphy
The Sound of the Game by Zack Van Eyck
The Stand-in Bride by Mary Albanese
The Tinker Dreamer by Nathan Davis
The Twelve Dates of Laura by Lauren Hackney
The Winter Wolves by Mark Kelly
The Year I Saved Christmas by John Purvis
There’s No L In Christmas by Kathy Cranford
Tigermania! by Karl Mather
Tippy the Elf by William Sikorski
To Sea by Luc Alper-Leroux
Tug Hollow Christmas by Jeanie Kanaley
Turtle by Daniel J. Frey
Unbridled Hearts by Heather Frey Blanton
Used Goods by Travis Tack
What He Left Behind by Alessandra Rocca
What’s a Zayde? by Andrew M Epstein
Where the Sunflowers Grow by Beverley Wood
Whiskers and Bear by Giacomo Giammatteo
White Water Rescue by Harold Brown
Wild Wild Christmas by Ryan Evans and Jose Flores
Working Vacation by Alex Bernstein
World Famous Christmas by Eric J Vardeman
Wyatt by Stephanie Gaston
You Had Me at Christmas by Gayle Robinson
Zen + 2 by Miranda Filippides