Compete to have your screenplay read live in front of an audience during the Short. Sweet. Film Fest. March 1 -7, 2027!
Certificates and laurels will be awarded to the top 4 screenplays. The top 2 screenplays will receive a live table read during the festival. Screenplays will be judged by industry professionals.
Please submit your screenplay through Film Freeway.
The Short. Sweet. Screenplay Competition. will be held at at Atlas Cinemas Shaker Square.
Meet the Judges
Mary Davis
With an extensive background in film, television, and theater, Mary Davis has firmly established herself as a talented and respected figure in the industry. Her expertise is showcased through numerous accomplishments and accolades, including an award for a Syfy teleplay and a grant from the Italian-American Film Foundation, generously awarded by the Russo Brothers.
As a nationally esteemed member of Women in Film and Television - Ohio (WIFT-OH), Mary continues to champion and support women in the industry. Her leadership further extends as the Head of the Cleveland Chapter of the International Screenwriters Association (ISA), where she fosters a thriving
community of screenwriting talent across all ages and genders. Mary offers expert Script Analysis for producers and writers, and her unique and intensive one-on-one coaching approach has helped aspiring writers rank at the top of contests and secure paid writing positions. She is currently developing the definitive course on creating characters for screenwriters, playwrights, and novelists.
Judging: Screenplays
Makenna Hughmanic
Makenna Hughmanic is a Cleveland State University Student pursuing a BFA in Film and Media Arts with a focus in writing and directing. She served two years as a multimedia news journalist for The Cauldron, Cleveland State’s student-run media outlet, where she researched, wrote, and edited digital news stories. She has received several awards for her writing, including first place in CSU's Fade In Screenwriting Contest for her screenplay "Breakfast for Two."
Ellen Rooney, PhD
As an actress Ellen Rooney has worked in many commercials, films, and stages—from Greg, The Bunny's Mom for 20th Century Fox Television to Oedipus The King, in the first English speaking performance in the ancient theater of Epidaurus in Greece.  She teaches acting at Cleveland State University, School of Film and Media Arts and has also taught at Baldwin Wallace University, Conservatory of Music, Bowling Green State University, University of Akron, and through many art organizations such as Beck Center for the Arts, Center for Arts Inspired Learning, and others. Her book Memory Acting: Memory Technique for Actors is being published by Innovative Ink Publishers. Dr. Rooney holds a PhD in Theater from Bowling Green State University where she served as the Department Fellow. From Tisch School of the Arts, NYU she earned a MFA in Dance and MA in Performance Studies. As an undergraduate she was a Vail Arts Scholar at Denison University.
Judging: Local, Screenplays
Alex Sherman
Born and raised in Mentor, Ohio - Alex Sherman has been working in Hollywood for over 10 years. From editing to writing, he’s a jack of all trades. Currently, he’s a Co-EP on HBOMax’s Our Flag Means Death where he gets to play with pirates and blow things up. A graduate of Baldwin Wallace University, before moving to LA, Alex got a job with Current TV producing short documentaries all around the world. He didn’t get to blow things up, but he got to play with snakes in Thailand while filming with the Red Cross. His past credits include Yo Gabba Gabba, The Avengers, People of Earth, Final Space, Upload and Bless This Mess. Find him on Twitter @CapitalWLD.
Judging: Comedy, Drama, Environmental, LGBTQ, Local, Pilot/Series, Science Fiction, Student