2023 Del Shores Foundation Writers Search Winners Revealed

The Del Shores Foundation has revealed the winners of the second Del Shores Foundation Writers Search from the unproduced plays, screenplays and shorts/web series scripts of LGBTQ+ Southern writers. Here are the 2023 selected winners:

Lee Osorio, from Georgia, is the winner of the Best Play Award and a $3,000 Cash Award for their play A Third Way.

TIMOTHY Jay Smith, from Florida, is the winner of the Best Screenplay Award and a $3,000 Cash Award for his screenplay Istanbul Crossing.

WILLIAM METTLACH, from Florida, is the winner of the Best Short Film Script Award and a $1,000 Cash Award for his script Smoke Breaks.

Del Shores and Program Director Emerson Collins informed each of the winners of their selection live on Zoom and Shores said, "It's always thrilling to meet the winners for the first time and tell them the good news! I'm so proud of all of the winners, finalists and semi-finalists. We must continue to tell our stories, and all of us at The Del Shores Foundation are ecstatic that we can help facilitate getting these special artists amplify their work."

The runners-up were CATHERINE VOUVRAY for her screenplay Les Go!, and JOHN MEDLIN for his short script Hey, Kiddo. Finalists received a $250 Cash Award and semifinalists received a $100 Cash Award. A complete list of 2023 finalists and semi-finalists can be found at www.delshoresfoundation.org.

Program Director Emerson Collins added, "Our first full year of programming succeeded beyond our expectations with the Writers Search and our first Del Shores Foundation Writers Festival. This year we had a twenty-five percent increase in submissions, ranging in age from 21-78 from fourteen of the fifteen Southern states, and we've already expanded the awards and grants available for our second year."

The Del Shores Foundation is also providing accompanying grants to support the development and production of each winner's work. These include a $10,000 Production Grant to the budget of the first professional theatre company partner to produce the winning play, a $2000 Production Grant to the budget for producing the winning short film/web series and a $2000 travel grant to support the winning screenplay writer's introduction to film production companies in Los Angeles. New this year are $1,500 Stage Reading grants for each of the finalist scripts in the play category.

The first Del Shores Foundation Writers Festival took place in the Fall of 2022 with all available 2021 finalists and winners invited to attend with all costs covered by the Foundation. The Festival centered around stage readings of all three winning scripts featuring local Dallas actors, along with free panels and workshops with industry professionals from film, television and theatre open to the public. Del Shores also conducted a one-on-one interview with Greater Tuna co-creator Jaston Williams. 

The 2024 Del Shores Foundation Writers Search will open for submissions in the fall to unproduced LGBTQ+ playwrights and screenwriters living in 15 US Southern states. For all submission information click HERE.

The Screenplay Award and Grant are sponsored by Cindy Warner and Michele Ryan. The Play Award is sponsored by Jeffrey Johnson and Michael Keegan. The Finalist Awards are presented in honor of Carole Cook and the Semifinalist Awards are sponsored by Tony Maietta. The Stage Reading Grants are sponsored by Wayne Morris.

The Del Shores Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit with a mission to find and facilitate the development of unknown southern queer artistic voices. The Del Shores Foundation Writers Search, is open to writers who identify as LGBTQ+ and reside in Southern states.

For more information visit: www.delshoresfoundation.org