Story from the LA river wins BBFF Screenplay Competition

The three finalists in the Byron Bay International Film Festival’s 2024 Screenplay Competition all explore different aspects of contemporary society, with the winner, Riverwalk, telling the story of two young runaway brothers forced to survive on the mean streets of Los Angeles.

Written by Robin Scovill and Lea Endres of Detroit, Michigan, Riverwalk was described by Alex Mankiewicz – one of three Competition judges – as “apocalyptic in the vein of The Road, with strong yet archetypical characters traversing a believable familiar yet odd world”.

The script, the first from Scovill and Endres, is “emotionally engaging”, Mankiewicz said. “It is eminently makeable with a limited natural setting. Overall, it successfully manages to craft a two-hour journey with just two protagonists. Not easy.”

One of two runners-up was Inner Reaches of Outer Space, from Australian David Andrew John Henderson. His screenplay contained a script with well-developed and differentiated characters, Mankiewicz said. “The dialogue rings true, and overall the storyline successfully strikes a tricky balance between humour and pathos. Good, not gratuitous use of the late 1980s period. A smart calling card for a promising writer.”

Also from Australia is 13th Floor, by Sam Mitchell, which Mankiewicz describes as “a very Australian story in both character and setting about the perils of methamphetamine. It starts in an unusual way and consistently provides smart plot pivots to offset an overly familiar genre. The pacing and rhythm of the dialogue is strong. Judges all ‘enjoyed’ the fantasy sequences.”

The judges selected four other screenplays for an Encouragement mention:

Noxious Weeds, from Canadian Em Koopman.

Californian CV Herst’s East of Java.

Whirlpool Passage from Australian Russell Roberts.

Dapple of a Maple/ Kaede's Dapple from Doug Mattis (USA).

The winner of the Byron Bay International Film Festival’s 2024 Screenplay Competition takes home $1000 in prize-money.