meet our jury members
Anthony J. McBride
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Anthony J. McBride is an accomplished screenwriter with extensive education and hands-on experience in film and television. He has completed the Pro Series Screenwriting Course at ScreenwritingU in Los Angeles, where he gained expertise in script structure, character development, dialogue, concept development, and script marketing. This training has equipped him with a thorough understanding of what it takes to create compelling stories for the screen.
Anthony’s educational background includes a Certificate in Entertainment Studies & Business and Management of Entertainment from UCLA Extension. Through this program, he gained insights into story analysis, feature film development, pre- and post-production, and the business aspects of entertainment. His studies also covered genre studies and the language of filmmaking, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of the industry.
With his focused education and practical experience in screenwriting, Anthony J. McBride brings a wealth of knowledge and a passion for storytelling to our jury, making him an invaluable resource for aspiring screenwriters.
Christopher M Halligan
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Christopher M. Halligan is a screenwriter and filmmaker whose work is deeply influenced by his background growing up in a conservative family, where he discovered the power of film to change perspectives. For nearly two decades, he has worked across all genres, cultivating a unique “counterpoint style” that explores the tension between the “abject normal” and the “normal perverse”.
His filmmaking credits include the documentary Methamerica (2012), a distinct look at the rural methamphetamine epidemic , and the narrative film Ghost Town (2020), a winner of multiple awards including a special jury prize from the L.A. International Film Festival’s Shorts Fest.
In the realm of screenwriting, Christopher specializes in historical drama and LGBTQ+ narratives. His recent pilot, The Urning, which dramatizes the life of gay rights pioneer Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, was a finalist for the 2025 ISA Fellowship and won the Platinum Award at the LGBTQ Unbordered Festival. His feature script The Run, a coming-of-age story set in 1990, was recently picked up by Buffalo 8 for their pre-production program.
Christopher holds an MFA in Writing for the Screen from Loyola Marymount University (2023) and an MA in Film Theory from the University of Nebraska (2006). Additionally, he holds a certification from UCLA’s Advanced Professional Program in Screenwriting. Beyond his creative work, he served as an English Professor at Compton College for 14 years, including leadership roles within the Academic Senate.
Christopher’s historical drama pilot The Urning has received widespread industry recognition, securing the Best Screenwriter Award at BISF and a Platinum Award from the LGBTQ Unbordered Festival. The script was also named a finalist for the prestigious 2025 ISA Fellowship and the Wiki Screenplay Contest, where it was featured on their Walk of Fame.
His filmmaking prowess is equally celebrated; his narrative film Ghost Town won a Special Jury Prize at the L.A. International Film Festival’s Shorts Fest along with multiple other IMDb-qualifying awards. Additionally, his coming-of-age feature script The Run was honored as a finalist in the Scriptapalooza competition.
Rooted in a background of growing up closeted in a conservative environment, Christopher M. Halligan has cultivated a unique “counterpoint style” that challenges audiences to find the hero in the monster and the perverse in the normal. With nearly two decades of experience across multiple genres, he brings a deep understanding of the power of film to free the soul and shift perspectives. His ability to navigate the tension between abject normalcy and hidden truths makes him an invaluable asset to our jury, offering a sharp eye for stories that dare to redefine the hero’s journey.
Zoë Greenbaum
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Zoë Greenbaum is a Brooklyn- and London-based, award-winning writer-director whose work blends bold visual style with emotional authenticity. A graduate of Kyoto Seika University, Japan’s premier institution for manga and anime, Zoë brings a distinctive artistic voice and cross-cultural perspective to her storytelling. Her acclaimed short film We Are Bleach has earned multiple international awards, including Best of Fest – Director’s Choice at the Berlin Independent Film Festival, Best LGBT+ Short in both Hollywood and London, Best Indie Short in Amsterdam, and an Audience Choice Award in New York. Her films continue screening at festivals across Europe and the United States.
Zoë’s background in manga, visual art, and music infuses her work with vibrant aesthetics and heightened emotional realism. After a year at the prestigious London Film School, she quickly established herself as an emerging talent in the UK independent film scene. She is also a singer-songwriter, collaborating with Grammy-nominated musician Ian Dench (EMF) on a forthcoming album, Lost in London. Zoë regularly lectures on filmmaking and visual storytelling, including serving as opening guest lecturer at the London Screen Academy.
Zoë’s feature screenplay Hanging Gardens of the Sea and Sky has garnered significant acclaim, most notably becoming a Top 10 Finalist in Francis Ford Coppola’s American Zoetrope Screenwriting Competition, as well as earning finalist placements at Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival and Nantucket Film Festival’s Tony Cox Awards.
Her latest screenplay, The Weather Just Got Sexy, was named Best International Feature Screenplay in Amsterdam, won Best Comedy Screenplay at the Berlin International Screenwriting Competition, and has been praised by industry readers as “a lighter Mamet.”
With a background spanning Japanese manga, British cinema, visual arts, and music, Zoë Greenbaum brings an imaginative, genre-bending approach to screenwriting. Her award-winning films and internationally recognized screenplays make her a dynamic and inspiring addition to our jury, offering clear insight into bold storytelling, emerging talent, and genre innovation.
Marni Sullivan
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Marni Sullivan is a California-born screenwriter whose unique background and lifelong fascination with the human mind deeply inform her work. She began her writing career interviewing punk, industrial, and metal bands—an experience that continues to shape the raw emotional depth and psychological nuance of her characters. Over the years, Marni has written and produced multiple short films, including Sang Del Drac (Co-Writer), Deathdate (Executive Producer), Scars (Associate Producer), and In the Deathroom (Associate Producer).
Her portfolio also includes the 2024 co-writing assignment Ruptured, a TV series adaptation.
Marni’s academic path is as compelling as her storytelling. She graduated from USC with degrees in Anthropology and Neuroscience, later earning a graduate fellowship in Neurobiology. This scientific foundation, combined with her in-depth understanding of human behavior, allows her to craft stories with strong psychological, emotional, and thematic resonance.
Committed to mastering her craft, Marni completed the ScreenwritingU Master Screenwriter Program and Pro Series, and is an alumna of both Roadmap Writers’ Top Tier Program and the Stowe Story Labs Writers’ Retreat. Her expertise spans science-based storytelling, genre world-building, and character-driven narratives, particularly in science fiction, futuristic action, and thrillers. She also brings unique experience from her training in multiple martial arts, which enhances her approach to action, choreography, and physical storytelling.
Marni’s work has earned significant international attention. She has been featured on the Women’s List (2025) and has won numerous awards, including the Titan Awards Gold Prize (2023) for CONFIDANT, the Golden Script Fellowship 2nd Place (2023), the Stowe Story Labs Tangerine Fellowship (2022), and the Table Read My Screenplay Grand Prize (2017) for Syvertsen’s Complex. Her scripts have also been acknowledged by Final Draft’s Big Break Competition and the Hot 100 Capital Fund List.
With her rare blend of scientific insight, creative depth, and hands-on industry experience, Marni Sullivan brings a sharp, empathetic, and intellectually rich perspective to our jury. Her passion for exploring the complexities of the human mind and behavior makes her an exceptional asset for evaluating thought-provoking, character-driven screenplays.