CineStory Success Stories
Mark Fergus & Hawk Ostby
Mark & Hawk, 1999 CineStory winners, received a 2006 Academy Award nomination for CHILDREN OF MEN. They recently completed IRON MAN, directed by Jon Favreau and staring Robert Downey Jr. FIRST SNOW, the writing team's CineStory winning script, was released in 2007. Fergus directed the film which starred Guy Pearce.
Greg Marcks
Greg Marcks directed his CineStory winning script, entitled 11:14. It was distributed by Lions Gate and New Line and starred Hilary Swank and Patrick Swayze.
Gaston Biraben
Gaston Biraben directed CAUTIVA (CAPTIVE -- CineStory semifinalist, 2000), the acclaimed Argentinean film which has won major film festival awards from all over the world.
Lance Hammer
Lance Hammer, 2004 CSA winner, directed his winning script, BALLAST, which will premiere at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
Michael Cahill
Michael Cahill, 2002 CSA winner, directed his winning script, THE KING OF CALIFORNIA, starring Michael Douglas and Evan Rachel Wood. It debuted at the Toronto Film Festival in 2006.
Billy Shebar
Billy Shebar, 1997 CSA winner, won the 2007 Sundance Film Festival Alfred P. Sloan Award as the writer of DARK MATTER, which starred Meryl Streep and Aiden Quinn.
Jeff Forester
According to Jeff Forester, participating in the 2004 CineStory Retreat and building a relationship with his mentor, screenwriter Joe Forte, (FIREWALL), led directly to Forester and his writing partner, signing with agent Jordan Bayer of ORIGINAL ARTISTS, and selling a pitch for "just shy of a million dollars."
Lisanne Sartor
Lisanne Sartor, Retreat alumnus from 2000 and 2002, rewrote her finalist CineStory script, CLEAVERVILLE, based on mentor feedback. It was produced for Lifetime in 2007.
Maureen Brogan & Michael Salort
Through mentors they met at the CineStory Retreat, Maureen Brogan & Michael Salort were commissioned by Sanford-Pillsbury to adapt a novel. Brogen & Salort also completed the TV series IN MEN WE TRUST, for Women's Entertainment Television. Salort's CineStory winning script, HIDDEN CAMERA, was produced by Sony.
Kevin Caruso
After two Retreats, the last of which featured his winning script, Kevin Caruso signed with the Hudson Agency and has had three works optioned and a produced credit, I TRIED, featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.
Lisa Gold
After winning CineStory, Lisa Gold attended the Retreat where, with the guidance of her mentors, she rewrote her script which went on to become a 2007 Nicholl Finalist.
