A huge congratulations to our Top 26, an incredible achievement in one of our most competitive years yet. With thousands of submissions, the quality across the board was overwhelming. To everyone who didn’t make it this time, your work did not go unnoticed. So many powerful, original stories made this an incredibly difficult selection. Keep writing, you’re closer than you think.

Austin Kolodney’s journey to Dead Man’s Wire is anything but typical. From writing a spec he had to see made to navigating options, unpaid rewrites, and day jobs, he shares the real path behind his first feature. With stories of Werner Herzog, Gus Van Sant, and years of persistence, this episode is a raw look at what it takes to stay in the game.

If you’ve ever been told to “show, don’t tell” and thought… okay, but how? Let'sbreak it down in a real, practical way. It’s about turning thoughts into action, letting characters reveal themselves through behavior, and writing scenes we can actually see. Less overthinking, more clarity, and way stronger, more visual scripts.

A K-pop girl group who secretly hunts demons? This high-energy breakdown dives into the electrifying screenplay behind KPop Demon Hunters, where music becomes power, identity fuels conflict, and fandom turns into a battlefield. Packed with bold themes, emotional stakes, and unforgettable set pieces, discover why this story hits harder than your favorite track.

John and Danny unpack The Bride!, a bold but messy swing at reinventing Frankenstein. They explore why the film struggles to connect, from unclear character wants to overloaded subplots and weak story drive, while still celebrating its ambition. A sharp breakdown of what writers can learn when big ideas don’t fully land.

John and Danny break down the essential submission materials every screenwriter needs, from loglines and one-pagers to treatments and pitch bibles. Using real film examples, they explain how to clearly present your story, sharpen your pitch, and stand out in a competitive industry. A practical guide to turning your screenplay into a compelling package.

From Darth Vader to Samwise Gamgee, supporting characters often steal the spotlight and for good reason. This guide breaks down how to craft unforgettable side characters that challenge, elevate, and reveal your protagonist, while avoiding clichés and balancing screen time to strengthen your story.

Set over one defining night, Blue Moon reimagines the biopic as an intimate, theater-like character study of lyricist Lorenz Hart. Through sharp dialogue, a single setting, and layered subtext, the screenplay explores loneliness, art, and identity, blurring stage and screen to reveal the quiet unraveling of a man chasing connection, meaning, and creative grace.

Script coverage can feel overwhelming, but it’s one of the most powerful tools for improving your screenplay. By organizing feedback, prioritizing big-picture changes, and distinguishing between taste and craft notes, writers can turn reader comments into a clear rewrite strategy. Learn how to use coverage effectively to strengthen your story and guide your next draft.

More than a historical drama, Hamnet is a screenplay built on emotion, symbolism, and the invisible rhythms of life itself. Adapted by Chloé Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell, the script transforms grief, love, and nature into a deeply cinematic language of motifs, memory, and feeling. In this analysis, we explore how the writing turns intimate family tragedy into universal storytelling and why its bold, poetic approach makes it one of the most striking screenplays of recent years.

Exposition isn’t the enemy of great storytelling, bad exposition is. From Jurassic Park to The Social Network, the best films hide information inside conflict, spectacle, and character behavior. If your script feels bogged down by explanation, the solution isn’t less exposition, it’s smarter exposition. Here’s how to turn clunky info-dumps into scenes that engage, intrigue, and move the story forward.

Mary Bronstein’s If I Had Legs I’d Kick You may have been overlooked this awards season, but its raw, unsettling portrait of maternal burnout offers a striking example of writing roles actors can’t resist. By anchoring every scene to one volatile, complex protagonist, the script shows how bold character design, emotional extremity, and genre-blending stakes can turn a screenplay into irresistible talent bait. Let’s break down why performance-driven writing attracts stars and how you can apply the same craft.

Stand-up comedian and screenwriter Bret Raybould drops into the Kinolime studio for an unscheduled conversation about writing, collaboration, and actually finishing scripts. Fresh off selling an animated series to Tubi, Bret shares how stand-up shapes his writing process, why comedy works best with partners, and the simple rule every writer should remember: writers finish.

The Oscars are almost here and we’re not holding back. In this episode, John and Danny unpack the Academy’s power-driven origins, the politics behind modern campaigns, and the real stories shaping this year’s race. From bold predictions to shocking snubs, we debate who will win, who should win, and who got completely overlooked. If you love awards season drama and sharp film takes, this one’s for you.

Two curious students stepped inside Kinolime’s Brooklyn studio to discover how independent films actually get made. In this candid conversation, they interview Director of Development John Schramm about his career, the power of storytelling, and how Kinolime’s open screenwriting competition turns bold young writers into produced filmmakers.

Oscar season has embraced Marty Supreme, but does the screenplay deserve its sudden prestige? Reuniting after Good Time and Uncut Gems, Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie deliver a jittery, globe-trotting character study of ambition unbound. Marty is magnetic, ruthless, and often compelling but as his schemes escalate and consequences blur, the script raises a harder question: is this a reckoning with ego, or a spectacle that mistakes motion for meaning?

Finished your first draft? Now the real screenwriting work begins. Revising a screenplay can feel overwhelming, but a structured rewrite process makes it manageable. This step-by-step guide breaks down the essential screenplay revision passes, from big-picture structure and character arcs to scene purpose, dialogue polish, and final formatting so you can edit your script with confidence and prepare it for competitions, readers, and industry submission.

Cabaret (1972), the Oscar-winning musical that blends decadent Berlin nightlife with the ominous rise of fascism. While undeniably influential, the screenplay reveals both striking thematic power and notable structural flaws, from diluted subplots to underused characters. We break down how the film immerses audiences, what the script achieves, and where this iconic adaptation falls short of its full dramatic potential.

Strong script coverage can transform your screenplay but bad screenplay feedback can stall your rewrite and mislead your story. How do you tell the difference? Let’s break down the biggest script coverage red flags, from vague screenwriting notes to taste-driven critiques, so you can evaluate feedback, sharpen your revision process, and turn industry notes into real screenplay improvement.

John and Chaya break down the biggest Hollywood misconceptions in this candid Kinolime Podcast episode. From indie vs. studio and the myth that a great script gets you discovered, to producer attachments, industry “bullshitters,” glamour vs. grit, and modern attention spans, they share honest insight into how the business really works and what filmmakers need to know to keep moving forward.