The Votes Are In: MOB MENTALITY Wins the 2025 Spring Kinolime Competition!
Eric Landau's brilliant comedy about a thirteen-year-old who believes he's the reincarnation of John Gotti has captured the hearts—and votes—of our community
After months of passionate voting, table reads that left us breathless, and a community more engaged than ever, we're thrilled to announce that MOB MENTALITY by Eric Landau is our 2025 Spring Competition winner!
The Community Has Spoken
When we launched this competition, we knew we had something special. But the response from our community exceeded every expectation. Thousands of you read scripts, watched table reads, engaged in passionate discussions on our forum, and ultimately cast the votes that would determine which story gets the full production treatment.
MOB MENTALITY's victory is a testament to Eric Landau's electric wit and the power of authentic storytelling. The logline alone—"A thirteen-year-old suburban kid believes he is the reincarnation of John Gotti and attempts to order a hit on Sammy The Bull Gravano"—promised something unique. But it was the execution, the heart, and the sheer audacity of the concept that won you over.
What Made MOB MENTALITY Special
From the moment John Tsimis delivered that scene-stealing performance as Nate in our table read, we knew this script had something magical. Watching the bewildered Siegel parents react to their son's bombshell announcement that he's quitting school to pursue "waste management" was pure comedy gold.
But beneath the laughs, Eric crafted something deeper—a story about identity, family, and the wild imagination of adolescence. It's exactly the kind of bold, original voice that Kinolime exists to champion.
Following in The Footsteps of THE WAIF
MOB MENTALITY joins our previous winner, THE WAIF, in the exclusive club of Kinolime productions. As you know, THE WAIF secured BAFTA-nominated director Stephen Fingleton and is officially moving into production. Now, Eric Landau's vision will receive the same treatment—full production support and the chance to bring this unforgettable story to life on the big screen.
But This Story Doesn't End Here
Here's what sets Kinolime apart from every other screenplay competition: we believe in all our finalists.
DECOMPOSER by Tabitha and Mason McDonald brought us into the sticky, disturbing world of a parasite yearning to be human. The McDonald's crafted something genuinely unsettling yet profoundly empathetic—a horror story that asks what it truly means to be human.
COOPERVILLE by Andre Ford delivered a unique blend of comedy, horror, and sci-fi that kept us on the edge of our seats. Ford's exploration of racial tensions through a supernatural lens was both timely and timeless, offering mystery and social commentary in equal measure.
That's why we're proud to announce that both DECOMPOSER and COOPERVILLE are also being optioned by Kinolime. These stories deserve to be told, and these writers deserve to see their visions come to life.
The Power of Community-Driven Filmmaking
What happened here proves something we've believed from day one: the best stories don't need gatekeepers. They need passionate communities who recognize great storytelling when they see it.
Your votes didn't just pick a winner—they validated a new way of making movies. A way where authentic voices like Eric, Tabitha, Mason, and Andre can bypass the traditional system and connect directly with audiences who get it.
What's Next
Eric Landau is about to embark on the journey of a lifetime. From script to screen, with full production support, MOB MENTALITY will soon be entertaining audiences around the world. And it's all because of your votes.
For our runners-up, this is just the beginning. With option agreements in place, DECOMPOSER and COOPERVILLE have clear paths to production as well.
Thank You, Kinolimers
To everyone who read scripts, watched table reads, participated in forum discussions, and cast votes: this is your victory too. You proved that great storytelling can come from anywhere, and that communities can make better decisions than committees.
To Eric, Tabitha, Mason, and Andre: congratulations on creating stories that moved, entertained, and inspired thousands of people. The best is yet to come.
The 2025 Spring competition is over, but the movement is just beginning.
About The Waif - Our First Success Story
The Waif—our first winner—is being directed by BAFTA-nominated filmmaker Stephen Fingleton. This groundbreaking project proves that Kinolime's community-driven approach doesn't just pick winners—it creates real opportunities for exceptional storytelling to reach audiences worldwide.
The success of The Waif validates everything we believe about the power of community choice in filmmaking. When passionate film lovers and industry professionals come together to evaluate scripts, magic happens. Now, with MOB MENTALITY joining The Waif in production, we're building a new model for how great stories get told.
Want to be part of the 2025 Fall competition? Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when submissions open for the next round. And don't forget to join the conversation on our forum where our community of writers and film lovers never stops talking about great storytelling.
Let's make a movie together.
