Hollywood can sometimes feel like it is a whole other planet from Missouri, but for the past decade,the Missouri Film Office has been working on bridging the gap with the Missouri Stories Scriptwriting Fellowship.
Since 2013, Missouri Stories has received over 600 scripts. Each year, the writers of the three winning scripts are invited to a fellowship weekend at a beautiful location in Missouri. At the fellowship, the fellows work with experienced and knowledgeable mentors to hone their writing skills and polish their scripts.
Past fellows have gone on to work on incredible film and television projects. Marlana Hope, a 2015 fellow for her script “Lineage,” has gone on to work on such projects as the Amazon TV Show “The Kicks,” and ABC mainstay, “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Ron McCants, a 2020 and 2021 fellow for his scripts “St. Louis Superman,” (Co-written with Jon Alston) and “An Aviary of African Seabirds,” recently served as a writer and producer on the Amazon series “Cross” which will premiere this November.
Justin Calen-Chen, a 2017 fellow for his script “Metal & Dust,” recently wrote for the shows “The Brothers Sun,” on Netflix and “Bel-Air” on Peacock.
Other Missouri Stories alums have also had great success in the film festival circuit. Michael Doshier, a 2018 fellow for his script “Branson,” used the skills he honed at the Missouri Stories Fellowship to write and produce his first feature film, “Throuple,” which was selected for Frameline, Outshine, and the Vancouver Queer Film Festival, among others.
Similarly, McKenzie Moser, a 2020 fellow for her script “My Best Friend’s Ashes,” made her directorial debut with her Missouri Stories Production Lab Short based on her winning script, titled “Disordered, Recovered, Whatever.” This short was selected at the Kansas City FilmFest International and many others.
Here’s what some of our other fellows have said about their experience with Missouri Stories:
“The encouragement and support that I have received from the Missouri Stories Fellowship has been so crucial for me this year. It was the first time I ever received recognition for something I wrote and that, combined with the mentorship and feedback I’ve received, has helped develop my confidence in innumerable ways.”
–Sarah Peele, 2023 Fellow
“The Missouri Stories Fellowship is easily one of the best times I’ve had as a writer in my life. I was able to learn so much about craft but also the industry, not only from the incredibly knowledgeable mentors, but from the other talented fellows as well. When my personal and professional life felt stagnant during pandemic, the fellowship gave me an incredible boost of confidence to keep moving forward.”
–Brandon Camp, 2021 Fellow
“More than anything it built my confidence and self esteem in my storytelling and writing. I received so many quality helpful critiques that made a rewrite so much better. The mentors and the Film Office were so professional and their experience so vast that it opened my eyes to being a professional screenwriter.”
–Todd Bronson, 2022 Fellow
