2024 Military Story Showcase

The Military Story Showcase recognizes scripts, books, short stories & stage plays in any genre that feature a story about warfare or the military experience.

2024 WINNER

SULTANA

written by James Beacham

When the steamboat Sultana explodes on the Mississippi River while transporting paroled Union prisoners, a Civil War veteran risks his life to save the men trapped on the ship. (Inspired by true events.)

2024 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

1074 WOMEN'S AIRFORCE SERVICE PILOTS by Chris Barnes, Tom Peterson, & Ted Vanos. During the height of WWII, three women face danger, discrimination, and death as pilots on the home front while serving their country and forever changing the role of women in aviation.

AUNT-JU by Heino Heimann. A clever but rebellious JU-52 flight instructor in WWII disobeys orders to carry out an execution and recalls missions in the mysterious Mediterranean while dealing with the consequences of his disobedience. | Website: HeinoHeimann.de | Film Freeway Profile

CUTTERMAN by Edward Gadrix. A 20-year veteran of the Coast Guard, with a childhood fear of leadership, considers retirement after his commanding officer forces him to take command of his own ship, where he battles drug cartels, hurricanes, and his crew.

GRANDPA AND SHORTY by John Rokosz (story by John Rokosz & Jeff Balmert). A grizzled old war veteran fights to reconnect with his soldier son and the civilian world, when he gets stuck babysitting his 7-year-old granddaughter for the day. | Website: GrandpaAndShorty.com | Facebook: @whiteballproductions | X: @whiteballprod

GRASS THROUGH PAVEMENT by Peter Trivelas. Seeking wisdom and world experience, a naive young man explores sex, war, love, and art around the globe until his PTSD-fueled self-medicating drags him to the bottom of his noble pursuit where he must get a grip or die. | Website: PeterTrivelas.com | Facebook: @trivelas

ME 262 by Carl Robinson. In late 1943, an American pilot attempts to steal an ME 262 jet fighter that mysteriously disappeared in neutral Switzerland, before Germans can destroy it.

ONCE A COLONEL by H. P. Shreve (based on "The Colonel's Way: The Secret Diaries of a POW" by H. P. Shreve and the life and times of Colonel Arthur Lee Shreve, Jr.) An American colonel, who was once a Japanese POW, bucks regulations to leverage an Intel Operation and becomes an "unkillable mustang" on a mission to save thousands and get justice for American GIs. | Website: Heather-P-Shreve.com | Instagram: @heather.p.shreve

PREACHER'S DAUGHTER: GIANT SLAYER by Gregory Bonds. Giants are discovered in Afghanistan and the U.S. military stands defenseless until a preacher's-daughter-turned-soldier discovers how to use her powers. | IMDb | Video | Facebook: @PreachersKidGiantSlayer

RALLY POINT by Ernesto Haibi. On a Memorial Day hiking trip with his old team, a severely injured former Special Forces captain must regain his confidence to help his men survive a killer, who has a unique connection to each member of the group. | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube

RANGER CREED by Travis J. Opgenorth. When a U.S. Army Ranger is taken hostage during a covert and illegal raid, his brother and estranged father, both former Rangers themselves, must work through years of distrust as they attempt to rescue him and come home together.

SIX BY SIX by G. L. Well & John D. (Chimo) Arnold. When his racist superior officers mistreat the Black men in his unit, a Jewish Lieutenant attacks them in midnight raids, during the Cold War in Germany. (Based on a true story.)

SNIPER HUNT by Hans Beerbaum. After a Ukrainian woman sniper succeeds in assassinating a German general, her commanding officer goes behind German lines to try to bring her back.

SONS OF A MAUFFEN KING by Jomo Merritt. In tumultuous pre-World War II Germany, Sergeant Erich Von Mauffenberg's twin sons face an ominous prophecy that entangles them in the looming storm of history. | Website: JomoMerritt.portfolial.com/screenwriting

THE CHALLENGE COIN (Episode One: Origins) by Steve Dini. From generation to generation, The Coin - forged in World War I for American pilots to honor their unit - has brought its bearer home. | IMDb

THE DARK GUIDE by Cédric Hémon. A soldier injured in combat deals with PTSD, exploring his most painful wounds and transforming each ordeal into a vibrant source of resilience. | Website: CedricHemonArt.com | Instagram: @lefilm.leguidenoir

THE JOURNEY OF DREAMS by Edward E. Givans. An Army combat veteran is haunted by dreams from his past and has trouble adjusting to the civilian world until he meets an exceptional kid who changes their lives on the road to the Olympic Games.

THE REAPER by Pedro Juan Fonseca. When his younger brother commits suicide, an Iraq War veteran's PTSD returns, and he is forced to revisit the roots of his trauma and face questions about sacrifice and self-love. | Instagram: @pedrojuanfonseca

THE ROMMEL GAMBIT by John Doble. Shortly before D-Day, an American spy plants false intelligence to convince Hitler that Erwin Rommel, in charge of Nazi defenses against the upcoming invasion, is a traitor. | Website: JohnDoble.com

THE TRUE COST OF WAR by Tony Hindhaugh. The true cost of war is explored on the day of a Ukrainian military funeral.

TILL I'M OLD & GRAY by Alysha Nunez. When a couple's infant dies, three friends must confront what it means to love and provide. | Instagram: @tillimoldandgray_official

VICTORY DISEASE by Andrew D. TePas. After being placed into witness protection, a disgruntled veteran who can't seem to adjust back into society, must do what he can to survive attacks from underworld criminals, while making peace with his past mistakes.

VOYAGER by Damien Mulvany. A young Australian naval officer endures the loss of five classmates in a training accident, only to be assigned to the destroyer HMAS Voyager on her tragic last mission. (Based on true stories.)

WAKE ISLAND by Marshall Ferrin (based on the memoir "Wake Island Pilot" by Brigadier General John F. Kinney USMC (Ret.) with James M. McCaffrey). A Marine pilot fights to survive the Battle of Wake Island, and endure the horrors of a Japanese prison to make a daring escape. | Website: MarshallFerrin.com