Article: The Crime List

The Crime List

The Crime List recognizes scripts, books, short stories & stage plays in any genre that feature a crime story.

2024 WINNER

A QUESTION OF GUILT

written by Amanda Scott O'Brien

In 1925 Massachusetts, a defense attorney enlists a down-and-out P.I. to help overturn the death row murder conviction of his client, after another man confesses to the crime. (Inspired by "The Trial of Sacco and Vanzetti" by Louis Bernheimer, and "Tragedy in Denham" by Francis Russell.)

2024 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

A BLIND EYE (Episode 101: Blood on the Floor) by Allison Kitaguchi. After the public murder of a local man, a pair of FBI agents learn about the brutal torment he inflicted on a small Southern town. (Inspired by the 1981 murder of Ken Rex McElry.)

A NATIVE LAND by Caitlin McCarthy. A Black Native American cop battles local prejudice, personal troubles, and her own police force to find a serial killer who preys upon the homeless. | Website: ANativeLandMovie.com | Facebook @ANativeLandMovie | X: @ANativeLand

BALTIMORE GRAY by David Frame. When a cop gets killed on the streets of Baltimore, two Officers from opposite sides of the tracks are forced onto a collision course with an unexpected enemy.

CHEREMERE by Paolo Taddei. A washed-up jockey who makes a living by replacing racehorses and then killing them for a criminal organization, faces a crisis when he discovers that his former beloved horse is going to be slaughtered.

ELEMENTARY DEAR WATSON, HE'S A VAMPIRE! by Kevin M. Glover (based on the characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Bram Stoker). When the S.S. Demeter washes ashore the English coast with all aboard dead, world-famous detective Sherlock Holmes and his flappable flatmate Dr. Watson are summoned to solve its mystery, eventually coming to blows with the disaster’s sole survivor: the charismatic, but deadly, Count Dracula. | Website: FracturedScaryTales.com

FLORIDA DREAMS by John Lorenz. A nice guy, desperate for a better life for himself and his widowed mom, gets sucked into the shady timeshare business, loses his moral compass, and commits the most egregious con job in Florida history.

PLAYING WITH DOLLS by Kevin Brunner. A bank robber in the 1930s takes three women cross country and realizes he loves one of them, but it may be too late to rekindle his romance for this doll.

SMOKE by Carlos Perez. A kidnapped woman is given an experimental drug that gives her superhuman powers, which she uses to get revenge on those who kidnapped her daughter and murdered her sister. | IMDb

SPARE PARTS by Kelli Lightfoot. A young woman is kidnapped by the twin she didn't know existed, who is intent on killing her in order to be made whole.

STREET KNOWLEDGE by Greg Sawicki & Brian Miller. Haunted by both a past transgression and the unsolved murder of his hero-cop father, a biracial Philadelphia detective with a reputation for losing his cool is given one last chance to save his job when asked to join a task force created to investigate the rampant violence in the city, but he might not be prepared for what he uncovers.

THE BOOKSELLER'S DAUGHTER by Carol Robinson. When her father dies, a woman inherits his estate, and unknowingly, his enemies - who will kill her if she doesn’t pay a ransom her father owed them concerning a stolen Islamic manuscript.

THE FOURTH NIGHT by Mike Briock. In 1940, a New York private detective is pulled into a tangled and deadly web when he arrives in Los Angeles, only to discover that his client has been brutally murdered. | Facebook: @mike.briock | X: @MBriock | Instagram: @mikebriock

THE GETAWAY by Brad James Spencer. As a weekend getaway turns grim, three friends confront a devious board game in a secluded cottage, trapped and pitted against a mysterious enemy in a fight for survival. | Website: BradBeard.studio | Facebook: @bradbeard.studio | Instagram: @bradbeard.studio

THE GRIND by Terence Nigel Fisher (adapted from the book "The Grind: Tales from the Turf" by Armand Sands). In 1980s Oakland, California, four young men become involved in the ruthless drug trade. | Instagram: @Coachdawg14

THE HEARING by James M. Freeman. An unaccompanied minor, accused of starting a riot in a British Hong Kong refugee camp, fights to prevent her repatriation to Vietnam.

THE OUTSKIRTS OF PARADISE by Montgomery Burt. New to the town of Paradise, a man has a passionate affair with another man's wife, but they can't leave together until they find the stolen money her husband has hidden in his junkyard, while the real owner wants his money back. | LinkedIn: @montgomeryburt | IMDb

THE SHAFT by Dennis J. Manning. In 1953 New York City, a man will do almost anything to move up the corporate and social ladder. | Website: DanForthMusic.org

THE VIPER LOUNGE (Episode 1: Electric Ladyland) by J.B. MacCallum. After a ruthless eastern European drug gang accuses her of being a police informer, the life of a young woman hangs in the balance - plunging a retired soldier, who runs The Viper Lounge, into a deadly crisis of conscience. | Website: StormyMondayPublishing.com | Instagram: @stormy_monday22

WAX PLAY by Timothy Kissell. When a wealthy art dealer is found dead in his home, without a single clue, the baffled cops call in El Lobo, to sniff out what happened.

2024 SUBMISSIONS STATISTICS

Writer Gender
Male: 84%
Female: 16%

Crime Sub-Genre
Thriller/Suspense: 26%
Drama: 21%
Comedy: 16%
Mystery: 16%
Noir: 16%
Horror: 5%

Submission Location
United States: 74%
UK/Europe: 14%
Canada: 12%

Format
Feature Screenplay, Television Script or Short Script: 89%
Stage Play: 11%
Book, Manuscript or Short Story: 0%

2023 WINNER

ABSTRACT

written by Joseph Basso

A diligent detective and a former famous artist clash with one another as they hunt an art forger whose latest fake artwork, a Jackson Pollock painting, netted him more than $30 million.

2023 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

ASSASSIN'S CHOICE by James M. Freeman

BLOOD, SCUM & NEON LIGHTS by Brett Howard Nelson (adapted from the award-winning short screenplay)

CANVAS 31 (Pilot) by Jared Doles.

DEAD HORSE LAKE (A North Woods Noir) by Michael Graf

GEMINI (Episode 1: Happy Ever After) by Alex Vickery-Howe

KITTY DOOLITTLE: STAY AT HOME PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR by Jennifer Milne

LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDER by John Anthony Ellis

MAIL ORDER GODMOTHER by Ron Chepesiuk.

MERE MORTALS by Russ Lindway

NO ADDRESS by James J. Papa and Julia Verdin

ONE WAY DOWN A DEAD END STREET by Lanny Grant

PARTNERS by Jerry Ferrell and Nicholas Ryon Joseph

PRIVILEGED DECEIT (Pilot: It Starts and Ends with Murder) by Annette C. Hull & Warren R. Hull

RETURN TO SPALDING DRIVE by Kevin Brunner

RIGHTEOUS SIDE OF HELL by Lee Lucero

SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE CASE OF THE SUSSEX SKULL by Staton Rabin (inspired by the Sherlock Holmes stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

SORRY CITY by Louise Schwarz

THE CCO by Loyall Wilson

THE GAMBLER by John J. Lynch

THE NORTHUMBERLAND RAMPAGE by Michael Yorke

THE PRINCE OF THE BLACK HAND (Pilot) by Danny Range

THE PROVIDENCE by David Garegnani (concept by David Garegnani and Christopher Guy Thorn)

THE SECOND by Mark Anthony Wallinger

THEY SHALL NOT MIX by Mark R. Coast

2022 WINNER

FALL RIVER

by Darren Oyenuga

A retelling of the tale of Lizzie Borden and the aftermath of the infamous murders.

2022 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

A NEW YORK FAIRY TALE by Bill Lahey

AT THE MERCY OF FAITH by Samuel Lee Taylor

BRINGING DOWN THE CARTEL by Chris Feistl

ELLA by Michael Dean

FINAL BLOW by Simon Iliopoulos

FUEL by Brian J. De Palma

HOPE IS NOT A BLACK & WHITE RAINBOW by Harold L. Brown

I WAS A BEATNIK VAMPIRE by Dusan Zaritch

KILLING THE PAST by Alan R. Smith

LITTLE HAVANA by David Kaneen

MANO NERA (BLACK HAND) by Samantha Caprio-Negret & Richard Price Sorin (story by Philip J. Caprio)

NOISE ELECTRON ATTACK by Fujio Torikai

SONORAN SUNRISE by Larry A. Henrikson

SUGAR COATED COCAINE by Rafael Francis

THE AUDITION by Eric W. Carlson

THE CALF AND THE LADLE by Andrew Stone

THE ORIENTATION OF DYLAN WOODGER: A CENTRAL NEW YORK CRIME STORY by Chiuba Obele

THREE DAYS by Emilio Santin

TIDES OF CHANGE by Seth Newton

UNIT FOUR by Lawrence Whitener

WITHOUT INCIDENT by Aaron Michael Waisome

2021 WINNERS

KUDZU

Written by Marisa Forrest

A recovering addict must rescue her estranged son from an “orphanage,” which is actually a front for a sinister cult that turns children into murderous criminals.

ROSE COLORED SHADES

Directed & Produced by Randy Sparks
Written by Rod Long & Randy Sparks

A self-destructive hit man must choose between love and the lure of a mysterious stranger.

2021 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

ANY AND ALL written by Wayne Geschwindt

BLACK HEART, RED HANDS written & directed by Russell Southam, produced by Russell Southam, Adam Spinks & Owen Elliott

CHARLOTTE TANNER written by Beth Armogida

GODFATHER CONNECTION written by a.j. Lombardi

HEADHUNTER written by Kent Sutton

NORTH BEACH NOIR written by Kip Pearson

OCEAN DRIFTERS written by T.J. Barkwill

REVENGE, INC directed & produced by Stephanie West, written by Dianna Craig

REVIEW written by Jonathan Zarantonello

ROGUES GALLERY written by Keith R. Higgons

SCAPEGOAT written by Richard Geiwitz

SCREE written by Paul Gordon

SERIAL written by Robert Benjamin

SNOWY STRANGEWAYS written by Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel

STILL'S LIFE written by Duncan B. Putney

THE DIRTY CHILDREN written by John Celona

THE IMPOSTURES written by Roi J. Tamkin

THE LAST GOODBYE written by Alex Surowitz

THE MOB ANGEL written by Mike C. McCarthy

THE SORROW VEIL written by Russ Lindway

WELL DRESSED LIE written, directed & produced by Raymond Williams

WISPER directed by Russ Emanuel, written by Howard Nash & Rod Cavin, produced by Howard Nash & Timothy Lee Conley

2020 WINNERS

CAVIAR

Directed by Joseph Mensch
Written by Joseph Mensch & Metin Aksoy
Produced by Adam Folk

Based on the memoir "Career Criminal: My Life in the Russian Mob" by Gary Govich

A young stockbroker at a shady Wall Street firm gets betrayed and sent to prison for six years. When he gets out, his quest for revenge makes him a target of New York's Russian mafia.

CELTIC KNOT (A Clara Swift Tale)

Written by Ann Shortell

During the time of the Canadian Confederation, a 15 year-old Irish immigrant housemaid believes the authorities have convicted the wrong man in the assassination of her boss, a staunch supporter of nationhood, Thomas D'Arcy McGee.

REDHEADED VENOM

Written by Dusan Zaritch

Charlie Nihill, a private detective with a heart-wound bigger than the Atlantic, is hired to find a missing jazz drummer. So far so good. Missing husbands are a dime and a dozen in this town. The trouble is, also missing is the jazz club owner's wife. Charlie has to find his way through the hazy maze of mad preachers, strung out trumpet players, sleazy club owners, and double-crossing spouses to get to the crux... which is incidentally a path through his own private hell.

THE PEOPLE VS. FRANKENSTEIN

Written by Kevin Glover & Nicola Cuti

Based on the book "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

A tenacious lab assistant and a wily Southern lawyer join forces to defend a legendary monster charged with the murder of his creator, Dr. Victor Frankenstein.

THE UNJUST

Written by Scott Cahill

In the endless war against ruthless drug cartels, sometimes the greatest danger lies from within. A rogue DEA agent wages a personal battle for revenge and redemption on the streets of Los Angeles and Guadalajara.

YOU'VE GOT TEXT

Directed by Matthew Moore
Written by Diana Lee Woody
Produced by Diana Lee Woody and Janeva Zentz

A protective daughter becomes suspicious when the family dinner is interrupted by text messages for her new stepmother.

2019 WINNER

PROSPECT TO RUIN

screenplay by Scott Pittock
based on the true story by Perry Freeman

When an undercover detective suffers a personal tragedy, he must choose between facing the pain of his past or falling deeper into the outlaw motorcycle gang he’s infiltrated.

2019 OFFICIAL SELECTIONS

45 WILLOW DRIVE screenplay by Eric Ruiz and Brandon F. Johnson, directed by Carlos E. Macher, produced by Eric Ruiz, Carlos E. Macher, J.J. Blake and Collin Webster

A DOG ACT written and directed by Anna Henderson, produced by Rebecca Richardson

BRICKS & BONES screenplay by Mark Donnell

CLAUSTROPHOBIA screenplay by Jeff Woodard

DEADLY INVISIBLE ENEMIES: Evil in the Air (Book 1) manuscript by Harold Lea Brown

DUAL THERAPY manuscript and screenplay by Elvis Bray

INDEMNITY screenplay by Joshua Yuchasz

MURDERVILLE screenplay by Chelsey Ng and Ginger Kearns

PLATONIC written and directed by David Leidy, produced by Ben Marques & Dasha Ledidy

STAGING ACCIDENTS screenplay by Chuck Parello

2018 WINNER

BUREAU 121

by Helene Taylor

A North Korean hacker must decide between defection and love or family, and life as a cyber warfare terrorist.

2016 WINNER

THE HITCHCOCK MURDERS

by Andy Maycock

In 1953 Los Angeles, a reluctant private eye stumbles into a multiple-murder case with suspicious connections to the Master of Suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock.