Screenwriters Evlin DuBose and Cameron Williams have won the Australian Writers’ Guild’s Emerging Writers Awards in Melbourne this evening, with the pair to share $10,000 of script development funding.
DuBose was awarded the Long Form Award for drama series Former People while Williams received the Short Form Award for coming-of-age dramedy Mum Fell Off the Roof.
Set after the fall of the USSR, Former People follows a jaded journalist who investigates seventy years of tragedy and mysteries in one Soviet family, as told by the only survivor.
The judges described the series as “an epic and ambitious story which showcases the writer’s deft craft and world-building skills”.
DuBose said having her work validated in such a way was “so beyond lovely”.
“Every time it hits me I freak out—it’s wild to think that complete strangers sorted my script from five hundred, and, without knowing me, went: yeah, here’s a good bet,” she said.
“Scripts are inherently an unfinished artform, so in my lovely curly delusions, if there’s a remote chance my labour-of-love gets made, it puts a sparkle-tint on everything.
“Congratulations everyone: you’re in the room where it happens!”
In Williams’ Mum Fell Off the Roof, two children are left with their ‘useless’ dad after their mum has an accident, along with their estranged grandmother who arrives to take control.
According to the judges, the story offered a “refreshing take on Australian suburban drama, which defied expectations with its clever craftsmanship, skilful storytelling, and clear perspective”.
“The delicate balance between humour and drama never wavered, maintaining the story’s tone throughout,” they said.
In accepting his award, Williams paid tribute to the AWG for doing “a lot of heavy lifting” to provide career pathways for emerging writers.
“It’s an honour because there aren’t many initiatives to support emerging screenwriters in Australia, especially in an industry obsessed with everything that’s not on the page,” he said..
“I’d watch all the shortlisted scripts and can’t wait to see how each project travels. I hope there’s a hunger from producers to develop these projects or get these scribes into a writers’ room because there should be a greater investment in scripted content from emerging writers in Australia.”
The winning and shortlisted projects are now available on AWG’s prestigious Pathways Showcase, joining an outstanding collection of projects available for development.
The next round of the Emerging Writers’ Awards will open for entries in 2025.
Long Form
Winner
Former People by Evlin DuBose [television, drama]
After the fall of the USSR, a jaded journalist investigates seventy years of tragedy and
mysteries in one Soviet family, as told by the only survivor.
Runner-up
Scorpio by Allanah Avalon [feature film, comedy]
Between sex work, lesbians, Orthodox Russians, and a rising Melbourne property market,
Scorpio has found herself in an irreconcilable cocktail ready to explode in her face; a
comedy/drama, Scorpio traces one young woman’s experience dealing with family
expectations and the lies one must keep to sustain a myriad of lives.
Short Form
Winner
Mum Fell off the Roof by Cameron Williams [television, comedy]
Mitch and Poppy are left in the care of their useless dad after their mum has an accident. But
when Dad’s loose parenting skills land him in trouble, the siblings’ estranged grandmother
arrives to take control.