EXCLUSIVE: Harvardwood on Wednesday announced Madi Stine, Anthony Zonfrelli and Warner James Wood as the winners of their 17th Writers Competition, also naming Wood as their Most Staffable TV Writer for 2023. Stine and Zonfrelli tied for first place in the Feature category, with their respective projects Emery & Ellsworth Make A Picture and Short Time, with Wood’s F**kboi topping TV.
As Harvard University’s official arts, media and entertainment alumni organization, Harvardwood looks to to bolster talented up-and-coming writers from varied backgrounds, connecting them with mentors, producers and reps. Harvardwood’s Writers Program has nearly doubled in size since the beginning of the pandemic and has expanded its global participation, with winners being selected by a panel of industry professionals.
This year’s trio will now be mentored one-on-one by writer-producers Neal Baer (ER, Designated Survivor), Emily Halpern (80 for Brady, Booksmart) and Jeff Schaffer (Dave, Curb Your Enthusiasm). They’ll also be read by top producers and considered for representation at established agencies and management companies, and receive a cash prize.
“Harvardwood is grateful to our industry mentors and judges for their efforts in identifying and developing exciting new voices in film and television,” said Harvardwood founder Mia Riverton Alpert. “We are delighted by the strong material and talent that continues to emerge from our writers’ programs.”
In recent years, participants in the Harvardwood Writers Program and Competition have seen success with pilot sales to ABC, The CW, Disney+, The Jim Henson Company, Netflix, Showtime, Sony, Syfy and TV Land, in addition to blind script deals at ABC Studios and Warner Bros. They’ve also been staffed on over two dozen shows, including Almost Paradise (WGN), American Dad (Fox), Animaniacs (Hulu), Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens (Comedy Central), Billions (Showtime), Bridgerton (Netflix), DC’s Legends of Tomorrow (The CW), Emergence (ABC), Family Guy (Fox), Fear the Walking Dead (AMC), The Flash (The CW), Future Man (Hulu), The Goldbergs (ABC), Gotham (Fox), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu), Homeland (Showtime), How to Get Away with Murder (ABC), In The Dark (CW), Jane the Virgin (The CW), Manhunt: Deadly Games (CBS), Manifest (Netflix), Marvel’s Runaways (Hulu), Power (Starz), Queen Sugar (OWN), The Resident (Fox), Shadowhunters (Freeform), Stargirl (The CW), The Simpsons (Fox), Tab Time (YouTube) and The Society (Netflix).
Participating feature writers have had successes writing for Circle of Confusion, Electric Entertainment, Lionsgate, Marvel Films and Netflix. Notable companies that have signed Harvardwood scribes include 3 Arts, Apostle, Benderspink, Brant Rose Agency, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, CAA, Circle of Confusion, Echo Lake, Gersh, ICM, Madhouse Entertainment, Management 360, Mosaic, Original Artists, UTA and WME, to name a few.
Wood is repped by Dash Aiken of Romark Entertainment.
