Meghann Ahern met Les Bohem while an attendee at NSC in 2004 and began working for him a few weeks later. She now has a growing career as a writer in Los Angeles and is the Panelist Coordinator for the conference.

Anastasia Brown is a music supervisor and partner in 821 Entertainment, a Nashville-based company. Networking during NSC 2002 gave her this career opportunity.

Two winners of the 2004 NSC Screenplay Showdown have signed with Los Angeles-based film and tv agent Doug Draizen. One of these winners has had his screenplay optioned.

All winners of the 2004 NSC Screenplay Showdown have had their screenplays read by at least six prominent production companies in the industry, thereby opening doors for future submissions.

Tom Schulman, Nashville native and winner of the Academy Award for Dead Poets Society, was given the first ever Storyteller Award in 2005. This is his first public appearance in his hometown since his success as a screenwriter, and he was presented with the award by our Mayor, the Honorable Bill Purcell.

In his presentation speech, Mayor Purcell praised NSC for its leadership and continued commitment to Nashville's burgeoning film community.

Winning this contest has been so fantastic for me thus far. I secured a manager in LA (Doug Draizin) and have had TERM LIFE requested by a slew of agents and production companies. I just completed the Writers Boot Camp course which was fantastic. This past Tuesday I finished a rough draft of a new script in conjunction with the course which I'm very excited about.

Ed has been great and The Showdown has been a fantastic experience. I look forward to meeting you all in June at the conference.

Best regards,
Kevin Henderson
New York, NY

Hi Ed.

YEEEEEEEHAR!

The ability to think or write coherently has just deserted me. This is INCREDIBLE! I can't thank you and everyone else there enough for your help - this means an enormous amount to me!!! - I'm stunned - I haven't yelled "yeehar!" in a while, but I'm getting some funny looks from my co-workers at the moments.

And to make it even sweeter, I just found out on Monday that I lost my job - but now; hey, who cares???!!

I really wish I could speak to you in person about this; maybe I'll come to the Conference next year in any case!

WOW!

OK

stay in touch.

My best regards and unrepayable gratitude,
Adam Spellicy,
North Fitzroy, Victoria
Australia

To All Writers/Wannabes,

I've attended the conference five years consecutively and with each passing year, I meet more panelists who are willing to offer insight, guidance and on occasion personal help. As a direct result of one influential contact, I've been referred to a manager, who in turn submitted my script to his production department at Twisted Pictures (the people who made "Saw"). There's no word yet, but without networking the Nashville Screenwriter's Conference, I wouldn't have had such an opportunity.

The wrappings have been thrown away, another pine tree lays outside the fence, all the leftovers have been eaten, and finally the house is free of relatives, elves, and that jolly old Saint Nicholas. For another year Christmas is over. At least Christmas in June, for that's what I and all the other attendants must feel by now. Christmas, a Christmas with stockings full of script coverage, market analysis, and television premieres. And a sleigh of knowledge pulled by Bohem, Hancock, Arata, Burch, and Frank, unusual names for reindeer.

But seriously, I feel as if a kid who has just opened all his presents and found that he got everything he ever asked for. Your conference not only gave me essential tools for success, it has given me the confidence to push onward, believing that if I have the talent, skill, and perseverance then maybe one day my dream can come true. In one weekend I had the opportunity to meet more members of the industry and learn from their experiences than I could have while walking the L. A. streets for an entire year.

I would like to especially thank you and your volunteers for the countless hours you spent in making this conference a success. Only you know of their many sacrifices and I hope you will relay my sincere appreciation to them.

In the meantime, I will play with my newfound toys and dream at night of future holidays. Perhaps of those in June in Nashville, maybe next year.

I'll definitely enter the National Screenplay Showdown for the next round. Oddly enough, my friend from my Agency--Kevin Henderson, was one of last year's winners. He was telling me how wonderful this experience has been for him the last time I ran into him. He was getting ready for a big meeting over at HBO and was really excited. I'm really excited about this info! It's hard not to be a little trepidacious when entering something like this--I never have before for that reason. I've heard some horror stories about some competitions not being credible, etc. I'm so excited about you guys and these two things! Thanks again!