AFF’s 2025 Screenwriters to watch

Film or Script Selected:

CAOINEADH

Year Selected:

2023

Bio(s):

Elise Salomon is a Los Angeles based filmmaker. She writes present-day, grounded folk horror with an all-encompassing aesthetic, rooted in drama and true to its supernatural underpinnings. Her projects have been featured in festivals, competitions and fellowships such as Sundance, Stowe Story Labs, SXSW, FrightFest, Fantasia, Frontieres and Marche du Film at Cannes.

A proud graduate of Pitzer College at the Claremont Colleges with a BA in Media Studies, Elise’s work embodies themes of trauma, trust, truth and transformation.

Elise believes in storytelling as a universal tool to foster engagement, compassion, action and meaningful discourse. She strives to support unique voices, and is a fierce advocate for diversity in front of and behind the camera.

Credit Line(s)

Supernatural Raconteur (INSIDE, CAOINEADH, URD | SKULD)

How did you get your break or start in screenwriting?

Writing was always something I loved to do from an early age, but I decided to practice and commit to screenwriting after I had produced two features – I love producing – but I needed something that was meditative and structured as a creative outlet. My first break was in 2017, when I was accepted into the pitch program at Stowe Story Labs with INSIDE. That prepared me for when the project was chosen as one of seven for the Frontieres Proof of Concept Platform at Marche du Film Cannes.

What was a major turning point in your career?

Being accepted into competition with CAOINEADH at AFF in 2023. The screenplay was one of three horror finalists, and it was the first time I had ever been recognized as a writer by a festival. It was a huge honor and so many doors opened for me.

What are you working on right now?

A horror feature that I’m writing for producer, Heather Buckley. I can’t say much about it other than it’s an incredibly violent, character driven supernatural story. Coming up, I have a rewrite of a climate drama feature that I’ll be focusing on in April. I have so much work to do on it. Especially the last 20 pages. Ugh.

What are some of the biggest lessons you have learned?

All of the lessons have been big lessons. From things like writing is rewriting, to little tricks of how to creatively reveal things and lift things on the page, to meeting audience expectations with my own voice. I feel like I learn something with every rewrite and the lessons correlate, so it’s an overall understanding of what’s effective, what’s impactful, exciting, satisfying, and honing my style.

What’s the hardest scene or project you’ve ever had to write in your career? How did you navigate the challenge?

The project I’m writing now is the most difficult. It’s based on a one-line pitch from producer, Heather Buckley at Black Mansion Films. It took a year to outline and it’s something that I am opening old wounds for. There will be many subsequent drafts that will reveal how challenging it is practically, I’m sure — but emotionally it is the hardest thing I’ve attempted. Second only to CAOINEADH, which was eventually cathartic for me. I have faith that this current project will write itself into that kind of catharsis, as well. I do believe that is the process. Taking pain and making art with it. How did I navigate it? Not gracefully (LOL). A strong work ethic, commitment to progress, honoring the story and the characters I’ve created, and the obsessive need to finish saying what I started to say. With guidance from my mentor, with support and notes from my writers group, with self-care, and with love and encouragement from my family.

What are some of your favorite films?

Stand By Me, The Mothman Prophecies, Magnolia, This is England, The ‘Burbs, Friday Night Lights, Just Friends, Wet Hot American Summer, The Lost Boys, Cable Guy, Safe Men, Rebel Without a Cause, Monster Squad, Say Anything, Orlando.

Who are some of your favorite screenwriters? Who do you look to for inspiration?

Lynne Ramsay, Steve Conrad, Jennifer Kent, Shane Black, Sally Potter. For inspiration, I look to sensitive, strong people who have an unshakeable moral center, biting wit and desire to comfort.

Share a memorable experience from Austin Film Festival?

Being there along with my fellow Stowe Story Labs alumni, Merridith Allen who was one of the three horror finalists along with me, with her feature SENSEI. I got to hang out with other writer friends and Stowe fellows, Teresa Warner, Jackie Perez, and April Sanchez. The other standout was just how friendly everyone was. Every panel I went to, every line I waited in, every coffee I had in a lobby, people asked me if it was my first time at the festival, what my script was about, invited me to parties. It was amazing how inclusive it was. As a shy person, I can’t believe how many people I met.

How have you been spending your time since being a part of Austin Film Festival?

Writing. Producing. Volunteering. Baking.

How has being part of the Austin Film Festival Community helped spark your storytelling journey or career?

As the first festival where I was recognized as a writer, it made me feel a part of. I had such an incredible experience at AFF. The staff, the panels, the parties…it was immersive and so affirming. It was incredibly inspiring to see writers celebrating writers and celebrating the process of writing. I learned so much about the craft and the career of successful professionals whose work I admire. People in my life who had invested time, energy, and money into my efforts congratulated me, and I think (I hope), they felt their investments were worthwhile. It gave me a boost of confidence that I needed. In terms of getting attention from reps, producers, financiers, talent, etc. for a project, receiving accolades from professional organizations is a special nod. I feel very fortunate to have been invited into this community, and I’m so grateful.

What are you looking forward to in 2025?

I believe in the healing power of the arts, I practice and encourage the creation and sharing of artistic expression as a path to true connection, recovery and continued discovery. I look forward to the meaningful results of our collective voices. We will inspire, move and motivate each other. Stories will empower us and fuel us. They’ll bring us together and light the way.

Any news with your project or career you would like to share?

I can’t share specifics, yet but CAOINEADH is partially packaged and I’m so excited and grateful for the way its being received.

William Phoenix

Film or Script Selected:

Sunny Side Up

Year Selected:

2022

Bio(s):

William Phoenix is a writer, director, and producer from North Hollywood, CA. His  short film, Sunny Side Up, was an Austin Film Festival official selection and won Best Short at New York Film Week. As a producer, his credits include Learning English (official selection at SXSW and Tribeca), HBO’s We’re Here (season one), New Balance’s Beyond the Run campaigns, and the Apple TV+ Emmy-winning series HOME (season two). He’s currently in post-production on a television series and a feature film he directed. His feature screenplay, Silver Spring, was optioned, and is currently in development.

Credit Line(s)

Writer/Director: Silver Spring, Sunny Side Up

How did you get your break or start in screenwriting?

I was one of those Lego-obsessed kids growing up. My grandfather gifted me a Stephen Spielberg Lego movie-making kit one Christmas- which came with a tiny Lego camera. I’d plug it into my Windows XP and got to snapping. I had all these ideas and needed to write them down, and those became my first screenplays.  As high school and college rolled around, other passions took over, and writing faded into the background. But after enough life has happened, I’ve found my way back to screenwriting.

What was a major turning point in your career?

Learning how to edit. It helped me craft tighter scripts and sharpened my approach to directing. If you’re just starting out, it’s a great way to break in because there’s always a demand for good editors. That skill has been invaluable.

What are you working on right now?

Writing a lot. Currently in post-production on two projects; a scripted feature I directed last summer and a sports doc-series I produced.

What are some of the biggest lessons you have learned?

To keep writing- even on the days when every word you write is a struggle. Push through the resistance, ignore the overthinking.

What’s the hardest scene or project you’ve ever had to write in your career? How did you navigate the challenge?

Sometimes I write out of order—starting from the end, or the middle, then going back to the start. The challenge with this approach is connecting the pieces and filling in the gaps later. The first draft is a rush of ideas that feels exciting and free. But once that’s out, you have to sit with it, look at it, and realize it needs to make sense, ha. That’s where the real work begins.

What are some of your favorite films?

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Fight Club, Goodfellas, No Country for Old Men, He Got Game, The Matrix,  Being John Malkovich, Amores Perros, An American Werewolf in London, Catch Me If You Can, La Haine, Lost in Translation, Children of Men (Subject to always change)

Who are some of your favorite screenwriters? Who do you look to for inspiration?

Coen Brothers, Tarantino, Paul Schrader, Charlie Kaufman, Spike Lee, David Lynch, Sofia Coppola,  Jean-Luc Godard, Akira Kurosawa, John Singleton, Asghar Farhadi

Share a memorable experience from Austin Film Festival?

Halloween in Austin. Devouring Texas BBQ, watching a ton of films, hopping from bar to bar meeting tons of writers and filmmakers whose work you’re just starting to discover. There’s nothing like it.

How have you been spending your time since being a part of Austin Film Festival?

Continuing to write and find ways to stay inspired.

How has being part of the Austin Film Festival Community helped spark your storytelling journey or career?

It was my first big festival since the pandemic. Got introduced to an awesome community of screenwriters who I’m still in touch with today.

What are you looking forward to in 2025?

More time with friends. More time to create.

Any news with your project or career you would like to share? Include links so we can help spread the news.

https://vimeo.com/673070468

Zach Cannon

Film or Script Selected:

The Incomparable Donald Strange, Ants, Spgylass

Year Selected:

2014 (TIDS and Ants), 2020 (Spyglass)

Bio(s):

Zach Cannon was raised in a multiethnic household in Miami, where his mother’s family are Cuban exiles and his father is a retired police chief. He was most recently an Executive Story Editor on CBS’ FBI: MOST WANTED. He has written for NBC’s THE INBETWEEN, Roku’s PANHANDLE, and Syfy’s RESIDENT ALIEN, and he has sold and developed pilots with Amazon and Lionsgate. He is an alumnus of USC’s Writing for Screen & Television program, the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s Series Scriptwriters Program, and NBC’s Writers on the Verge.

Credit Line(s)

Writer on Panhandle, FBI: Most Wanted, and Resident Alien

How did you get your break or start in screenwriting?

Someone once told me that a career path is hindsight, which is to say there’s no one thing that gave me my break. Instead, it was a culmination of years building my career through parallel paths. After obtaining my MFA from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, I got a job as an assistant to David Milch, the creator of Deadwood and NYPD Blue. While working for him, I co-wrote a script with a friend from USC that won the Darkwoods Productions Sci-Fi Screenplay Award at the 2014 Austin Film Festival. Through connections I made at AFF, I met my manager, who would eventually introduce me to my agent. At the same time, I applied to the network writing fellowships every year. I participated in the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s Series Scriptwriter program, which led to me landing a writers’ assistant position on an ABC show. I spent the next few years jumping from show to show as a script coordinator, including Castle and Preacher. In 2015, I was accepted into the NBC Writers’ on the Verge fellowship. Finally, in 2018, all those paths converged when NBC ordered The InBetween, developed by a Preacher alum and created by a Castle alum who had also worked with David Milch. The relationships I built over the years proved meaningful when old friends, coworkers, and my reps were able to recommend me to the creator, and the Writers on the Verge program placed me on the show for my first staff writing job.

What was a major turning point in your career?

Getting accepted into NBC’s Writers on the Verge fellowship. The writing I did for it helped me finally realize my voice as a writer and gave me a huge boost of confidence. My foot may have already been wedged into the door of the TV industry, but the program fully opened it for me by giving me my first TV staff writing job. As a writer from a multiethnic background, it saddens and frustrates me that these kinds of fellowship programs have been diminished or fully cut in recent years. They have given a lot of talented and deserving writers their start in the industry, and I hope that opportunity continues to be available for future generations of writers.

What are you working on right now?

I’ve been developing a series with Lionsgate. We just pitched it to networks. Fingers crossed! I’ve also returned to my alma mater at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts to teach screenwriting, which I’ve found both fun and rewarding.

What are some of the biggest lessons you have learned?

The hardest part of this industry is the uncertainty, and the only way to combat that is to have faith in yourself and your writing. There are dozens of variables that influence why your script does or doesn’t get read and why you do or don’t get a job. Trying to understand them is impossible. Instead, all you can do is focus on the one thing you can control: your writing. Keep writing, so that when opportunity knocks, you’re ready to answer.

What’s the hardest scene or project you’ve ever had to write in your career? How did you navigate the challenge?

For FBI: Most Wanted, I wrote an episode about a woman whose child died in a mass shooting, yet she falls for a conspiracy theory and believes her son was actually kidnapped and trafficked. She goes on a hunt to find her son and kills anyone whom she believes may have been involved in taking him from her. I did a great deal of research into events like Sandy Hook and the conspiracy theories that surfaced in the aftermath. My son was in the first grade at the time, and it touched on one of my biggest fears: what happens if there’s a mass shooting at his school? Researching and writing the episode took me to dark, scary places. But it also reinforced for me the idea that some of the best art is born out of our fears, and exploring those fears through art allows us to understand and manage them in a healthy way.

What are some of your favorite films?

Evil Dead 2, Parasite, Mad Max: Fury Road, Harold and Maude, Memories of Murder, Bull Durham

Who are some of your favorite screenwriters? Who do you look to for inspiration?

David Milch, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Damon Lindelof, Rina Mimoun, Bong Joon Ho, Chris Sheridan, Nastaran Dibai, Donald Glover, Carla Kettner. All of their work inspires me to write. Rina, Chris, Nastaran, and Carla are the model showrunners I hope to emulate one day.

Share a memorable experience from Austin Film Festival?

It’s hard to beat the moment our names were announced, and James Fant and I went on stage to accept the award for our script. Aside from that, the time I enjoyed the most was hanging out at the Driskill and other events with creative folks talking about movies, TV, and writing. It felt like I was with my people.

How have you been spending your time since being a part of Austin Film Festival?

Since my last trip to AFF in 2014, I worked toward my career in TV writing during a chaotic era for the industry. We had the agency campaign in 2019, the pandemic, and the strike in 2023 (in which I was a WGA captain), and the contraction that followed. I also got married and had two kids. So mostly, I’ve been spending my time trying to keep my head above water amongst all that chaos so that I can maintain that TV writing career.

How has being part of the Austin Film Festival Community helped spark your storytelling journey or career?

The relationships I made through Austin directly led to me getting a manager — Peter Heller at Heller Highwater — and forming longstanding, meaningful friendships.

What are you looking forward to in 2025?

I might be going to Hawaii for the first time this summer, so definitely that!

Any news with your project or career you would like to share? Include links so we can help spread the news.

I sold my pilot ANTS, which placed in the second round in AFF in 2014, to Amazon last fall. Another pilot, SPYGLASS, was a semifinalist in AFF in 2020, and has helped me get staffed and led to a development opportunity with Lionsgate.

Mike Carreon

Film or Script Selected:

Hard-ish Bodies

Year:

2019

Bio:

Mike Carreon is a Tejano comedy writer who uses heart and humor to transform the hate in our world into stories audiences love. Mike is currently in the 2025 Disney Entertainment Television (DET) Writing Program. Previously, Mike co-starred in and co-wrote multiple episodes of NBCUniversal’s LOPEZ VS LOPEZ, and served as a director’s assistant on THE WITCHER, SHADOW & BONE, and THE BOYS. Mike created the live-show-turned-short film HARD-ISH BODIES and produced HBO’s bilingual comedy short PEPITO. He’s also appeared on Apple TV’s PUPPY PLACE and the Fangoria Chainsaw nominated short GUTS. Mike is a member of WGA-W, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, and adult ADHD. Mike has come to chew bubblegum and make kickass TV. And he’s all out of bubblegum.

Credit Line:

Writer Lopez vs Lopez, 2025 DET Writing Program

How did you break in or get your start in screenwriting?

Growing up dirt poor on a goat ranch in a tiny Texas town, I didn’t think a career in this industry was possible for me. Until I saw UCB’s ASSSSCAT at SXSW, and learned about improv comedy. That weekend I signed up for a free class at Austin’s Institution Theater (R.I.P.). For the next few years, I drove round trips from San Antonio to Austin 5+ days a week to perform. I would go on to raise the funds to adapt my award-winning improv show into a short film that premiered at Tribeca and at the Austin Film Festival, where I met my first manager bar hopping across Congress Ave. These breadcrumbs of success along with supportive friends and family gave me the confidence to move to Los Angeles and leave my marketing career to become an assistant. It’s worth noting every assistant job I was hired for was because festival friends passed my resume along. It wasn’t until I was on set for my first written episode of television on NBCUniversal’s LOPEZ VS LOPEZ, that it felt like my career had started and I had finally broken in.

What was a major turning point in your career?

Taking a chance on myself writing, directing, and stripping in my short film HARD-ISH BODIES is the definitive turning point of my career. Adapting an idea from stage-to-screen that audiences loved enough to fund and programmers loved enough to screen gave me the confidence to believe in myself. The film’s success was tangible proof that my dream was not only possible, but was in reach. Luckily, I had supportive friends in Austin’s improv and indie film communities that helped make it happen. I also had great mentors in Emily Best at Seed&Spark and Chris Ohlson at Revelator who patiently taught me how to distill my voice as a writer into a larger-than-life, 9-minute calling card that packs a plus-sized punch.

What are you working on right now?

I’m currently in the 2025 Disney Entertainment Television (DET) Writing Program.  It’s a highly-selective talent development and staffing program led by Disney’s CTDI team.  My cohort and I participate in advanced creative workshops, get to refine our portfolios, and meet and learn from DET creative executives, producers, showrunners and program alumni. The best part is that it’s my full-time job to write—a huge milestone for me! I’m so proud that my hard work and talent has brought me to the best writing program in the industry—one that has maintained a nearly 100% annual staffing rate for more than a decade. While I prepare for staffing, I’m currently writing the half-hour comedy pilot adaptation of my AFF short film, HARD-ISH BODIES.

What are some of the biggest lessons you’ve learned?

You can write anything, but you can’t write everything. Sure, when you’re starting out, try stuff. But once you’re ready to make writing a career, get hyper-specific about the stories you tell and tell them well. Also, think of writing as a business. You are the brand. Your scripts are the products. So just like a business, set S.M.A.R.T. goals for the things you can control, break them down into steps, and build repeatable and scalable systems to get shit done. That’s important because people aren’t going to take chances on you until you have proof—short films, web series, pilots, etc.—that you’re taking chances on yourself. Lastly, this industry is a perpetual lesson in patience and humility. Patience for your skills to catch up with your ambitions, and the humility to realize we all gotta start somewhere.

What’s the hardest scene or project you’ve ever had to write? How did you navigate that challenge?

The hardest project I’ve had to write has been a half-hour multi-cam comedy pilot called SON OF A BUTCH. It’s a deeply personal project inspired by my own redemption story with my butch lesbian mom. I started and stopped—no kidding—over a 100 times in every format imaginable. Nothing felt right because I was still learning the rules of screenwriting while not yet being emotionally mature enough to write the story. I navigated it by putting the project on hold and writing three other pilots that weren’t as personal. Each one taught me the technical and emotional skills I needed to tell the story I wanted to tell. Now, SON OF A BUTCH is my go-to staffing sample and a show I hope to make one day.

What are some of your favorite movies?

Nacho Libre, They Live, Harry & The Hendersons, Batman (1989), Labyrinth, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Mask, Mars Attacks, Escape From NY/LA, Desperado, Network, Warriors, Naked Gun, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Hellboy (2004), Lost Boys, King of Comedy, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Tonta Tonta Pero No Tanto, Rio Bravo, Dazed & Confused, School of Rock, Terrifier trilogy, and the entirety of the Fast & Furious franchise.

Who are some of your favorite screenwriters?

John Carpenter will always be a favorite for his mastery of sharp satire in our brutal world. His films taught me comedy, action, and horror go hand in hand—set up is to punchline as suspense is to scare. Jordan Peele, Bill Hader, Danny McBride, and Eric Kripke are up there for the same reason. Worldbuilders like Guillermo Del Toro and Jorge R. Gutiérrez along with that fool Chris Estrada are cool güeys advancing the culture in a cool way. On the indie side, Robert Rodriguez, Richard Linklater, Jim Cummings

Share a memorable experience sparked from Austin Film Festival.

One of my favorite memories is meeting my first manager bar hopping across Congress Ave. to attend an AFF party. I was attending as a filmmaker with the specific goal of finding representation. I wasn’t thirsty about it, but folks knew how they could help me. So in between beers with festival friends, I met someone in our group who turned out to be a new manager. We hit it off. A few months later, I moved to LA as a repped writer. We’ve since parted ways, but them seeing something in me while we were literally crossing the street all those years ago was a major catalyst for my career.

How have you been spending your time since AFF?

I just wrapped Season 3 on NBCUniversal’s LOPEZ VS LOPEZ where I co-wrote my second episode of television with the immensely talented Gabriela S. Rodriguez. The most meaningful part was having the opportunity to draw from my own life experience reuniting George and his estranged mother. LOPEZ VS MEMORIES is currently available to stream on Peacock.

How has being part of the Austin Film Festival Community helped spark your storytelling journey or career?

AFF has been a milestone marker for my career. I started out volunteering as a theater manager, returned as a filmmaker, and came full circle as a panelist. My favorite part, so far, was having high school students from my hometown join my roundtable. I remember being their age believing this industry was impossible for folks like us, so it meant the world to be proof it was possible. It’s a reminder that our stories have an impact. There’s a responsibility now to never give up on myself—even on the hardest of days/weeks/years—because the work I’m putting in today can make the world a better place for others tomorrow.

What are you looking forward to in 2025?

I’m most looking forward to seeing how things shake out for me as a comedy writer in the 2025 DET Writing Program which has maintained a nearly 100% annual staffing rate for more than a decade. With an industry-leading program like this and a kickass work ethic like mine, I’m hoping to land my first staffing position this year.

Any new news? (Include a link so we can share!)

The biggest news for me is being in the 2025 DET Writing Program. https://deadline.com/2025/02/disney-2025-television-directing-writing-program-participants-1236279796/