MELISSA OSBORNE
Screenwriter
Melissa is an award winning, British screenwriter who’s lived for several years in the US before recently returning to the UK. Melissa’s first feature script LOSING IT landed her in the Tracking Board’s Top 100 Young & Hungry writers list. Her latest feature script EASY OUT, a YA comedy-drama in the vein of Me, Early and the Dying Girl tackles the weighty issue of assisted suicide, has a warm, charming and quirky style, whilst being grounded in the very human issues and emotions that it unpicks. The script was a top 10 female penned script of the Nicholl Fellowship in 2019, was a Top 5 finalist for the Final Draft Big Break contest 2020 and is on the Brit List 2021.
In addition to her writing, she’s made two short films; NOTHING and CHANGE. The latter, which she wrote, produced and directed, won many awards including the Frameline Audience Award at Toronto and the Best Drama Award at the Minghella Festival. CHANGE explores the irony of a law passing to prevent same-sex marriage on the same day that America elected its first black President. CHANGE was acquired by Frameline’s ‘Youth in Motion’ program where it was made available to schools throughout California and plays on iTunes and Shorts TV.
Melissa was excited to be selected for the BBC Drama Writers room Programme 2020. She is developing an original TV series with Firebird Pictures, adapting a book for screen with Romulus Films and working on a feature with Temple Hill and Netflix.
CHANGE
A short film written, produced and directed by Melissa Osborne.
Jamie is an African-American teenager grappling with his sexual identity on the night Barrack Obama is elected president and Proposition 8 - the voter initiative to eliminate same-sex marriage – is passed.
When one of his friends initiates the bullying of an openly gay classmate, Jamie uses his wits to try and prevent it, but when things don’t go the way he predicted, he is forced to face his fears head on.
CHANGE explores the irony of Prop 8 passing on the very day that Barack Obama broke historic barriers to become our first African American President. It's a beautiful, heartbreaking story that is sure to reignite the frustration and disappointment that so many Californians felt that next morning.
AWARDS
Minghella Film Festival, UK - Best Drama Winner
Inside Out Film Festival, Tornoto - Audience Award Winner
Action on Film, California - Best LGBT Winner
Seattle LGBT Film Festival - Jury Award Winner
San Diego Black Film Festival - Best LGBT Film Winner
Long Beach Q Fest - Best Director Winner
The Iris Prize - UK - nominated
Texas Black Film Festival - Nominated Best Short
Athens International Film & Video Festival - Honorable Mention
USA Film Festival - Finalist