MICHAEL CLIFTON
Screenwriter
BIO
Growing up on a hazardous waste site that’s home to the Mothman legend was a lot to take in. Today I write stories about outsiders caught between real and imagined horrors. Recent accolades from Academy Award Qualifying festivals include CineQuest, HollyShorts, Raindance, Nashville and Austin Film Festivals. My horror screenplays have won top prize in competitions from FilmQuest, HorrOrigins, Nightmares, SF IndieFest, VHS, WritersXWriters, Flickers' RIIFF to Page Turner Awards. My writings on art and culture have been published in
V Magazine and Encyclopedia Britannica.
"I write stories about outsiders caught between real and imagined horrors."
UPDATES
November 2023 - The Bad Poet, Paper Monsters, Gloves, Kissyfoot on Coverfly's The Red List
November 2023 - Gummies, Winner, Best Writing, Best Micro Short, Ethereal Horror Fest
November 2023 - Gummies, Winner, Best Director, Best Actor, LA Crime and Horror
November 2023 - Gummies, Official Selection, Krampus Film Festival
November 2023 - Kissyfoot and Paper Monsters, Finalists, SWN
November 2023 - Kissyfoot and Paper Monsters, Quarterfinalists, Vail Film Festival
November 2023 - Gummies, Winner, Audience Award and Best Young Performer, HorrorHaus
November 2023 - Gummies, Winner, Best Film, Terror Fest
November 2023 - Mouse, Top 10 Finalist, Filmquest
October 2023 - The Bad Poet, Semifinalist, Austin Film Festival
October 2023 - Paper Monsters, Second Rounder, Austin Film Festival
October 2023 - Kissyfoot, Second Rounder, Austin Film Festival
October 2023 - Paper Monsters, Semifinalist, Pittsburgh Shorts
October 2023 - The Bad Poet, Paper Monsters, Kissyfoot, Graven and Gloves on Coverfly's The Red List
October 2023 - Paper Monsters, Top 3, A Night of Horror
September 2023 - Paper Monsters, Finalist, VHS/Vancouver Horror Show
September 2023 - Gummies, Winner, Best Horror Short - Austin Spotlight
September 2023 - Gummies, Official Film Selection, Terror in the Bay Film Festival
September 2023 - Paper Monsters, Winner, Scratch Night Table Performance, Scriptwriters & Co
September 2023 - Gummies, Official Film Selection, Leeds Int. Film Festival (Academy Award, BAFTA qualifying)
September 2023 - Gummies, Official Film Selection, Atlanta Horror Festival
September 2023 - Gummies, Official Film Seletion, Freak Show Festival
Seotember 2023 - Gummies, Official Film Selection, FANtastic Horror Film Festival
September 2023 - Kissyfoot and Paper Monsters, Official Selections, HorrOrigins
September 2023 - Kissyfoot and Mouse, Finalists, FilmQuest
September 2023 - Gummies, Official Film Selection, FilmQuest
September 2023 - Gummies, Official Film Selection, VHS/Vancouver Horror Show
September 2023 - Gummies, Official Film Selection, HorrorHaus
September 2023 - Gummies, Official Film Selection, Queer Voices
September 2023 - Paper Monsters, Semifinalist, FilmQuest
September 2023 - Kissyfoot, Semifinalist, WeScreenplay Short Lab
September 2023 - Participant, Fellowship, WritersXWriters
September 2023 - Gummies, Official Film Selection, HorrOrigins Film Festival
September 2023 - Gummies, Official Film Selection, Terror Fest Film Festival
September 2023 - Gummies, Official Film Selection, Buried Alive Film Festival
September 2023 - Kissyfoot, Paper Monsters, Chitlin and Gloves on Coverfly's The Red List
August 2023 - Kissyfoot, Finalist, HollyShorts
August 2023 - Kissyfoot, Quarterfinalist, Scriptapalooza
August 2023 - Gummies, Film Nominations: Horror, Director, Actress, Writer, Concept, Austin Spotlight
August 2023 - Paper Monsters, Kissyfoot and Gloves, Quarterfinalists, WeScreenplay Short Lab
August 2023 - Kissyfoot, Finalist, A Night of Horror
August 2023 - Paper Monsters and Kissyfoot, Semifinalists, Filmmatic Shortstop
August 2023 - Paper Monsters, Kissyfoot, Chitlin and Gloves on Coverfly's The Red List
August 2023 - Gloves, Semifinalist, Dallas International Film Festival
July 2023 - Paper Monsters and Kissyfoot, Quarterfinalists, ScreenCraft Film Fund
July 2023 - Gloves, #1 Horror Short, Coverfly's The Red List
July 2023 - Kissyfoot, Graven, Gloves and Chitlin on Coverfly's The Red List
June 2023 - Kissyfoot and Paper Monsters debut on Coverfly's The Red List
June 2023 - Graven, Gloves, Chitlin and The Bad Poet appear on Coverfly's The Red List
May 2023 - The Cannibal Poet, Semifinalist, ScreenCraft True Story
May 2023 - Gloves, #1 Horror Short, Coverfly's The Red List
May 2023 - Chitlin, Official Selection, Art of Brooklyn Film Festival
May 2023 - Gloves, Semifinalist, Art of Brooklyn Film Festival
May 2023 - The Bad Poet and Gloves, Quarterfinalists, Art of Brooklyn Film Festival
May 2023 - è Morto!, Gloves, Graven, Chitlin and The Bad Poet appear on Coverfly's The Red List
May 2023 - Gloves, Finalist, Outstanding Screenplays
April 2023 - Graven, Winner, WritersXWriters
April 2023 - Gloves, #1 Horror Short, Coverfly's The Red List
April 2023 - Graven, Chitlin and Gloves appear on Coverfly's The Red List
March 2023 - Gloves, Finalist, WritersXWriters
March 2023 - Graven, Chitlin and Gloves appear on Coverfly's The Red List
February 2023 - Gloves, #1 Horror Short, Coverfly's The Red List
February 2023 - Graven, Chitlin and The Bad Poet appear on Coverfly's The Red List
January 2023 - Gloves, #1 Horror Short, Coverfly's The Red List
January 2023 - Graven, Chitlin and The Bad Poet appear on Coverfly's The Red List
January 2023 - Chitlin and The Bad Poet, Quarterfinalists, WritersXWriters
December 2022 - Gloves, The 2022 LIST OF LISTS, Coverfly's Top 10 Most Downloaded Projects
December 2022 - Chitlin and Gloves appear on Coverfly's The Red List
November 2022 - Gloves, Winner, Page Turner Awards
October 2022 - Gloves, Semifinalist, Vail Film Festival
October 2022 - Gloves, Chitlin and Graven appear on Coverfly's The Red List
September 2022 - Gloves, #1 Horror Short, Coverfly's The Red List
September 2022 - Gloves, Chitlin and Graven appear on Coverfly's The Red List
August 2022 - Gloves, #1 Horror Short, Coverfly's The Red List
August 2022 - Gloves, Finalist, HollyShorts
August 2022 - Gloves, Semifinalist, Creative World Awards
August 2022 - Chitlin, #1 Comedy Short, Coverfly's The Red List
July 2022 - Chitlin, Graven, Gloves and The Bad Poet appear on Coverfly's The Red List
July 2022 - Chitlin, Quarterfinalist, Page Awards
July 2022 - Gloves, Semifinalist, Nashville Film Festival
June 2022 - The Bad Poet, Graven, Chitlin and Gloves appear on Coverfly's The Red List
June 2022 - The Bad Poet, Quarterfinalist, The Golden Script Competition
June 2022 - The Bad Poet, Finalist, Imaginarium
May 2022 - Chitlin, #1 Comedy Short, Coverfly's The Red List
May 2022 - Chitlin, Gloves and Graven appear on Coverfly's The Red List
April 2022 - Chitlin, #1 Comedy Short, Coverfly's The Red List
April 2022 - Gummies, Winner, Scriptwriters & Co International Festival
April 2022 - Chitlin, Gloves, Graven and Gummies appear on Coverfly's The Red List
April 2022 - Chitlin, Quarterfinalist, The Script Lab
April 2022 - Chitlin, Coverfly's Top 1% in genre/format
April 2022 - Chitlin, Top Ten Finalist, Cinequest
April 2022 - Graven, Coverfly Top 1% in genre/format
March 2022 - Gummies, Coverfly Top 1% in genre/format
March 2022 - Graven, Grand Jury Nominee, Richmond International Film Festival
March 2022 - Gloves and The Bad Poet, Finalists, Richmond International Film Festival
March 2022 - Gummies, Honorable Mention, Killer Shorts
March 2022 - Graven, Finalist, MidWest WeirdFest
February 2022 - Gloves, #1 Horror Short, Coverfly's The Red List
February 2022 - Gloves, Semifinalist, Fade In
February 2022 - Graven and Gloves, Quarterfinalists, ScreenCraft Short Film
February 2022 - Graven, Semifinalist, Filmmatic Horrror
February 2022 - Graven, Gloves, Chitlin, Gummies and The Bad Poet appear on Coverfly's The Red List
February 2022 - Gloves, Chitlin and The Bad Poet, Semifinalists, MidWest WeirdFest
February 2022 - Graven, Gloves and The Bad Poet, Quarterfinalists, Fresh Voices
January 2022 - Gloves, #1 Horror Short, Coverfly's The Red List
January 2022 - Gloves, Semifinalist, SoCal Screenplay Competition
January 2022 - Graven, Quarterfinalist, SoCal Screenplay Competition
January 2022 - Gloves, Graven, Chitlin and The Bad Poet appear on Coverfly's The Red List
January 2022 - Gloves, Winner, SF IndieFest
January 2022 - Chitlin and The Bad Poet, Finalists, SF IndieFest
January 2022 - Graven, Semifinalst, SF IndieFest
January 2022 - Gloves, Top 50, Roadmap Writers Shorts
January 2022 - Graven, The Bad Poet and Chitlin, Official Selections, L.A. Under the Stars
