
MICHAEL CLIFTON
Screenwriter
BIO

Growing up in West Virginia 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
June 2023 - Graven, Gloves, Chitlin and The Bad Poet appear on the 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 the 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
December 2021 - Gloves, Coverfly Top 1% in genre/format
December 2021 - Graven, Gloves, Gummies and The Bad Poet appear on Coverfly's The Red List
November 2021 - Gummies, Finalist, Outstanding Screenplays
November 2021 - Chitlin - Finalist, Sick-n-Wrong Film Festival
November 2021 - Gloves, Winner, VHS/The Vancouver Horror Show
November 2021 - Gloves, Winner, FilmQuest
November 2021 - The Bad Poet, Finalist Top 10, FilmQuest
November 2021 - Gloves, Winner, Diabolical Horror Film Festival
November 2021 - Graven, Winner, The Thing In The Basement
November 2021 - Graven, Gloves, Gummies, Chitlin and The Bad Poet appear on Coverfly's The Red List
October 2021 - Graven, Grand Prize Winner - Vortex Award, Flickers' RIIFF
October 2021 - Graven, Winner, Nightmares Film Festival
October 2021 - Graven, Winner, HorrOrigins
October 2021 - Gloves, Winner, HorrorHaus Film Festival
October 2021 - Graven, Second Rounder, Austin Film Festival
October 2021 - Gloves, Finalist, Pittsburgh Shorts and Script Competition