About Michael
Emmy Award winning writer/director Michael Graf has written a number of award winning screenplays that have garnered international acclaim. THE LAST INDIAN WAR has been making waves around the world winning Best Feature Screenplay honors by unanimous vote at the Paris Arts & Movie Awards Festival in France, the Culture & Heritage Award at the Fresh Voices Screenwriting Competition in Los Angeles, Best Historical Screenplay at Table Read My Screenplay contest in Park City, Utah, Best Screenplay at the Bahamas International Film Festival, Best Sports Screenplay at the Las Vegas International Screenplay Competition and took first place honors for best Biopic at the Fade In Awards in Los Angeles.
His screenplay, THROWING HAMMERS, which he is also directing, is currently in development and won the Filmmatic Screenplay Awards for Best Screenplay, was a National Lampoon’s Search For Comedy Gold Finalist, named a Hot 100 screenplay by Capital Fund Screenplay Competition and won the Los Angeles Independent Feature Film Awards for Best screenplay.
Graf’s first screenplay, WINTER OF FROZEN DREAMS, produced for the Lifetime Network, starred Thora Birch and Dean Winters, and won top honors at the IFP Market in NYC. Michael’s also a working member of the Director’s Guild of America and lives on a small Wisconsin farm with his artist wife Linda Massey, a miniature horse, and three Jack Russell terriers.
Residency Project:
During the residency Michael will be researching and writing a screenplay about the effects of global climate change. The dramatic story is set some ten to fifteen years after the collapse of Antarctic glaciers and the melt off of the Greenland Ice Shelf.
He envisions “lab shadowing” researchers and scientists working on climate change, meteorology and dendrology/arboriculture with the goal of incorporating factually correct science, accurate scientific terminology, and translating the most current and cutting edge theories and understanding of climate change into the easy to understand vernacular of pop culture.
The screenplay will challenge gender stereotypes in science and filmed entertainment genres.
