Jesse's Track Record
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Jesse's feature screenplay, "Zero", won the 2025 Australian Writers' Guild national screenplay competition - the John Hinde Award - for excellence in science-fiction screenwriting. In 2026, "Zero" also received an AWGIE Nomination for Best Original Feature. The screenplay has been produced by Donut Mafia and Boho Films. Residing in Western Australia, in 2025, Jesse was also selected for Screenwest's prestigious Bill Warnock Talent Accelerator, receiving a $100k grant to secure placements with BBC Australia and Tony Ayres Productions/NBCUniversal.
With a background in elite sports, Jesse was drafted into the AFL in 2009 before pivoting to screenwriting, where his scripts have consistently earned recognition in international competitions and high praise from vetted Hollywood coverage services (Terri Zinner and SpecScout with 75+). Jesse's slate of projects has been engaged with a number of production companies, including Zero Gravity, Steel Springs Pictures, Deadhouse Films, and Truce Productions. Historically, Jesse's short films - "Raising Thunder" and "A Novel Christmas" - have screened at Austin FF, Chicago International Children's Film Festival, Rhode Island FF, Flickerfest, and St Kilda FF, among others. |
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Screenwriting (IMDB Link)
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ZERO (Feature Screenplay - Thriller/Sci-Fi) *In Post
Screenplay by Jesse Laurie *Estimated release date: January, 2026. *NOMINATED: AWGIE AWARDS — Best Original Feature Screenplay (2026) *WINNER: Australian Writers' Guild, John Hinde Award (2025) The judges described Zero as “a skillfully crafted feature film which takes some of the best-loved elements of sci-fi and uses them to tell a human story with a compelling emotional arc. We found it easy to see this script coming to life on the screen as we read.” |
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Deep Down (Feature Screenplay - Survival Thriller)
Written/Story by Jesse Laurie *FINALIST: The Script Lab Free Screenplay Contest (2023) *SEMI-FINALIST: Creative Screenwriting Feature Screenplay Contest (2023) *SEMI-FINALIST: Emerging Screenwriters Genre Screenplay Competition (2023) *QUARTER-FINALIST: BlueCat Screenplay Competition (2023) *SECOND-ROUND: Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition (2023) *LONGLISTED: AWG Monte Miller Awards (2023) |
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Storm Shepherds (Feature Screenplay - Family)
Written by Jesse Laurie Based on the characters from the short film, Raising Thunder *Awarded Stage 2 Scripted Development funding from Screenwest (2023) *Awarded Stage 1 Scripted Development funding from Screenwest (2022) |
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Raising Thunder (Short Screenplay - Family)
Written by Jesse Laurie *WINNER: Grand Prize Best Children's Live Action Short - Flickers' Rhode Island IFF (2024) *WINNER: Audience Choice Award - CinéfestOz (2023) *WINNER: Best Sound + Best Original Music - WA Screen Culture Awards (2023) *NOMINATION: Best Short Film - CinéfestOz (2023) *NOMINATION: Short Film Production Of The Year - SPA (2023) |
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A Novel Christmas (Short Screenplay - Family/Comedy)
Written by Jesse Laurie *OFFICIAL SELECTION: Austin Film Festival (2023) *OFFICIAL SELECTION: Chicago International Children's Film Festival (2023) **OFFICIAL SELECTION: Heart Of Gold International Short Film Festival (2023) *NOMINATION: Best Original Music + Sound + Production Design - WA Screen Culture Awards (2023) |
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Aflame (Short Screenplay - Drama / Fantasy)
Written by Jesse Laurie *WINNER: Best Film at WA Made Film Festival Get Smart! (2023) |
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Freelance Writing & Script Consultancy / Assessment
Assessment & Coverage
Ambience Entertainment (Michael Boughen)
Indian Pacific Pictures (Ian Booth)
Third Storey Pictures (Martin Wilson)
Factor 30 Films (Melissa Kelly)
Feisty Dame Productions (Tania Chambers)
WBMC (Aidan O'Bryan)
Pitch Deck Creation
Factor 30 Films (Melissa Kelly)
Ambience Entertainment (Michael Boughen)
Indian Pacific Pictures (Ian Booth)
Third Storey Pictures (Martin Wilson)
Factor 30 Films (Melissa Kelly)
Feisty Dame Productions (Tania Chambers)
WBMC (Aidan O'Bryan)
Pitch Deck Creation
Factor 30 Films (Melissa Kelly)
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Screenwriting Lecturer
Senior Film Lecturer (SAE Creative Media Institute) / 2017 - Current
Sessional Screenwriting Lecturer (WA Screen Academy) / 2022 - 2024
Sessional Screenwriting Lecturer (Curtin University) / 2022 - 2024
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Education & Training
UCLA - Story Analysis for Film and Television (2019)
Masters of Professional Communication: Screen Studies (2013) *Majoring in Screenwriting
Masters of Professional Communication: Screen Studies (2013) *Majoring in Screenwriting
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Awards & Nominations
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NOMINATED - AWGIE AWARD (BEST ORIGINAL FEATURE SCREENPLAY)
ZERO (Survival Thriller-Sci-Fi) / 2026 Screenplay by Jesse Laurie |
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WINNER - AWG John Hinde Award
ZERO (Survival Thriller-Sci-Fi) / 2025 Screenplay by Jesse Laurie Trapped within an escape shuttle, adrift in outer space, a first-time astronaut's only chance of survival and returning to Earth is through the help of a corrupt onboard AI system with the intellect of a toddler. |
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$100k GRANT RECIPIENT - Screenwest's Bill Warnock Talent Accelerator
Awarded to Jesse Laurie The Bill Warnock Talent Accelerator is a year-long skills development program for early to mid-career Western Australian writers, who receive $100,000 to develop their professional writing skills and screen projects. |
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Deep Down (Thriller-Drama) / 2023
Screenplay by Jesse Laurie Trapped thirty metres below the earth’s surface in the watery recess of an abandoned deepwater well, an absentee father must find a way out before he and his estranged daughter drown. |
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A Novel Christmas (Family-Comedy) / 2022
Screenplay by Jesse Laurie After moving into their new home, Olive wants just one thing for Christmas: a picture-perfect Christmas tree. |
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Best Film - WA Made Film Festival Get Smart!
Aflame (Drama) / 2023 Screenplay by Jesse Laurie A widower imbues his grief into written letters as he attempts to hold onto his lost love. |
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Showcase - AWG Pathways Raising Thunder (Family-Comedy) / 2021 Screenplay by Jesse Laurie A young farm girl must raise an infant storm cloud and catch its lightning in a bottle to reignite her grieving father’s diminishing spark. |
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Shortlisted - AWG Monte Miller Award (Short Form)
Raising Thunder (Family-Comedy) / 2021 Screenplay by Jesse Laurie A young farm girl must raise an infant storm cloud and catch its lightning in a bottle to reignite her grieving father’s diminishing spark. |
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