Richard Spong
- Terry Podnar
- Jun 13, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 4, 2025
DRAMA
An ambitious businessman struggles with his abusive foster home while using his
co-workers as stepping stones to climb the corporate ladder, pushing him to face
his past actions and himself.
Notes on the Screenplay:
The screenplay explores themes of ambition, trauma, redemption, and the cyclical nature of abuse. Richard's character arc moves from a man running from his past through ruthless ambition, to someone who must confront his demons and accept responsibility. The story suggests that true success comes not from external achievements but from internal growth and honest self-reflection.
The narrative weaves between present-day events and flashbacks to Richard's traumatic childhood, showing how his past experiences shaped his desperate drive for success and his ultimate moral compromise. The screenplay uses these parallel narratives to explore how childhood trauma can manifest in adult behavior, while still leave room for redemption and growth.
The story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked ambition and the importance of confronting rather than running from one's past. Through Richard's journey from ambitious corporate climber to convicted criminal to a man seeking redemption, the screenplay examines how the pursuit of success at any cost can lead to moral corruption, while suggesting that genuine redemption is possible through honest self-reflection and acceptance of responsibility.
Team:
Writer & Producer: Terry Podnar
Producer: Jean-François Cavelier
Poster & Concept Art: John Adam White
Status: In Development
Recognition:
2025 Awards:
Emerging Screenwriters Screenplay Competition - Semi-Finalist
Fusionfilm Int’l Film Festival - Best Feature Screenplay
Bluecat Screenplay Competition - Quarter-Finalist
Reno Tahoe Screenplay Contest - Finalist
New York Int’l Film Awards - Best Drama Script
Mojo Int’l Film Awards - Best Feature Screenplay
Oniros Film Awards - Best Feature Script
Creative World Awards - Finalist
Emerging Screenwriters Drama Screenplay Competition - Top 10 Finalist
Filmmatic Drama Screenplay Awards - Semi-Finalist
Florence Film Awards - Silver Award Winner for Feature Script
Southwest Film Festival Screenplay Competition - Gold Award Winner for
Drama Feature Screenplay
2024 Awards:
The Great Britain Silver Screen Awards - Critic’s Choice Award Winner
Toronto Int’l Filmmakers’ Festival - Winner of Critic’s Choice Award for Feature Script
Int’l Network Film Festival - Best Drama Script
New Cinema Festival - Best Feature Script & Best Drama Script
Spring Time Int’l Film Festival - Award Winner
Detroit Independent Film Festival - Best Unproduced Script
Hollywood Hype Int’l Film Festival - Best Screenplay
Spring Time Int’l Film Festival - Best Feature Script
Kraken Int’l Film Festival - Best Feature Script Gold Award
Los Angeles Film Awards - Best Drama Screenplay
Outstanding Screenplays Feature Competition - Semi-Finalist
International Academy Arthouse Fest - Best Original Feature Script
Vegas Independent Film Awards - Best Feature Script
Filmmatic Inroads Screenwriting Fellowship - Semi-Finalist
LA Int’l Script Competition - Finalist
Page Turner Feature & TV Pilot Drama Competition - Semi-Finalist
Filmmatic Drama Screenplay Awards - Semi-Finalist
Palm Springs Int’l Screenplay Awards - Finalist
Cambridge Script Festival - Finalist
Spark - Int’l Screenwriting Competition - Grand Prize Winner
New York Movie Awards - Silver Award - Feature Script
Krimson Horyzon Int’l Film Festival - Award Winner
Filmmakers Connect Award (FCA) - Best Feature Screenplay
Best Hollywood Day Short Film Festival (Best Film Awards) - Winner of the Best Feature Screenplay Contest
StoryPros Int’l Screenplay Contest - Semi-Finalist
Southern California Screenplay Competition - Semi-Finalist
KIIFF (Kurdistan) Int’l Independent Film Festival - Best Feature Screenplay
Hollywood Storytellers Film Festival & Genre Script Competition - Finalist
Kraken Int’l Film Festival - 2024 Annual Best Feature Screenplay of the Year
