An Interview with 2024 TITAN Awards Winner Jeff Osborne

About The TITAN Awards

The TITAN Awards is a global, prestigious screenwriting contest whereby material competes against its own kind for as long as possible over the course of a contest cycle.

Horror feature vs Horror feature, Series Bible vs Series Bible, Sci-Fi vs Sci-Fi, 1 Page Pitch vs 1 Page Pitch, etc.

In the contest’s fourth year (2024), the situation was ferociously competitive and there were a great many writers and projects that impressed.

The annual awards are rare in talent discovery terms in that they are judged by genuinely heavyweight industry figures, with appropriately high-level credits on major movies and TV shows.

The three winning writers received…

TITAN Awards Winner – Jeff Osborne

In an extremely close final vote, our three “titans” of industry – producers – all voted, independent of one another, for the contest’s Gold-Silver-Bronze order.

And winning the 1st place Gold award, the overall winner of our 2024 TITAN Awards, was Jeff Osborne for her feature screenplay, THE ISTHMUS.

So after Jeff’s amazing victory, we sat down with her to ask her a few questions about how she feels after being crowned the TITAN Awards winner, her inspirations and her path to becoming a screenwriter.

Interview with TITAN Awards Winner Jeff Osborne

Firstly, tell us about you: where are you from, what’s your background in the business?

Jeff Osborne

I grew up in the Washington D.C. area. At that point I was using my dad’s camcorder to make stop action lego films with my brother. We were also obsessed with the TV show “Movie Magic” (I still remember the theme music).

I have always had a passion for filmmaking. When I was 19 I started out directing music videos and commercials, and in 2013, I landed my first position on a feature as a DP. I’ve now worked in various roles on 10+ indie features that were distributed theatrically and/or streaming, but I’m moving strictly into writing and directing.

How long have you been writing seriously for?

Jeff Osborne

I would say six or seven years.

How does it feel to have won The TITAN?

Jeff Osborne

It feels reassuring and exciting to have people high up in the industry reading and recognizing my work.

Can you tell us more about the project you won with?

Jeff Osborne

I wrote “The Isthmus”, which is the true story of Manuel Noriega, because I am a dual Panamanian and American citizen and I found the story to be fascinating and infuriating. I started researching it in 2008 and visited Noriega in prison multiple times.

I also interviewed others in Panama — people who worked for him, people who hated him, his family, you name it. The more I learned about him, the more I realized this story had a perfect blend of historical, cinematic, and commercial value. There’s also so many themes that are relevant today. This story needs to be told.

Where did the idea for your winning project first come from?

Jeff Osborne

My dad was knighted in Panama and had direct access to many of those in power during that time. As I mentioned before, I also grew up inside the beltway. I had friends in high school with parents who worked on the hill, or in the state department, or in intel. I’ve also worked in presidential politics for years.

This story was right up my alley and something I feel I am destined to tell.

What would you say the key cinematic touchstones are, for it?

Jeff Osborne

For one the lush and tropical landscape of Panama. It’s an exciting new world most people aren’t familiar with. There’s also the people, the architecture, the remnants of U.S. occupation in the canal zone. Panama is both beautiful and mysterious.

There’s also the enigmatic characters from around the world, the time period, and the fact this story is a completely different take on the cocaine boom in 1980’s Latin America.

What scene in the script are you most fond of?

Jeff Osborne

I don’t know if it’s my favorite scene, but I enjoy the part where Noriega gets caught by his wife after conducting his first intel mission.

Why did you choose to enter The TITAN and what’s been your experience with other contests?

Jeff Osborne

I chose TITAN because it had a great judging panel with real big players in the industry. Generally the script has done well. It is in the Top 1% on Coverfly with 12 accolades, and has been a Winner, a Finalist, and a Semifinalist in a handful of other contests/festivals. There’s still no leads on anyone interested in developing it yet but my fingers are crossed!

In terms of the winners’ benefits, which run over the whole course of a year, which one are you most excited about?

Jeff Osborne

Aside from the meetings with the Titans, maybe Rocket Reach? I already had Final Draft and Imdb Pro. I’m looking forward to forging new connections and relationships. I still feel very much like I don’t have a foot in the door yet.

What are you working on next?

Jeff Osborne

I’m directing a short film in December 2024, then finishing a script for a low budget feature to direct in 2025-2026.

What do you consider your super-strengths to be as a writer, and your work-ons?

Jeff Osborne

At least when it comes to true stories, I do vast amounts of research to really wrap myself around the events and characters to understand their motives, their fears, their hopes, and so on. The truth is stranger than fiction, and there’s a certain sense of joy when I feel I’ve done the due diligence to really tap into those characters and tell their stories in a compelling way.

I struggle with good dialogue unique to each character, and because of my fascination with true stories, I find it hard to build well rounded characters with depth from scratch.

Where do you hope to be in 5, and 10 years?

Jeff Osborne

Writing and/or directing features and series.

Quickfire round:

Favorite movie made by the judges:

Sicario

Favorite tv show made by the judges:

I haven’t seen any series made by the judges

Your top 10 movies of all time:

There Will Be Blood
Gladiator
Forrest Gump
Whiplash
Sicario
Fight Club
The Matrix
The Departed
Oppenheimer
Jurassic Park

Your top 10 TV shows of all time:

House of Cards
Narcos
Snowfall
Game of Thrones
Breaking Bad
Homeland
Black Mirror
Stranger Things
Mad Men
Nathan For You

If you could emulate anyone’s career, whose would it be?

Someone like Taylor Sheridan, who made a fairly late career pivot and ended up writing a ton of really great work.

Thanks Jeff!

Learn more about The TITAN Screenwriting Contest.

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