Graduate student wins Georgia screenwriting award

KENNESAW, Ga. (Dec 3, 2020) — Kennesaw State University graduate student Kandace James has won first prize in the Georgia Shorts Film Festival for her short film screenplay “Cutting Teeth.”

A second-year student in KSU’s Master of Arts in Professional Writing program, James beat out four other finalists in the contest, which was part of a consortium of film festivals nationwide but focused on Georgia-inspired narratives.

“This win felt close to home because I was closer to home,” she said. “I didn’t need to fly to Los Angeles; I just drove 15 minutes down the street. And I consider Georgia to be my home, so to win at a local film festival is something I hold close to me.”

The screenplay follows a self-conscious tween, who while being burdened with black teeth and the memories of her mother, strategizes to replace her teeth with white ones, but runs into trouble.

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