FMS major Kelsey Waddill, Class of 2018, wins first place in the Baltimore Screenwriters Competition shorts category for her script, “Carnival.”

In “Carnival,” Eli, a young boy growing up in Baltimore, encounters his estranged father with his second family for the first time at the carnival. The brief interaction turns what should have been a time of magic and escape into a moment of transformation as he processes how to react.

Kelsey will graduate from Johns Hopkins with degrees in Film & Media Studies and Writing Seminars. “Carnival” was her second submission to a screenwriting competition. She also wrote the script for “Samaritan,” a short film which was selected for the Best of Baltimore Student Film Festival in 2017. In addition, she works as a producer, most recently on Studio North’s “Operation First Light,” directed by Irving Nestor, and “The Cyclist,” directed by Bobby Peretti.

On her winning script “Carnival,” she notes, “After living in Baltimore for four years, writing a script that must be filmed in the city seemed a great way to say farewell and reflect on my time here.”

Congratulations, Kelsey!