ANATHEMA - SERIES LOGLINE: When an Old West traveling circus pitches its tents in a town full of monsters, a reluctant lawman must prevent the enigmatic ringmaster from bringing Hell to Earth.

"CIVITAS" - EPISODE LOGLINE: In the fall of 1898, a vagabond teen rides the rails to Anathema and discovers the community’s unique nature while he crosses paths with a mysterious lawman and disreputable advance scouts for a traveling circus.

SYNOPSIS:

COMPS: DEADWOOD meets PENNY DREADFUL, and they’re paid a visit by CARNIVÀLE.

LEAD CHARACTERS: Our protagonist is John Dougal, a Civil War veteran, former Pinkerton, and de facto marshal of the town of Anathema. John’s secrets are hidden deep.

Our antagonists are Cyrus and Tesa Luckman, sibling owners of a “Grand Traveling Museum, Menagerie, Caravan, & Circus.” All is not what it seems with this troupe.

Caught between these two powerful forces is 15-year-old Ossie Fionnson, young and impressionable, seeking adventure and life experiences. Through Ossie’s eyes, the viewer will discover, explore, and learn about the unique nature of Anathema and its residents.

SERIES CONCEPTS: Pilot excluded, all episodes open with a pre-credits flashback short film. These complete stories will inform the episode to follow, provide background history on existing characters and situations, and introduce new characters and concepts to the series. This will be the only time we see flashbacks. However, it does not mean time will be linear throughout the season, as some episodes will overlap, and others take place simultaneously.

About ANATHEMA and creator Bob Singleton: “I’ve always been an artist and an outcast. As such, there’s an overpowering need to express myself, to reach out with stories that scream at me to bring them to life, to provide entertainment to others, to glorify the different and the pariahs, and to tell them they are not alone. At the same time, I want to provoke my audience to thought and action. ANATHEMA, in particular, is full of outcasts and those who don’t fit society’s norms, beings trying to discover their true nature and their way in this world.“

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“CIVITAS” - The pilot teleplay for my horror-western series ANATHEMA. This Coverfly Top 1% western-horror/horror-western teleplay has received multiple acclamations, including…

THE BEST OF STAGE 32 - DOUBLE RECOMMEND

#1 WESTERN ON COVERFLY - JULY 2023

WINNER:

Coverage Ink Award (Features), Days of the Dead Film Festival (2024)

Best Screenplay (60-100 pages), Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival (2023)

Best TV Script, Hollywood Just4Shorts Film and Screenplay Competition (2023)

Best International Feature Screenplay, Melbourne Cineverse Film Festival (2023)

Best Horror Feature Screenplay, Austin Under the Stars Film Festival (2022)

Golden Stake for Best Screenplay, International Vampire Film & Arts Festival (2022)

Award of Excellence (Best Unproduced Screenplay), Iowa Motion Picture Association Awards (2022)

Best of the Fest Top 10 (4th highest-rated project), Show Low Film Festival (2021)

Best Western Horror TV Pilot Script, The Wild Bunch Film Festival (2021)

FINALIST:

Stage 32 TV Drama Screenwriting Contest (2024)

Lake Travis Film Festival (2023)

Oregon Screams Horror Film Festival (2023)

Filmmatic Horror Screenplay Awards (Season 6)

Cannes International Screenplay Awards by CINEVERSE (2023)

Paris Screenplay Awards | Les Prix du Scénario de Paris (2023)

OFFICIAL SELECTION:

Indie Vegas Film Festival (2024)

Richmond International Film Festival (2023)

Marseille CINEVERSE Film Festival (2023)

Golden State Film Festival (2023)

New York Script Awards (2022)

Chicago Script Awards (Winter 2021)

SEMI-FINALIST:

Stage 32 Search For New Blood Screenwriting Contest (2024)

Stage 32 Period Piece Screenwriting Contest (2024)

Filmmatic Horror Screenplay Awards (Season 8)

Inroads Screenwriting Fellowship (Season 6)

Dallas International Film Festival Screenwriting Competition (2023)

Filmmatic TV Pilot Awards (Season 8)

Filmmatic Drama Screenplay Awards (Season 8)

Hybridgenre France Film Awards by CINEVERSE (2023)

Teleplay Category, Scriptation Showcase (2021-2022)

Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards (2022)

Filmmatic Inroads Screenwriting Fellowship (Season 5)

26th Annual Fade In Awards TV Pilot Competition (2021-2022)

Table Read My Screenplay Genre Screenplay Competition (Spring 2022)

Filmmatic TV Pilot Awards (Season 6)

TOP 100:

Launch Pad Pilot Competition (2022)

QUARTER-FINALIST:

Inroads Screenwriting Fellowship (Season 7)

Reno Tahoe Screenplay Contest (2023)

Table Read My Screenplay Competition (Spring 2023)

Finish Line Script Competition (2022)

ISA Fast Track Fellowship (2022)

Emerging Screenwriters Suspense (2022)

Creative Screenwriting Unique Voices Screenplay Competition (2022)

Emerging Screenwriters Genre Screenplay Competition (2021)

ISA Fast Track Fellowship (2021)

Chicago Screenplay Awards (2021)

Filmmatic Drama Screenplay Awards (Season 6)

Miami Screenwriting Awards (Summer 2021)

HONORABLE MENTION:

Finish Line Script Competition (2021)