South African screenwriter Raoul Dyssell has on Monday, September 29, been announced as a finalist at the 2025 PAGE International Screenwriting Awards.
The renowned film-maker earned the coveted spot for his TV pilot drama called “Money Man”, a crime saga set in Cape Town.
This is a remarkable accolade for Dyssell as this year the competition received more than 9000 entries from over 80 countries and his script ranked in the top 1% of all submissions.
In a statement, Dyssell expressed his excitement.
“I honestly thought the semis was it for me, so it’s an immense honour to have my script, which I have poured years of my life into, recognised on a global platform like the PAGE Awards.”
He added:”It’s testament to the belief that a good story, no matter where it comes from, can resonate with a global audience. I’m incredibly excited for what comes next.”
“As ‘Money Man’ has made it to the finals, this means that it passed the initial rounds of professional readers as well as being selected by a panel of industry-leading judges which include agents, managers, producers and executives.
Overall, it is a big achievement to make it to the finals of such an illustrious platform as the PAGE Awards have a strong track record of helping its finalists and winners secure professional opportunities.
Meanwhile, Dyssell’s work has been lauded for the way in which it unpacks universal themes such as social dynamics, resonating with viewers across the globe.
After being finalist at the Slamdance Screenplay Competition in 2017, this is Dyssell’s second notable placement in a major screenwriting competition.
Established in 2003, The PAGE International Screenwriting Awards is an annual competition that aims to discover and promote the next generation of great screenwriters.
With its illustrious panel of judges which includes Hollywood professionals, the platform has previously catapulted the careers of previous writers.
The competition awards over $50,000 (approximatelyR860,643) in cash and prizes to winners. The winners will be announced on Wednesday, October 15.
