Joel Silverman

Nominated for both Writers Guild and Humanitas awards for Best Screenplay, writer Joel Silverman has scripted projects for studios including Disney, Universal, Paramount, Fox, Fox 2000, Sony, Paramount, Universal, CBS Films, Screen Gems and MGM. Silverman also won the prestigious Bruce Geller Screenwriting Award for his screenplay "American Name," the story of Barney Ross. In the last three years, Silverman has sold five projects to major studios and has had one movie produced. In 2017, he sold the screenplay GIRL AT SEA, based on the book Maiden Voyage, in a preemptive deal with CMG. On August 21, 2016, Silverman's "AFTER WORDS," on which he received sole screenplay credit, was released theatrically starring Academy Award-winner Marcia Gay Harden. Noted critic Rex Reed praised Silverman's script as "touching." The film is about a depressed middle-aged woman who finds a new life while on an ecotour of Costa Rica. In June 2016, Silverman sold spy thriller LIBERTY to Fox 2000 in a seven-figure deal. Silverman first sold LIBERTY as a book to publisher HarperCollins in a preemptive bid. In 2015, Silverman sold HarperCollins YA novel "ANATOMY OF A MISFIT" to Paramount in a bidding war that resulted in another seven-figure deal. Earlier in 2015, Silverman was hired by Screen Gems to write the inspirational drama "WIL." That same year Silverman sold "LADY IN THE LOCKER ROOM," a project based on a pioneering female sportswriter, in a preemptive bid to CBS Films. In 2012, Digital Domain purchased Silverman's inspirational sports drama "Brian Stokes," the true story of a Marine sergeant who returns from Iraq at age 27 and decides to chase his dream of playing college football, all the while battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In 2010, Disney pre-emptively bought Silverman's sports film "Garo" with Jerry Bruckheimer producing. The same year F/X bought his TV series "March to Madness," with Peter Segal ("The Longest Yard" and "Get Smart")attached to direct and Academy Award-nominated actor Don Cheadle producing. In 2010, Universal bought his inspirational sports drama script "Undefeated" with Scott Stuber producing and Segal again attached to direct. Previously, Disney hired him to write the sports drama "Hell on Wheels" for producer Rachel Pfeffer (A Few Good Men). Disney also hired him to write the film "Full Court Miracle," which earned Silverman the Writers Guild and Humanitas nominations. Silverman has also penned the life stories of Mario Andretti and boxer "Boom-Boom" Mancini for Fox. Producers Bonnie Bruckheimer and Bette Midler hired him to write Girl Ball, a film about women's basketball for Lifetime. Also, Fox 2000 outbid Universal, Disney and Warner Bros. for Silverman's sports drama Fly, a bio-pic of Olympic gold medalist Mel Stewart. Ed Zwick was attached to produce Fly. MGM bought his comedy, Curve, with Jonathan Krane/John Travolta attached to produce. Nailed (2001), starring Academy Award-nominee Harvey Keitel, was Silverman's first directing effort. The script was first sold to Disney. It was second at the Los Angeles Film Festival and won the Long Island Film Festival. Silverman began his career as a journalist covering topics from the police beat to ACC basketball for papers including The Washington Post and Newsday in New York. During his journalism career, he won an Associated Press award for feature-writing.