How an Australian Writer Just Landed a Major Deal with Warner Bros.

In a landmark moment for Australian screenwriting, Sydney’s Andrew Friedhof has been named the second annual recipient of the Australian Script Writing Opportunity, a prestigious two-step blind feature film script deal with Warner Bros. Pictures. The announcement rewards years of dedication and provides a direct, unprecedented path for a rising talent to the global stage.

The journey began with Andrew’s script, Mother Mountain, which was chosen from the annual “Aussie List”—a highly competitive shortlist of 11 finalists. These finalists were selected from more than 250 screenplays submitted to The Black List, the internationally recognized online platform celebrated for discovering the most promising screenwriters and projects from around the world.

For Friedhof, a former civil engineer who has spent countless hours developing his craft, this is the ultimate payoff. His talent was first officially recognized in 2015 with a Nicholl Fellowship, and his greatest aspiration has always been to have a feature film produced and build a long-term career.

“The path to becoming a screenwriter can be marked by moments of struggle and self-doubt, especially for international writers,” Friedhof said.

“This program represents a welcome opportunity to encourage and showcase the breadth of Australia’s screenwriting talent.”