ABOUT US
We're a group of professional writers who've been working in the industry for years. We believe writers thrive in the business together.
EFSANE KARAYILANOGLU TOKA
Founder/Managing Director
Efsane is a published author, screenwriter, and script consultant with years of experience in the media and entertainment industry. She has worked with writers and production companies in Hollywood including Eclectic Pictures and Fabrik Entertainment mainly focusing on script coverage, project development, and script consulting. She was a member of the International Screenwriters' Association as a script analyst. Her works are published on various platforms including Fil’m Hafizasi, Pera Sinema, Drizzle Review, and Kayip Rihtim.
After graduating from American Robert College, Efsane earned a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering and a Master of Fine Arts in screenwriting. She currently serves as a jury member for the New York International Screenplay Awards and works as a film/TV critic and lecturer. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and enjoys baking and boxing in her free time.
Script Analyst
CHRISTOPHER ORTIZ
I've been screenwriting and script consulting since college, where I also started my background in freelance film criticism for websites such as thescriptlab.com. I graduated from Brooklyn College with a degree in Film Studies and a minor in Philosophy, the latter of which is a big factor in my approach to my own writing.
In 2016, I started filmmaking and have written and directed 3 short films since then, all self-financed, along with having co-written a mobile stealth action game for iOS. These experiences redefined my approach and made me better equipped in being both a writer and script consultant. I've also been a judge and script analyst for NYISA since 2018.
My biggest influences are the heartwarming, educational Nickelodeon shows I grew up within the 1990s, the innovative writing of Christopher Nolan and Aaron Sorkin, and the genius storytelling of game designer-writers Hideo Kojima (the Metal Gear Solid series) and John Garvin (the Syphon Filter series).
KARTHIK MENON
Script Analyst
I’m a Screenwriter/Director based in between India and the United Arab Emirates. My love for writing stemmed from an early age, having dabbled in a lot of short prose and creative writing right from my middle school years. It wasn’t long after I decided to pursue the path of writing for Film.
Since graduating with an MFA in Screenwriting, it’s been quite an unexpected ride, having written several award/laurels-winning short films and web shows, followed by a respectable portfolio of feature films as well. One of my prominent works includes SEVEN ROUNDS (2017), which went on to be screened at the Cannes Short Film Corner 2018, whilst bagging multiple other laurels. A few of my other notable works include THE 4TH PERSON (2016), FATED (2016), and PLEASE FIND ATTACHED (2019).
Currently based in Mumbai and working as a screenwriter/director in the Indian Film and Digital industry, the wonderful journey continues.
LINN MARKUSSEN
Script Analyst
I have an MFA in Screenwriting from New York Film Academy, Los Angeles. I was awarded the silver price for my TV pilot script ”Bonti Bay” in the World Series of Screenwriting. I was a finalist in Hollywood Hills Awards, a semi-finalist in Diverse Voices, Screencraft Screenwriting Fellowship, and Cinequest Screenwriting Competition, and a quarter-finalist in Atlanta Film Festival. Most recently, I was one of five winners in the screenwriting contest of Paris Lift-Off Film Festival 2020.
My Short film ”Hope” was an official selection in Beverley Hills Film Festival 2018 and Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival 2018. My most recent short ”Crazy” was an official selection in Tokyo Lift-off Film Festival, Toronto Lift-Off Film Festival, and Paris Lift-Off Film Festival 2020.
I am based in Stockholm, Sweden and when I’m not writing and shooting my own projects, I am working as a scenography assistant and prop manager in TV and advertisement here in Stockholm.
BEYLEM BENGI
Operational Manager
Beylem is an actor and playwright who has transitioned into the world of writing after fully training as a medical doctor. Following her graduation, she moved to England and received her actors' training at Central Saint Martins Drama Centre London (MA Screen: Acting) where she studied alongside up-and-coming directors, while simultaneously completing a BA in Theatre Studies at Rose Bruford College by distance learning. This unique background enabled her to gain a broadened perspective on the intricacies of text-to-performance transformation and dramaturgy.
Following her return to Istanbul, she started developing her own projects and joined Yapımlab, where she learned about independent film production from Zeynep Özbatur Atakan, long-time producer of Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Beylem currently works in a Turkish Land Forces anti-terrorism brigade stationed in rural eastern Turkey, counting the days until her mandatory service is over and she can get back to the hustle.
