GRAND FALLS-WINDSOR, N.L.
Growing up in Grand Falls-Windsor, Bradley Nippard documented things through film.
At 22-years-old, his passion landed him first place at the 2018 annual L.A. International Screenplay Awards. Winning this award is a stepping stone in the young screenwriter’s career — opening the door for many opportunities.
Along with a cash reward, he received an introduction and consultation with the organization’s professional producers. He also received access to an online platform where producers and directors search for new scripts.
“Not only does it give me the title of an award-winning screenplay writer, but it’s introduced me to people that would have been harder to meet otherwise,” said Nippard.
His submission, “Old Ridge Road,” follows a traveller upon his car breaking down and his search for a mechanic. He then discovers the mysterious truths about the murders going on in an industrial area.
The psychological thriller is a product of the year-long program Nippard completed at the Vancouver Film School in 2017. He wrote the script for “Old Ridge Road” and pitched it to his professors, who acted as a judging panel. His film was one of four chosen from a dozen. With his classmates, he was able to make it a reality.
“Lots of people were involved. Everyone wore many hats creating the film due to our lack of crew,” he told The Central Voice.
After completing the film and his program, Nippard unintentionally stumbled upon the L.A. International Screenplay Awards Facebook page and decided to submit his film.
As his first production, he had little to no expectations regarding the outcome of his submission. Eight months later, he came out winning first place for the Best Short Script Award.
“I really didn't think anything would come of it,” laughed Nippard. “It was just kind of sitting on my shelf and I had been working on other projects, so I picked it up again and decided to see what happens before moving on.”
Excitedly cheering from the sidelines was his father, Bill Nippard.
“I just couldn't believe it, he fired me off an email and I remember my mouth fell open. It wasn’t that I didn't believe in him — this was the first piece he had written,” he said.
Screenplay writing has always been a dream of Bradley’s; moving to Vancouver was his first step. He hopes his success will continue, creating a snowball effect from his previous win.
“I celebrated as a dad, but also as a Newfoundlander. As someone from Grand Falls myself, this is our win,” proudly recounted his father.
Bradley is currently working with a team filming an upcoming Netflix original. He has recently finished writing a pilot for a hitman comedy series he hopes will be picked up by a broader distribution company like Netflix.
“When I was living in Grand Falls-Windsor I didn't really think this was achievable. The doubt is always there in your mind and you keep pushing forward, so it was definitely a really great experience,” he said.