English teacher and screenwriter Michael Begg has been awarded the Grand Prize in the 2025 Faith in Film International Film Festival and Screenwriting Competition for his original screenplay, The Autumn Paladin. Selected from over 600 submissions from around the globe, the script was recognized for its powerful storytelling, emotional resonance, and cinematic scope.

Held annually in historic downtown Tucson, the Faith in Film Festival is one of the world’s leading showcases for Christian and inspirational storytelling. The competition honors screenplays that merge artistic excellence with moral and spiritual depth. Judges praised The Autumn Paladin as “a really exciting journey with a character that will have the reader leaned in and emotionally invested,” and noted the script’s “scene events that bring the story logic forward in a great way,” adding that “the dramatic weight of each beat is powerfully realized.”

A gripping redemption story, The Autumn Paladin follows a former Marine haunted by his past who travels to war-torn Congo to rescue the woman he loves—only to find himself leading a village’s final stand against a ruthless warlord and his child soldier army. The screenplay was celebrated for its redemptive themes of conviction, sacrifice, and spiritual awakening in the face of overwhelming darkness.

“This is a profound honor,” said Begg. “The Autumn Paladin is a story about standing up when it matters most. I’m grateful to the Faith in Film team for creating a platform where stories of faith and courage can thrive.”

As Grand Prize winner, Begg will receive a professional consultation and development package that includes personalized sessions with top Hollywood talent managers and film executives.

Whether a student wants to pursue film or simply become a sharper, more imaginative thinker, screenwriting teaches the discipline of structure, the empathy of character, and the power of story,” Begg said. “It’s not just about film—it’s about finding your voice.

In addition to this honor, Begg’s work continues to earn acclaim. The Autumn Paladin was recently named a quarterfinalist in the 2025 Table Read My Screenplay Competition in Cannes. His historical thriller The Soft Target, which explores the buried truth behind the 1973 Howard Johnson’s sniper attack in New Orleans, was a quarterfinalist in the 2025 New York International Screenplay Awards. His Hurricane Katrina-era drama The Milk Route was a quarterfinalist for the prestigious Academy Nicholl Fellowship and won Best Screenplay at the 2019 Stockholm Independent Film Festival. Begg’s other screenplays include Audubon, which won Best Screenplay at the 2019 Louisiana International Film Festival, and The Advantages of Whiskey over Dogs, which earned 2nd Runner-Up at the 2021 Beverly Hills Film Festival. His work has also been recognized by the Austin Film Festival, CineStory Foundation, and Fresh Voices.

A master’s graduate in communications and English, Begg studied under acclaimed UCLA screenwriting chair Richard Walter. His screenplays are known for their emotionally rich, character-driven narratives that explore themes of redemption, resilience, and moral reckoning, often drawn from historical and personal experience.

At Jesuit, Begg teaches the Essentials of Screenwriting, the only dedicated high school screenwriting course in the greater New Orleans area. The elective gives students a rare opportunity to study cinematic structure, visual storytelling, and professional screenwriting techniques within a rigorous, college-level framework. The course culminates in students writing their own original feature-length screenplays.

Designed for students interested in film, television, theater, or broader creative fields such as writing, media, advertising, or communications, the course also fosters valuable skills in discipline, creative thinking, and narrative clarity—skills that serve students well in any profession.

“Whether a student wants to pursue film or simply become a sharper, more imaginative thinker, screenwriting teaches the discipline of structure, the empathy of character, and the power of story,” Begg said. “It’s not just about film—it’s about finding your voice.”

Rooted in Jesuit’s tradition of academic excellence and formation of the whole person, the Essentials of Screenwriting course offers students meaningful access to the art of storytelling—and the confidence to tell stories that matter.