Ian Simpson

Winning the 2010 ‘Just Effing Contest’ and getting the opportunity to work with Julie Gray herself was beyond an honor. It was an inspirational week that took me, literally, across the country, often out of my comfort zones, back to my roots in Hollywood, where I got to pitch and work with some of the best and most demanding names in the biz–most of all, Julie herself. Whether it was bonding over coffee and making ‘Must Lists’ of films and books for one another or sitting across from Shane Black himself and trading stories of industry successes and flops, Julie brought me incredible strength, wisdom and inspiration. I cannot imagine what my writing going forward would be like without having worked with her.

Ian Simpson, Winner, 2010 Just Effing Contest for BELOW THE WAIST