Semifinalist, 2026/2027 Top Tier Competition
BIO
Shiva Ramanathan is a Los Angeles-based screenwriter who grew up in Chennai, India, where movies didn't just entertain-they influenced elections, united neighborhoods, and sometimes sparked riots. After completing his graduate program in Radio/Television/Film at PennWest, he worked with the theater group "Radio Players" and edited videos for Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He sharpened his storytelling by making six short films, with his most recent qualifying for the Live Action Short Academy Awards and securing North American distribution. An unexpected stroke nearly stopped everything, but screenwriting became the anchor that helped him rebuild his focus, identity, and drive-one page at a time. His scripts have earned the Panasonic Emerging Narrative Grant from the Gotham Institute and finalist placements at Slamdance, PAGE, and CineStory. Shiva is drawn to psychological thrillers rooted in grief, guilt, and healing, often with a touch of fantasy.