Robert Holly, an adjunct instructor of communications at Penn State Worthington Scranton, has written a screenplay that has been accepted as an Official Selection of the 2016 Beverly Hills International Film Festival, which takes place in April.
The screenplay, The Champion of the World, was his master's thesis project at Wilkes University, and written under the academic supervision of Ross Klavan, screenwriter of the film, Tigerland, and author of the book, Schmuck.
Holly will be competing with other selected scripts for first, second or third place, and says that the regardless of whether his screenplay garners a prize, being selected serves the marketability of his work.
The Champion of The World is the story of a brooding drifter who falls in with an independent pro-wrestling circuit, and the organization's ruthless promoter, who wishes to use his newfound protege as a means to bridge the gap between the freak show nature of their world and mainstream society.
Holly is a 2013 dual-major graduate of Penn State, earning bachelor's degrees in both English and film and video. He earned his master's in creative writing from Wilkes University and is currently pursuing his M.F.A. in creative writing there.
In addition to his teaching position at Penn State Worthington Scranton, he also works in television production at WVIA Public Media, and has also worked at Fox 56 WOLF TV and with WBRE Eyewitness News.