For Representation & Industry Inquiries:
dennis@danforthmusic.org
401-644-4759
The Shaft , Chasing Truths & Handprint — Under Contract with Price Productions — Packaging in Progress.
The Substitute Wife - Under Contract with Voyage Media
Redefining LGBTQ+ storytelling through bold, cinematic narratives where love, power, and fate collide in a neo-noir landscape.
"More Going Down" – Awarded Stage 32 Double Recommend (Top 1%)
I don’t write “gay stories.” I write thrillers where power seduces, love destroys, and fate never blinks. The fact that some of my leads are queer?
That just makes the stakes higher.
I'm not chasing trends. I’m redefining them.
Beautifully unstable narratives that linger long after the credits roll.
“Insanity — of the best kind.” – Joshua Malkin
“Fucking genius.” – Stage 32 Reader
🕶️ NOIR NEVER SLEEPS.
The industry’s waking up to the name DJ Manning.
💼 The Shaft — under contract with Price Productions.
💼 The Substitute Wife — under contract with Voyage Media.
✍️ Deuce’s Wild and One Less Egg to Fry — both written this month, both awarded Greenlight Coverage: RECOMMEND.
🎯 More Going Down — Double Recommend from Stage 32. Top 1% Look Book. Circulating.
#DJManning #FilmNoir #NeoNoir #Screenwriting #TheShaft #DeucesWild #MoreGoingDown #LGBTQFilm #NoirIsBack #ModernNoir #PsychologicalThriller
Hollywood Screening Festival
**WINNER**
-
Best Screenplay
Dennis Manning
"ONE LESS EGG TO FRY" -
Best Screenplay – LA Crime & Horror Film Festival (2025)
Final Script Delivered. Industry Circulating.
9-screenplay slate. 5 completed in 75 days. All killer. No filler.
Undertow
"Undertow" is a romantic comedy musical with a magical twist. It follows Tom, a man on the verge of marriage who is drawn to Mike, a confident gay man. With the help of a meddling Fairy Godfather and a potion gone wrong, Tom embarks on a journey of self-discovery, embracing his true identity. Set against the sun-soaked backdrop of Fort Lauderdale, Undertow offers a heartfelt, humorous exploration of love and acceptance, combining the whimsical charm of Enchanted with the emotional depth of Love, Simon.
Undertow - A Modern-Day Fairytale
When a man looking for love meets the perfect woman who is engaged to be married, a meddling fairy godfather and his bumbling assistant intervene with a sleeping potion scheme to stop the wedding and redirect true love.
Come to Fort Lauderdale and hang out with the Beach Boys, Mike, Tom, Rachel, and The Fairy Godfather. Magic and Romance is alive and well! Watch out for Potion #71!
The Story
When social media influencer Rachel brings her longtime friend Tom, who she assumes is straight, on a trip to Fort Lauderdale's vibrant Sebastian Beach, Tom finds himself drawn to Mike, a confident gay man and begins questioning his own sexuality. This threatens Rachel's plan for her "perfect wedding" to Tom, and their meddling fathers intervene, trying to pay Mike to disappear. But with the help of a magical Fairy Godfather and his bumbling assistant Dwight, Tom, and Mike ultimately come together, their true love's kiss breaking a sleeping spell and awakening Tom to embrace his identity. Meanwhile, a newly single Rachel surprisingly finds an admirer of her own.
