About the Instructor
Chris Easterly is a professional screenwriter and independent filmmaker. A graduate of the prestigious Warner Brothers Television Writers Workshop, he has written for Fox, Cartoon Network, NBC, Hallmark Channel, and others.
Among his credits are the Hallmark movie The Shunning (2011), adapted from Beverly Lewis’s New York Times bestselling novel; Cartoon Network’s action show Unnatural History (2010); and the acclaimed documentary Carl Lutz: Dangerous Diplomacy (2020). His feature directorial debut, Devil’s Hollow (2023), was an official selection of the SOHO International Film Festival and the Golden State Film Festival, among others.
Chris’s book, Writing, Making, and Distributing Your Short Film: How the Short Film Can Advance Your Craft and Career (Routledge Press) received the 2026 Textbook Award from the Broadcast Education Association. His feature script Between Us won the 2026 Kairos Prize for best spiritually uplifting screenplay at the Movieguide Awards.
Chris is a longtime writing teacher and mentor for the ecumenical faith-based program Act One: Writing for Hollywood. He is a board member of the Catholic Art Institute. He holds an MFA in Screenwriting from Asbury University, and worked as a screenwriting professor in the Media and Visual Arts Department at Regent University. Represented by Bauman Management in Los Angeles, he is a member of the Writers Guild of America.
Instructor's Note
Hi, I’m Chris.
I have worked as a professional screenwriter and independent filmmaker for more than two decades, both in and outside Hollywood. I’m passionate about telling stories that matter, stories that capture goodness, truth, and beauty. Stories that uplift, enlighten, challenge, and cause us to think, feel, and wrestle with universal human questions.
If you’re passionate about that too, and you want to learn more about the craft of screenwriting, how to tell the story that’s burning inside you, and complete a strong writing sample, this course is for you.
We’ll watch some great movies, read excellent scripts, learn the craft, and enjoy a community of like-minded creators. By the end of the course, you’ll have a completed draft of a meaningful script—and you’ll have a new community of compatible fellow writers.
This course is offered in a spirit of both professional excellence and generous invitation. It treats storytelling as real work—and as meaningful work. Writers of good will are welcome.
