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The Lakes List is a collection of exemplary screenplays for movies, short films, web series and TV shows, written by the screenwriting students and alumni of the Screenwriting BA program at Metro State University in St. Paul, Minnesota.

For inquiries, and for access to a writer and their screenplay, please send an email to lakeslist@metrostate.edu.

Logline and summary

This compelling series, exploring the themes of relationships and self-harm, revolves around a young teen trying her best to live her life while also struggling with severe depression. In the pilot, Dana’s already rocky relationship with her mother is put to the test when her twin sister leaks that Dana’s been cutting herself.

  • Year
    2020
  • Set in Minnesota
  • Format
    Web series pilot
  • Genre
    Drama

Logline and summary

A man and a woman enter a green card marriage but each have a different agenda.

  • Year
    2021
  • Set in Minnesota
  • Format
    Web series pilot
  • Genres
    Drama
    Comedy

Logline and summary

Follow the Asian-American experience with the 3 Lee sisters on their journey of healing and boundaries through trauma. Where to draw the line between how much of your personal life to share. Do we trust our family members because we were born and raised to, or do we actually put in the effort to keep each other in our lives? After trials and hardships, and a lack of self-awareness find out, where does their love lie? *Trigger Warning: sexual abuse and self-harm*

  • Year
    2022
  • Format
    Web series pilot
  • Genre
    Drama

Logline and summary

Midwest Mexican is the story of a Chicano man and his life growing up in Minnesota as an "Other". From 1947 through to 2022, this web series highlights the life of a veteran, activist, husband, father, friend and family member.

  • Year
    2022
  • Set in Minnesota
  • Format
    Web series pilot
  • Genre
    Drama

Logline and summary

Planes, Planes, and Planes is a six-episode dramedy web series trailing Roger as he experiences the current state of air travel in the U.S. Problems we all know and experience every time we go to the airport pile up on Roger and threaten an end to his hard-earned career.

  • Year
    2023
  • Set in Minnesota
  • Format
    Web series pilot
  • Genres
    Drama
    Comedy

Logline and summary

When a headstrong young woman forced home from college due to the pandemic decides to spend afternoons holding up a Black Lives Matter sign at a gas station in her small MN hometown, the uproar finds her in the crosshairs of a sleepy yet belligerent town.

  • Year
    2021
  • Set in Minnesota
  • Format
    Web series pilot
  • Genres
    Drama
    Comedy

Logline and summary

When an anxious girl joins the Space Force Academy she must train to become a cadet while uncovering secrets about her father's supposed death.

  • Year
    2023
  • Format
    Web series pilot
  • Genres
    Drama
    Animated
    Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Logline and summary

A Muslim teenager struggling with her identity and Islamophobia takes comfort from a guiding letter from a loved one...

  • Year
    2020
  • Set in Minnesota
  • Format
    Web series pilot
  • Genre
    Drama

Logline and summary

The Wall, a tale from the streets, tells the story of the infamous homeless camp in south Minneapolis. It follows a struggling couple as they navigate the trials and tribulations of trying to find a way off the streets.

  • Year
    2023
  • Set in Minnesota
  • Format
    Web series pilot
  • Genre
    Drama

Logline and summary

This series follows two lifelong friends, Kevin and Stan, as they stumble through life by working day jobs and dabbling in convenience store robberies trying to get ahead in life. When will these two guys learn their lesson and grow-up?

  • Year
    2023
  • Format
    Web series pilot
  • Genres
    Drama
    Comedy

About the Lakes List

The Lakes List is a collection of exemplary screenplays for movies, short films, web series and TV shows, all written by the screenwriting students and alumni of the Screenwriting Program at Metro State University in St. Paul, MN.

The Lakes List is created by Metro State Prof. Jeremy Bandow, who was inspired by other national screenwriting 'lists' - like the Black List, and the Red List - which highlight excellent screenplays and help connect screenwriters to producers.

The Lakes List mission is much the same, to connect our emerging writers and their stories with local & regional directors, producers, and actors looking for future film and TV projects to bring to life.

As new and improved tax credit incentive programs spur production and create a wellspring of film & TV opportunities in Minnesota, there is no better time to ensure that the stories that get told here are our own stories.

Read more about the new film production incentives in Minnesota.

Many of these scripts are Minnesota’s stories, written by local writers. All contribute to the diverse artistic and cinematic culture of Minnesota, and assist in reinforcing our thriving, vibrant, regional artistic identity.

Enjoy your visit. We hope you find a screenplay you like!

Contact us

For inquiries, and for access to a writer and their screenplay, please send an email to lakeslist@metrostate.edu.