Del Shores Foundation Writers Festival Opening May 8th at the Pensacola Little Theatre in Pensacola Florida

Del, Emerson our Development Director Mat Hayes and Board member Leslie Kimbell are all already in Pensacola for our fourth annual DEL SHORES FOUNDATION WRITERS FESTIVAL, opens this Friday, MAY 8-10, 2026 in Pensacola, Florida, presented by The Red Ribbon Charitable Foundation, hosted at Pensacola Little Theatre with Stamped Film Festival.

All of our writers and guest artists arrive this afternoon for a welcome dinner!  Tomorrow, our winners and finalists will have private workshop panels with our guest artists.  We’ve assembled an amazing group of LGBTQ+ artists this year with a wide range of experience writing in TV, film & Theatre!

• Peter Paige – co-creator of THE FOSTERS & GOOD TROUBLE
• Mat Hayes – award-winning short filmmaker (Cognitive, Shafted)
• Marisa Calin – writer/producer A Million Happy Nows
• Brianca Williams – writer on The Chi, co-founder “Queer Aunties”
• Matthew Scott Montgomery – playwright/screenwriter Foursome
• Ariel Mahler – GLAAD-nominated writer/director “10 Trans Filmmakers You Should Know”
• Leslie Kimbell – Playwright Four Old Broads series
• William Mettlach – filmmaker, DSF 2023 winner Smoke Breaks
• Chris Jadallah – producer/filmmaker Smoke Breaks
• and of course Del and Emerson

ALL EVENTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, only registration is required. Donations are suggested for those who can afford them, but we pride ourselves on making all of our programs accessible to all communities and all attendees!

Our special guest artist for the weekend is PETER PAIGE, sitting down with Del for a freewheeling One-On-One interview as part of our Opening Night festivities on Friday, May 8. Opening night will also include a screening of previous winner William Mettlach’s completed short film SMOKE BREAKS, and a reading of this year’s winning short, DO YOU TAKE THIS…? by Eric Gustafson.

REGISTER FOR OPENING NIGHT, MAY 8 TICKETS HERE

See the full reading cast of Eric Gustafson’s DO YOU TAKE THIS…? below, featuring a fantastic cast of all local Pensacola actors!

SEE THE FULL FESTIVAL EVENTS & PANELS HERE

This festival is huge for us, it’s an incredible time for all of this writers and it’s why we do this work – and we could not do it without your donations and support throughout the year!  Follow along on the weekend on our social media.

THANK YOU!

Del Shores, Emerson Collins & the DSF Board