AUTUMN McALPIN is an award-winning writer, producer, and director drawn to based-on-true stories. Owner of Side Gig Productions, she most recently directed a feature she penned entitled Miss Arizona, starring Johanna Braddy, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Robyn Lively, Steve Guttenberg, Missi Pyle, Willam, and Ginger Minj. Autumn also co-wrote and produced the 2016 feature film Waffle Street, starring Danny Glover and James Lafferty. A riches-to-rags tale, Waffle Street is based on the memoir of financier turned waffle shop waiter James Adams. Distributed by MarVista Entertainment and now available in digital HD, on DVD and Netflix , Waffle Street was awarded Best Narrative Feature at the Hollywood Film Festival, the Carpe Diem Award at the Woodstock Film Fest, the Audience Award at the Red Rock Film Fest, and Autumn was presented with the Screenwriter Award by grand juror Leonard Maltin at the 2016 Coronado Island Film Fest. Autumn also penned the upcoming medieval action film The Donna (to be directed by Eric Brevig and produced by John J. Kelly and Brad Johnson) and is now developing 2019’s feature The Medicine Boys, which centers on the inspiring true story of Coach Scott Marr and America’s top lacrosse players, Lyle and Miles Thompson, who were the first Native Americans to receive the prestigious Tewaaraton Award.
Hailing from University of Southern California’s Master of Professional Writing program, Autumn’s creative body of work spans several markets. Her stage play In Front of the Children won first prize at USC’s annual Writing for Stage and Screen Competition, and her play Ten Years Left was a selection of 2015’s Hollywood Fringe Festival. The former model and actress is the author of best-selling book Real World 101: A Survival Guide to Life After High School, and she has freelanced as a humor and entertainment columnist for The Orange County Register since 2006. Autumn recently wrote, produced, and directed national public service campaigns for the American Parkinson Disease Association and “Are You Ready?” emergency preparedness initiative. Her 2013 short film, Shadow, was distributed by the Spiritual Cinema Circle and was awarded the Best Shorts Competition Award for disability issues and “Best Inspirational Short” at the Independent Filmmakers’ Showcase. Her short film, Another Time, starring Julie Gonzalo, recently premiered at the Mill Valley Film Festival. Beyond creative storytelling, Autumn runs the non-profit Aspire Higher, and is actively involved with Operation Underground Railroad and other organizations seeking to end child trafficking.
Hailing from University of Southern California’s Master of Professional Writing program, Autumn’s creative body of work spans several markets. Her stage play In Front of the Children won first prize at USC’s annual Writing for Stage and Screen Competition, and her play Ten Years Left was a selection of 2015’s Hollywood Fringe Festival. The former model and actress is the author of best-selling book Real World 101: A Survival Guide to Life After High School, and she has freelanced as a humor and entertainment columnist for The Orange County Register since 2006. Autumn recently wrote, produced, and directed national public service campaigns for the American Parkinson Disease Association and “Are You Ready?” emergency preparedness initiative. Her 2013 short film, Shadow, was distributed by the Spiritual Cinema Circle and was awarded the Best Shorts Competition Award for disability issues and “Best Inspirational Short” at the Independent Filmmakers’ Showcase. Her short film, Another Time, starring Julie Gonzalo, recently premiered at the Mill Valley Film Festival. Beyond creative storytelling, Autumn runs the non-profit Aspire Higher, and is actively involved with Operation Underground Railroad and other organizations seeking to end child trafficking.
