My Latest Screenplay THE GREAT MCCOY is now an official selection for the Austin International Film Festival screenwriting competition, which is on April 16th 2026 at the Galaxy Theater in Austin, Texas.
In this character driven drama, a charismatic Catholic priest rises to national fame by delivering electrifying radio sermons, but as his influence grows, a suspicious journalist begins to take a closer look at his actions. Believing himself to be God’s messenger, ambitious to gain more wealth and power, his rhetoric becomes extremely dangerous, causing a backlash, which threatens his empire. He commits additional moral compromises, descends into paranoia, which forces him to hide the ugly truth of his ascent to the spotlight. It is a finalist at the 2026 Screenplay Competition at the Austin International Film Festival.
Synopsis:
From childhood, MALACHI MCCOY is raised to believe that he is destined to greatness in the service of God. As an adult priest, he channels that conviction into building a huge thriving parish, captivating parishioners with emotionally charged sermons. When he transitions to radio, his voice reaches millions, using faith to legitimize demagogic attacks on those he accuses of being God’s enemies and he is catapulted into a national figure to be reckoned with. But his rise is fueled not only by devotion, but by a growing hunger for political influence and glory, and his willingness to blur ethical lines.
After a suspicious act of vandalism against his church draws public sympathy and boosts his platform, journalist MARK SULLIVAN begins investigating inconsistencies in McCoy’s narrative. Because of this scrutiny, McCoy doubles down—leaning further into performative outrage and attacks upon groups he has scapegoated in order to maintain control over his following. His sermons become less about faith and more about gaining power by demagogic attacks against God’s enemies, justifying his manipulation under the belief that he is serving a “greater truth.”
His past ethically flawed actions return to haunt him. The pressure of maintaining his image fractures McCoy’s psyche. His relationships deteriorate, networks abandon him his paranoia intensifies, and he begins to unravel under investigation and internal conflict. When the truth threatens to surface, McCoy’s empire collapses, leaving him isolated and disgraced. In the aftermath, he is forced to confront the reality that his life’s work—once framed as divine purpose—may have been driven by ego all along. The story ends with McCoy alone, stripped of influence, facing the haunting question of whether his understanding of his calling was ever right at all.
THE REAL MCCOY is an official selection at the 2026 Austin International Film Festival screenwriting competition and is based on the life of the 1930s Radio Priest Father Charles Coughlin.
Based on the life of the 1930s Radio Priest Father Charles Coughlin How a devout Catholic priest’s extraordinary success led to his downfall as a result of tragic flaws and how his broadcasts caused a crisis within a family almost leading to its dissolution, but in the end resulted in it being strengthened.
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