Brian Kupillas is a 2026 AFI Conservatory Screenwriting Fellow from Arkansas who specializes in off-beat, character-driven comedies. His work is inspired by real-world encounters with the lovable freaks and outsiders from his decade-plus as an independent musician touring the cultural fringe. He has performed in storage unit speakeasies and a fledgling nudist colony, and now writes coming-of-age stories for any age about characters caught between who they are and who they are expected to be.