Watch the Screenplay Reading:

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

When high school sweethearts Gwen and James cross paths 4 years following the mutual termination of their relationship, both individuals happily take a chance on revitalizing their young love, with the inevitable obstacles of statistics, past traumas, and fresh wounds working against them.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Rom-Dram (Romance/Drama – let’s pretend that’s a thing. Because I wouldnt call this a Rom Com) | Mockumentary

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

I hadn’t given it any “feature length” thought while writing, but think the series could be interpolated into a full length film. I wrote a complex, non-linear, short episodic story, but at the base of it, it’s just a story about two people figuring out life. And for a lot of us, we can look back at our own lives and find that first domino that fell which slowly affected every decision made after. We can analyze all the things that have happened in our lives just because of that one moment. That one person. That one betrayal. And the chain reaction of how we chose to handle those pains eventually just becomes your life.
I think in a very general sense, that’s the only thing my story is about. I know it’s actually about a young couple, but it’s also just about two very relatable people affected by their past, trying to better their future. I could write a thousand movies about that premise. All different, and all equally as captivating.

4. How would you describe this script in two words?

unique / timeless

5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?

Probably A League of Their Own or Catch Me If You Can

6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

I started it in 2021.

7. How many stories have you written?

I don’t have a number, because my stories are never just scripts.

8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)

I’m a big Taylor Swift listener. I’ve never had an artist that I’ve listened to with as much lore. She makes music fun, like tracking a new MCU project. Plus, her words are so poetic and individual to her, yet so understandable and relatable.

In an odd turn of events though, my favorite song is probably Dark Blue by Jack’s Mannequin. Just from how much I remember needing to hear it when I first heard it, and how many times I listened to it as a result.

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

My goal was to make both parties equally responsible for the downfall of the relationship, and I think my biggest problem with my first few drafts is that I have the blame fall on one more than the other. Also the script really does jump around, and I had to have a lot of eyes read over it to make sure the path of the characters was still understandable.

10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

I’ve been acting professionally since I was a teenager. I’m so passionate about understanding human emotions, and empathizing with the decisions we’ve made in life and why we’ve made them. I zero in on people’s insecurities and how those ends up shaping a lot of who people are, and that is something that makes the craft of acting and writing so enjoyable. And it makes relating and understanding my peers, and family and enjoyable ride. It definitely comes with it’s own cons though.

11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?

It’s a great platform, and a great tool for storytellers. I’ve submitted for music videos I’ve made and pieces I’ve acted in. It’s enjoyable to have people outside of your inner circle review your work. It can help

12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

Me and my film friends tried so hard to actually film all 6 episodes, and we met up 5-10 times but due to the complexities of the scripts, and the complications of our jobs, our locations, and the crew, we had to stop. It devastated me and I didn’t want this story to go to waste. Even though it was a small project, it was such a creative process, and I wanted to see a finished product. Without that, I felt the next step was to at least submit it to festivals and see if a broader crowd enjoys it as well. And the feedback has been enjoyable. Great justification that I shouldn’t stop doing what I do.

Watch the Screenplay Reading:

Get to know the writer:

What is your screenplay about?

Depraved is a slasher that takes place at a college campus. A serial killer stalks the campus mutilating their victims while two detectives work tirelessly to try and identify the culprit. More and more bodies mount up until we end with a shocking twist that no one will see coming.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

The screenplay is a horror falling under the slasher category.

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

Depraved should be produced because it is different to other slasher movies out there. The film moves away from the stereotypical ‘serial killer identity’ and takes us in a new direction that is rarely seen in the horror genre. It explores themes that while present in the real world are rarely shown on screen. It also breaks a number of the trends and clichés seen in most slashers. Depraved is a fresh new take on the genre and will appeal to lovers of horrors as well as being more inclusive of groups who seldom have pivotal roles within the slasher genre. The script has already garnered interest within the industry with people reaching out to me about it.

4. How would you describe this script in two words?

Slasher revitalized.

5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?

Probably the first Scream movie. I’m a huge fan of the Scream franchise but the first one is definitely my comfort film.

6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

I’ve been working on it for around six months and so far it has already gained a lot of positive feedback and results from putting out into the industry.

7. How many stories have you written?

I’ve been writing all my life in various forms, I have ideas for sequels to Depraved and have written some other screenplays including, comedy, horror-comedy, hard hitting drama and dramady.

8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)

That’s a hard question, I have a very broad taste in music with my top two artists being Taylor Swift and Eminem, If I had to choose I would say my favourite song would have to be ‘Look What You Made Me Do’ by Taylor Swift. It has a personal translation for me so it’s kind of become my power song when I need a boost.

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

With this script in particular as it has a mystery of who the killer is I had to almost write it backwards. I needed to know the story inside out and know which scenes would have a call back later in the script before I could sit down and write it so I ended up writing the end sequence first. It was also challenging as I was living in an unsafe home at the time of writing it which presented a number of obstacles to working.

10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

Being a good mother to my son and showing him that dreams can be achieved if you work at them is definitely a big passion of mine. I’m also passionate about raising awareness of issues that are still very taboo in today’s world. I’ve lived through domestic abuse and I’d love to one day be in the position to do something that would help people who have suffered from this particular issue as there just isn’t enough help and support out there for people.

11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?

I use FilmFreeway for most of my submissions, I find it to be very user friendly, the platform is quick to update you on any changes to your submissions and it’s accessible to the masses as there’s no fees outside of the competition entry fees. FilmFreeway is usually my first port of call when looking for competitions or festivals to submit my work to. I feel that if the competition is hosted on a reputable platform like FilmFreeway it gives you more confidence that your work and your entry are going to a legitimate competition or festival.

12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

Depraved has been gaining traction since I started putting it out there, I’ve had people from the industry reach out to me and the script got me a job writing on another film however I can’t talk about that as I’ve signed an NDA. Given the successes the script has been having I decided to enter and see how it was received. The feedback I received was very encouraging and I was pleased that the readers picked up on the subtle elements within the script as well as the occasional nod to existing horror films.

“Michael Rognlie and E.E. Tallent’s The Need is a horror short about a withdrawn young man who feels universally unwanted. Others pay the price for it. Written by Kennith Darling, the 15-minute film showcases his inner workings just when he is once again on the brink of behavior that he may not like but compulsively commits.”

Review by Victoria Angelique:

The short film, THE NEED, is a familiar tale of an obsessed man who cannot overcome the ghosts of his past as fear cripples him. David has the belief that the next relationship will be different, but evidence shown through the use of props proves he is unable to change his personality. The sins committed against former girlfriends continue to manifest in the form of being haunted to prove that David will always be different from other men. 

The sound design is phenomenal as David chooses to pursue a new conquest when his deceased girlfriend appears to him. Her voice is distorted, an echo apart from the rest of the world. It’s quickly made clear that she is not simply an inner demon, but a woman that David has murdered. The creepy tone of her voice combined with dramatic makeup shows that this man is a seasoned killer and not simply a misunderstood man that just happens to be eccentric. He is dangerous. 

The character of David is clichéd, but that’s what makes the film captivating. The audience knows these characters well from cinema and television. They need to be caught, but rarely are so that they can move on to their next kill. The use of finger bones of multiple girlfriends shows that David’s obsession always wins through his desire to be different. 

This short film is a combination of YOU meets SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. David kills through cannibalism like Hannibal Lecter, but stalks his prey like Joe. He appears to be a nice guy, though his dark secrets will always linger until he is inevitably caught for his crimes. He appears like a sympathetic character, which is why he will be able to continue to get away with murder.

The Destruction of Jane is a campy, over the top, erotic, outrageous comedy which follows Miss Jane Parker to the African Jungle where it all began. Witness Tarzan and Jane’s first encounter, in what now has become a rather heralded expedition in the African Jungle, and one of our greatest love stories.

Project Links

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Review by Andie Karvelis:

The story of Tarzan and Jane has been captivating audiences for decades. Usually it’s an adventurous, heartfelt, sometimes brooding and dark tale. How incredibly refreshing to see this over the top, campy, fun comedy from the mind of Paul Pecorino! Paul also portrays Jane and does ( in his words ) a bunch of other things.

The first thing you can’t help but notice is this gorgeous cinematography! Eric Paulsen went above and beyond as Director of Photography. He’s responsible for all the creative camera shots, the drone footage, ADR and handling sound. He’s like a one man filmmaking army! This team of filmmakers has everyone wearing multiple hats and they all did such an amazing job.

I have to commend David Mitsch and Vera Stromsted for their costuming and make up skills because they are superb! Drue Pennella directed and edited The Destruction of Jane and he must’ve had a blast doing it. Drue got such great performances from Rob Eco, who plays Tarzan and Paul Pecorino as Jane. It was so much fun to watch them interact with one another.

Something I thought was a bit of filmmaking genius was the addition of going black and white and using these old time text cards, kind of what they used in silent films. It really helped sell the comedy as did the music!

All in all this is a quick, fun, well thought out story that will get you laughing. Be sure to stay for
the end credits too