A drama novel is a fictional story that centers around characters in conflict at a critical moment in their lives. Drama novels are often based on family dynamics and can have tragic or painful endings.
ALL SUBMITTED STORIES and FILMS GET FULL FEEDBACK – The goal of the Novel Writing Festival is to help everyone involved grow as an artist, so we will offer some kind of constructive criticism whether or not we accept your entry for the formal festival.
A newlywed couple takes on a one time gig to make ends meet and wind up creating America’s very first sitcom in the process… based on a true story.
Get to know the writer:
What is your screenplay about?
This is easily the hardest question – there’s so much to say about this!
This screenplay is a based on the true story of Mary Kay and Johnny Stearns, a couple of Broadway-bound newlyweds living in New York City during the dawn of the small screen. It’s an interesting time to be sure – post WWII, there are less TV sets in the U.S. than residents in all of of Manhattan. There’s more dead air than actual programming, and anything that does make it to air is done live. The pair manage to get their hands on 15 minutes of precious air-time, and are given carte blanch to make something great with it. They have no idea what they’re doing… but, then again, neither does anyone else! What they come up with is a show about their lives, featuring them as, well, themselves. In doing so, they accidentally create America’s very first sitcom, breaking barriers that would soon be too taboo to show on screen, from sharing a bed, to sharing a child years before I Love Lucy and The Munsters.
… And yet, nobody knows about it!
The reason for this is multifold. Some seasons weren’t recorded at all, or were recorded with lackluster equipment. Years later, company takeovers resulted in entire reels being thrown out. Of 300 episodes, only one remains.
What I’m proposing is a show about the making of this show. This screwball dramedy miniseries would follows the three season timeline of the original, and be in the vein of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, but with the self-awareness of Kevin Can Fuck Himself.
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EMERALD CITY, 21min., USA Directed by Josef Steiff Two young men cross paths on the back roads of the American Southwest and despite their different backgrounds, find common ground along the Border.
SERPENTINE PINK, 78min., USA Directed by Vivian Sorenson A dark surreal experience. A first of its kind, vortex of a lesbian?? John Waters film meets Yellow Rose meets early Almodóvar on a Lynchian induced trip??in the Mojave desert.??Serious Lost Highway vibes!
Spouse Miranda Manasiadis(August 2008 – present) (1 child)
QUOTES:
[on how he ranks in musical skills in Flight of the Conchords (2007)] Bret’s a little better than me and I’m a little worse than Bret.
What do I think of L.A.? It’s boring, with some amazing nuggets. Like there are some parts of it that are great, but by and large I think it’s quite boring.
Well, I grew up in the ’80s, which was a really massive time for sci-fi.
In real life I’m very low-key. A wallflower. One of the reasons I went into comedy and acting was that I was sick of being shy.
Born January 10, 1989 · New York City, New York, USA
QUOTES:
I was like little-miss wannabe punk-rocker; I would go home and secretly listen to Pink, and dance around, like, ‘Ugh, she understands me so well!’
I was traumatized by the cartoon version of ‘The Hobbit.’ It’s not supposed to be scary, I don’t think, but literally I think that’s the most scared I’ve ever been.
I get a little nauseous and disoriented watching 3D, but as a kid I loved it and I was really into it, so if a movie can be in 3D, then why not?
You grow up loving movies, and your first instinct is you want to be an actor, because those are the people you see in the movies. But when you actually become an actor, you’re like, ‘Oh, wait, this is actually only a small portion of the storytelling. If I want to really tell a story, I’d want to be a director.’
Spouse Steve Howey(February 7, 2009 – January 29, 2021) (divorced, 3 children)
QUOTES:
You know, I never really paid attention to sports, which, coming from the mecca of football in Texas, is kind of odd. I played sports, but I was nerdy. Having a single mother, the pressure was on me to get good grades and a scholarship and go to college.
When I was in my early 20s, I looked towards exterior things to make me feel sexy – guys, clothes, shoes, etc. Now it’s all about how I feel internally.
Right when I finish a workout, I feel pretty sexy. Even though I’m sweaty and I don’t smell like a rose, I feel strong. It does a lot for me mentally and physically.
I know it sounds weird, but my definition of ‘sexy’ has changed as I’ve gotten older. And being smart and informed makes me feel sexier than any outfit.
Go to the Daily Film Festival Platform http://www.wildsound.ca and sign up for the free 7 day trial to watch a new and original festival every single day.
THE GENDER SYMPHONY, 14min,. USA Directed by Phoebe Hemenway Legere Filmed on the streets of Venice, the Gender Symphony follows the hapless servant Columbina as she toils under the tyrannical Dr. Pants—an alchemist obsessed with unlocking the secrets of wealth. When Dr. Pants stumbles upon an ancient incantation promising limitless riches, the spell summons not gold, but a powerful witch determined to teach him a lesson in humility.
Velipadu: The Revelation, 25min., India Directed by Jijo Jessy Kuriakose Against the sensory landscape of central Kerala Johnny, a soon-to-be priest must navigate his way out of his dissonant life towards self-discovery. The film reanimates Malayali gay desire through an expressionistic use of Christian music, intimate tastes and unabashed touches, while depicting delicate specifics of same-sex fondness. Resisting the popular narratives, the film discusses plural possibilities of romantic relationships. Interspersing semi-autobiography with fiction, Velip?du: “The Revelation” is a bitter-sweet rhapsody that sings of love and faith– both lost and regained like some Miltonic Paradise.
THREEDOM, 7min,. USA Directed by Garrett Hopkins A young couple finds themselves lost in their own relationship. Brought to frustration and confusion one of them shares the idea of an open relationship. Reluctantly the partner agrees and actually travels a new road learning about themself. Perhaps they just needed to find each other, in someone new.
FORever feroshUS, 13min,. USA Directed by Naya Ryan Rashad Shae, a man murdered in a homophobic attack, awakens in a mysterious room where the entirety of his life is projected across a series of screens. As he journeys through these memories, he must reach the final screen to uncover the truth about his death. But to get there, he must make peace with the life he’s lived.
TRANS, 15min., USA Directed by Alan Joseph Chriest A precious life is born. Innocent and beautiful. Assigned at birth a gender based on their anatomy. But the phrase born a boy or girl may not be correct.
Festival Reviews 