Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

Shesafella, a modern twist on Cinderella, is about a kind-hearted teen forced into servitude by a ruthless stepmother and closeted stepbrothers, who defies the odds with help from her butch fairy godmother. At a Ball, she wins Princess’s heart but vanishes, leaving behind a single Doc Martens shoe. Princess’s Instagram posts spark a citywide search, and Shesafella must outsmart her family, reclaim her true self, and fight for her happily ever after.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Fantasy, romance, fairy tale, LGBTQ

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
Cinderella movies (Ever After, Ella Enchanted, A Cinderella Story) are beloved for their timeless themes: rags to riches, kindness over cruelty, and finding one’s voice. But they’ve all followed the same blueprint—a girl meeting a boy. Shesafella flips the script. It’s a girl meeting a girl, in a joyful, queer reimagining that feels both long overdue and perfectly timed. This is the inclusive fairy tale audiences have been waiting for.

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

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

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

Six months. Before that it was a short story that I edited (off and on) over a few years.

7. How many stories have you written?
I’ve written three books—What Papa Told Me, 90 Lessons for Living Large in 90 Square Feet (…or More), and Half In. Shesafella is the first story in my Fancy Tales series, a collection of reimagined fairy tales with an LGBTQ twist. Other titles include Peter Pan Zee, Jack and the Bad Stock, Sleeping Booty, Beauty and the Butch, Little Red Rider in the Hoodie, and more.

8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
I’ve always loved theater and originally imagined Shesafella as a play—maybe even a musical. Then a friend mentioned that a streaming service was looking for fairy tales with a twist and encouraged me to write it as a TV script. So I did!

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
It wasn’t so much obstacles as it was self-doubt—wondering if I was “doing it right,” especially since this is my first screenplay. But I trusted the story and kept going. Plus, it was fun and challenging.

10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Family, cycling, reading, stand up paddle boarding, theater.

11. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
I entered the festival because it welcomed the genre I’m working in and felt like a great fit for Shesafella. I was genuinely thrilled with the feedback—it was thoughtful, spot-on, and insightful. That fresh, professional perspective highlighted what was missing, sparked new ideas, and ultimately helped me make the script stronger.