A former Army lawyer, Gemma Lightwater battles troubled family and calculating investors to reopen her Missouri Ozarks ranch that pairs broken veterans with broken horses
GEMMA LIGHTWATER a mid-30s Army veteran struggles to reopen the Red Rock Ranch that serves female veterans wellness. That is until she receives a five million dollar offer from her former captain, ASTRID MITCHELL, but the money comes with a ticking clock and giving up decision-making control to her former JAG leader. As the new veteran arrivals, tensions run high as NORMA JONES, Gemma’s right hand at the ranch tries to help Gemma and Astrid understand what a deal means for them. After a few rounds of will they or will won’t they sign, Gemma and Astrid find common ground to finalize the deal. Then tragedy strikes leaving Gemma conflicted and suspicious at the exact time she is supposed to be opening a new chapter for the only real mission she has left, saving others to save herself.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Thriller, Drama, Suspense
2. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
As a female veteran, I look into the eyes of women in uniform and remind them that our service matters. They remind me to tell their stories. The doubts of if female veterans deserve a seat at the table of service will be removed. And in this show, we ARE the table. This pilot should do for women veterans what Orange is the New Black did for incarcerated women. And do for Missouri what Yellowstone did for Montana. What Band of Brothers did for male veterans. We have a long historic legacy that quickly being erased. Women have put their lives on the line since the beginning of time, when do we see them as the main characters.
3. How would you describe this script in two words?
Veterans, horses
4. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Auntie Mame, “Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!”
5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
2021. I developed it during the Veterans Writing Project by the WGA.
6. How many stories have you written?
Five finished, two are published novels.
7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
As a female veteran, I am not seeing us portrayed us as deeply and richly as we deserve. We deserve to see many versions of a veteran.
8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
Learning to show and not to tell – as a former journalist and award-winning author, formatting a screenplay still gets me. Thankful for editors.
9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Speaking on behalf to and for female veteran advocacy. My background in the Army was Public Affairs Specialist so I realize I have to use my voice and ability for all those women who will not speak up.
10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
I was looking for a way to have my script read. The feedback was spot on. I believe “good books not written, they are rewritten” shows the value of iteration listening to your audience. It’s not always about what I think makes sense.
Narrator: Elizabeth Rose Morris Martin: Geoff Mays Abraham: Steve Rizzo
Get to know the writer:
1. What is your screenplay about?
My screenplay is about a teenager named Abraham and his best friend Martin who are both on the precipice of graduating high school. As Abraham grapples with the typical issues of the impending change from high school to adulthood, he must also contend with his unrequited feelings for Martin and his dysfunctional home life.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
There are glimmers of humor here and there, but “Missing Persons” is pretty firmly grounded in the category of drama.
3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
I would love to see this screenplay made into films for a lot of reasons. I think it touches upon issues that many films don’t. For instance, while the dysfunctional family sub-genre of drama is not a new invention in and of itself (it possibly perfected in 1980 with “Ordinary People”), the specific issues particular to this dysfunctional family are not things I’ve seen before in other films, at least not touched upon this explicitly anyways. Similarly, I haven’t seen many (if any) films that touch upon what it means to be gay and in love with someone who is out of reach for one reason or another. And, finally, I would love to see this screenplay made into a film because there are so few films that take teenagers seriously, and even fewer where at least one of those teenage characters is gay.
4. How would you describe this script in two words?
Unresolved trauma.
5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
When I filled this questionnaire out for my last screenplay that won – “Lost & Found” – I said films like “Troop Beverly Hills” (1989), “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” (1984), “Beetlejuice” (1988), “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure” (1985), and “Back to the Beach” (1987), but here are a few more that I’ve seen countless times: “Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead” (1991), “Batman” (1989), “Jaws” (1975), and “Drop Dead Fred” (1991).
6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
The short answer is it took me about a month and a half to write. The long answer is that this is a script that I’d been thinking about and grappling with for the better portion of 25 years.
7. How many stories have you written?
This was the first screenplay I’ve ever written, however, I wrote it at the same time I was writing its sequel, “Lost & Found” which meets up with the two central characters from this film seven years later. Beyond that, I just put the finishing touches on the first draft of my third full-length script titled “Roanoke”, which is another LGBTQIA+-themed story, set in the present day but with ties to the mystery of the lost colony in North Carolina.
8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
I couldn’t not write it. It’s a story that had been circling around in my head for the better portion of two and a half decades and the events and corresponding emotions that informed it were so immediate at the time I originally came up with the idea. After the better portion of two and a half decades when the memories attached to those feelings hadn’t subsided, I knew I had to take the dive and, if for no other reason, use the writing of this story as a kind of therapeutic exorcism, so-to-speak.
9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
The biggest obstacle was just the formatting. I’d never written a script before and so the physical layout of the type and ensuring that I was following proper script notation (i.e. the differences between how to write actions vs. characters vs. dialogue, vs. scene setting, etc…) was kind of this immediate, bitter hobgoblin that pestered me for awhile. I’m a bit of a perfectionist (which probably accounts for some of the length between story inception and story completion 25 years later), and so I fixated a lot of my energy on ensuring things just looked properly formatted. If I’m honest with myself, I think I also used that perfectionistic fear that I wasn’t doing it According-to-Hoyle-properly as a way to participate in my favorite type of procrastination: approach-avoidance.
10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Film. Always film. I can’t remember a time in my life where film hasn’t played the most integral part in shaping who I am and how I see the world. A day doesn’t feel complete to me until I’ve seen at least one film, hopefully something I’ve never seen before.
11. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
The thing that influenced me to enter this festival specifically was the fact that it was focused around LGBTQIA+ writers and stories. Today, more than ever, we need to champion the voices from the vast spectrum of our community. I have been sitting on this story for the better portion of 25 years and finally sitting down to write it after all that time, the emotions that it conjures for me are so strong and so urgent and I’m just one storyteller in a sea of LGBTQIA+ writers who all have their own urgent stories vying to be told. Spaces like this festival give our community a chance to share in that act of storytelling and ground us in all of our own urgencies.
The initial feedback I got was actually really surprising for me since this was my first script. I was not expecting to win, let alone receive any feedback beyond “this needs a lot of work.” In my mind, anything I create will always need a lot of work. I also have to keep in mind as I’m writing that anyone who reads my work is going to bring their own subjective experience to bear on whatever material they’re interacting with. Everyone will always have suggestions for improvement and, I think the goal is to find that sweet spot where people can put their quibbles aside and relate to the material at its core.
One of the great things about this festival is that it has given me a chance to work with various people in various settings that have shown me ways to improve my writing and enhance the work that I do. I did a script consultation with someone who offered me ways to look at my story that, in a million years, I never would have thought to do, but, whose perspective enriched my writing so thoroughly that, even though I’d been sitting with these characters in my head for so long, I was able to see them in an entirely different light than I’d ever seen them before. My favorite thing about that experience was that, with those suggestions, I was able to make some tweaks, resubmit, and my score eventually changed from a 7 out of 10 to a 9 out of 10. And, I still get a chuckle whenever I think of the feedback I received about that score change that it couldn’t be raised to a 10 out of 10 because it’s inherently too depressing. It is, and I agree, and that’s why I go back to this idea that writing this story, for me, was an act of therapy.
A writer tasked with writing a true event is taken by the CIA to cover their tracks. However, his smart mind out smarts them when his characters learn their role in his book and save him
CAST LIST:
.Narrator: Elizabeth Rose Morris Amira Khan: Val Cole Ryan Tyler: Geoff Mays
Get to know the writer:
What is your screenplay about?
“John Burgess is all about writing for the high technology industry, until his life takes an interesting turn. He wakes early one morning with a new story in his head that he just has to write. Compelled to write each morning, the lines between fact and fiction are blurred, as John becomes a pivotal character in his own novel. Explosions, false identities, terrorists, international intrigue, high tech surveillance techniques, the U.S. government and kidnapping, all conspire to put John’s life in serious danger until the main characters in his book rescues him.”
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Action/Adventure/Mystery/Spy Thriller
2. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
ENTANGLED explores the relationship between consciousness, time as perceived by humans, and our quantum reality. The film will keep the audience guessing. What is real? What is fantasy? The audience will be guessing throughout especially when the last scene plays out.
3. How would you describe this script in two words?
Twisty Fun.
4. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
It’s probably a tie between White Christmas and The Wizard of Oz.
5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
I wrote the original treatment in 2007, but just found time to complete the screenplay in January, 2025.
6. How many stories have you written?
I’ve completed 6 screenplays in multiple genres plus two live TV news series concepts.
So far, I’ve written 1 adapted Sci-fi feature, 2 original Sci-fi TV series, 1 original Rom/Com TV series, and 2 original Action/Adventure/Mystery/Thriller features.
7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
I’m a fan of quantum science and the notion that all matter is Entangled. On the quantum level it is postulated that matter is believed to be fractal in nature. I suspect that God might be a mathematician. Just like the main character in ENTANGLED, John Burgess, I woke one morning with the need to write it down.
8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
The economy played a significant role in putting aside my screenwriting aspirations to generate income. After the crash in 2008, I had lost all of my corporate clients. I spent the next couple of years searching for work and projects, but that effort was mostly fruitless. In 2010, my wife decided to open her own landscape company and asked me to help. As a producer, it was easy to adapt my skill base to another industry and applied my design skills to landscaping. So, I became the business manager and landscape designer for her company. Feeling more financially secure, I started writing again late last fall.
9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
I began my career as a photographer, so photography has always been a passion. I was fortunate to find H. Warren King in the 10th grade at Reseda High School. I spent the next 2.5 years honing my craft. There is always a book nearby to read when I have a chance. I eat for a healthy life and am a believer in Functional Medicine. Sports have always been an important part of my life, playing not necessarily watching them except if they make it to the playoffs. I’m a life long Dodger fan. I first saw them play at the LA Coliseum in 1958. And, of course Movies. I grew up in Encino during a time when I could drive to Hollywood in 20 minutes for a movie. Finding a home in the industry has always been a dream. And, there are the dogs in my life, too.
10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
ISA was a major contributor to my recent shift back to writing. I was thrilled to discover a place to actually display my work. I’ve had web presence for my corporate production work for over 25 years, but I really didn’t have a way to showcase my screenwriting talents until I found ISA and joined. It wasn’t a big leap to enter the festival. ENTANGLED was one of the first screenplays that I completed in early January, so as they say, timing is everything. I was thrilled about the WIN and the initial feedback I got from Jessica Ah Shene. It was the first time anyone had ever read one of my screenplays. I engaged her and we worked over the script via zoom. Her notes were spot on and my rewrite is so much better for them.
Mark Tyler gets out of prison after twelve years for a robbery gone awry. The loot is still out there. A corrupt cop, a local grifter, a femme fatale and the partner he left for dead all come marching out of his past to come for it.
CAST LIST:
Narrator: Steve Rizzo Counselor: Geoff Mays Mark: Shawn Devlin
Get to know the writers:
1. What is your screenplay about? Jeremy Hogan: To me it’s about time. Lost time, how we spend our time, the futility of trying to catch up or outrun it.
Aaron Krygier… Lost people looking for something to fulfill that emptiness. Whether it’s something tangible or not. Love, revenge, greed.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under? JH: Neo-noir or crime thriller AK the same
2. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie? JH: I’m biased, but I think it’s well written. Meaty characters that actors might relish playing, and it’s true to its genre, while subverting conventions and expectations in interesting or surprising ways.
AK it wears its influences on its sleeve and its simplicity offers a ton of options for outlandish Ness.
3. How would you describe this script in two words? JH: uncertain redemption AK… Evoking humanity.
4. What movie have you seen the most times in your life? JH: Probably a tie between “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” or “Miller’s Crossing,” though “Adaptation” is catching up.
AK… Heat, Blade Runner, Alien, Se7en are all contenders.
5. How long have you been working on this screenplay? JH: Off and on for over twenty years. It is very different from how it started out.
AK… about 3 years. Jeremy and I had known each other loosely for a long time, then after he was gracious enough to watch my film Rust Belt Driller he asked for me to jump in and rip it up.
6. How many stories have you written? JH: Probably 6 feature length, 10 short scripts, maybe 20 short stories.
AK… 5 or 6 features, too many things unfinished.
7. What motivated you to write this screenplay? JH: I like the genre, I’m a genre guy in general, and I was inspired by films like “Blood Simple” or “After Dark, My Sweet” or “Red Rock West” and I thought I had a good “in” on it. An interesting McGuffin and a way to twist and then double twist the end. And maybe twist it once more for good measure and get away with it.
AK… it’s always nice to feel wanted, and Jeremy trusted me to go into his story head on and to do my thing, which is to make things grounded and doable. It’s a great story and I’m proud of our team up.
8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay? JH: The problem with genre movies, especially sub-genre, is that conventions can become tropes, which can be very cliché. And it’s tough to be true to the form and still make it interesting and new. There were times I felt like I had already seen this movie and shelved it. There was even an earlier draft that was so much like a movie I saw in the theater, right down to some similar character traits and the same names, that I thought “I literally have seen this movie, now.” But after feeling kind of defeated and empty, I felt validated, like “hey! that worked!” and eventually decided to take what was still fresh and innovative about it and rework it.
AK… Jeremy has a great dreamlike vision for everything he writes. But sometimes that goes outside the scope of what’s doable here and now. I have a theater background even before film so I look at things a little more practical. Taking something that would require a huge budget and still making it work but putting it in a room instead of a bus full of people was the fun of it.
9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about? JH: Watching movies. I fell in love early and fell hard. I like reading and playing video games, as well. I have a hot and cold thing going on with water painting.
AK… Movies, 80s type music, cats, gaming, English football (soccer). Did I mention cats?
10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received? JH: Reviews and feedback on FilmFreeway and seeing some of the results of past competitions. It’s very interesting hearing a scene read.
AK… this was all Jeremy. I smiled and nodded and said go for it.
11. What movie have you watched the most times in your life? JH: Since you asked twice, my first answer must have sounded phony. So I confess it’s “Burlesque.” It’s “Purple Rain” meets “Cabaret” and I love it and I don’t care who knows it.
Some other honorable mentions are Outlander, The Thing, Prince of Darkness… And Showgirls. Unrepentant amazing trash.
When a young, broke librarian buys an abandoned house on the outskirts of a British Columbian town, he starts to uncover the house’s secrets as unexplained incidents occur.
CAST LIST:
Narrator: Steve Rizzo Anna: Elizabeth Rose Morris Eric: Shawn Devlin
Get to know the writer:
1. What is your screenplay about?
The script follows a young programmer who moves into a haunted house in the Interior of British Columbia due to (widespread) financial difficulties.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
It is a horror picture.
2. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
The story derives it’s chills n’ thrills from mood more so than sudden frights, which an audience will resonate with. The origin of the evil spectre which haunts the house and surrounding area is also relevant to issues of concern today.
3. How would you describe this script in two words?
‘Definite Appeal’.
4. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
By my recollection, either ‘Jaws’ or ‘The Maltese Falcon’.
5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
The last revisions done to the script were in 2024.
6. How many stories have you written?
Two student shorts, three shorts, two feature scripts, one web pilot, one television pilot, as well as two feature scripts currently in the pipeline.
7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
‘Some Kind of Rot’ was written as an entry for another film festival in the autumn of 2018, with commercial appeal in mind.
8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
‘Some Kind of Rot’ was written as an entry for another film festival in the autumn of 2018, with commercial appeal in mind.
9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Time constraints, with respect to the closing date for the aforementioned festival’s submissions (this was the quickest feature I’ve composed).
10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
History, philosophy, zoology, economics…almost any scholarly field outside of mathematics and it’s affiliates.
11. What movie have you watched the most times in your life?
An opportunity for laurels and exposure for the piece. The feed back was informative.
Summary: Researching transfusion therapy on different blood groups, something goes completely wrong when the test subjects start mutating and transforming into Zombie like creatures.
Get to know the writer:
What is your screenplay about?
A day in the life of a biotech firm takes center stage in Blood Red as we travel from floor to floor, department to department, meeting the teams that comprise Edgewater Laboratories and their sometimes adversarial motivations.
Edgewater’s Chief Science Officer, Dr. Ruby Beck, is the inventor of a synthetic blood she’s named Ichor for the mythical golden fluid that ran in the veins of the gods. Ruby explains to an audience of investors gathered at the company’s headquarters that every two seconds, someone needs blood due to injury or disease.
Imagine a limitless supply of healthy blood in every hospital, school, military unit, and remote location. No more relying on donations. No more chance of contamination. No more delays in supply or delivery.
Three floors below, eight patients are halfway through the final trials of Ichor in the aftermath of a violent protest against the ethics of artificial blood that has put the entire company on edge. But today, something is different. Sabotage of the Ichor infusion is affecting each patient differently with horrifying results.
The day begins with routine patient observation and nerves around hosting the company’s first investor conference before spiraling out of control as we root for Ruby, fighting for her life from floor to floor while trying to unwind the conspiracy threatening her creation.
Ruby must reconcile if her creation is the pinnacle of healthcare or a threat to humanity.
What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Horror / Thriller
Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
Horror remains one of the few genres that’s arguably still best experienced in the theater with a crowd to share in the frights, jump scares, and wild reactions to what’s on the screen. Safety in numbers!
How would you describe this script in two words?
Menacing & Plausible
What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
My favorite movies are usually the ones that are so rewatchable, you just can’t help yourself. From Tremors, 48 HRS., and Serenity to Grease, Shawshank Redemption, and Groundhog Day, it’s hard to say.
But I think the record must go to Caddyshack because growing up it was my father’s favorite movie to put on and relax to, but it’s a movie he never finished because my brother and I believe he never made it to the end before nodding off!
How long have you been working on this screenplay?
I began writing Blood Red in December 2024 and had a first draft in about six weeks. It’s now been through several revisions but the story structure has remained largely the same.
How many stories have you written?
I’m currently pitching two completed features (the other is an action/adventure ensemble) and two completed pilots, one is an R-rate high school comedy limited series and the other is an animated series.
What motivated you to write this screenplay?
One part fascination with technological breakthroughs and learning about the dozen aspects of replicating human blood that medical science can’t overcome, and one part disgust over the despicable ways healthcare is managed in a for-profit system.
What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
Answering the question of what journey does our hero take was challenging. She’s almost larger than life in her abilities to pioneer ground-breaking science, provide patient care, and feel just as comfortable holding a syringe as she is a firearm.
Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Animal welfare, great music to drive to, and comedic timing.
What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
I appreciated that your festival is obsessed with horror and gets that the genre takes many forms. I’m overjoyed and extremely encouraged that Blood Red resonated with you!
Harry loves Sandy and has planned “the big date” to propose, but between his twin, her twin, the guys from the Bobcat rugby team, Roxie, Linda, and One Eye’d Jacks, the world seems against it. Comedy.
Get to know the writer:
1. What is your screenplay about?
Physical therapist Harry Goodman meticulously plans a romantic evening to propose to his intelligent and vivacious girlfriend Sandy. But what should be a seamless night of fine dining and heartfelt commitment rapidly unravels into chaos as meddling rugby teammates, flirtatious coworkers, a jealous bouncer, and an unexpected armed robbery sidetrack every effort. With the engagement ring left behind and a police chase unfolding,
Harry and Sandy must navigate misunderstandings, mistaken identities, and family dysfunction—all while questioning how well they truly know each other. A raucous romantic comedy that careens through slapstick, screwball, and sincere emotional beats,
The Big Date asks whether true love can survive a night gone completely off the rails.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Definitely a “ROM-COM” with shades of Screwball comedy!
2. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
I think the world could use some comedy right now. And definitely some romance!
3. How would you describe this script in two words?
I like, “Screw-ball”, but that’s kinda one word. Wild and Crazy?
4. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Ooo- I’m an older person, so- “Mad, Mad, Mad, World”?; “Philadelphia story”?; “Treasure Island (1934 version)”?; I tend towards ‘action/comedies’.
5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
Oldest, genesis paper is dated 2019, but I really didn’t get into until 2023, so I’d say 2 years of writing and rewriting.
6. How many stories have you written?
Scripts? Hundreds, but not all of them complete.
7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
This one started as short, wild dream. I just felt compelled to write it down and share it.
8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
Getting all the characters to “feed” each other and the story. Lot’s of re-alining motivations and character traits.
9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Animation. I see all my stories in my head with animated characters.
10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
Toronto is a lovely city, and not a whole lot of Comedy festivals about. I found the feed back very helpful- you should read the latest version!
11. What movie have you watched the most times in your life?
I think it would have to be “The House on the Borderland” or “The Gurgle”. I made those…. does that count?
Auberon’s track record as a vampire is less than stellar, so when he’s given a final ultimatum he has to pull out all the stops to save his career.
Get to know the writer:
1. What is your screenplay about?
Auberon’s Last Chance is about a young vampire who has to find three victims in the course of one night to avoid being returned to mortal life.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
I would describe it as a dramedy with a spoonful of magical realism, and a sprinkling of romance!
2. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
It’s fun and has a unique protagonist; a likeable vampire with ethics.
3. How would you describe this script in two words?
Quirkily humorous.
4. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
That’s difficult but, in the last ten years, I’ve probably watched Roddy Doyle’s The Commitments about a dozen times. I love the combination of Irish wit and great soul music.
5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
Auberon’s Last Chance was originally written as a short story so the adaptation to a screenplay only took about a week.
6. How many stories have you written?
About 50 short stories, several novellas, one novel, and about a dozen screenplays (mostly feature length).
7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
The original short story won a competition and was published so I knew I’d created an interesting character. I decided a short script aimed at the indie market was the next step.
8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
I had to do some ferocious editing to get it down to 10 pages. A few favorite bits had to go!
9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Classic cars! I owned a 1963 Triumph sports car until recently and go to as many shows as I can.
10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
The fact that it specializes in comedy and has great testimonials. The feedback was helpful and most of the suggestions will be implemented in the next draft.
LOGLINE: In the 1940s, prisoners — including infamous mob boss Joe Blunda — were released to defend America from Nazi spy attacks. What happened to them remains a chilling mystery: none were ever seen alive again.
CAST LIST:
Narrator: Elizabeth Rose Morris Steve: Shawn Devlin Hoover: Geoff Mays
Get to know the writer:
1. What is your screenplay about?
My screenplay tells a story that was circulating at the time — it captures society during the World War era and highlights an undeniable truth: Power is often manipulated by ruthless agendas.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
The genre is historical thriller.
3. How would you describe this script in two words?
Dire Straits
5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
So many, but especially Superman (1978). When I was a kid, I watched it over and over again. Same with the Lord of the Rings. I would go through phases where I’d obsessively rewatch certain films — the ones that gave me a sense of hope deep inside.
6. How many stories have you written?
I worked on this script casually in my spare time over the past three years. Yes — I believe a draft needs to sit and “mature” a bit before you lock in the final version.
7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
Many — not quite a hundred, but definitely a lot.
8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
The most frustrating thing is when the story just keeps bouncing around in your head — especially when something isn’t clicking. You end up feeling like you’re living for days in a parallel universe… it can be exhausting.
9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Mens sana in corpore sano, as the ancients said. I stay active — I play sports and also spend time on music.
10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
I picked the festival that felt closest to the spirit of my script. I wanted feedback from people who could appreciate the nuances — in short, from the right audience.
11. What movie have you watched the most times in your life?
I’m not completely sure, but if it wasn’t *Superman (1978), it might’ve been The NeverEnding Story
12. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
Well, beyond the story itself, if cinema aims to educate as well as entertain, then it’s always valuable to deliver a message — like a warning to stay alert. And there’s also a more hidden message: that a truly repentant heart can find redemption.
Mitchell Parkins is a 34 year old young man with a baby on the way, and a gender reveal party imminently closing in. Unfortunately, he’s cursed. Going back hundreds of years, any time a Parkins finds out the gender of their child is a boy before it’s born, they die on their 35th birthday. Worse, for Mitchell, is that his birthday isn’t until after the Gender Reveal Party. Can Mitchell defeat the Parkins curse and enjoy the party with his wife, or is another Parkins child doomed to grow up without a father?
Narrator: Steve Rizzo Mitchell: Geoff Mays Doug: Shawn Devlin
Get to know the writer:
1. What is your screenplay about? Gender Reveal’s underlying theme is about how growing up without a father can create a lot of fears around fatherhood. It’s a comedy film based somewhere between reality and the supernatural, but with grounded characters that are “experiencing” more than they are leading. As things are set in motion, the film strives to drive home the point that sometimes just actually caring and trying is enough.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under? Comedy, Supernatural, Parenthood
2. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie? I believe that the key to good comedy is to be out there with it while also having some kind of wholesome takeaway. There’s not enough comedy films with black leads that are both mature in content but wholesome in messaging.
3. How would you describe this script in two words? Fast Funny
4. What movie have you seen the most times in your life? Zoolander
5. How long have you been working on this screenplay? A little over 4 months now.
6. How many stories have you written? A few shorts and now 3 features.
7. What motivated you to write this screenplay? I had already written and filmed a comedy pilot, but with the current state of the industry, pitching a pilot for a comedy series didn’t seem to be the move. I wanted to try and tackle a long-form comedy script because at least if I can make it, it will find a platform.
8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay? Well honestly there’s still a few things to tweak. Minor changes here and there. Scripts always evolve as you come up with new solutions, or better fixes for little moments. I think the biggest obstacle was my self doubt of writing.
9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about? I’m a director of photography and a big fan of xianxia novels. Weird pairing. I just enjoy geeking out on the newest camera and lens tech and learning about how to implement it into easier production.
10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received? I think an important lesson I learned with my comedy pilot that I wrote, was finding the nice balance of “offensive” humor. With comedy, getting input from various sources is really important to see what works, see what doesn’t, and pivot to something better. I think the feedback was OK. To some degree it’s interesting to see the plot points that are not as obvious in a script reading, that I think visually in filming would be incredibly obvious. It’s hard to create a judgement on that to say what should be fixed or what shouldn’t, but knowing where those “pinch-points” are in the script is important so that with planning we can ensure that either the writing is tweaked to be more obvious, or a note is given to ensure visible storytelling.
11. What movie have you watched the most times in your life? Zoolander
Festival Reviews 