Interview with Poet Shelby Wilson (THE LAST BEEP)

Performed by Val Cole

Get to know the poet:

1) What is the theme of your poem?

The theme is remember love in the moment

2) What motivated you to write this poem?

I was watching a show about a person saying goodbye to the love of their life. See the pain as they spoke of their journey.

3) How long have you been writing poetry? I have been writing poetry for over 30 years

4) If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be? I would love to sit down with Mya Angelou.

5) What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a professional actor? I am a spoken word artist. I wanted to see someone perform my work. Listen to the tone and texture of the delivery and see if my written words matched.

6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..? No, I am a poet and spoken word performer

7) What is your passion in life? My passion is to speak through my art. I may not be remember for who I am but I want my words to live on.

—–
POEM:

I hear the flatline
Sounds of machine chirping between my ears
Pounding again and again
Like nails scratching a blackboard
Taking over my brain
Bee… beep…beep
Interrupting my thoughts getting louder
Wishing it was her heart moving in rhythm
An imperfected dance moving through the machine
Like our chemistry
I tried to recall our last conversation
Remembering the words
The way she uttered each syllable
But the sound of the damn machine kept creeping in
Breaking my concentration
Piercing my mind
All I hear is the beep…beep…beep
My mind flashing from present to past
Remembering the very first kiss
Savoring the way her lips grazed on my skin
The laugh when she was attempting to be cheeky
Beep…beep…beep
swapping back to now
At this moment, I hold her hand
Never wanting to let go
Soft and delicate
Cool to touch but I couldn’t enjoy this moment
Because of the beep…beep…beep
Growing stronger and louder
I looked into her eyes hoping she would say something
Her body was void of life
Yet she was so peaceful.
The noise was booming
Jolting me as it pierced my ears
Beep…beep…beep
Infiltrating my last moment
Our last moment
Beep…..beep….beep….then silence
A feeling of relief
A voice in the background whispering she’s gone
BEEEEEP!

Interview with Poet Sydney Stokes (THERE’S NO NEED TO RUSH)

Get to know the poet:

1) What is the theme of your poem?
The theme of both my poems, “Water in the Desert” and “There’s no need to rush,” is transformative love from Black women.

2) What motivated you to write this poem?
These poems were inspired by personal reverence for a lovely friend of mine. I wanted to pay forward gratitude for the tenderness and softness of intimacy, where two people meet each other where they are at emotionally and spiritually.

3) How long have you been writing poetry?
I have written poetry on and off since I was younger. For the last few months, I have dedicated my time to submitting poetry in hopes of getting my name out there and gaining recognition for my work.

4) If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?
I would love to have dinner with Tyler, the Creator! He’s my all-time favorite artist.

5) What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a professional actor?
I have been submitting poetry to many organizations, and I was mainly curious about the process. It was surreal listening to the performance for the first time, and I want to continue submitting poetry to be shared in this medium!

6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?
I’m working on writing essays about my growth journey and commitment to self-exploration. My hope is that sharing them resonates with others as I present the multitudes of the self through trusting ancestral guidance to help me confront fears and celebrate the joys of life.

7) What is your passion in life?
My passion is rooted in representation and sharing Black queer experiences, striving to help others feel seen and understood.

Interview with Screenwriters Dana Carrabon, Mehdi Sidali (REEFER MADNESS)

During the Great Depression, a troubled New Orleans beat cop gets a shot at redemption when he becomes the first Black federal agent in the Bureau of Narcotics—only to discover that the price of his status comes at the cost of persecuting his own community.

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

Reefer Madness is a one-hour historical crime drama set in 1933 New Orleans. It follows Gary O’Neill, a troubled but ambitious Black federal narcotics agent, as he becomes one of the first Black agents in the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and is pulled into undercover work inside the city’s jazz clubs, dockside networks, and marijuana underworld.

At the same time, Commissioner Harry Anslinger begins transforming marijuana into a national panic, using propaganda, racism, and political fear to build the foundation of what would become the War on Drugs. Tonally, we often describe the series as Boardwalk Empire meets Sinners, with the grounded political-crime engine of Narcos: Mexico: a seductive period underworld, a Black music-driven cultural pulse, and a federal propaganda machine colliding in the making of America’s drug war.

At its core, the story is about what happens when a man’s biggest opportunity forces him to help enforce laws that harm his own community.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Historical crime drama and political thriller.

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

This story should be made because the history behind marijuana prohibition is still shaping lives today. Cannabis is now legal and profitable in many places, yet many people, especially Black and racialized communities, are still living with the consequences of the laws, convictions, stigma, and policing that came before legalization.

That contradiction is at the heart of Reefer Madness: the distance between who profits from the plant now and who paid the price for it then. While developing the project, we travelled to New Orleans and saw advertisements for legal weed in a city deeply tied to jazz, race, policing, and survival, knowing that people are still imprisoned for cannabis-related offences.

As a series, Reefer Madness offers a rich and entertaining world of jazz, crime, politics, undercover work, family fracture, and moral compromise, while opening a necessary conversation about propaganda, racism, policing, and historical accountability.

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

Historical reckoning.

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

Dana: The Lion King — the original.

Mehdi: The Dark Knight

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

We created our first draft of the television pilot in 2022, then did a major rewrite in 2024. Before that, we explored the material through related theatrical productions in 2018 and 2019, so the world, themes, and characters have been evolving with us for several years.

7. How many stories have you written?

Mehdi and I have both written across various genres independently, totaling about a dozen stories between us.

8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

The motivation came from a combination of personal experience, historical curiosity, and frustration with the hypocrisy surrounding cannabis legalization. While we were in university studying theatre and English, we began asking a simple question: why did cannabis become illegal in the first place?

That question led us into the history of propaganda, racism, jazz culture, policing, and the early drug war. Over time, especially through work and research connected to cannabis, it became impossible to ignore how legalization had grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry while so little attention was being paid to the people and communities harmed by prohibition.

That feeling became even sharper when we travelled to New Orleans during the development of the project. Seeing weed advertisements in a city so tied to the history of jazz, race, policing, and survival, while knowing people are still imprisoned for cannabis, made the story feel even more urgent.

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

One major obstacle was learning how to reshape our instincts from theatre into television. Coming from playwriting, we had to become more disciplined about screen pacing, visual storytelling, pilot structure, and what a first episode should reveal versus what it should hold back for the series. Our mentor, Adrian Colussi, helped guide us through that process and encouraged us to keep sharpening the script as a television pilot.

COVID was also a major disruption. Like everyone else, we had to keep creating while the world was turned upside down. Thankfully, we received two grants from the Ontario Arts Council for creative research, and that support helped motivate us to keep developing the project with seriousness and care.

The other challenge has been learning how to “kill our darlings.” The world of Reefer Madness is big, with many characters and historical threads, so part of the process has been learning what belongs in the pilot and what should be saved for later episodes.

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

Dana: I’m passionate about mental and physical health, fitness, history, mixed martial arts, and truth. I’m especially drawn to stories, ideas, and practices that help people understand themselves, their bodies, and the world more clearly.

Mehdi: I’m a huge believer in trying new things and experiencing as much of life as I can. I’m passionate about good food, current events, staying in shape, and my family.

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

Our mentor, Adrian Colussi, encouraged us to enter more screenwriting competitions and festivals. The Black Screenwriters Festival felt like a strong fit for this script, and the possibility of receiving a recorded reading was especially exciting because Reefer Madness has such a strong sense of voice and character.

We really appreciated the feedback. It recognized the promise of the pilot, the strength of the dialogue, the depth of the research, and the potential for the series to live on a streaming platform. The main note was to trust the script more by making the pilot more concise, especially by saving certain storylines for later episodes. That was helpful because it confirmed that the world is working, but also reminded us that the pilot needs room to breathe. It is always hard to kill your darlings, but we value feedback that helps the pilot become leaner, sharper, and more producible.

Interview with Screenwriters Bernita Walker & Niki Frazier-Curry (THE INSIDE FIGHT)

Sasha, a rising star athlete with Olympic dreams, sees her future derailed after a brutal assault in college leaves invisible wounds that never fully heal. Years later, the pressures of work, marriage, and motherhood ignite a storm inside her that she can no longer control. As her manic episodes intensify, Sasha finds herself colliding with police stations, hospital wards, and a mental health system that repeatedly fails her.

Get to know the writers:

1. What is your screenplay about?

The Inside Fight centers on Sasha, a rising star athlete with Olympic dreams. Her future is derailed after a brutal assault in college leaves invisible wounds that never fully heal. Years later, the pressures of work, marriage, and motherhood ignite a storm inside her that she can no longer control. As her manic episodes intensify, Sasha finds herself colliding with police stations, hospital wards, and a mental health system that repeatedly fails her.

Her husband, Leon, and her devoted cousin, Bianca, fight desperately to reach the woman they love before she’s lost to the chaos consuming her life. But each attempt to help is met by a system that overlooks the safety, pain, and humanity of Black women.

Raw, intimate, and unflinchingly honest, this story exposes the fragility of the mind and the immense courage it takes to advocate for oneself when the world refuses to listen.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Drama, Psychological Thriller

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

Mental Health, especially in the black community, is rarely depicted realistically and respectfully in film.

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

Heroine misconstrued

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

Niki: The Color Purple

Bernita: White Chicks

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

Niki: Two years

Bernita: Two years

7. How many stories have you written?

Niki: Five

Bernita: Three

8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

Niki: This screenplay is based on challenges black women with mental issues face. Sharing the facets of black women’s lives is what I’ve dedicated my writing to. I was honored to take on this project to enlighten audiences and possibly help someone battling the aftermath of a traumatic experience and provide hope for those that love them.

Bernita: Mental health has affected my family for years. There are a few aunts and uncles that I personally know that deal with it. Having a mental health diagnosis is shunned upon in the black community. At-least it was when I was coming up, you’d be called crazy and labeled. Writing this story helped me in understanding what the mentally unstable endure.

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

Niki: Editing down to a cohesive story.

Bernita: Time, my partner stays focused all the time, and I have so many running parts in my life, it’s hectic. It got to a point where I sat down one day and wrote 50 pages and completed my portion.

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

Niki: Everything film production. I especially enjoy directing and working with actors to bring out their best performances.

Bernita: I am very passionate about youth. Giving them a fair chance at careers and education. A lot of youth are misunderstood. They just need someone to talk to and show that they care.

11. What influenced you to enter the festival?

We wanted objective feedback for our script.

What were your feelings about the initial feedback you received?

Niki: I was excited to receive feedback in a relatively short period of time. The feedback was comprehensive and we are applying the feedback to strengthen the script.

Bernita: I was elated to say the least. I felt like, finally, someone will see that I am talented too! I work in the shadows while everyone else shines. Now it’s my turn.

Interview with Screenwriter Rich Figel (I GOTTA BE ME)

A relentless authentic punk rock dreamer from 1988 Hoboken becomes the unwitting “poster boy” for a megalomaniacal media mogul’s lifestyle makeover scheme, and must fight to reclaim his identity and stop the mogul from destroying his community.

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

It’s about a budding teenage punk rocker in 1978 Hoboken, New Jersey, with little talent but lots of passion, who refuses to sell out for musical success and fades into obscurity. Ten years later, he’s stuck in a dead-end job at a mall record store in the 1980s when corporations are taking over every aspect of our lives.

The 28-year-old Loser becomes the poster boy for the ultimate lifestyle makeover company that’s part of a Disney-like multimedia empire, which is remaking entire cities so it can brainwash residents into buying their entertainment products from the cradle to the grave. In effect, remaking the Loser who sells out his dreams and even his Punk Rock Girlfriend to become a Winner in the Corporate Empire.

But in the end, he uncovers the corporation’s sinister plan and reverts to his punk rocker persona to make a “loud noise” that snaps the residents out of their brainwashed stupor. In short, it’s about staying true to yourself and your dreams regardless of commercial or critical “success” in the public’s eye.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

It started out as a satirical comedy about 30 years ago, then recently I modified it into a musical movie. Instead of straight dialogue, I envisioned actors singing or talk-singing lines.

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

It’s funny, smart, and makes you think about the world we now live in. I wrote the original version over 30 years ago, which was optioned by the co-writer of ROBOCOP (Michael Miner) and shopped around to music-related movie prodcos such as MTV Films and Island Films.

But they didn’t get it — this was before studios and big companies started remaking old movies, TV shows, and music for new generations of consumers. It foresaw a time in which corporations recycle and commercialize whatever they can, including our own social media content.

In my script, Lifestyle Consultants & Developers (LCD — Lowest Common Denominator, get it?) literally recycles human shit and sells it back to the consumers who produce it as sanitized, homogenized, pasteurized yogurt. Frozen yogurt or Fro-Yo to be more precise. Because when it starts to melt, it smells like shit.

Coincidentally, the term “enshittification” has come into use to describe how consumers are ensnared by services or platforms that then monetize the product to such a degree the experience becomes really shitty.

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

Bizarre satire.

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

It’s a tie between The Wizard of Oz and Network, my two favorite films of all time.

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

It was the second feature script I had written — about 30 years ago as I mentioned. But when the Robocop co-writer and his producer partner were unable to get it made, I shelved it. Then I saw Spike Lee’s movie version of the theater performance of PASSING STRANGE which is about a young black musician’s coming of age story and I was inspired to rewrite my script as a musical movie.

7. How many stories have you written?

Dozens of feature and TV screenplays, hundreds of newspaper articles, columns, and blog posts. Several of my scripts have been optioned or won money and prizes in major contests, shopped around by producers and managers. None produced yet though.

8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

At the time, I was reading books about screenwriting that listed key ingredients such as 3-act structure, likeable or interesting characters, clear goals and stakes, etc. It felt stifling and boring to follow the rules, so I set out to do the opposite of all that! And when Michael Miner, the Robocop writer, read it as part of a screenwriting workshop I signed up for at the University of Hawaii, he took me aside and said he thought I had something he could sell to his contacts since he started out doing music videos.

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

It was early in my screenwriting career when I had more energy and sheer passion back then, so it wasn’t difficult to finish. I had just gotten out of rehab, which is where I realized I had a second chance to reinvent myself and do what I loved—writing—instead of simply trying to make a lot of money doing things I didn’t care that much about such as sales and marketing work. Fortunately, my wife was completely supportive and since we didn’t have kids, we could afford my decision to be a writer.

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

Reading. Art. Listening to music. Politics. Science. Sports. I have very eclectic tastes, which is reflected in my characters and stories that draw on everything from folk tales and mythology to art, classical music, punk rock, and jazz.

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

I saw a post on Blue Sky about the Political Screenplay Festival and thought, hmm, that’s different! I’ve won or placed as a finalist in a bunch of respected competitions, beating out thousands of other entries. But they all mostly promote the standard genres that are the most commercial. My I GOTTA BE ME script goes against that grain and is a commentary on mass consumerism, driven by conservative—and political—desires to go back to the Good Old Days that weren’t so good to minorities, women, and LGBT people.

Your reviewer really seemed to get what I was going for and the feedback was spot on. His suggestions were actionable too and made sense. I have paid for Black List professional reader evaluations and feedback in other contests before, and felt the WildSound notes were as good or better overall. I was very impressed with the accuracy and his insights as well.

Interview with Screenwriter Edward Robert Badal (A Place of Beauty)

Madison and her estranged dad, Daniel spend time camping in the forest when an earthquake hits and pushes them further away from civilization.

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?
A Place of Beauty is about a former Navy corpsman with PTSD and his 12-year-old daughter who get stranded in the wilderness after an earthquake, and are forced to survive together while confronting the death of the girl’s mother. It escalates to a cougar attack that nearly kills him, and the daughter, using survival skills he taught her, keeps him alive and signals a rescue helicopter with her mother’s locket. Thematically, it explores concepts of grief, emotional avoidance vs presence, and forgiveness.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Survival drama, with family/relationship drama as the emotional engine. The script also dips into man-vs-nature thriller in the back third once the cougar attack hits.

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
From a story perspective, we don’t see too many two-hander survival stories, particularly ones that focus on the parent-child relationship. Most other wilderness/survival films focus on spectacle over relationship, but this one prioritizes the relationship above all else. The setting is also beautiful and unique. From a more practical perspective, there are only two characters and they are complex and would potentially attract strong actors, its (mostly) a single location/area type of film to shoot, and the budget would likely reflect this simplicity.

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

5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Braveheart, which is my favorite! Although Predator, my guilty pleasure, might be a close second.

6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
About 12 months.

7. How many stories have you written?
12 feature screenplays, with another 4 or 5 in development.

8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
I really enjoy parent-child themes and exploring that dynamic and the power and responsibility adults have to children. I wanted to do a story where the father must overcome all kinds of obstacles to keep his child alive against all odds, but the richness of the story really comes from how the two of them interact and support each other and ultimately find a way to forgive and grow. Being from Northern California originally, I knew the Sierra Nevadas could make for a great location for such a story.

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
Balancing spectacle scenes vs emotionally intimate scenes, editing and polishing my subconscious mistakes out of the drafts.

10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Reading, learning, music & composition, nutrition and exercise, baseball, youth sports & coaching, volunteering with my city, donating blood, financial literacy, and leveraging technology to improve quality of life.

11. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
I wanted some feedback and to see how this story would fare. The feedback was pretty sparse and reiterated the story, character, and themes more than constructive feedback, but I’ll take what I can get!

Interview with Screenwriter  Z Vergun (ONE MORE TIME WITH FEELING)

Ashley Kincaid has never felt at home in their body. But today, they doesn’t even feel at home in their home. Because Ashley just woke up with a man sitting on the end of their bed. The man says his name is Ashley Kincaid. The man says that it’s his turn with the body.

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

One More Time with Feeling is an allegorical body-horror about Ashley Kincaid, who wakes up to find that the male aspect of their personality believes it’s his turn with the body, and has decided to kill them (again). It’s about the constant discomfort and ill-ease that gender dysphoria can feel like, about how the binary is a lot less rigid than all believe it to be, and the lived reality of the horror that it can be to be trans in modern America.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

It’s definitely a body-horror with a touch of surrealism. It’s sort of a grounded fantasy dramedy horror, in a lot of ways.

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

Because it’s true. People who have shared experiences of transness have read this script and gone, ‘Oh fuck, that’s exactly how it is.’ People who don’t are often maybe a little confused, but moved and disturbed and know a little better what it’s like. I think that there’s a visceral quality to this script that allows cis people to comprehend one version of the trans experience a little better.

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

Gender nightmare

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

Probably a tie between Brigsby Bear, Rushmore, and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

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

About three years, but it’s been in my mind for longer than that, in one way or another.

7. How many stories have you written?

I’ve lost count! Between screenwriting and other fiction writing, I’m also a professional Dungeonmaster/Gamemaster, and I get to be a co-collaborator of stories in that as well, so I get to be a part of so many stories. I’m a lucky dude.

8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

I wanted to share what it felt like to be in my skin, a little bit for people who I knew would never entirely get it to try to understand a little better, but mostly for the other people I knew would understand perfectly.

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

Mostly feedback from people who were just like, “There’s no audience for this, I don’t understand this, it’s inaccessible.” I’m more than happy to take feedback, but that was pretty useless. I also had to be emotionally vulnerable in a way that felt very raw, so I still find myself holding my breath a bit when someone whose opinion I really value is reading it.

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

Storytelling in every form. Especially stories and media from people who aren’t white and aren’t men. I also really love watching movies with my partner and my cat.

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

This was my first horror script, so entering some horror festivals felt like the right idea! I’ve always had good feedback from WildSound competitions, and I enjoyed this one as well!

Interview with Screenwriter Maria Lena Skillings (ECHOES OF ERDINGTON)

Inspired by true events: After her sister’s death, a young journalism student investigates two identical murders committed 157 years apart and discovers a deadly curse lurking beneath a picturesque New England town.

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

Echoes of Erdington is inspired by true events: A pair of identical murders in England that occurred 157 years apart. This supernatural thriller tells the story of a young woman (Annie) and her mother (Reagan) who move to a small New England town to start fresh after the death of her younger sister (Sophie). Studying to become a journalist, Annie uncovers a lot more than she bargained for in her new hometown; plagued by ghosts, murder, and a long lasting curse.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Supernatural thriller, horror, drama

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

Any movie inspired by true events always intrigues an audience. This is a story of love, loss, and redemption, for those desperate to break toxic cycles.

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

Epically satisfying

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

Complete opposite of this genre….”When Harry Met Sally.”

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

From concept to completed script…about seven years.

7. How many stories have you written?

I’ve written about seven screenplays, three stageplays, one novel, one children’s book, and several tv pilots/specs.

8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

I wanted to tell a story centered around female redemption. Taking a story about violence against women and turning it into something supernatural and cathartic was important to me.

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

Trying to connect the murders and what ending would make the most sense.

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

I am very enthusiastic about cooking, painting, and working on my podcast “The Endo Report” to help raise awareness for women’s health.

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

I wanted to enter a festival that was strictly focused on horrors and thrillers. I appreciated the feedback and felt like it gave me a stepping stone to better my project. I also loved that I could hear real actors read the opening scene.

Feature Film Review: Wallie’s Gals. Directed by Mary C. Ferrara

It’s 1989 and “Wallie’s Big Deals” isn’t doing too well due to competition, so the employees, affectionately called “Wallie’s Gals,” use their unique personalities to get more business. Fast forward 30 years, Maxine, the store’s manager, needs them back.

Project Links

Review by Julie C. Sheppard:

Wallie’s Gals is a zany romp of a film with lively remembrances from the iconic 1980’s. Anyone who was once a youngster from this era can recognize a whole series of familiar elements of the time period – – from boomboxes, to pleather, to hair scrunchies, to synth melodies of the day. The production designer deserves much praise for the vast collection of props and costumes of the era assembled for this piece. In addition, brightly-coloured titles hark back to the credits of many popular TV shows of the 1980’s, as do the decorated split screens. 

The flashback scenes when the characters are young are hilarious. It is entertaining to recognize traditional archetypes: the brainiac, the keener, the less-than-sporty, the flirt and the one that, back then, seemed to have it all together. Of course, in amongst these archetypal females is the hot guy that everyone admires. 

The past interactions are innocent and endearing, and it is highly satisfying to see how their young lives influence their choices later when they are united again, much like what is often witnessed at a high school reunion. Despite their varied life choices, the four protagonists are able to once more connect with the fondness they once had for each other. 

The cast members are having the time of their lives playing these characters with countless amusing innuendos in the fabulous screenplay. The introduction of the infomercial couple also adds a humorous touch. The fact that the gals reunite to create a store selling used items brings them back, once again, to the period they once so prized.

Short Film Review: Savannah’s Curse. Directed by Tamara Lisa Cook

‘Savannah’s Curse’ is set in the future where resources are limited, and reserved only for society’s elite and privileged. The destitute, poor, afflicted and those who cannot be understood either by language or adversity, are institutionalised. Some of these people are ‘saved’ by the elite and forced to work in degrading circumstances, their vulnerability taken advantage of. A woman’s spirit returns, her ghost unable to rest until retribution for herself, those she left behind, and her daughter born into this world, is served.

Project Links

Review by Andie Kay:

Savannah’s Curse is set in an apocalyptic future where the wealthy have the monopoly on power and keep indentured servants to serve their every whim. Writer/Director Tamara Cook set up the premise of this story beautifully and the cinematographer, Rakib Erick did a great job making it look wonderful.


I really have to commend the Visual FX expertise of Jacob Horan because it was done so incredibly well. All of the actors were very likable and did an amazing job with their roles. The paranormal aspect of this was great and I loved how the filmmakers did the séance scene.

There’s an argument that the genre of the film was a bit more defined, but I do not agree with that point of view because it makes the mystery of the story more engaging. The story and the journey it took you on was very engaging and original. It had some cool twists and we all love to see a tyrant get his comeuppance.