When a troubled teen’s wish to make everyone disappear comes true, she risks losing them permanently and must rely on an unlikely ally to save her town – the school bully.

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

It’s about a teenage girl who gets bullied at school and is in a very dark place at the beginning of the story. She gets in a fight with her mother and in the heat of the moment, she wishes everyone would disappear. Little does she know that her wish instantly becomes true. She has to navigate through her new world and come to terms with herself and the other people in her life before she can move on.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

coming of age, fantasy, drama

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

I think a lot of young people can relate to the feelings of isolationism, grief, and trauma early in life that this movie presents. The lead character also deals with a lot of loneliness. Sometimes that loneliness is desired and wanted and sometimes it makes her wish for someone to be with her. It shows that our feelings are changing on a daily basis and don’t evolve in a neat linear pattern. I think ultimately what this movie expresses is that having these feelings is normal and takes time to sort out. Hope is around the corner even in our darkest hour.

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

resilience, perseverance

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

In recent history, I’ve seen “Whiplash” the most. It’s a master class in the writing and performing of an antagonist who is dynamic and rich in character. And the way that the protagonist meets the moment at the end of the movie is chef’s kiss.

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

I’ve been working on it since the end of June 2025

7. How many stories have you written?

Besides this one, I’ve written a TV pilot for a sci-fi medical comedy, I’ve also written a couple horror features, and I just finished a Christmas rom com feature that I hope to either sell or produce one day.

8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

For me, this story represents the feelings of being lonely and isolated when you’re surrounded by lots of people. It’s about the duality of wanting to be alone and wishing you weren’t so isolated from others. That’s something I’ve felt a lot when I was at college away from home. I didn’t go through the same traumas and loss as the protagonist, but the feelings were very similar.

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

I think writing in the tone of a younger generation was a challenge. I haven’t been a teenager for quite some time, so writing like one is not easy. Also, I don’t want to get caught up in the latest lingo because when that lingo goes out of style, so too will my dialogue become dated.

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

I’ve recently got into improv acting and I absolutely love it. I’ve been fortunate to meet a lot of people who are passionate about it. I used to act in plays as a teen, but I find improv to be very unique and different than scripted acting. I’m sharing a moment with someone else on stage that I will never replicate again, and I find that to be very special. And if I’m not performing well, I have someone else with me who can help me out. And if we both don’t do well, then maybe we can laugh about it afterwards. No matter anyone’s skill level, you can always find something to enjoy when you’re doing improv.

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

I just liked the ability to have a professional recording of one of my scenes. I think the feedback was helpful and I appreciate it.

Inspired by the Great Fire of Chicago 1871 following the investigation of Mrs O’Leary, a woman the newspapers blamed for starting the fire that spread all the way to Lincoln Park.

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

My screenplay is about Catherine O’Leary, the Irish milkmaid unjustly accused of starting Chicago’s “Great Fire” of 1871. As she fights to clear her name, she discovers the true culprit of the fire and faces an agonizing choice.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Historical fiction; thriller.

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

“Mrs. O’Leary” should be made into a movie because it’s about a 19th-century “cancel culture” that 21st-century audiences would recognize. The story transcends region and period. “Mrs. O’Leary” is set 155 years ago, and yet the Chicago world of 1871 isn’t so diffrent from our own — a world where vulnerable people are “othered” due to their homeland or accent and where they can wither under stronger forces that are determined to cast blame for a social problem.

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

Hot Time.

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

“It’s A Wonderful Life”

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

Shy of a year.

7. How many stories have you written?

About 20; features, pilots, and shorts.

8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

Over the phone in early 2025, my mother read a brief selection about Catherine O’Leary in a book about “bad days in history” (Oct. 8, 1871, real bad day in Chicago). Without sounding too dramatic, my imagination ignited immediately, and I saw Mrs. O’Leary as a cinematic protagonist. I saw drama: a woman who suffers through no fault of her own. As I researched and then reimagined her story, I added a thriller element: Mrs. O’Leary didn’t start the fire… but somebody did! In my screenplay, I give Catherine O’Leary voice that she never had in life.

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

I faced the challenge of sifting through volumes of contemporary and modern texts about Mrs. O’Leary, and the fire, to locate gems that I would use for a 100-page script.

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

Animal welfare. My cat.

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

I was influenced to enter because the festival offered feedback and then a promotional best-scene video. The feedback I received for “Mrs. O’Leary” was excellent: specific and actionable. The promotional best-scene video is terrific, a compelling read by talented voiceover actors against a backdrop of visually engaging graphics.

A single mother and her teenage daughter living on the south shore of Long Island. Fighting each other to be seen. Living in the conflict of oppression and dominance. Both fighting to win, both will end up losing.

Project Links

•  Website
•  Facebook
•  Instagram

This 30 minute dramatic television pilot explores the dysfunctionality between families and the unhealthy cycle of narcissistic abuse which can cause psychopathy. It follows Danielle, portrayed by April Audia, a single mother raising her teenage daughter Melody, portrayed by Chelsea Mart, on the south shore of Long Island, New York.

Writers and directors, Cat Torres and April Audia give us an inside look into several interpersonally unhealthy relationships and the difficulty it is to navigate them. The concept for this pilot is a strong one but it is also a slippery slope when dealing with these issues not to take things too far. You want to be able to empathize with these characters and I really wish there was a “save the cat” moment to be able to do that. I have to admit, April Audia not only did a wonderful job acting but she also has a great singing voice. She was the lead vocalist on the opening song with music written by Michael Haddad. Michelle Debellis who portrays Hailey also had a very organic, believable presence on camera.

Cinematographer Danilo Hernandez gave us a gorgeous TV pilot, with several creative camera angles and stellar lighting. Sound wise, I really wish the filmmakers recorded the priest’s voice over in the same room as the actors to have everything consistent. The original music for this was chosen exceedingly well, Daniel Barrera and Michael Haddad did a wonderful job on that.

BEAUTIFUL DISASTERS, 14min., USA

Directed by Trisha Lynn Furhman

Of all people exotic dancers understand money can’t buy happiness. So where does it come from? This question sets Robin on a personal journey that takes her deep inside her desires and across the country; encountering hurricanes and personal loss of people she thought were just clients and coworkers. These events cause her to accept some hard truths not only about herself, but also about her industry.

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

This story needed to be told to help remove the stigma from exotic dancing. Not everyone who dances is doing it as a side hustle to prostitution or to scam men out of thousands of dollars. We are performers in every sense of the word; we are here to entertain people in our magical world where problems and inhibitions are left at the door. Strippers are perfectly capable sales professionals who capitalize on gender roles while exploiting society’s natural appetite for the female body and attention. Because of our job we are comfortable with nakedness and naturally shy away from honesty for the safety of ourselves and our families. This is out of the norm and incredibly intriguing to the outsiders, therefore my goal was to bring in outsiders and help them understand exotic dancers because I feel that if we all just took the time to listen to one another we would be able to grow closer and stronger.

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

I started pre-production in May of 2020 and finished post-production June of 2025; 5 years and 1 month.

How would you describe your film in two words!?

Unhinged….Raw

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

I might be my biggest obstacle. Being a post production crew of 1 there was no one to be accountable to, no one was waiting on me to finish my part so they could do theirs. No investors asking for an update or pressuring me to provide a return on their investment. There was just me and the commitment I made to myself that everyday I’d do something to progress my film forward, one step everyday toward my goal.

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Former wrestler, turned writer/director Marcus Nel-Jamal Hamm, talks about this journey from working on the Independent festival circuit in the early 2000s with John Cena and Randy Orton, when Rocky Johnson (Dwayne’s dad) was their coach. He remembers Rocky taking him aside and saying that he’s only be a B player wrestler because he’s only 6’1 and is too small.

He then talks about how the WWE will NEVER unionize.

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LISTEN to the full podcast: https://youtu.be/15H-xgvgp_w
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Triggered 2.0, 22min,. USA
Directed by Mario Ricardo Rodriguez, Marcus Nel-Jamal Hamm
A diabolical madman known as The Director 2.0, with a vendetta against Wolverine, plots a way to take his powers and use him as a distraction as he enacts his ultimate means of destroying all superpowered beings, by pitting him against his one ally, Blade, in a fight to the death. Lucas Bishop must find a way to break free of his control so he can save his friends and the rest of humanity.

https://instagram.com/triggeredfanfilm

Conversation with writer/co-director/actor Marcus Nel-Jamal Hamm.

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An old man crosses the boundless Kazakh steppe, driving alone. Haunted by memories of a lost love, he stops by Bartogay Lake, flowers in hand. But as he tries to step out, his car door refuses to open, trapping him between past and present.

1. What motivated you to make this film?
It was made from opportunity, I was in Kazakhstan for another project and seeing the country I couldn’t miss this chance.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
Scattered 5 weeks
2 weeks for the script
1 day of filming
1 week of editing
1 week of music 
2 days of color grading
2 days of VFX
1 day of master and finalisation

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Melancholic hope

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Actually none, for once everything was smooth and all stars were aligned.

5. There are 5 stages of the filmmaking process: Development.
Pre-Production. Production. Post-Production. Distribution.
I hate Prepro 100%
I feel happy when filming and in post-production.

What is your favorite stage of the filmmaking process?
Color Grading

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
Since I was a kid and my father had this big VHS camera. Loved to use it and edit with two VCR players

7. What film have you seen the most times in your life?
So many
I love martial arts movie so sorry for the not indie list 😀
Yes, Madam
Bloodsport
Armour of God II ( Jackie Chan )
The intouchable
Home Alone
Gremlins

8. In a perfect world: Who would you like to work with/collaborate with on a film?
As a dop – Roger Deakins
as an actress – Keke Palmer, Angela Bassett
as an actor – Jackie Chan, Alex Lawther
as a production company – A24

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
It’s easy but there’s so many fake festival than it takes hardwork to submit to the right one

10. What is your favorite meal?
Plain pasta with butter and cheese
Entrecôte with french fries
and a massive bowl of ramen from Tsujita

11. What is next for you? A new film?
2 years ago I answered that I had a documentary about dance and a tv series
Well the documentary is almost over
I have another one filming
and writing the tv series as we speak !

‘Mr. Wayne in Seoul’ begins with the quiet absurdity of Albert Camus’ L’Étranger: a man detached from both origin and belonging.

Project Links

•  Website
•  Instagram

1. What motivated you to make this film? My American Friend Eric, lived in Seoul for 10 years as ‘Mr. Wayne’.
A stranger in the crowd, a ghost in the neon lights. I wanted to capture the feeling of belonging nowhere
—not in the East, not in the West. Just floating in the city of Seoul.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
It took a lifetime to feel it, but about 1.5 months to manifest it into this visual format.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Neon Estrangement

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Translating the silence of isolation into sound.

5. What is your favorite stage of the filmmaking process?
Post-Production. That’s when the scattered fragments of memory finally become a tangible reality. Like assembling a broken mirror.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
When I realized that words alone were not enough to carry the weight of the “NOSTALGIA” I felt as an Expat.

7. What film have you seen the most times in your life?
 Blade Runner. It feels like a documentary of my hollow soul.

8. In a perfect world: Who would you like to work with/collaborate with on a film?
Anyone who understands that silence is also a language.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experience been working on the festival platform site?
It has been a seamless bridge connecting my small studio to the world.

10. What is your favorite meal?
Chicken breast and a protein shake. It is my survival fuel.
Please be aware that K-garoo is a Magenta colored skin Gymrat Kangaroo. 

11. What is next for you? A new film?
A project called ‘Selfigenic’. It explores the paradox of the “Selfie” generation
—we are in every frame, smiling perfectly, but remaining in no one’s memory.
Flash, smile, upload, and the emptiness that follows.

After a concert flyer turned paper airplane lands into the laps of two kid sisters, they infiltrate the venue to find a mindless mosh crowding a supernatural bathroom. Music video for ‘Buddha Was A Rich Boy’ by That Handsome Devil

1. What motivated you to make this film?

We all have friends that have ideas for films they want to direct. My friends not acting on their ideas after years of me cheerleading them led me to saying, “fuck it”, and maxing out two credit cards to make two music videos with That Handsome Devil in one weekend. There’s no lead-up to our death. It’s just going to happen one day to all of us. Anyone wasting the time we aren’t guaranteed drives me crazy. 

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

To keep up with the release of their album, Exploitopia, there were maybe 5 months tops on the calendar. In that 5 months, maybe two weeks of it was spent putting this baby together. 

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Toilet Rock

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Being beholden to the baby. There’s a lot of elements in this thing we were able to control. The baby’s performance was not one of them, but we were fortunate to get a pretty wide spectrum of emotion on-camera which served the edit fairly well. 

5. There are 5 stages of the filmmaking process: Development.

Pre-Production. Production. Post-Production. Distribution.

Distribution for sure. Good artists are never satisfied with what they’re doing and therefore must have the discipline to decide when is a good time to put the pencil down. Everything leading up to putting the pencil down is kind of an internal nightmare. 

What is your favorite stage of the filmmaking process?

Getting the artists I collaborated with (DP, producer, talent, etc.) to live in my head of references is pretty good. I get to dump a bunch of references and other art I like on them all at once and see how they process it. When I bring up “Son of the Mask”, “Butthole Surfers”, “Hazbin Hotel”, “Murder Drones”, etc. in the same sentence, it’s almost a language only I can understand.  

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

I always liked it as a kid and made home movies like everyone else. I’d make edits of war footage to avoid going up in front of the class for social studies assignments. It’s always been there but it’d take me 31 years of life to really pursue what was always in me. 

7. What film have you seen the most times in your life?

I watched Cats & Dogs the other day and recently realized I knew it line for line despite me forgetting things constantly. 

8. In a perfect world: Who would you like to work with/collaborate with on a film?

If I had unlimited money and influence, I’d make a live-action F-Zero movie. Typically star-studded cast. Tommie Earl Jenkins as Captain Falcon. KMFDM doing the score alongside Carla Patullo. A combination of 1:1-scaled racing machine replicas on hydraulic rigs. Motion capturing drones racing. Long story short, half of what I want is what the average person wants, and the other half is what I want because my taste is perfect. I’m just putting this out there in case I’m never asked again. 

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

It’s not that different from gambling in Vegas honestly. Nothing wrong with it, but you lose more than you win. When you win, it feels great and it takes great discipline to know when to stop. 

10. What is your favorite meal?

I’m kind of a possum on this end. Not that I don’t like the finer things in life, but I’m just as happy eating a Michelin star meal as I am getting the buffalo chicken from 7 Eleven. 

11. What is next for you? A new film?

I just completed a 3-minute proof of concept for a feature documentary/animation-hybrid called Island of Garbage (Narrated by Homer Flynn of The Residents). I got a horror script I’m writing. I have intentions for my first short film to be a biopic on Buckethead but that could change. I wanna start making music when I move into my first house in Utah this year. I feel like I’m an astronaut whose job is to explore as much of the cosmos as I can before my oxygen tank runs out.