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Filmmaker Erika Apelgren (BFFR)

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BFFR, 15min,. USA
Directed by Erika Apelgren
The story unfolds as Angelica and Patricia navigate a night of wine, food, and conversation. Patricia’s detached and cold approach to the interaction becomes evident, but Angelica, desperate for connection, overlooks her flaws.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
As this is a proof of concept, we remain in the dark about what BFFR stands for until the very end. The film’s idea originated with the concept of BFFR, exploring what it would be like if you could tailor someone to fit you perfectly. This idea came to me during the explosion of social media platforms like Instagram, which paradoxically made us more connected yet also more disconnected.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
I had the idea in 2013, wrote the script, and shared it with Eduardo Whaite, the DP, who loved it. However, we didn’t go into pre-production until years later. When 2021, I got a producer, Steve Deering attached, and we started the process of bringing it to life. We shot the film in 2022 and finally completed it in 2024. It took quite some time.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Intriguing and thought-provoking.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
The editing process was definitely the most challenging part of this journey. I had several editors work on it, and one after the other fell through, which prolonged the process of getting the footage together.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
It was a joy to hear them discuss the film, share what they enjoyed, and express how they felt about the piece.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I’ve been writing and telling stories my entire life. I started writing songs at an early age, got my classmates involved in putting together scripts as a pre-teen, and wrote pieces for the stage in high school. Watching “In the Mood for Love,” written, produced, and directed by Wong Kar-wai, was a turning point for me. The visual storytelling of that film is mind-blowing; everything about it is beautiful, from the symbolism to the way he uses the camera, colors, and music. What we see and what we don’t see, what’s said and what’s not—it’s all masterfully done. Watching that movie made me realize this is what I want to do.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
I think “Zoolander.” I know that script by heart, and quote it daily!

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
I think what this festival is offering is amazing! To enhance the experience even further, it would be beneficial to include the following:
Collaboration Spaces: Providing designated areas for filmmakers to collaborate, brainstorm, and potentially start new projects together during the festival.

Distribution and Marketing Workshops: Offering sessions focused on navigating the distribution landscape and effective marketing strategies to help filmmakers reach wider audiences.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
Excellent! It’s incredibly user-friendly and lists a vast array of festivals, so I don’t need to submit my film anywhere else.

10. What is your favorite meal?
Right now I’m very into poke bowls.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
I’m currently juggling several projects. One involves pitching the series BFFR, and another entails creating a video series inspired by Edvard Munch’s ‘Frieze of Life’. A series that aims to capture the raw, unfiltered emotions of women from various historical eras, showcasing their universal struggles and resilience.

Filmmaker Gaizka Urresti (COUPLES THERAPY)

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COUPLES THERAPY, 101min., Spain
Directed by Gaizka Urresti
The singer-songwriters Marwan and Rozalén embark on a journey to try to answer the universal question: ‘What is love?’ On this path, five real Aragonese couples undergo therapy for six months to rediscover themselves following the steps of the first international research in Spanish on couples, which scientifically concludes that nurturing love improves mental health.

https://www.terapiadeparejaslapelicula.es/
https://www.facebook.com/Terapiadeparejaslapelicula
https://instagram.com/terapiadeparejaslapelicula

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

My wife, Elisa Múgica, the screenwriter and co-producer of the film, told me in 2019 about EFT Couples Therapy (Emotionally Focused Therapy) developed by the Canadian doctor Sue Johnson and the international research in which she was going to participate (the first research in Spanish) with couples and psychologists from Mexico, Argentina, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Spain. It seemed to me that following the research on couples and romantic love could make for a compelling film. From there, I was invited to document the first meeting between the therapists, researchers, and supervisors of this research in Mexico in February 2020, and the project grew until it became what is now the film.

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

As I mentioned, I filmed the first footage in February 2020. The initial idea was to illustrate the therapies with some Latin American couples from the research who agreed to share their sessions, which were being recorded by the researchers, for the film. Then the pandemic hit, and the entire project (both the research and the film) came to a halt. When it resumed, the sessions with the couples were conducted with masks, which was not very cinematic for illustrating work on emotions, where facial expressions and non-verbal language play a fundamental role.
Therefore, in the fall of 2021, we held a casting call for couples in Aragón, where we live, among couples willing to undergo real therapy for six months and allow those sessions to be used for the film. We were surprised by the number of people who, through social media, showed a willingness to participate. Many people who have seen the film consider them very brave for sharing their intimacy with the viewers. 150 people signed up in one weekend. From there, we conducted a casting and selected the 5 protagonist couples with the premise that they should be representative in terms of different ages, sexual diversity, and socio-economic background.
The filming extended until the summer of 2022 (we also shot some additional scenes with the narrators in the spring of 2023). The first public screening was in late November 2023, and the commercial premiere across Spain was on Valentine’s Day this year, coinciding with the first day of filming four years earlier.

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

A self-help film that can help improve our relationships.

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

The editing was undoubtedly the most complex part. We started in the spring of 2022 and it extended until the summer of 2023. We had over 70 hours of therapy recorded with 3 cameras, and there were such amazing sessions that it seemed impossible to leave anything out. Condensing the evolution of the couples into 100 minutes, including the narrators, the experiments, the research, and the films, has been a long and fruitful journey.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I usually test the films with an audience before entering the final stages of post-production and I question the attendees about the films. The first thing that surprised us was how much they laughed during the screening. Elisa Múgica got very nervous because she thought we might have ridiculed or trivialized the couples, but with the feedback, we realized that the audience identified with many elements of the couples. Their laughter was cathartic, a reflection of identification and nerves from seeing themselves on screen. The level of acceptance was very high, at 92%. Forty percent loved the film and 52% liked it. Only 8% felt the film didn’t resonate with them.

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

Since I was very young, around 12 years old, I knew I wanted to make films. I was fascinated by watching movies.

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


Well, without a doubt, my own films. During the process of editing, post-production, sound mixing, and promotion, I’ve watched some of my movies between 50 and 100 times. You have to really love what you do to not get tired of your own films.


As for other movies, I can’t say for sure. There are many classics that, when you come across them on TV, you get hooked all over again, from “Singin’ in the Rain” to Hitchcock’s films, Woody Allen’s, or Clint Eastwood’s.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

During my early years, festivals were very important for building a résumé as a director and, especially before the 2008 crisis, when festivals would invite you to present your film to the public and meet other directors and producers. Nowadays, everything is more virtual, and I don’t enjoy it as much. There are fewer invitations, and it’s also harder for me to travel.

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

Streaming platforms for festivals like FilmFreeway have made film promotion at festivals much easier, but they’ve also distanced you significantly from direct contact with the organizers and the audience. You feel a bit like an algorithm, a ledger entry, and you’re never quite sure who is on the other side. For me, cinema is about communication, and that is being lost.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Just like with cinema, I enjoy food so much that I can derive pleasure even from mediocre dishes. Additionally, in Spain, we have a great variety and quality of food, from tortilla de patatas and paella to a good legume stew.


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

Well, I’m working on several documentaries at the same time. Two about two very different filmmakers who have already passed away, José María Forqué and Eloy de la Iglesia. Each one, in its own way, aims to be an act of investigation, vindication and love for cinema. Then I’m working on another biographical document about a Jota Aragonesa dancer who, after a 40-year career, is retiring from the stage at the age of 55. I’m accompanying him in this process. And some more, but they’re still in development. I have more projects than time to do them.

Feature Film Review: MERCY OF OTHERS. Directed by Damien Giglietta

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In the haunting shadow of a recent tragedy, “Mercy of Others” unfolds as a close-knit group of six friends reunite to mourn the loss of a friend. This gathering, meant for solace and reminiscence, swiftly uncovers buried tensions and unresolved conflicts within their circle, revealing a complex web of emotions and relationships.

Review by Andie Karvelis:

Sit down, buckle up and hang on. You are in for one hell of a ride. Mercy of Others is the brainchild of Damien Giglietta and it’s part mystery, part thriller with a little bit of drama and some horror all shaken together to form one sensational film!


Normally I would tell you a little about the plot to give you an idea of what to expect, but I’m not gonna. Why? Because I want you to have the same edge-of-your-seat experience that I did when I watched this You’ll thank me later.


So let’s talk about Damien instead. He not only wrote Mercy of Others but he directed and shot the film with Cinematographer George Davis. The mood that was set with lighting, camera angles and beautiful cinematography fit the storyline so seamlessly. You really feel like you are right there. Damien delivers a story that captures your attention and holds it for the duration of the film. The characters are all fully fleshed out and brought to life by a wonderfully talented cast of actors.


Now, I said I wasn’t going to reveal anything about the plot but I will give you this hint. I’ve always believed in Karma and for some reason I’ve always envisioned Karma to be personified as a woman. A very kick-ass, sarcastic and calculated woman. Damien has shown me how wrong I was. Karma personified is Jack Martin in his portrayal of Aiden. He is absolutely, fantastically terrifying but here’s the thing, you empathize with him. You find yourself rooting for him. Damien’s writing/directing and Jack’s acting has given us a (more talkative) John Wick.

If I had to face off with John Wick or Aiden? I’d take my chances with John Wick. Jack Martin’s wonderful performance is met by a cast that was equally amazing. Traccin Rameka will steal your heart and get you teary-eyed. Vanessa Madrid, Caitlin Lopez, Dominic DiPaolo, Daniele Clememts and every actor did such a superb job. Plus the make up artists, Krissy Idas and Isabella Cambria really were outstanding. The spfx makeup was realistic and not over the top.


The score for the film, provided by Jason Schmectig and Damien Greenwood tied everything together along with a couple of original songs by Richard Steighner. They all helped elevate the emotion of this piece with the music.


All in all, this is one film that you don’t want to miss. Congratulations to everyone involved. I absolutely loved this film.

Project Links

WATCH Today’s Film Festivals: UNDER 5 Minute Film Festival

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Go to the Daily Film Festival Platform http://www.wildsound.ca and sign up for the free 7 day trial to watch a new and original festival every single day.

Go to the festival page directly and watch dozens of films:
https://www.wildsound.ca/todays-film-festival/

WATCH the FESTIVAL HERE:

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/july-14-under-5-minute-festival

See the Full Lineup of Films:

M0D3RN T1M3Z, 30 seconds, USA
Directed by Richard Thompson
A machine comes to life in a 3D animation short inspired by Charlie Chaplin.

https://www.instagram.com/r_crosbythompson

Watch the Audience Feedback Video:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-mod3rn-tim3z

LITTLE ISSUES, 5min,. USA
Directed by Jerah Milligan
Mid-coitus, Andy discovers a blip in her new relationship that sends her running to her roommates to help her overcome this Little Issue.

Watch the Audience Feedback Video:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-little-issues-under-5

MUSHROOM’S QUEST, 4min., UK
Directed by Dave Johnson
A compassionate and determined young woman, embarks on a heartfelt journey across continents to discover her roots. Armed with little more than a dream and a prayer, her story unfolds against a backdrop of hidden truths, unexpected revelations, and unwavering love.

http://newparadigmproduction.co.uk/

Watch the Audience Feedback Video:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-mushroom-quest

ARACHNE, 4min,. France
Directed by Clara ZÄNGERLIN
Arachné is a famous weaver. One evening, as she thinks of a negative review of her work, her questions and anxieties appear in the form of a double spider that she fights throughout the night.

https://instagram.com/alfhilde

Watch the Audience Feedback Video:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-arachne

AUDITORY, 2min., USA
Directed by Justin Walker
A young girl begins to experience auditory hallucinations ‘hearing voices’ impacting her life

Watch the Audience Feedback Video:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-auditory

LOOK INTO A WHALE’S EYES, 5min,. Ukraine
Directed by Andrii Andrieiev
The sperm whale stands as one of the most remarkable cetaceans on our planet. Its brain, touted as the largest among all living beings, underscores the complexity of its cognitive abilities. Similar to humans, sperm whales exhibit qualities of empathy, affection, future planning, and communication. Their mode of communication is articulated through a series of clicks.

http://www.paganel.tv/
https://www.facebook.com/PaganelStudio/
https://www.instagram.com/paganelstudio/

Watch the Audience Feedback Video:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-look-into-the-whales-eyes

THE UNEXPECTED GUESTS, 3min., Canada
Directed by Emi Vantyghem
After moving into a new apartment. BFF’s (bimbo friends forever), Brittney and Brittknee start unpacking their totally fabulous belongings. Little do they know someone is already living in their crib!

https://www.instagram.com/emivanty

Watch the Audience Feedback Video:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-the-unexpected-guests

A GLIMPSE OF HOPE, 5min., USA
Directed by Brandon Kim
A heartfelt documentary depicting the struggles of a Ukrainian couple victimized by the Russia-Ukraine war that highlights the importance of assisting those in need.

Watch the Audience Feedback Video:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-a-glimpse-of-hope

GETHSEMANE, 5min., Canada
Directed by Saccha Dennis
Gethsemane: Black Jesus is a reimagining from the musical Jesus Christ Superstar told through the lens of Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton. A leader for his community but seen as a threat to the FBI. He was shot and killed in a pre-dawn raid in December, 1969.

http://musicalsreimagined.com/
https://www.facebook.com/musicalsreimagined
https://www.instagram.com/musicalsreimagined

Watch the Audience Feedback Video:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-gethsemane

BESIDE THE GOLDEN DOOR, 2min., USA
Directed by Sophie Mager
A guard sits at the gateway to the city that never sleeps, isolated and alone beside the golden door. This short, presented like a series of moving photographs, seeks to show the huge divide between those living in the city. The immigrant struggle and the reality of the American Dream.

Watch the Audience Feedback Video:
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-beside-the-golden-door

WATCH Today’s Film Festivals: Best of DOCUMENTARY Film Festival

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Go to the Daily Film Festival Platform http://www.wildsound.ca and sign up for the free 7 day trial to watch a new and original festival every single day.

Go to the festival page directly and watch dozens of films:
https://www.wildsound.ca/todays-film-festival/

WATCH 3 DOC FESTIVALS:

Watch the SOCIETY DOC Festival:

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/july-12-doc-shorts

Watch the Best of DOC Shorts Festival:

https://www.wildsound.ca/todays-film-festival/videos/july-10-doc-shorts

Watch the Winning DOC Feature: ALL I EVER WANTED

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/all-i-ever-wanted-doc-feature

All I Ever Wanted is a riveting 7-year journey through the high-stakes world of professional basketball, showcasing NBA icons like Kevin Durant, Kyle Lowry, and Manu Ginobili.

Please enjoy the films. Text us at 416-568-9046 if you have any questions.

This Week’s FilmFreeway Discount Codes – 50% off

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This Week’s FilmFreeway Discount Codes – 50% off

Submit to some of the top festivals in the world today!

HORROR Underground Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/horrorunderground

50% off code: underground50

FEMALE Feedback Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/FEEDBACKFemaleFilmFestivalFFFF

50% off cde: female50

Toronto COMEDY Film & Screenplay Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/TorontoComedyFilmandScreenplayFestival

50% off code: torcom

FANTASY/SCI-FI Film & Screenplay Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/FantasySciFiFilmScreenplayFestival

50% off code: scififantasy50

EXPERIMENTAL, DANCE, & MUSIC FESTIVAL
https://filmfreeway.com/ExperimentalFilmMusicVideoFestival

50% off code – 50offexperimental

UNDER 5 MINUTE Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/Under5minFilmFestival

50% off code: under50

ENVIRONMENTAL Film & Screenplay Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/EnvironmentalFestival

50% off code: environment50

Toronto LGBTQ+ Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/LGBTTorontoFilmFestival

50% off code: lgbt50

Toronto DOCUMENTARY Feature & Short Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/TorontoDocumentaryFilmFestival

50% off code: torontodoc50off

THRILLER/SUSPENSE Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/ThrillerSuspenseFestival

50% off code: 50thriller

CRIME/MYSTERY Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/crimemystery

50% off code: crime50

Today’s Writing Festival Deadlines: STAGE PLAY. RELATIONSHIP Poetry (FREE). ENVIRONMENTAL Screenplay.

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WILDsound Festival showcases the best of new writings from around the world today. Submit your story to the relevant festival contest and earn a performance video showcase reading.

NOTE: Submit and garner full feedback notes on your work no matter what! (Exception is the poetry contests where every submission gets their work posted on the network.)

STAGE PLAY Writing Contest – Full feedback on your original stage play. Winners get their play performed by professional actors and made into a video. SUBMIT NOW

RELATIONSHIP Poetry Contest – Submit a poem that’s about a relationship via Submittable. SUBMIT NOW

ENVIRONMENTAL Screenplay Contest – Full Feedback on all submissions. Get your ENVIRONMENTAL Screenplay performed by professional actors and made into video. SUBMIT NOW

There is no festival like this!

Mainly what this contest does is give exposure to the writer. They will be able to obtain a solid agent, plus get notice by producers looking for writers like yourself. NOTE: The writer will always own 100% rights to their story. The only thing we do is help the writer. Either with notes on their next draft, or gain exposure by having their story showcased at our festival.

Screenwriter Ronald McQueen (DELTA STATION)

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A rescue mission to a remote space station finds only one evasive crewman, an obstinate AI and the station cat still alive. With no explanation for the missing personnel and with members of the rescue crew beginning to die, suspicion grows that one of these three is responsible.

CAST LIST:

Narrator: Hannah Ehman
Kocic: Steve Rizzo
Walter: Geoff Mays
Dave: Sean Ballantyne

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?
The logline is: A rescue mission to a remote space station finds only one evasive crewman, an obstinate AI and the station cat still alive. With no explanation for the missing personnel and with members of the rescue crew suddenly beginning to die, suspicion grows that one of these three is responsible.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
This is a SciFi/Horror script. Comps would be Event Horizon and, possibly, Triangle. There are nods to Groundhog day, Alien and A Space Odyssy

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
The twin genres of SciFi and Horror are among the most popular in the screening circuit at the moment. In addition, the story features the interplay between the central character and an AI, which borrows from the increasing social concerns about the rise of artificial intelligence.

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

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

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

7. How many stories have you written?
Fourteen

8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
Hotel California

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
None really. I’ve been on a bit of a roll this year and this is my third script since January.

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

11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?
The site has worked extremely well and interaction with the festival people has been really good and positive.

12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
Liked the promise of detailed feedback (any new script needs someone in the industry to take a good look at it). The option of a table read for key scenes was an added bonus.

Screenwriter Dana M. St. Amand (GUN)

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When a private detective goes missing, his gun comes to life with the task of finding him.

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

A. I have a hard time answering this question deeper than the log line because I don’t want to give away the ending. At it’s most surface level, GUN is the story of a literal gun coming to life following the disappearance of the Private Investigator the firearm used to belong to. From a narrative perspective, GUN is both about obsession and reclamation. Both of these are explored between the absurdist character of Gun and his obsession with his own idea of Violet, the stereotypical femme fatale, and Violet’s quest to escape her past and ultimately reclaim herself.

The film should feel like it starts deeply rooted in the narrative tropes of noir and neo-noir, but quickly escape from them.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
A. Noir, neo-noir, neon-noir.

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
A. Noir films have always been written to reflect cultural anxieties of a given time, and as a trans woman, the major cultural anxieties of our current day often tend to be targeting our community’s existence. I started writing GUN last year during one of the heights of anti-lgbt laws being introduced. The story is both a fun absurdist way for me to process my own emotions and anxiety on the receiving end of such laws, but also a way to flip the narrative on the old world tropes. I think this makes my script a very earnest and honest example of storytelling. Trans stories by trans people are necessary for our liberation, and I have yet to see anyone from our community write a script quite like mine let alone in a neon-noir styling. Additionally, this is a feature I plan to seek funding for as the first feature I direct, and so I believe that honesty will translate even more given the visual storytelling I plan on using.

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

5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
A. I believe it’s a tie between the 2008 Wachowskis’ masterpiece ‘Speed Racer,’ and Casablanca.

6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
A. I started writing GUN in March of 2023. I don’t think it’ll be finished until we picture lock.

7. How many stories have you written?
A. I’ve written dozens of short films, and even more short stories. GUN is the third feature I’ve written, but importantly, it’s the first good one.

8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
A. This is honestly the hardest question to answer. My music taste changes based on my mood, or other focuses in my life.

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
A. I have never been paid for any of my writing. I work primarily on Non-union productions here in LA. For the bulk of the time I was writing GUN, film work was completely dried up with the strikes, so focusing on completing a creative piece was often on the back burner in favor of supporting myself.

10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
A. Blacksmithing and the history of metal work, particularly in the 13th and 14th century. I’ve been a blacksmith for 10 years, mostly for fun, but I’ve demonstrated for the last two years at the LA County Fair and a handful of historic sites around LA.

11. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
A. I originally submitted to the LA arm of this festival in my initial submission run. As my focus right now is on improving the story, I was pleased with the detailed feedback I received back.

Screenwriter Steve Mikals (SPEAK MONKEY SPEAK)

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Will two chimps type Shakespeare? A pot smoking visionary enlists a struggling book shop owner in a screw-loose plan to jumpstart Evolution. Against long odds and a couple of Mob loan sharks, the rewards are higher consciousness, human speech, and a Nobel Prize for Literature.

CAST LIST:

Narrator: Geoff Mays
Mushroom: Hannah Ehman
Mitchell: Steve Rizzo
Abbey: Val Cole

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

It’s a comedy about a hare-brained plan to jump-start Evolution. I began with that old probability teaser, How long would it take one hundred monkeys to type Shakespeare? The answer? Exactly two chimpanzees, in a surprisingly short time! Heaven has a vested interest here in correcting our course of planetary and self-destruction, too. A crazy, maybe dark, premise. But the comedy comes from the characters involved: a hapless bookseller and a pot-smoking visionary, their more stable, sensible wives, two Mob loan sharks, and two chimpanzees, Dick and TOOP.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Comedy, maybe even sci-fi. And throw in some hard-boiled Chandler-esque crime fiction.for flavor.

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

Because Speak Monkey Speak both entertains and challenges the audience, a rare two-fer, I think. Through some hilarious and outragous scenarios it tackles heavier themes: Our place and purpose on this Planet; Progress, Inspiration, Race. By the end you look back and say, Holy shit we covered some ground! And, laughed all the way, I hope.

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

Jump-starting Evolution. Two and a half words?

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

Probably a toss-up between Doctor Strangelove, Pulp Fiction, No Country for Old Men, and Pineapple Express. Many times the movie ends and you hit Play, again.

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

The earliest version was a novel I wrote about ten years ago. It was painful to fill 225 blank pages. But then I saw a friend’s screenplay and I thought, Hell, I can carve out the best parts and ideas and paste them together! That editing job was the best education I ever had.. I love great literature, but when I write my goal is fast, smart and funny.

7. How many stories have you written?

I’ve got a scrap pile of stories I’ve started and discarded the last few years, along with comedy sketches and standup. It even includes a bi-racial romance about a man and a woman finding solace and each other, called The Bubble. Of course it gets popped. But I kept coming back to Speak Monkey Speak. I realized I had something here, and I could learn just as much from reworking this one as starting a new one. It’s gone through many versions and character and plot changes. It was originally called Man Seeking Monkey. In that version it won the comedy genre at the first LA Film and Script Festival in 2016. They sent me an award certificate that read Man Seeking Money. I wrote back, asked for a corrected certificate. They said, Sure, no problem. They sent me another: Man Seeking Money. I keep them both on my wall, side by side.

8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)

Probably the Ramones’ She’s the One.

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

Mostly self-inflicted ones, like getting lazy and thinking, Okay, it’s done. It never really is. I read somewhere that the same work would be different at different points in your life, because you are different. Sounds about right.

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

The environment. I lived for years in dramatic, remote, radically beautiful places in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. You experience Nature in an intense, very personal way: a snowstorm, a Spring shower, sunrise and sunset on the horizon, the stars at night, an owl hooting, elk herds and bears, a mountain lion’s paw prints on the creek bank, a neon green meteor flashing and landing nearby. But mostly, that incredible Silence.

11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?

It works! I’m always searching for a useful festival. I found this Toronto festival, and years ago the festival in Oaxaca, Mexico. They gave me strong advice: Your story doesn’t really have an ending. They were right. It didn’t. It does now!

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

The biggest draw for me was the coverage, being able to choose a professional. I was very pleased with the help Leon Masters gave me. His focus was, What do YOU need from this? The table read was gravy!! I have a friend who is a big fan of audiobooks, and she was delighted by it. She said, It sounds just like a comedy! That was a relief. You live in your head and on paper. It was totally worth it to hear other interpretations. And I swear the actress riffed on something and improved it! I added it immediately. And I felt, THAT’S what filming must feel like, a team effort. So it was nice to get a taste of that.