After being abducted by a suburban couple running an underground trafficking ring, a determined young woman discovers her missing best friend among the captives and rallies a group of women to fight back, outsmart their captors, and take their freedom by force.

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

My screenplay is about a young woman who is abducted into an underground, suburban, sex trafficking ring, who bands together with her best friend and a small group of other captive women to attempt an escape before they are all sold off to the highest bidder.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Thriller/Action

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

We already have Taken with Liam Neeson. But what if there was no Liam Neeson character?

What if the girl had to save herself and her best friend? That’s the story I wanted to tell. It’s about strength in unity, and how a group of women can band together and fight back.

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

Unyielding Survival

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

Clue (1985)! It’s one of my favorites. I watched it all the time with my friends growing up and I still watch it when I’m happy, sad, sick, healthy, I love it.

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

I came up with the initial concept for this screenplay back in 2020, but I really dove into the writing process earlier this year at the beginning of June and finished the submitted screenplay the first week of July.

7. How many stories have you written?

There was a time earlier this year when I had 27 unfinished scripts in my screenwriting software. Now, I have 22. I’ve written 5 stories from start to finish.

8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

At the height of Covid in 2020, I was unfortunately laid off from my job, as was most of the country. I was thinking of another source of income when I thought of applying to be a DoorDash or Uber Eats driver. But, my next immediate thought was, “No, it’s too dangerous. With my luck, I’d end up getting lured and abducted by some psychopath.” I guess that’s the anxiety in me, but that feeling definitely stuck with me. And thus, You Have Arrived was born.

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

This was my first feature length screenplay that I have written, so I think that alone was a challenge. I’m more comfortable with writing out short concepts. But, the more I fleshed this concept out, the more I felt like this had to be a feature. This process definitely taught me so much about pacing and structure. I loved every minute of working on this screenplay and allowing it to consume my brain was so much fun.

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

I absolutely love the whole filmmaking process! Everything from pre to post production. Casting, location scouting, filming, and editing I would say are some of my favorite aspects of the overall process. I’ve loved movies since I was a baby and I never stopped.

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

The promised feedback and having my best scene read was very enticing. I’ve listened to the auction scene at least a dozen times since it was sent to me! It’s so surreal. The feedback I received was spot-on and so appreciated. It gave me great notes to push my script further!

Fiona Haegerbergh, a journalist for The Metro Standard, arrives in a rural Norwegian town to investigate rising drug use. Officially, she’s there to produce a webcast— but Fiona has her own agenda: uncovering the truth behind the recent suspicious death of a local drug dealer. Fiona’s editor urges her to stay on task, as much is riding on the Metro Standard’s survival—now largely dependent on the recent success of its popular web series.

CAST LIST:

Narrator: Val Cole
Fiona: Hannah Ehman
Kari: Elizabeth Rose Morriss

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

My screenplay is about a journalist Fiona Haegerbergh, who travels to a remote Norwegian town to cover rising drug use for her paper’s popular web series, but she’s secretly investigating the suspicious death of a local dealer. She’s met with hostility from townsfolk and a wary sheriff, but she gradually earns his reluctant trust as she digs into the community’s hidden drug network. Her search leads to Jenny, a young mine worker with ties to Fiona’s brother, who may have inherited the operation. When Jenny is suddenly found drowned, Fiona’s investigation takes a darker turn and she is faced with a devastating choice: expose what she’s uncovered and risk her own secret being revealed—or stay silent and let the town’s shadows close in.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Thriller, Mystery

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

Because it has a good mystery, loveable characters and an unexpected twist.

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

Powerful forces

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

Naked Gun

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

5 months

7. How many stories have you written?

Two: Trust Me (Screenplay), The Village Phantom (Screenplay)

Currently working on a third screenplay: ‘Evil Coconuts’

8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

The concept of a Village Phantom (in Norwegian: Bygdedyret), an invisible force that unites people to remove a menace in their community, was always fascinating to me. So I spun a story set in the town where my mother grew up, a commuter town to the capital, Oslo.

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

I didn’t encounter any particular obstacles finishing the screenplay.

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

I like making trailers using AI technology.

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

The feedback was extremely helpful. It helped me plug plot holes and logical inconsistencies in the story.

I received very helpful feedback on my previous screenplay, Trust Me, so I thought I’d submit my next screenplay as well.

When a woman discovers her new boyfriend is hiding a body in the trunk, her road trip spirals into a nightmare of buried secrets, survival instincts, and a past frozen in lies. Based on a true story.

CAST LIST

Narrator: Elizabeth Rose Morris
Daisy: Hannah Ehman
Patrick: Geoff Mays

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Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

Frozen Lies is a psychological thriller about Daisy Flynn, a young woman on a road trip with her boyfriend, until she discovers a body hidden in his trunk. As the investigation unfolds, she realizes she’s the next target of a calculating sociopath. It’s a suspenseful story of survival, manipulation, and finding the strength to escape the lies.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Frozen Lies falls primarily under psychological thriller and true-crime suspense. It has the grounded intensity of a crime drama, the claustrophobic tension of a thriller, and the unsettling atmosphere of horror. Because it’s based on real events, it also carries a true-crime edge, giving it both emotional authenticity and chilling realism.

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

Frozen Lies should be made into a movie because it takes the intimacy of a true-crime case and transforms it into a cinematic, edge-of-your-seat experience. The story delivers both the visceral suspense of a thriller, the cooler in the trunk, the road trip gone wrong, and the emotional pull of survival as Daisy realizes she’s trapped with a sociopath. It’s a contained, character-driven narrative that can be produced on a modest budget while still delivering high-impact tension. Most importantly, it gives audiences not just a crime story, but a survivor’s story, spotlighting resilience, the dangers of manipulation, and the razor-thin line between trust and terror.

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

“Chilling Deception”

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

Hand’s down it is Star Wars IV A New Hope

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

This project took me about 3 months to get it where I could share it with people outside the inner circle.

7. How many stories have you written?

I have 3 completed feature scripts. 3 short scripts and 2 TV pilot scripts.

8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

The true story aspect of this screenplay comes from a 2002 double homicide case in Anne Arbor Michigan. I was a witness. I testified that the forum post (Featured in the final draft of the script) could only have been posted by the defednant.

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

The biggest obstcale was getting the nerve to get started. The villian’s true-life counter part was evil. I did not want to glorify the crimes. I Whne I came up with the composite surviovor in Daisy, I felt I could tell her story. It made the ick of the first half of the script eiasier to write.

The next obstacle was deciding on the structure of the story. I landed on a non-linear format with flashbacks that would drive the story. The villian is arrested in the first scene, so this was never meant to be a story about catching a killer. Daisy’s story was about how she could survive one.

The podcast elements in the final draft became a challenge as I needed to make sure I was giving her her voice in truth in a cinematic way, but also keep it familiar in today’s podcast/true-crime framing.

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

I like collecting Star Wars Helmets. I think I have spent the kid’s college tuition on them. I have four dogs. Two Frenchie’s and two pugs. And Travel, mostly to theme parks.

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

I was drawn to this festival based on its monthly run. Short turnaround so I could use feedback in the next draft. So far, things have worked out. I am able to incorporate notes into the next draft. I like the idea of having a scene worked into a table read. The performances were really good, and I will be sharing that scene far and wide.
I also like all of the winner options. This festival takes choices to the next level. As I write this, I am looking to see what track I am going to take. The trophy is tempting. Networking with other writers is a must!

At the dawn of the twentieth century, a pampered young American girl has her life turned upside-down by a series of harrowing encounters with fantastical characters.

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Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

In 1902 San Francisco, Annie Jane Moore is a pampered young American girl who undergoes a series of unexpected encounters with the wacky, the weird, and the darkly fantastic:

First, dealing with a sitting-room full of funny characters who might have something entirely other than merriment in mind; second, having a run-in with a pair of curious young space aliens who have found a novel way to interact with humans, with unexpected consequences; and third, with the help of her young inventor cousin, accidentally summoning a supernatural entity that envisions a bright future for mankind… or so it claims.

Through clear thinking and quick action, Annie Jane ultimately saves the day, but she and those around her are forever changed by her fantastical experiences.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Animation, Family, Fantasy/Science Fiction.

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

At a time when so many stories on screens big and small seem to have degenerated into controversial and unpopular “message media,” now more than ever mainstream audiences worldwide crave a satisfying and re-watchable respite from the cares and woes of everyday life… that is to say, actual entertainment. American Fairy Tales strives to address this timeless need.

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

Modern Fairytales!

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

The Fifth Element (1997) never gets old.

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

Development started in October of 2021.

7. How many stories have you written?

Seven and counting, most of those co-developed as screenplays and novels or short stories. Graphic novel and stage play versions also in development.

8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

I realized early on that timeless fairy tale narratives are an invaluable resource in helping folks young and old come to grips with the occasionally harsh realities of existence. This outlook informs and motivates all of my writing.

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

I adapted American Fairy Tales from two short stories and a novella penned by American author L. Frank Baum, best known for his Land of Oz series of children’s fantasies. It took attention to detail to portray accurately the setting, language, manners, and culture of early 20th century North America. It was challenging at times to expand upon and up-dramatize Baum’s material, staying true to its kid-friendly “modern” fairy tale flavor while slipping in light-handed meditations on topics that are as relevant today as they were 125 years ago.

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

Growing Pacific Northwest native trees from seed, gardening, and firing up the barbecue. .

11. What influenced you to enter the festival?

Ontario, Canada, is one of North America’s most vibrant motion picture hotspots, and WILDsound is part of that milieu. Receiving insightful and actionable feedback on screenplays—that does not reek of AI—is a huge plus!

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

Oil and Blood is a dark, poetic one-act psychological thriller centered on a man in a bathroom at night, grappling with legacy, masculinity, and betrayal. What begins as a ritual with mustache wax and a razor becomes a monologue about lineage, loss, and revenge. The story is intimate but intense, turning the simple act of grooming into a meditation on memory, identity, and violence.

________________________________
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

* Psychological Thriller

* Drama

* Experimental/Art-House

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

Because it distills big themes – family legacy, identity, grief, obsession – into a visceral and cinematic moment. The screenplay is highly visual, relying on stark imagery (the cracked mirror, the flickering light, the gleam of the razor) that would translate powerfully to screen. Its brevity makes it ideal for a short film festival circuit while packing the emotional intensity of a feature.

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

Visceral Ritual

________________________________
5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

This was only a few weeks.

________________________________
6. How many stories have you written?

Dozens, spanning stage plays, short films, and full-length works. My body of work ranges from absurdist comedies to dark psychological explorations, always grounded in sharp dialogue and theatrical tension.

________________________________
7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

The initial spark was the idea that something as trivial as cutting a mustache could feel like generational betrayal if loaded with enough symbolic weight. I wanted to explore how masculinity and memory can twist into obsession – and how rituals can become both sacred and violent.

________________________________
8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

The restrictions on one page. Condensing such layered themes into such a tight space without losing nuance or intensity was the greatest challenge.

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

I’m passionate about law, theatre, and community engagement. My career as an attorney and my deep involvement in the arts often intersect – whether in advocacy, storytelling, or empowering voices through stage and screen.

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

I entered to test how a small, intimate script like Oil and Blood would resonate with an audience beyond the page – where silence, breath, and imagery matter. The initial feedback confirmed that the screenplay struck a nerve: people were unsettled but moved, which is exactly the response I hoped for.

________________________________
11. What movie have you watched the most times in your life?

The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Its blend of myth, moral weight, and immersive world-building has always been a touchstone for how stories can feel both epic and deeply personal.

In a 1960s rural community, a young girl navigates her coming-of-age only to discover family secrets of mental illness, love, and loss that change the course of her life.

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?
It’s a coming-of-age story about a girl trying to find her place in the turbulent 1960s, a time of women’s rights, civil rights, and gay rights. But what she sees in herself and what others see in her are at odds, and she must navigate mental illness, loss, and the redemptive power of love to find her true self.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Drama and coming-of-age


3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
The most compelling aspect of this movie is its strong connection to “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” The story parallels the turbulent ’60s with our political climate today, showing us how far we’ve come and the dangers that await us today if we go back.


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




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



6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
It’s been in my head for 30 years, but I’ve only been working on this for a year. I adapted it from my novel that I am currently revising.


7. How many stories have you written?
Too many to count. Three screenplays and over 30 essays.



8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
As a tribute to my grandparents and a desire to have certain aspects of their lives live on.



9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
When I started, I had a lot of nice stories in search of a plot. I still have that, but I’m getting clearer on my protagonist’s goal with each revision.



10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Traveling, making people laugh, and making a great margarita.



11. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
I wanted to put myself out there and see what would happen. The initial feedback was helpful, but I try to keep all feedback in perspective since this is such a subjective business.

Some of my female friends told me certain stories of what they sometimes deal with from men. This short script expresses that.

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

Men who don’t understand the word “No”

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Drama

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

It’s an important lesson

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

Walk away

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

1 day

6. How many stories have you written?

I have a bunch of summaries written but 1-2 screenplays

7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

I want to get into filmmaking

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

Just actually doing it. I didn’t know if I’d be an ok screenwriter

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

Movies

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

Wanted to at least try. I’m really grateful for the feedback. It helped a lot.

11. What movie have you watched the most times in your life?

The Dark Knight and ROPE

Performed by Val Cole

Get to know the poet:

1. What is your short story about?

This short story is about an adolescent boy and girl who are best friends and the boy comforts the girl when she fears for her older sister taking her own life. We learn at the end of the story that the boy had his older brother take his own life two years prior. It’s a horrible thing that some young siblings have to go through and it changes people’s lives.

2. What genres would you say this story is in?

This story is in the literary fiction genre and is written in a young adult style that is very simplistic and easy to follow, but has a poignant message about love between older and younger siblings, and best friends.

3. How would you describe this story in two words?

Vintage, summer

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

The movie that I have seen the most in my life is Girl, Interrupted.

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

My favorite song is This Is What Makes Us Girls by Lana Del Rey.

6. Do you have an all-time favorite novel?

My all-time favorite novel is Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates.

7. What motivated you to write this story?

The loss of my older sister and her love for the 90s motivated me to write this story.

8. If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?

If I could have dinner with one person (dead or alive) it would be Ernest Hemingway.

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

I am also passionate about art and music, and learning about the law.

10. What influenced you to enter your story to get performed?

I have received a lot of rejection letters for many of my short stories, and I just thought this competition would be a nice way to get some feedback and something tangible to motivate me to continue doing what I’m doing and have something to show people what I can.

11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

Well, I’m not really qualified to give tips about writing. I feel like I’m the one who still needs them, but if I have to I would say write a good title that makes you feel proud of your piece and don’t get discouraged by what could inspire you instead.

Voice Over by Val Cole

Visual Design: Adam Bilyea

Produced by Matthew Toffolo
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Get to know the poet:

1) What is the theme of your poem?
The theme is about what role society wants you to play versus how you want to live your life and then how you fit into society by living authentically.

2) What motivated you to write this poem?
I was motivated to write Hotel Confessional as I started to examine parts of myself and why I am who I am. It was an exercise in vulnerability and honesty. Sharing it turned out to be very cathartic.

3) How long have you been writing poetry?
I started writing poetry during the Covid pandemic. It just kind of came about out of nowhere. I believe having a lot of free time gave me the opportunity to be more creative than I ever imagined.

4) If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?
Hmm, that’s hard. I’d love to have dinner with people from my favorite bands(My Chemical Romance, Pearl Jam, Deftones, Pierce the Veil) and pick their brains about how they create their music, but, ultimately, I would choose my father, who passed in 2010.

5) What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a professional actor?
I wanted to keep pushing myself out of my comfort zone by continuing to share my poetry in a very public way. I’ve learned I love collaborating with others. Why not do it?

——
POEM;

Hotel Confessional, by Alicia Daggs

As a girl I wanted to be

A movie beauty queen

The star in a centerfold

From a pin up magazine

Down in the ditches

I was raised up so clean

But things I learned on the internet

So obscene

Some things I found out

I wish I never knew about

But, if you please

We can play cat and mouse

In a blissed out fantasy

Just between you and me

I got a feeling

Someone’s gonna bleed

In this hotel confessional

There’s no room for privacy

We’re so close

Skin to skin

Bedroom eyes and bloody knees

And if you confess your sins to me

I’ll show you just how much it means

Performed by Val Cole

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your short story about?

Cindy LaFors, an admin assistant, accidentally summons a demon in her office while composing an update to her company’s SOPs.

2. What genres would you say this story is in?

Humor, Paranormal, Satire

3. How would you describe this story in two words?

Sinister fun.

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

Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. I used to rewind the part with Large Marge and watch it over and over again.

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

Kiss by a Rose – Seal.

6. Do you have an all-time favorite novel?

Wuthering Heights. I’m a sucker for the prose.

7. What motivated you to write this story?

It was an exercise for one of my writing classes in my MFA program at San Diego State University. I wanted to write a story about a woman who must confront an evil boss and stand up to him. The humor and paranormal aspects came naturally, drawing inspiration from Good Omens.

8. If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?

Kurt Cobain.

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

I really like cats and have four of them.

10. What influenced you to enter your story to get performed?

This story received a lot of good feedback — and tons of laughter — from family, peers, and others when I read it out loud at the culmination of my MFA program.

11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

Write what you like because it’s essential to have good writing motivation.