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A professional thief pilfers money from the super-rich at weddings until he is caught stealing from the Italian mob and then is forced to take a priceless work of art from the Russian mob or die trying.
A good, old fashioned “B” picture for your first scene enjoyment.
EVGENY and VLADIMIR discuss when the supply plane will arrive. Outside, Evgeny is almost knocked down by a moving ridge in the ice, but Vladimir saves him. The ridge destroys shacks and machinery, and the incoming plane just manages to rescue them.
A professional thief pilfers money from the super-rich at weddings until he is caught stealing from the Italian mob and then is forced to take a priceless work of art from the Russian mob or die trying.
Interview with Brett Bacon:
1. What is your screenplay about?
A disciplined thief who specializes in super-rich weddings must take on an unpredictable and madcap rival or else lose his criminal operation, get apprehended by the police and taken out by the mob.
2. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
It’s a fun blend of two popular movie genres: romantic comedy and the heist. And who doesn’t like weddings?
3. How would you describe this script in two words?
comedy heist
4. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Enter the Dragon
5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
1 year.
6. How many stories have you written?
6
7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
I love the idea of combining the excitement and suspense of a heist with the fun and tension of a romantic comedy.
8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
Making sure that each major character gets their due in terms of character development.
9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Family, travel, fly-fishing, movies and reading.
10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
I am a big fan of the Wildsound Festival and they have a great reputation. The feedback was very constructive and helpful. I felt that it was tough love– but not so tough that I wanted to jump off a bridge!
11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?
Keep writing, never give up, don’t be afraid of taking risks and putting yourself out there.
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Director/Producer: Matthew Toffolo
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson
TYRE 820 BC – the death of the king causes ripples within the city as politics take over and the citizens fight over who between his two heirs should take the throne in his place. This is the origin story of Elissa, Princess of Tyre and how she rose to become the legendary Phoenician Queen.
2. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
“Films communicate information and ideas, and they show us places and ways of life we might not otherwise know.” One of my favorite quotes from Film Art by David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson and I believe it truly answers this question. Too often now in cinema the Middle East is portrayed negatively and as a Lebanese American screenwriter I believe it is my job to bring about better portrayals of my culture and my world.
3. How would you describe this script in two words?
Historical Drama.
4. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
A tie between Empire Strikes Back and The Two Towers.
5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
Three years.
6. How many stories have you written?
Around 10.
7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
I have always had an interest in ancient history and being Lebanese, the Phoenicians are our ancestors. Elissa, before becoming Queen of Carthage, was a Phoenician princess and while
researching Phoenician history, I connected with her story. I lived in America for 13 years and in Lebanon for the same amount so I have always used that to tell tales that have universal
themes. I, also, loved the fact that she was a strong woman from the Middle East.
8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
The Phoenicians never left records of their history, so I had to read Greek accounts, Roman accounts, as well as others to try and create a path for the film I was going to write. Nailing down the factual part of the screenplay was the hardest.
9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
I love acting. My father is a known actor in Lebanon, so I guess I inherited this.
10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
I wanted to finally start exposing myself as a screenwriter and nothing works better than taking a leap and throwing one’s work out there. I loved the initial feedback because it shed some light on what wasn’t working in the screenplay and once I applied what was said in the notes, I noticed the difference.
11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?
Always be open to listening to feedback and notes. It’s sometimes eye-opening. When you are writing you get so close to the characters, the conflict, and the world of your story that you can sometimes miss some opportunities that could strengthen the screenplay.
One hunter, who never speaks, journeys through a unique forest to discover its mystery.
“The Shot” is a science-fiction fantasy in line with “2001: A Space Odyssey”, in that it forces the viewer to make interpretations for themselves while utilizing time in a unique way. Because time is perceived differently by everyone, if executed properly, each person that watches this story unfold will see a *different film entirely*.
2. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
“The Shot” should be made into a film because cinema, especially from a digital perspective, has never seen something that utilizes time in quite the same way. From a marketing standpoint, people have already proven with “The Revenant” for instance, that they will be willing to pay to see a philosophical story set inside a forest, away from technology. This is perhaps, the anti-version.
The academy has also shown love for these types of stories, and the twist on the end is bound to land, at the very least, a nomination for best actress.
3. How would you describe this script in two words?
Digital Poetry.
4. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Avatar.
5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
About five years.
6. How many stories have you written?
I’ve written countless scripts since dropping out of Emerson, ever trying to hone my craft and teach myself knew techniques, but officially? Three. My next one for instance takes the opposite approach, being a dialogue-heavy, horror masterpiece that will scare the $%&! out of you. You have my word on that.
7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
The biggest influence on why this film was created was how much an enthusiast I for the whole “Film vs. Digital” war. Tarantino himself has made comments regarding how, if you wanted to write a poem, that you wouldn’t type it… you’d write it with ink instead. While his films are also part novels, mine is part video game. I really wonder what some of the film lovers out there would think of this “movie”.
8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
While I’ve been toying with the outline and concept for some years, it wasn’t until a freak accident that got me to sit down and actually figure out how the hell to execute a film that would make everyone who watches it, perceive it differently, from a time standpoint. One day I was just playing basketball with my brother, and somehow in going for a rebound at the same time, his finger went *through* the right side of my nose. I didn’t know the laws of physics worked that way, must have missed that class. So I’ve been suffering from this severed nerve, confined to the indoors, and just dealing with the most unbearable, excruciating agony. I’m not a complainer though, and just used it to create a journey through self-discovery, about struggle in its purest form.
9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Battlestar Galactica, Eminem, and Metal Gear Solid.
So say we all.
10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
I’ve entered a few contests before, never to win but simply because I love constructible criticism. When I saw this contest, it stood out to me more than most because of the 10-page structure. I immediately understood what they were going for with it, and I wanted their feedback. The funny part is, when I received the email, I went straight to the criticism, completely oblivious to the fact that I won. Took me an extra day. Good thing I went back and checked.
11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?
Love what you do. It might sound cliche, but I’m a firm believer that people simply do what they want. If you want to make a good film, you will. Practice. Practice. Practice. And that goes for any art form or life pursuit.
In the early 1940s in North Carolina as the soldiers prepare to go to War, Julianne balances the life on the farm with her family and being a showgirl for the army brats.
When the mysterious toy store owner gives orphaned Jack a real mermaid, his aunt and uncle must learn the difference between real and imaginary, before the mermaid kidnaps him, and they never see him again.
A shop assistant in the world’s most violent city is offered a million dollars by his company bosses in return for taking the lead role in their moneymaking scheme; faking the Second Coming of Christ.
In a surreal film-noir dream, BARKLEY wanders down a street, in an animal-centric red-light-district. He banters with a prostitute, and then leaves, revealing that he is wearing no trousers.
“Flat Pennies” follows a paraplegic man’s internal and outer struggles – from a lonely existence in a dark apartment filled with a sprawling model railroad all the way to finding love, happiness, and sunshine with the next-door neighbor who’s raising a young child and saddled with an abusive ex-husband.
First Scene Screenplay Festival 