Diana Losen graduated with her MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage from Northwestern University in June 2016. Immediately after graduating, Diana acted in A Red Orchid’s production of Sick by Seven and was named a 2016 Academy Awards Nicholls Fellowship semifinalist for her screenplay The Brief & Brilliant Reign of Billy Tread. She went on to produce the world premiere of the play Taught by Mercedes Lake at the American Theater of Actors in New York City. Priest to Priest is her first short film.
Director Statement
I write and direct coming-of-age screenplays and teleplays navigated by protagonists who wield humor like a weapon as they fight to survive, find purpose, and grow up. I craft worlds that mirror our own but also veer off into the fantastical, using supernatural situations to provide escape and metaphor. My stories emphasize the value of the unconventional families we create for ourselves and explore the darker side of young love with romances of the forbidden or doomed variety. I’m interested in examining The Big Things such as meaning and our human obsession with it, the kaleidoscope of identity, and what sets us free. I write stories that capture the strangeness of adolescence, the melancholy of childhood, and the irony of adulthood.
LOGLINE: A nine-year-old priest seeks a mentor to help him defeat the antichrist, a devious middle-school bully.
SYNOPSIS:
Billy Tread (9) delivers a passionate prayer and is overheard by the unconventional, wise Father Williams. Billy introduces himself to Father Williams as a fellow priest but before he can ask for his counsel in defeating the antichrist (Axel Greene, grade 7) he must listen to Father William’s strange confession.
1983 – 1986
Self-taught learning and experimenting with Super-8 film.
1987 – 1992
Teacher education in Lucerne
1994 – 2001
The hobby becomes a profession by a professional Videoproducer
2001 – 2002
Marketing and image communication by an agency
2002 – 2004
Preparation course at the School of Design, Bern and eidg. Diploma Examination Multimedia Coordinator.
Since 2002
independent video producer
Director Statement
It’s about believing in yourself. You have to stay true to your goals and ideas.
It is about assertiveness, one’s own will, it is about self-realization, about the development of one’s own strengths and unequal prerequisites. And also to promote the acceptance of partial performance weaknesses against the background of today’s school situation.
He scores goals like Ronaldo. Though reading out loud or writing doesn’t work as well. But as shy Noah falls in love with a girl, neither nimble feet nor a quick tongue matter and the key to fortune is something else: patience.
The Seeker is a story about a young girl who struggles to find the balance between helping her family and actually doing the right thing.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
I would consider The Seeker to be a drama.
3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
Personally, I think this story is just flat out entertaining. I love a story with a smart twist and The Seeker definitely has one. It is filled with tender visuals and I think it would be a fun movie to direct. It would be challenging, but rewarding.
4. How would you describe this script in two words?
Terrifyingly relatable
5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Hmm… wow that’s a tough one. It’s probably a toss up between The Never Ending Story and No Country For Old Men… don’t judge!!
6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
Funny enough, I’ve been working on this script since I was a sophomore in college, 2011. I’d forgotten that I’d written it, but found an old PDF and fell in love with the idea again. It was cool to see how I’ve progressed as a writer from one of the first screenplays I’d ever written.
7. How many stories have you written?
I’ve written probably 50 short films & sketches since 2011 when I started and I’ve gotten to 1/2 of a feature!
8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
I used to have a big crush on a guy who was seriously into Gerry Raferty so I’ve probably listened to “Right Down The Line” over 1,000 times. Ha!
9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
I had a certain story in my head and when I thought it was finished, I got critiques from a couple of people wanting more. I still get them. It’s hard to get suggestions from other people and still stay true to the story you want to tell. Overall, I think the changes I made based on their suggestions made for a stronger story. It’s always good to get a fresh set of eyes.
10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
I love working with children. They are so unafraid to express how they feel, but may not always know how to articulate it. They taught me how to be a better instructor and a better director.
11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?
Working via Film Freeway makes submitting to festivals extremely easy!! There are so many festivals to submit to right at your fingertips.
12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
I read the title of the festival and knew I needed feedback on The Seeker and thought, could this get anymore perfect? The Seeker is a troubling story about a family, and it’s so hard to get friends to read anything so it just seemed like fate was saying “Enter this one Kaitlyn!”. It was an entry fee well spent!
I felt like the feedback was incredibly insightful. I really felt like the feedback giver was invested in the success of my story and did what they could to have made it stronger. I thank you for that!