The feedback was great, and the staged reading hit a lot of fine notes. INFERNO THE PHOENIX particularly.
Screenplay Reading:
Scottish siblings, Erin and Owen Macdonald, are swallowed by The Loch Ness Monster and brought to the magical land of Mythatania where all creatures heard of in Myth and Folklore have gone to escape the outside world. There they meet THE MYTHFITZ, a group of mythical youngsters and embark on a wonderful adventure.
CAST LIST:
Owen: John Marcucci
Erin: Zena Driver
Inferno: Shawn Devlin
Narrator: Kat Smiley
Cassandra: Corinne Sutton-Smith
Salandra: Cassandra Guthrie
Unee: Sam Fazli
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!
Zarna is a shadow fairy born without wings. To fit in she steals wings from living creatures. This year she’s looking for her own set of Christmas Wings.
My Screenplay, Christmas Wings, is about a shadow fairy, Zarna who was born without wings. She is the only shadow fairy without wings, and she feels left out, and to fit in she uses her magic to steal wings from other living creatures. At Christmas, she wants her own Christmas wings, and goes to steal the wings from an Angel. Instead, the Angel sends her to hell, where Zarna begins to see the damage to has done to other living creatures and is repentant.
The screenplay is about Zarna’s journey of how she learns to accept who she is, even though she is different as she has no wings, as well as accepting others for who they are.
What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Animated, short film, family, fantasy.
Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
Because it would be a movie suitable for all ages with a story line that all could relate to.
How would you describe this script in two words?
Inspiring and Imaginative.
What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
I love the movie, The Sound of Music. I would watch it yearly when growing up. I still enjoy watching and singing along to the movie.
How long have you been working on this screenplay?
I’ve been working on this screenplay off and on now for a few years.
How many stories have you written?
I’ve written over ten stories in various genres, horror, fantasy, steampunk, contemporary, romance and I have also published two collections of poetry.
What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
Recently, I’ve enjoyed listening (alot) to the song, This is Me, from The Showman. I find it positive and uplifting, and the tune stays in my mind!
What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
Initially this screenplay was written in a short story format, so I had to learn how to convert it to a script format and style which is very different writing novels.
Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
I’m passionate about sharing what I’ve learnt on my writing journey and helping others to be inspired to find their own creative expression.
You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?
I’ve had a very positive experience working with FilmFreeway and their submission platform. It’s always gone smoothly with good outcomes.
What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
I entered the festival because I wanted to see if my screenplay, Christmas Wings, would be well received, if it really did have potential to be made into a movie, and to see what feedback I could get on my story. I’ve been happy with the feedback I’ve received.