“THE LONG GOODBYE: AN ALZHEIMER’S STORY” played to rave reviews at the Los Angeles FEEDBACK Film Festival in April 2017. Part of the best of documentary shorts program.

Matthew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film?

Christian J. Harris: I’ve always been drawn to journalistic pieces. I love human interest stories and this one was so close to me that I had to do it. The couple shown are my grandparents actually. After watching my grandmother whither away into a stranger, I was deeply effected. But it was actually harder watching my grandfather slowly lose the woman he loved. But he never complained and he never considered giving her up, it was true love right in front of my eyes. I just felt I had to tell that story.

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

About 3…

“I am Heath Ledger” is a terrific documentary about the life of the talented actor and artist who left us way too early. It’s told through interviews of his good friends,  interspersed with Heath’s own home videos.

It was an honor to chat with the co-director of the film on the phone. The film is already a giant success and a must see for any fan of artistry in general.

Matthew Toffolo: What brought you to this project?

Adrian Buitenhuis: The company I work for, Network Entertainment, has already done a series of “I am” projects. Chris Farley, Steve McQueen etc… Heath was one they were thinking of doing for awhile.

I was working on another project in Columbia (Pablo Escobar) and they called me asking if I was interested in the project. I immediately was intrigued because his memory isn’t necessarily about his work and creativity from the mainstream…

Genre: Family, Drama

A perfect plan to allow the two kids of a couple separating to stay in the house while the parents alternate commuting back and forth turns out not to be so perfect, especially as Christmas approaches.

CAST LIST:
Narrator: Jack Comerford
Abby: Andrea Meister
Mrs. York: Konstantina Mantelos
Ogre: Anthony Botelho
Sage: Elizabeth Rose Morriss

****

Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com

Director: Kierston Drier
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson

Camera Operator: Mary Cox

Congrats to WILDsound Performer Mena Massoud for grabbing the lead role in the live action film of ALADDIN. The film also stars Will Smith as the Genie.

Mena performed in various scripts for the festival, including the lead role in WEECHO.

Watch the screenplay reading here: 

SYNOPSIS:

Photographer Weecho Marti’s shots of a fiery crash reveal a conspiracy murder he is haunted to avenge for the beautiful victim. In his quest to track down the murderous antagonist, he crosses paths with a spymaster who becomes his mentor. Together they navigate an espionage and smuggling labyrinth to bring Weecho face to face with…

31 short films (record setting showcase), 21 screenplays, 4 novel & short story transcripts = 56 winning works

Watch Recent Winning Readings

Watch JUNE 2017 Winning Readings and Film Festivals

JUNE 2017 UNDER 5 MINUTE FILM FESTIVAL  Watch Audience Feedback Videos from the Toronto Festival.

JUNE 2017 LGBT FILM FESTIVAL  Watch Audience Feedback Videos from the Toronto Festival.

JUNE 2017 COMEDY FILM FESTIVAL  Watch Audience Feedback Videos from the Los Angeles Festival.

JUNE 2017 SCI-FI FILM FESTIVAL  Watch Audience Feedback Videos from the Los Angeles Festival.

LGBT Feature Screenplay – ARRANGING MIA June 2017 Reading by Joanie Fox

FEMALE TV PILOT Screenplay – JUNKED June 2017 Reading by Alice Dennard

FAN FICTION TV SPEC Screenplay – DOCTOR WHO June 2017 Reading by Paul Hewitt

1st SCENE Screenplay – GOOD INTENTIONS June 2017 Reading by Sandy Tovray Greenberg

1st SCENE Screenplay – GRAVITY’S PULL June 2017 Reading by Robert Sivigny

FANTASY…

We’ve all heard it before – your short film is a calling card for your work in your industry. A highlight reel of your best work. Many of us come out of school having made one, or on our way to making one. We often pour our hearts, hopes, souls, and paychecks into their creation. But are they good?

Today we will be analyzing the very first step of making a film: Crafting the script. Below are five major things that help shape a good script into a great script.

*Note: Rules are meant to be broken. There will always be films that make it big that transgress the general rules. But it is also true that the elements below will be found in more successful films than not.

1. EFFICIENCY

Bow down before this God. Your film must be efficient. What does that mean? The baseline definition follows ”…

by Kierston Drier

Anyone here a professional or aspiring-to-be professional writer? Regardless of your level of success, professional writer is likely working contract or freelance. An aspiring writer is likely writing on weekends in order to polish their work and get it noticed. Sound familiar? What do both of these people have in common? Both of them are probably writing in their down time- one to hone their skills and one to stay sharp.

Here are five common problems of the weekend writer, and 5 ways to fix them.

PROBLEM: Motivation.

Whether you just finished your last paid script or you’ve spent the last two
years at a 9-5 job, motivation (or lack thereof) affects us all. You may be too tired to write, you may have a hard time thinking of new ideas. You may just have low moral thinking about how difficult the industry can be.

SOLUTION: Remember…