A FilmFreeway preferred festival:
![]() September 2018 |
![]() December 2018 |
![]() August 2018 | ![]() May 2018 Reading Dan Tomasulo |
![]() January 2018 Reading by Brooke Elowe |
![]() April 2018 Reading by Richard M. Kjeldgaarad |
A FilmFreeway preferred festival:
![]() September 2018 |
![]() December 2018 |
![]() August 2018 | ![]() May 2018 Reading Dan Tomasulo |
![]() January 2018 Reading by Brooke Elowe |
![]() April 2018 Reading by Richard M. Kjeldgaarad |
A middle-aged professor is down on his life until a beautiful young co-ed takes an interest in him, but she is not at all who she seems to be.
CAST LIST:
Narration – Sean Ballantyne
Female Detective – Norma Dawn Dunphy
The Professor – Shawn Devlin
******
Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Director: Kierston Drier
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: Kimberly Villarruel
Camera Op: Mary Cox
A FilmFreeway preferred festival:
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![]() March 2018 Reading by George Deihl Jr. |
![]() March 2018 Reading by Mike Meade |
![]() March 2018 Reading by John McCarney |
![]() March 2018 Reading by Victoria Mitchell |
![]() March 2018 Reading by J. David Thayer |
![]() March 2018 Reading by Jonah Jones |
![]() March 2018 Reading by Scott Timmins |
![]() March 2018 Reading by Howard Kaplan |
****
Producer/Director: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Festival Moderators: Kierston Drier, Shepsut Wilson
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: Kimberly Villarruel
Festival Directors: Mary Cox, Rachel Elder, Natasha Levy
Camera Operators: John Johnson, Isabal Cupryn, Aser Santos Jr., Zack Arch
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
A near-future dream expert with dream-reading technology, known professionally for her stance that “dreams mean nothing”, freaks when her husband’s dreams reveal an affair and a murder–hers.
CAST LIST:
Judge: Charles Gordon
Jazz Singer: Carina Cojeen
Narrator: Ida Jagaric
Pros. Attorney: Rob Notman
Greg: Sean C. Dwyer
Det. Morgan: Jarod Terrell
Carol: Kerrie Lamb
Get to know the writer:
1. What is your screenplay about?
Forty winks is about the struggle between knowledge and fear, belief and self-doubt. The main character is a scientist, supposedly unemotionally committed to conclusions drawn from years of research, her life’s work. But when this commitment comes into conflict with her beliefs about herself, her marriage and by extension her sense of self worth, it falters, because of a deep and very human insecurity, the possibility or “what if” that she is wrong, that she is unworthy, that she is unloved.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
It’s an erotic thriller and a mystery-drama, but the tension beneath the surface is often superseded by the comedy of life.
3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
It’s exciting and really intriguing with the angle of looking into dreams, the realistic nature of their representation (random, mundane, absurd, frightening), the macabre turn they take in terms of adultery and murder, and the whodunit guessing game between multiple characters.
4. How would you describe this script in two words?
Waking Nightmare
5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Sunset Boulevard
6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
A year
7. How many stories have you written?
Dozens
8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
You Send Me
9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
Getting the third act right
10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Women’s rights
11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?
Fine
12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
I like readings. I thought the reader misunderstood my intentions a little.
****
Producer: Matthew Toffolo – http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Director: Kierston Drier
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson
Camera Op: Mary Cox
A FilmFreeway preferred festival:
![]() October 2017 Reading by Richard M. Kjeldgaard | ![]() September 2017 Reading by Joel Stern |
![]() July 2017 Reading by Gunnar E. Garrett | ![]() May 2017 Reading by Guy Quigley |
![]() March 2017 Reading Written by Carl Joglar | ![]() January 2017 Reading Written by Jeff York |
****
Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Director: Kierston Drier
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson
Camera Operator: Mary Cox
Submit your Thriller/Suspense Screenplay to the Festival: https://thrillersuspensefestival.com/
![]() November 2017 Reading by Clark Moriarty |
![]() November 2017 Reading by Phillip E. Hardy |
![]() November 2017 Reading by Chris Furian |
![]() November 2017 Reading by Christopher Andre |
![]() November 2017 Reading by M. Kestrel |
![]() November 2017 Reading by Diana Lanham |
![]() November 2017 Reading by Glen Craney & John Jeter |
****
Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Director: Kierston Drier
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson
Camera Operator: Mary Cox
Submit your Thriller/Suspense Screenplay to the Festival: https://thrillersuspensefestival.com/
![]() September 2017 Reading by Ian Bradburn | ![]() September 2017 Reading by Joe Tofuri |
![]() September 2017 Reading by Alexander Beale | ![]() September 2017 Reading by Richard William Masterson |
![]() September 2017 Reading by John Cruz Alarid | ![]() September 2017 Reading by Mike Mead |
![]() September 2017 Reading by Leslie Lyshkob | ![]() September 2017 Reading by Joel Stern |
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![]() September 2017 Reading by Mari Tamez |
****
Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Director: Kierston Drier
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson
Camera Operator: Mary Cox
Genre: Thriller, Horror, Drama
The murder-suicide that left a thirteen-year-old girl without a mother and father triggers voices within encouraging her to kill.
CAST LIST:
Narrator: Julian Ford
Amy: Penelope Corrin
Kevin: Dan Cristofori
Morgan/Heather: Rachel Salsberg
Madison: Emily Weir
Matt: Steve Rizzo
Get to know the winning writer:
What is your screenplay about?
This screen play is about a dysfunctional couple who adopts a deeply disturbed set of twin girls who’ve witnessed their mother murdered by their father, and then turning the gun on himself. Now untrusting of anyone, one twin will do anything to protect them both from harm, including ridding their life of anyone she considers a threat.
What genres does your screenplay fall under?
This is a Thriller/Suspense, that also leans into the Horror Category.
Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
Like The Sixth Sense and Fight Club, this screenplay gives the audience to feel as they’ve figured out the film, they know where its headed and what’s going to happen, until… Oh no! They were wrong. The fact that I’ve written this film in one location with no extras, and a small cast also allows it to be shot on a lower budget, but still at a high quality, giving the investors a larger ROI than most films. Not to mention it’s creepy as F@$& with a little humor sprinkled in.
How would you describe this script in two words?
Incredibly deceptive.
What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
The movie i’ve seen the most times in my life has to be The Slammin’ Salmon, with Hot Rod coming in a close second.
How long have you been working on this screenplay?
I’ve been working on this screenplay for about nine months, and have done a couple rewrites since this reading, tightening the script for better production values.
How many stories have you written?
I’ve written seven screenplays to date, one is currently in production, Riley’s Rainbow, and The Weak Outdoors, is currently in Pre-Production.
What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Isreal Kamakwiwo’ole
What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
The largest obstacle in this screenplay was to hide the fact that there was only one girl, and the her twin sister was just a mental disorder… A genetic disposition passed down by her father. Since this table read, we’ve done another two rewrites, better adjusting for this, though once we bring in a Director, we expect him or her to add input resulting in , I’m sure at least one more rewrite.
Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Outside of writing, my other real passion is spending time with my children, watching them grow and learn through hard work and effort in whatever it is they are involved in.
What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
I entered the festival because, like every screenplay, rewrites are necessary, and without reputable feedback, the rewrites are useless. As far as the feedback I received for my work, even though no one is ever excited to her where they could have done better, it was all correct, and those adjustments needed to be made to take a film from being considered good, to great.
****
Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Director: Kierston Drier
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson
Camera Operator: Mary Cox
Winning Screenplay – NEMESIS Written by Carl Joglar CAST LIST: NARRATOR – Val Cole |
SYNOPSIS:
Genre: Thriller, Crime, Action
A car wreck allows a fugitive recovery agent’s prisoner to escape into the woods where she’s forced to pursue the killer, but when the other driver finds her in the wilderness, the hunt becomes complicated and the agent begins to suspect the woman’s involvement was not by chance.
Get to know the writer:
What is your screenplay about?
NEMESIS is about a fugitive recovery agent who, after being disgraced and fired from the U.S. Marshals, attempts to cover legal fees in a custody battle for her son by cashing in on the capture of an elusive killer. Unfortunately, she gets into a car wreck, her prisoner escapes into a vast wilderness and she’s forced to hunt him down again. But (without giving too much away), when the driver of the other vehicle finds her in the woods, the situation becomes increasingly complicated because of some hidden agendas.
What genres does your screenplay fall under?
I’d say it could fall under drama, thriller and action because there are elements of all three, but if I had to categorize it, I would call it a dramatic thriller.
Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
Just thinking about this, it occurs to me that no answer could sound very humble. I do feel very strongly about its merits, but even moreso after I started receiving so much positive feedback. People would say, “Wow, this is insane”, which I take as a compliment because you want to shake people up. I think the fact that three characters that are so different from each other are basically trapped in this environment together makes for a really curious situation. I feel like people might say, “I’ve got to see what happens when you put THESE three together.” But more than that, the main character’s journey is heart-breaking and relatable. I tried to make the ultimate example out of her. The moral of the story is “Don’t let your situation change who you are”. And who hasn’t been tempted at least once to step over that line?
How would you describe this script in two words?
“Intense” and “fast-paced”. As a writer, I have an unhealthy yet productive fear of being boring, so in a story, I’m obsessed with something either always happening or about to happen.
What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Jaws. It’s so amazing on so many levels. Story, acting, editing, etc. But Neil Simon’s The Goodbye Girl is a close second. That main character is the most charmingly hilarious train wreck I’ve ever seen. Great stuff.
How long have you been working on this screenplay?
I’ve worked longer on this script than I have on my marriage. I’m kidding. I actually wrote the first draft in less than a month, but of course, I’ve been making changes ever since, so it’s going on six months now and one draft kind of melds into the next, so who knows how many.
How many stories have you written?
I’ve been doing this since 1996 so I’ve lost count. If I included short scripts and commissioned scripts, the number would be ridiculous, but as far as strictly original speculative full-length screenplays.. probably 24 that I can remember. Oh! And a book. I wrote a contemporary sci-fi YA novel called THE PERILS OF QUAD. Right now I’m trying to find a home for it at a traditional publishing house.
What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
Wow, that’s tough. I don’t know if this is good or bad, but ever since I was little, there’s been something about Earth, Wind and Fire’s “Fantasy”. I love it to this day and I really have no clue why. Maybe it was playing in the background the first time a girl kissed me or something. ..Right now, though, I’m addicted to Disturbed’s cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s The Sound of Silence.
What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
Writers are going to hate me for this: There were no obstacles. There never are. I’ve never had writer’s block. If I did, I never realized it. I mean, I always get nervous when I start but once I’m off and running, that’s it. The pages start to pile up. Obviously, they don’t come out perfectly but they always come out.
Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
My wife and child, of course. They’re my world. But the weird answer to that would be Vintage Marvel comic books. I’m not a collector, by any means. I just love the look, the feel, the simplicity, even the smell of a dog-eared silver age Marvel Comic. I guess because it brings me back to the days when my biggest problem in the world was deciding between Apple Jacks and Fruit Loops. Man, if life could always be like that. Good times.
What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
I have to credit my best friend and producer, Alex Torres for that. He found out about the festival and immediately entered the screenplay. He’s the best. When I first read the feedback I received, I was pleasantly shocked because it was immediately apparent that this was a festival run by experienced and competent professionals and they clearly took the proper time to analyze the material. As a writer, you really deeply appreciate when people like this give you credit where it’s due, but also make a fair and efficient effort to help you develop the best story you can put forward.
Director/Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson
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Watch the 2016 Winning Thriller/Suspense Winners performed by professional actors.
Submit your Thriller/Suspense Screenplay to the Festival: https://thrillersuspensefestival.com/
![]() July 2016 Reading Written by Jeff York | ![]() June 2016 Reading Written by Paul Corricelli |
![]() May 2016 Reading Written by Scott McEntire | ![]() March 2016 Reading Written by Fredric Maffei |
![]() January 2016 Reading Written by Howard Fridkin |
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Director/Producer: Matthew Toffolo
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson