A FilmFreeway preferred festival:
![]() July 2019 Winner | ![]() July 2019 Winner |
![]() July 2019 Winner | ![]() July 2019 Winner |
![]() July 2019 Winner | ![]() July 2019 Winner |
Producer/Director: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Festival Moderators: Matthew Toffolo, Rachel Elder
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editors: Kimberly Villarruel, Kyle Drier, John Johnson
Festival Directors: Rachel Elder, Natasha Levy
Camera Operators: Denissa Palmer, Temitope Akinterinwa, Efren Zapata, Zack Arch
Winning THRILLER SHORT – ABANDON ALL HOPE, by Max Federman
Genre: Thriller, Horror, Sci-Fi
A student disappears down a dark staircase, and something is down there with him. Tension and intrigue build as campus security is edged out by a shadowy organization taking over the scene.
CAST LIST:
Hilary: Kyra Weichert
Police Dispath: Lauren Kristina Maykut
Narrator: Matt Barnes
Dr. Cary: Jarrod Terrell
McNamara: Allan Michael Brunet
Sean: Rob Notman
******
Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Director: Kierston Drier
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: Kimberly Villarruel
Camera Op: Mary Cox
January 2018 THRILLER Stories, Screenplays, and Short Film
A FilmFreeway preferred festival:
![]() WATCH Audience FEEDBACK | ![]() January 2018 Reading by Brooke Elowe |
![]() January 2018 Reading by Matthew Torti |
![]() January 2018 Reading by Richard William Masterson |
![]() January 2018 Reading by Kyle Williamson |
![]() January 2018 Reading by David R. Weinraub |
![]() January 2018 Reading by A.K.A. Smith |
![]() January 2018 Reading by Dempsey Tillman & Ted Dewberry |
![]() January 2018 Reading by Ricardo M. Fleshman |
![]() January 2018 Reading by Chris Courtney Martin |
![]() January 2018 Reading by Eric P. Granger |
![]() January 2018 Reading by Steve Hunyi |
![]() January 2018 Reading by Paige Brien |
![]() January 2018 Reading by Raymond Davenport |
![]() January 2018 Reading by Erick Hoffman |
![]() January 2018 Reading by Bryan Farrell |
![]() January 2018 Reading by Janet Caulfield |
![]() January 2018 Reading by TJ Chester |
![]() January 2018 Reading by James Helsing |
![]() January 2018 Reading by Aurele Ndja |
![]() January 2018 Reading by Mary Deal |
![]() January 2018 Reading by Eric J. Gates |
![]() January 2018 Reading by JD Daniels |
![]() January 2018 Reading by Michelle Weidenbenner |
****
Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Director: Kierston Drier
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson
Camera Operator: Mary Cox
THRILLER Best Scene Reading, of CONTINENTALIS, by Aurèle N’DJA
CAST LIST:
Gaut – Sean Ballantyne
Benjamin – Hugh Ritchie
Narration – Julie C. Sheppard
Liza – Lada Darewych
May – Victoria Urquhart
Zach – Geoff Mays
Get to know the writer:
1. What is your screenplay about?
The story is set up in a post-apocalyptic drought ridden world; where a man who’s determined to prove his father innocent of a crime he didn’t commit finds himself involved in the very same dirty deeds his father is accused of.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
It’s a sci fi thriller feature screenplay.
3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
I believe the story offers a good entertainment. This screenplay is the first installment of a saga and I think that such a franchise would be welcome by the audience. It treats about teleportation, water resources; and on a human perspective, about trust, love, devotion, self-confidence, betrayal and faith.
4. How would you describe this script in two words?
New world.
5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Die Hard with a Vengeance.
6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
For the record, I first wrote Continentalis as a novel. It took me two years to build this world in my mind, then on the paper. After a while, I decided to write the screenplay out from the book, and it took me around 6 months to do so. Such exercise is very constructive and exciting, trying to fold a 300-page story into a 100-page screenplay; I learned a lot.
7. How many stories have you written?
5 screenplays in different genres: romantic drama, sci fi, action, thriller, fantastic, horror.
8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
It really depends on the period, if I’m writing or not, how I feel, etc. From time to time I find one song I really like and I can listen to it 12 hours non-stop. For example, the song I’ve been listening to a lot while writing this story is Medicine by The 1975.
9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
I faced three major obstacles during the writing:
I’m French, and not being a native English speaker appeared to be quite challenging in finding the right words to make the dialogues feel natural and smooth,
This screenplay being an adaptation, it was heart-breaking to cut some scenes I enjoyed writing in the book but were not crucial in the film. The difficulty was to keep certain coherence in adjusting the story to fit a reasonable screen time,
Being a sci fi story, it’s a challenge to describe sci fi elements (e.g. technology) in a screenplay so they can be understood just looking at it, rather than explaining their functioning in a book paragraph.
10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Spending time with my family.
****
Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Director: Kierston Drier
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson
Camera Operator: Mary Cox
THRILLER Best Scene Reading of MODUS OPERANDI, by James Helsing
CAST LIST:
Irene – Julie C. Sheppard
Vincent 30s – Hugh Ritchie
Narration – Victoria Urquhart
Stoughton 60s – Sean Ballantyne
Roman 30s – Geoff Mays
Get to know the writer:
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
4. How would you describe this script in two words?
5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
7. How many stories have you written?
9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
****
Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Director: Kierston Drier
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson
Camera Operator: Mary Cox
THRILLER Best Scene Reading of RUNNING WITH WOLVES, by T.J. Chester
CAST LIST
Derrick (m) – Hugh Ritchie
Rae (f) – Lada Darewych
Narration – Sean Ballantyne
Red (m) – Geoff Mays
China (f) – Julie C. Sheppard
Bay Bay (f) – Victoria Urquhart
Get to know the writer:
1. What is your screenplay about?
After being evicted from her home, a promiscuous young woman is forced into a life of crime, aiding her companions in committing armed robberies, but when she has a change of heart and needs to find a way out, fear and desperation keep her at their side.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
My screenplay falls under Action/Crime/Thriller genres.
3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
This screenplay should be made into a movie because no one is doing anything like it right now; three, young, African-American, women go on a vicious crime spree for reasons other than being poor. This screenplay is about liberation, redemption and revenge.
4. How would you describe this script in two words?
I would describe this script as powerful and riveting.
5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
A movie that I have seen the most times in my life is The Color Purple.
6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
I have worked on this screenplay for 3 years.
7. How many stories have you written?
I have written a total of thirteen stories, six screenplays, six novels and one TV series.
8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the
most times in your life?)
I really don’t have a favorite song. However, I listen to R & B songs pretty much all the time.
9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
I don’t face any obstacles finishing. This screenplay is completed!
10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Besides writing, I am passionate about producing and directing.
****
Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Director: Kierston Drier
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson
Camera Operator: Mary Cox
2017 THRILLER Television Screenplays (6)
A FilmFreeway preferred festival:
![]() October 2017 Reading by Craig Page | ![]() September 2017 Reading by John Cruz Alarid |
![]() September 2017 Reading by Ian Bradburn | ![]() September 2017 Reading by Leslie Lyshkob |
![]() July 2017 Reading by Jessi Thind | ![]() February 2017 Reading Written by Simon Schneider |
****
Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Director: Kierston Drier
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson
Camera Operator: Mary Cox
2017 THRILLER Feature Screenplays (6)
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
THRILLER Best Scene Script Reading of THE PSYCHONAUTS, by Jonah Jones
Genre: Mystical thriller.
Logline: When a corrupt astral-projecting policeman discovers gold on another planet, he enlists another policeman to help him bring it back but the forces of law on their own planet and on their target planet – Earth in the year 33 AD – combine to corrupt them further.
CAST LIST:
NARRATION: Julie C. Sheppard
Supervisor – Trevor Marlatt
Janty – Katelyn Vanier
Get to know the writer:
What is your screenplay about?
The real story of Jesus and John the Baptist – two corrupt alien policemen trapped in political manoeuvres. On the fable level; it’s about the state versus the individual.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Thriller, fantasy, drama, Sci-fi.
3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
It’s a new take on what Jesus and John might have been and it’s exciting even when you know the ending from the human perspective. Don’t you want to know how I got to the Resurrection?
4. How would you describe this script in two words?
Jesus confused.
5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
No idea but in context; Ben Hur – the Charlton Heston version. Maybe North by North-west.
6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
I’m still working on it but probably a year. I’ve been busy doing other stuff like writing and directing short films. The original concept was one that I thought would make a short story. That was a few years ago.
7. How many stories have you written?
Full screenplays – 7, short films – 8, Radio plays – 4, short stories – something like forty, novels – 6, stage plays – 12, short stage plays – 7.
I am terribly old.
8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the
most times in your life?)
Impossible to say. Strawberry Fields – the Beatles.
9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
Having established the rules of what the Psychonauts can and can’t do, I had to make sure that the logic didn’t veer off along the way. I also had to ensure that I hadn’t gone so far into my own thinking about such matters that it made no sense to people coming to the script for the first time.
10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Music – I’m a guitarist. Art – I’m a cartoonist. The natural world – I’m a recorder for the South Wales biodiversity database.
***
Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Director: Kierston Drier
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson
Camera Operator: Mary Cox
Winning THRILLER 1st Scene Script – BUNNYMAN BRIDGE, by Colin K Stewart
Genre: Thriller, Crime, Mystery
After the tragic loss of her husband in a line of duty shooting, Detective Joan Fortune collapses and loses their unborn child. In the ensuing weeks, Joan’s life begins to crumble around her as she desperately tries to find the drug lords responsible for her husband’s murder. Things change for Joan when a local priest brings in a three year old girl who was left abandoned at his church. Joan’s heart melts upon meeting her.
CAST LIST:
Narrator: Elizabeth Rose Morriss
Gage: Connor Lyon
Ed: Dan Cristofori
Mike: Shaun Mazoka
Todd:: Brennan Clost
Mrs Zachary: Julie C. Sheppard
Joan: Rachel Rain Packota
Get to know the writer:
What is your screenplay about?
It’s a supernatural story about a malevolent spirit reliving its past to reclaim its family..
What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Supernatural horror…
Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
The book written by, Ronald J. Van Wynsberg, is an awesome read… If done right, I think it could rival with other cult classics like ‘Halloween’ or ‘Friday the 13th’… It has all the elements of a supernatural horror with an ending no one sees coming.
How would you describe this script in two words?
Movie worthy…
What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Halloween…
How long have you been working on this screenplay?
6 months…
How many stories have you written?
To many to count…but several that have made their way into producer’s hands…
What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
I am a fan of Country Music… If I had to pick one…’Wide Open Spaces’ by the Dixie Chicks
What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
Time…
Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Golf…
You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?
User-friendly website; Professional…
What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
The fact that the festival was looking for the genre to which I absolutely love… Very excited…
****
Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Director: Kierston Drier
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson
Camera Operator: Mary Cox