Another Film Festival for "The Pessimist"

Well over the last few weeks I have been cold calling with my various short scripts and feature script. Now that I have a legitimate credit to my name I am finding producers are much more willing to read my stuff. About 2 thirds reply and half have seen The Pessimist and loved it. This really helps to give the prospective producer an idea of what I am capable of. This teamed with the fact I have co-written another script that has been optioned and I am finding lots of replies but no takers, yet.

I had a phone conversation with a producer in Melbourne last week and he is partially interested in the feature which would be amazing and through a reply from one producer yesterday I found out that one of my shorts (I only have one!) and one of his shorts are screening at The West End Film Festival next Sunday. What a small world. He has heard of the Pessimist and hopes to catch it then and also loves the work from Lav Productions. Still this is a slim chance but I don't think he would be reading my scripts this week if I didn't have this valuable credit to my name.

So I'll keep toiling away and who knows maybe by the end of the year I'll more exciting news than someone read my script.

Still pretty cool to have an idea of mine screening at yet another Film Festival

Until then hail to calling cold!

Funding?

Well I'm putting it out there again!! My balls that is!!!  Figuratively not literally!!!!

The good people at QPIX have different funding programs and one of them is '2010 Short Drama Program' (read: Any short script NOT non-fiction/documentary).

I have several short scripts in the different stages of development. I sent a bunch (4) to an assortment of producers in QLD and received some encouraging feedback by a couple of producers who had heard of "The Pessimist" and were going to read the aforementioned scripts and get back to me. No breath holding for moi. One producer got back to me with a resounding 'yes' I like the characters, dialogue, tone etc of the shorts and will read the feature length soon. Well yes it's great to have someone who has made shorts to like my writing but I've heard it all before!!!!  Will he actually help me get one or more off the ground and become a reality?   WHO KNOWS???

He did however say that "The Entertainer" and "Google EARTH" were good enough to consider applying for funding through QPIX but the deadline is 19th March. So I clicked on the handy link and perused the application information. I have looked at compititions/funding programs before and the things that stuck out about this one.

1. It didn't cost anything!
2. I didn't have to have a producer attached
3. It's based in QLD
4. Each writer can apply with upto 3 scripts.
5. They ACTUALLY make the scripts they choose into award winning shorts!

So I've spent a week tweaking both scripts, writing a 1 paragraph synopsis and a treatment for each. I'll keep tweaking and rejigging until I think they are as good as they could/should be. Then at the end of this week I'll post these two kernals to Brisbane hoping that I have the right ingredients to POP a nice buttery salty bag of popcorn to keep me nourished while I sit in the dark in anticipation.

I just have to believe that lightning can strike twice and "The Pessimist" isn't destined to be my only credit as I'm even getting tired of me talking about it!

Well if you would like to read any of the scripts I have written or even better know how I can get funding my email is jlind78@gmail.com

Fingers crossed and I keep you posted!

Until then hail to the moula!