Jamaica Story is a documentary made to inspire Jamaicans worldwide to invest their time as well as their money to help create a brighter and stronger Jamaica!

https://instagram.com/jamaicastory/

Director Statement

I was born in NY to Jamaican parents, but spent a pivotal time in Little London, Westmoreland, Jamaica. This time created a love and affinity for Jamaica I barley understand sometimes. In 2018 I had the crazy idea to film a feature length documentary about Jamaica talking to any and everyone who said yes. I reached out to anyone I could through many mediums. I spent my own money going back and forth between Jamaica and the US. People told me I was crazy, but here I am today still following my dream of creating a documentary to help change a country and a people.

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FLESH WISH, 4min., UK
Directed by Timothy Benjamin Slessor
An experimental horror inspired by H.P. Lovecraft, David Cronenberg and Clive Barker, this music video / short details in an abstract way the summoning of demons through a ritual performed behind the locked doors of a 1970s terraced house.

What motivated you to make this film?

Several factors! Firstly, I wanted to make something visual to accompany the release of my album. Secondly, I wanted to experiment with a lot of different ideas and techniques, but importantly have a finished piece of work to show for it, not just a bunch of tests. Thirdly I wanted to see how I could kind of corrupt and pervert generative ai platforms and work them into my editing and animation / vfx practise and finally I wanted to make something that would surprise and confound my friends and colleagues!

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

It was about three to four months of laborious work, mostly in after effects and premiere. I had to create all of the images and heavily distort and rework them and the editing was done frame-by-frame. About 6 months after it was finished I considered going back and tweaking some things but one look at the edit sequence was enough to convince me to leave well alone!

How would you describe your film in two words!?

Quite fleshy.

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

The hardest thing was just getting it finished! It was so hard to create enough interesting images and scenes, especially given the extremely fast cut-rate. I kept trimming the track down (ultimately from around 5 mins to about 3'45 I think) just so I could get it done (I had to keep pushing the release of the album back too as a result). 

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HOLIDAY SPECIAL, 91min., USA

Directed by Harry Roseman

Community, Celebration, Conversation, Chores; these are the key themes of this experimental documentary. Four days of shopping for Thanksgiving dinner as well as the meal itself are

the ostensible subject of this film. Community is reflected in the interaction with people while shopping as well as the camaraderie of the dinner quests. The quotidian nature of these tasks is subverted by the abstract camerawork and narrative structure, offering the viewer a new perspective on both. The vertical orientation of the film reaffirms looking ahead as we follow the trajectory and shape of the shopping cart moving down the narrow aisles, as well as following the gaze of the filmmaker as he walks forward.

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Sitka’s Hidden Wonders, 43min., USA
Directed by Ben Hamilton
Sitka’s Hidden Wonders is a 40-minute theatrical nature film that blends sweeping cinematography with a deeply personal story of return. Told by award–winning wildlife filmmaker Ben Hamilton, the film explores what it means to truly see a place—through the hidden layers of one of Alaska’s wildest coastal ecosystems.

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-sitkas-hidden

https://instagram.com/sitkawonders

What motivated you to make this film?

Every summer, over 600,000 people visit Sitka, but most just walk around town and never see the incredible natural wonders all around us. I wanted to create a film that connects them to this place—beyond the shops and the docks—into the wild heart of Sitka. After years of filming here for networks like BBC and National Geographic, this was my chance to make something for Sitka itself.

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

The film took two years of full-time work, plus a year of planning and permits before that. And some shots were collected over the last decade—moments I'd been saving for the right project.

How would you describe your film in two words!?

Local. Connected.

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

The biggest obstacle was really time.  The focus and intensity it took to deliver a film like this while still being there for my small kids and wife. It meant weeks away in the field, long nights editing, and constantly trying to balance the work with family life.

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Sauvetage, 5min., Australia
Directed by Jackson Bentley, John Stokes
When a special forces operative is held captive by a sadistic crime boss is interrogated, the only way to save him is through the element of surprise.

https://instagram.com/sauvetage_short_film

https://www.instagram.com/jacksonbentleyvisuals/

https://www.instagram.com/drastic_stokesy/

Get to know the filmmakers:

What motivated you to make this film?

John – We were motivated to make this film as we were given the opportunity to work with the legendary Richard Norton. It was originally supposed to just be a short scene to be used as a pitch but Jackson and I wanted to go all out and produce a short film in a very short amount of time.

Jackson – Originally it was meant as a sizzler reel to show some producers, Richard Damien and I were pushing quite hard to have a feature film made starring Richard, however John is a very quick writer and everything just started aligning for us to turn this into a short.

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

John – I believe it was a Thursday where the producer Damien told us that he had somehow convinced Richard Norton to join us for a shoot the following Sunday. I quickly wrote together the script which never went past version 1. We organised the location, crew and cast – all entirely for free as everyone wanted to work with Richard Norton. We filmed in 6 hours on the Sunday and I edited the film within a day after the shoot.

How would you describe your film in two words!?

John – Bitter Sweet. Bitter due to the lead actor Richard Norton recently passing away, but sweet since we now have an award to honor his memory. We are forever in debt to Richard for being involved in this film and he has been a great mentor and friend to us.

Jackson – I think John nailed it, it still feels very surreal that Richard has passed, I think we are still in a little bit of shock and grief but I’m so grateful for receiving his knowledge and just being able to call someone I admired so much a friend plus being able to direct him was even cooler.

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

John – The only obstacle was time, as we only had 6 hours to film. If we were being honest, there are some things we’d do differently if we had more time but we are proud of what we did with what we had! Other than that I remember Jackson became ill and went to hospital the day before! Luckily he was still able to make the shoot to co-direct with me.

Jackson – Haha yes directing a script you read only 12 hours before and on the back end of strong pain killers was definitely interesting. Having only 6 hours booked to shoot the short was definitely stressful, but I am so proud and honestly cannot believe our whole crew pulled that off.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

John – I actually didn’t realise that we would get audience reactions so it was a great surprise! It’s such an honour to hear feedback like this from half way across the world!

Jackson – I thought it was really cool! I’m just a guy from a very small town in Australia who 8 years ago was a drug addict with no direction in life, so this was very special to me.

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Watch the poetry movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lbp1qFcH2o

www.instagram.com/realsilentdream

What is the theme of your poem?
The theme of “The Beautiful Scar” is learning to find the beauty in the humanity we often rob ourselves of when we feel like the world is rejecting us.

What motivated you to write this poem?
During the first year of the MFA program at UNR-Lake Tahoe, I was away at our winter residency, and I was so encapsulated by my colleagues’ vulnerability and the power they gave to their truth of the hardships they experienced in their own lives. One of them told me that my writing was already at that level but what held me back was withholding my own truth to protect those I was writing about. This poem was the turning point for me to be more honest and vulnerable, not just with my audience, but with myself. It was a difficult process to grasp and write through but for the first time in my 25 years [at the time] of life, I finally felt free.

How long have you been writing poetry?
I was a slow-learner as a kid, so I caught on to reading and writing at a later age than my siblings did, but I began creative writing through free-writing in 1st grade when I was six years old. I began learning how to write poetry at eight years old and began writing my own poems at twelve years old, so I’ve been writing for about twenty-two years with seventeen years to this day of writing poetry and it’s a blessing I always remind myself to be grateful for.

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Watch Today’s Best Scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNkD7_Fp8HI

Get to know writer Darryl Mansel:

What is your screenplay about?
Once Upon a Time in Space is about perseverance and struggle. It asks the question ‘how far are you willing to go to obtain something that you need?’

What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Science fiction, action, adventure

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
It should be made into a movie because adventure is sorely lacking these days. Plenty of action, very little adventure. The audience wants to go on a ride with characters, this will give them the means to do so while having the choice of which character they ultimately want to succeed.

How would you describe this script in two words?
WILD BUSINESS.

What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

How long have you been working on this screenplay?
2.5 years

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Watch the best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5QkTVemr88

Get to know the writer:

What is your screenplay about?

Necrotica is about breaking new ground in the sacred (but tired) Zombie Apocalypse genre. It’s about uncompromising survival, family, and finding meaning in the face of devastating loss.

What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Horror/Zombie Apocalypse with a healthy spoonful of Lovecraftian terror.

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

Necrotica is a character-driven story that flips the zombie genre on its head. It’s something new that still feels familiar. With only two characters who have a lot of speaking lines and easy set pieces, it would be a great showcase for two actors to demonstrate their character chops while being producible.

How would you describe this script in two words?

Festering doom.

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watch the best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyK8K0-Hi3k

Get to know the writer:

What is your screenplay about?

Caligo Inn is about a power-hungry senator who goes to a secluded inn to work on his vice-presidential platform, only to be confronted by the ghosts of people destroyed by his ambition—soldiers, victims, even his own son. It’s part political drama, part supernatural reckoning, where he’s forced to face everything he’s tried to bury.

What genres does your screenplay fall under?

It’s a psychological thriller at its core, but it leans heavily into supernatural horror with a strong thread of political drama running through it.

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

It puts a fresh spin on the haunted house story by tying the horror directly to real-world politics and personal guilt. It’s creepy, timely, and has a central character who’s both fascinating and deeply flawed—which makes for a compelling watch.

How would you describe this script in two words?

Haunting retribution.

What movie have you seen the most times in your life?

Probably The Shining. That mix of isolation, psychological tension, and surreal horror really stuck with me, and you can feel its influence in this script.

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Stratagem The Movie, 111min.,
Directed by Rick E. Cutts
Rellik and his girlfriend Nosaer witness a crime and are immediately on the run as they try and elude a killer who seems to always be one step ahead of them. Will they escape can they escape? Follow along as Rellik and Nosaer try and escape a killer and even more important who is behind all the carnage?

http://www.icikill.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I was motivated to make this film after it seemed like all the doors kept closing on me when I tried to get someone to make it for me. John Schramm that I spoke to from Kinolime and he is the one who told me that I should direct the movie and after he put the bug in my ear I went forward with learning how to direct and produce a movie myself.

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

I started the idea almost 5 years ago. Then I wrote the book next the screenplay. We finished filming March of 2025 and all the editing was completed by May of 2025

How would you describe your film in two words!?

Action / Thriller

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

The biggest obstacle I faced in completing the film was probably some of the people not showing up on time and having to navigate around missing actors and filling in with other parts.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

My initial reaction with the audience feed back was yes yes yes that’s exactly what I wanted them to say. They spoke on the volume to low which is what I wanted because I wanted people to lean in to really listen on purpose. I wanted the movie to mimic real life. We can’t make out all the words sometimes in real life but we know what’s going on.

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DIMENSIONS: The Interrogation, 8min., USA
Directed by Robert James Harden Jr.
During an interrogation for the murder of his mother, a man pleads for his release in fear of his life. Two special detectives grill him in order to solve their case. In the shadows of these men’s dimension, the answers to all their mysteries live.

https://instagram.com/dimensions_revealed

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-dimensions

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Wukong Couriers, 15min., USA
Directed by Peter Gabriel Gagnon
An unwitting bicycle messenger is chosen as the mystical hero to save the city from an ancient horror.

www.instagram.com/wukong_couriers

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Three S3conds, 16min., USA
Directed by Diana Shield
Arlo, a 17 year old boy struggles to open up and express himself to his counselor. He is haunted by his past actions due to his inability to control his rage and anger issues.

https://www.instagram.com/galacticbutterflyfilms

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

My husband and I enjoy going on walks, driving long distances and we noticed people’s lack of patience at a Stop sign or red light. We talked about three seconds waiting for an individual to cross the road. This is all it takes to cease all movement from a vehicle. So we noticed a growing trend of people not coming to a complete stop or taking a red light. And it happens across a lot of major cities. But one day two young men were crossing and the driver clipped one of them. They both began shouting at the driver of the vehicle who did not stop. Luckily the young man was not hurt, his backpack was struck with the vehicle.

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

I would say about three months. However once we got our DP, everything moved quickly.

How would you describe your film in two words!?

Intense, provoking.

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Nothing, we were lucky enough to have it completed. We had great support and were surrounded by talented individuals.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

They said wonderful things about the film and the message got across clearly. I appreciate the feedback with sound, pacing, cinematography and acting. These were all elements we concentrated on and worked extensively. It makes one feel heard and seen. Stories are important and impactful, I want people to leave thinking about the story, I want it to resonate.

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TEA TIME, 9min., USA
Directed by B.T. Goldman
A detective interrogates a strange elderly Englishman about a missing person in his neighborhood.

https://www.instagram.com/cybereggproductions/

https://www.instagram.com/b.t.goldman/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I hadn’t directed a project of my own in over a year, and I was at a wrap party for a short film that I was an extra in (SPRINKLES, directed by the Andrew Korzenik, written by Riley Stockard, and produced by Sky Mattioli, all great talents). I tend to be off in my own world a bit at parties, and the image of a wild, tuxedo-laden man forcing tea on a guest at a table in an empty room came into my head. It was kind of out of nowhere, and seemed like a really simple, filmable idea for an unsettling story. It was an eerie, but also amusing to me since I grew up with an English father (who naturally was cast as the Englishman in this film).

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

I initially had the idea around September 2023, we filmed in February 2024, and I had the final edit in December 2024, so it was a total of about 15 months from conception to completion.

How would you describe your film in two words!?

Uncomfortably funny.

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

It was probably the audio editing. It really felt like everything came together fairly easily, everyone who worked on the film is a close friend or relative. Eric Alcaraz, our incredible cinematographer, is well educated in audio engineering and really saved me with that when I was editing.

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Watch the screenplay reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyAJad2rPlg

Based on,
Concepts from the novel
Considering SomeplacElse
By Barry B.L. Lindstrom

Get to know the writer:

What is your screenplay about?

The Galactic Council has seen enough and has voted 8 to 1 to eliminate all humanoid Earthlings. Padrin, the lone dissenter, an expert extra-terrestrial world saver, must now save humanity using only the positive actions and interactions of individual humans as evidence. In this, the pilot episode, Padrin’s android, Facto, unexpectedly connects with the plight of suddenly, violently, orphaned 18 year old Charlene and her 12 year old sister, Jennifer who, apparently, are being forced into a polygamist cult run by their only next of kin. Padrin, sensing that Facto’s discovery is something far beyond coincidence contemplates invoking Galactic Assertion 5: There MUST be something that moves a system from its current state to one that is better for the planet and its population, in defiance of all probabilities, patterns and past behaviors.

We Earthlings call it Fate, Destiny, Faith, Luck and Random Chance, but the rest of the galaxy calls it: NaturalAwe.

What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Consider, if you will, “the twilight zone” as genre.

Half hour serialized Character driven episodes centered around the idea that: The Galactic Council has been monitoring the behavior of planet populations for eons.
Whenever a planet’s ecosystem is threatened or a planet’s population threatens other planets, the council, after following due process can directly intervene without warning, Unless, of course, there is significant evidence of NaturalAwe.

Why should this screenplay be made into a TV show?

Sometimes it seems like things have never been worse, That we are incapable of fixing that which is broken, That those who blame everything on those not-like-us are in control, That the doom and gloom dystopian vision of our entertainment depicts our destiny. As one who was raised on lessons gathered from Good-triumphs-over-Evil 50s and 60s Broadcast Television, (Occasionally impacted by exemplary public education), built a highly successful Information Systems career based on Richard Feynman’s “Perspective is worth 80 IQ points”, and has extensive experiential evidence that there is no such thing as coincidence, I feel we need to deliver SOMETHING that might just move us to ways that are better for the planet and its population, in defiance of all probabilities, patterns and past behaviors.

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Watch the best of SHORT FILMS from around the world today. A library of over 500 award winning films: www.wildsound.ca (Plus, watch a new and original festival every single day.)

Submit your film or screenplay to the WILDsound Festival today: https://filmfreeway.com/WILDsoundFilmandWritingFestival

What is a Red Herring in storytelling?

A red herring is a device that is used to mislead or distract the viewer from the real answer or conclusion. Simply said - it's a false clue. And it takes people's attention away from the central point being considered.

A classic example is a detective or mystery series where the viewer tries to figure out who the murderer is. The attention is focused on an individual who could be the murderer. As we emotionally involve ourselves with that person and assume they are in fact the killer, we are distracted, and the real murderer is left alone.

Or, there is a "turncoat" or "rat" in a government building. Someone who is leaking information to the enemies. As everyone attempts to figure out who the "rat" is, we are introduced to a scenario where circumstantial evidence tells the audience that a certain individual is the rat! But they are not the rat, and while we are distracted, the real person keeps getting away with it.

Where did the term "red herring" come from?

False leads started to become known as “Red Herrings” in the early 1800s when an English journalist named William Cobbett used the term to compare the media’s premature reporting of Napoleon’s defeat to the practice of using smelly fish to distract hound dogs from chasing rabbits.

While Cobbett gets credit for the term, storytellers have been using false leads to surprise audiences since the beginning of time.

Famous red herring moments in film and TV.

Alfred Hitchcock was the master of using "red herrings" in most of his films. The best and most popular example is his 1960 horror/thriller film PSYCHO.

The entire first act of the film is about Marion Crane stealing money from her boss. The audience is wrapped into this heist for over 30 minutes. But that is an entire distraction from what is really the bigger question: What is really going on at the Bates Motel?

Hitchcock also uses music in his films as red herring devices. Screeches of violin noise, or intense bass instruments playing to emotionally put viewers on high alert. Only to have the situation be safe for the main character and distract the audience away from the real conflict.

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Red Herrings are even used in children's movies. A great example is the 2013 smash hit FROZEN.

The main plot is that the only way Anna can be stopped from turning into ice, is to have an "act of true love". Almost the entire audience assumes that Anna must get Prince Hans to kiss her - because, as we've learned in previous Disney films, true love's kiss solves everything!

But, Hans isn't Anna's true love at all. He's actually the VILLAIN of the film.

And, Red Herring #2 - it's not about a romantic true love. Anna thaws out because the real act of true love was her sacrificing herself to save her sister! Anna and Elsa's love was the actual TRUE LOVE of the film.

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Other famous red herrings are"

- "THE USUAL SUSPECTS" (1995) (Verbal's testimony and the entire plot of the film.)

- "THE SIXTH SENSE" (1999) (the "dead people" problem)

- "CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016) (The Winter Soldier)

- "GET OUT" (2017) (racism is the real enemy)

TV Series are loaded with red herrings:

The trend of viewing has definitely moved to the "binge watching TV series" experience. Most of us, if we're being honest with ourselves, have and can watch an entire season of a television show in one sitting. So to keep the viewers engaged, and to keep them moving to the next episode, red herrings are used time and time again no matter what the genre is.

BREAKING BAD is considered the most popular and well regarded series from the last 25 years. It had modest success on the AMC network with is first premiered, but when they put the show it on Netflix, the popularity of the show blew up. Why? Because people couldn't get enough of the plotting. This show is the masterclass of the red herring!

A few examples:

- Hank's investigation of Heisenberg

- The Ricin cigarette

- The Poisoning of Brock

- The Train Robbery

- The "Box Cutter" incident

- The Pink Teddy Bear

- The State Motto of New Hampshire

- Walt's bullet hole reflection

All moments and devices used to distract the audience from what is REALLY the going on!

And don't get me started on Better Call Saul! That's another video......

Hammerstone Meets Woofstock, 20min., Canada
Directed by Josh Holliday
A film that straddles the line between narrative and documentary, landing squarely on comedy. Steve Hammerstone is a small town radio host and big time buffoon, who’s sent to explore Woofstock: North America’s largest festival for dogs.

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?
My friend and Lisa and I had done these small town radio host characters “Steve and Tawny” on CBC radio and through podcast for many years. Just before the pandemic, we were judges for Woofstock, and had so much fun doing it. Afterwards I had great regret that we had no record of that live event, so I set my sights on the next Woofstock. Unfortunately, COVID-19 came along and threw a wrench in the plan until 2024. I had stayed in touch with one of the founders and organizers over the years, and as soon as I knew a new version was coming, I made sure I was a part of it. I’ve always loved buffoon comedy. After many years working in radio and audio, I finally got around to fulfilling my high school mantra: “I want to write, act and direct for television and film.”

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
Well, outside of the ideation and desire to do this project, pre-pandemic, the time started ticking as soon as I knew there was going to be a new Woodstock event. So that was probably in February or March of 2024. That set a very specific deadline for the actual shoot day. Woofstock generally happens over 2 days of a weekend. The day I was selected to judge was the Sunday. After the shoot, I worked with an editor to chop it down to under 20. Once that was done did some titles, post audio, and some audio cleanup. Had a friends and family screening on August 28th, so about 7 months in total from pre-production to final cut.

How would you describe your film in two words!?
Buffoon comedy.

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Ha! This is a tough one, there are a few. The old wig I’d been using for this character for years had gotten really unruly, so I ordered a new one from this company in BC and what they sent was nothing like what was pictured on their website. They did not answer any emails, or calls, and eventually I had to initiate a chargeback process with my credit card company. I had to make do with the old wig, and put a baseball hat on. I have really bad eyesight, and the glasses I’d used in the past for the character were a pair of my dad’s from the 80s with no lenses. When I did the Woofstock years ago I remember spending most of the day in character in a literal blur. I hunted online for a pair of glasses that were similar that I could get real lenses put in. I did that – and because of my prescription it took awhile. Well, the joke was on me, because the optometrist screwed up, and the lenses were essentially reading glass lenses – super-blurry except reading. It also detracted from the character, because so much of comedy is in the eyes, and the lenses had a real distorting effect. It was too late to get them changed before the event. The new glasses also just didn’t have the same look as my Dad’s old pair. (I’ve since put real lenses in my Dad’s vintage frames.)This was all before the shoot!
Shoot day was a whole new challenge.

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sustain, 5min., Austria
Directed by Peter Schakl
sustAIn is the Idea to combine sustainibility and artificial intelligence. Openess is to show generally ideas of sustainibility.

https://www.instagram.com/peter.shackl.horn

www.instagram.com/clementineclmtn

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

First in 1994 I was awarded with this multifunctional furniture at a competition of 500 Architecture students named „Openess“ – called by the famous Architect and Designer Mark Mack from Los Angeles, USA!
In 2024 I was awarded by the jury of the Vienna Design Week and the furniture was presented at the exhibition! There occured the idea to show the multifunctionality and the idea of „Openess“ also as open minded, cradle to cradle, upcycling, so sustainability in general… with a short movie!

And then all together to show a senseful usage of AI!

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

It took from the first Design in 1994, the exhibition at the VIENNA DESIGN WEEK in 2024 finally to the realized Short Film, the finished product, in 2025.

How would you describe your film in two words!?

Sustainability & AI

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

There haven`t been any obstacles at all!

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

Completely overwhelming and really touching!

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Immersed – A Cinematic Immersive Album by Justin Gray, 60min,. Canada

Directed by Justin Gray, Michael Fisher

Justin Gray’s Immersed is a groundbreaking cinematic album that transforms how audiences experience music. Composed, recorded, and produced as an immersive audio experience, the album features 38 artists from Toronto and around the globe, placing listeners at the center of a three-dimensional global orchestra.

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Watch the best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDHl6jdZ3M4

Blue (formerly Logan) is a gifted transgender surgical nurse whose life spirals after a violent romance exposes her truth. Surviving a suicide attempt, she’s sent to an off-grid trauma retreat, where healing begins amid a web of broken souls, betrayal, and revelation. Returning home to confront family and memory, Logan reclaims his identity—detransitioning not in retreat, but in power. Blue Idaho is a raw, redemptive journey of self-forgiveness, queer identity, and the quiet strength it takes to choose yourself.

What is your screenplay about?

This screenplay is a bold, soul-stirring exploration of identity, redemption, and the courage to love one’s true self. At its heart is Blue (also known as Logan) — a precise, compassionate, and quietly suffering OR nurse who identifies as a trans woman. Behind her composed exterior lies a turbulent past: a childhood marred by neglect, abuse, and rejection. She inflicts harm on herself not for attention, but as a tragic ritual — a conversation with the inner child who was never allowed to speak.

Based on real memories, true events, and lived characters, this story is an emotional autopsy of shame, survival, and transformation. When Blue opens her heart to Connor, a young doctor who genuinely sees her, it shatters the rule she swore to live by: never mix vulnerability with proximity. When Connor uncovers her truth, the rejection that follows is brutal — familiar — and almost final.

Blue’s near-death suicide attempt leads her to an unconventional retreat, where healing unfolds in messy, unexpected ways. There, she finds not only herself, but also her voice — as Logan.

This story is not about being trans. It’s about being human in the aftermath of trauma. It’s about reclaiming dignity when the world has tried to erase it. It’s about survival — and the raw, beautiful work of learning to live again.

What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Drama and Coming-of-Age, with powerful psychological and emotional undercurrents that resonate universally.

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

Because it tells a story that has rarely — if ever — been told with such honesty, depth, and compassion.

Blue/Logan is a protagonist we haven’t seen before: a trans woman, a detransitioner, a medical caregiver, a wounded survivor, a human being whose experiences speak across lines of gender, politics, or identity. This is not a culture-war film. It’s a human story, and that is its power.

The screenplay holds a mirror up to all of us who have felt unworthy of love, who carry an injured inner child, who have learned to survive by shrinking. It dares to say: you are still here — and that matters. It is intimate yet universal, deeply personal yet painfully relatable.

This is not just an LGBTQIA+ story. It’s a redemptive character journey that speaks the emotional language of anyone who’s felt voiceless, invisible, or broken — and longs to heal.

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