ACTION/FANTASY/THRILLER Best Scene: Un-Cognito, by Kevin Renshaw (interview)
BEST SCENE SCREENPLAY READINGS
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1m 46s
In the quirky desert town of Grand River, conspiracy theories, old grudges, and government secrets collide in Un-Cognito, a satirical action-comedy with heart.
Glenn Rancher, a straight-laced FBI forensic accountant facing a terminal diagnosis, returns home to reconnect with his estranged daughter Emma, a competitive college archer. His ex-wife Julia, an Air Force general, urges him to make peace while he still can. But reconnecting with family becomes complicated when Glenn stumbles into a chaotic conspiracy led by a ragtag crew of local misfits operating under the viral alias “Un-Cognito.”
CAST LIST:
Narrator: Hannah Ehman
Dale: Shawn Devlin
Glenn: Sean Ballatyne
Writer BIO:
Kevin is executive in higher education support, as well as a playwright, actor, and stage director near Atlanta. An Air Force veteran, Kevin worked as a TV & radio producer and on-air talent during tours in Greece and Turkey. He was also on-air talent for the internet radio station, The THING! Kevin has written, produced, and directed several stage productions and is the former Artistic Director of the CenterStage North Theatre in Marietta, Georgia. He is the author of the stage plays FARMING BEAUTY, DESTINATIONS & TABLEAUS, and SEPULCHRE.
Get to know the writer:
1. What is your screenplay about?
Un-Cognito follows a dad trying to make amends with his college aged daughter and ends up in a confusing, chaotic world of misguided militia and conspiracy kooks. It's about found family, people connecting with people, whether blood ties or common need, we all need to find purpose and fulfilment in our relationships, although some relationship choices may be more flawed than others.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Action/comedy
3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
I think audiences need to meet these characters. I like to think the right group of actors will bring life and connection to their world. It's funny, fast paced and gives us a little hope.
4. How would you describe this script in two words?
Charismatically conspiratorial.
5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Not the easiest question to answer, and while I haven't watched it in a while, probably Repo-Man.
6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
Entering year three and the umteenth iteration.
7. How many stories have you written?
Twenty or so in various stages and formats. Theater, audio, short film scripts and full length.
8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
I wanted to take a shot at the action comedy genre and I recently had my own health challenge and can now call myself a cancer survivor. facing uncertainty, going through treatments made me realize that I can't do everything alone and needed to let people, specifically family in. I love my kids and my wife and this story helped me broach the loner mentality. That coupled with exploring how to conspiracies and ridiculous rumors spread, Today its internet, but before that every kid in the 80s heard that "Bubble Yum had spider eggs" .... no internet but coast to coast we all knew the story. Today, those conspiracies can manifest in things like QAnon and I wanted to poke at that.
9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
The biggest obstacle has been of my own making - too many characters, too many story lines, needing to cull the narratives in to an accessible story.
10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Collaborative creation! I love working with artists on theater projects, performance art, music and anything to showcase the brilliance inside us all.
11. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
Feedback, learning and reading the responses from other entrants on their experience. You also provided some great ideas on how to market your own work as well as put fresh eyes on the projects.
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