Mark Tyler gets out of prison after twelve years for a robbery gone awry. The loot is still out there. A corrupt cop, a local grifter, a femme fatale and the partner he left for dead all come marching out of his past to come for it.

CAST LIST:

Narrator: Steve Rizzo
Counselor: Geoff Mays
Mark: Shawn Devlin

Get to know the writers:

1. What is your screenplay about?
Jeremy Hogan: To me it's about time. Lost time, how we spend our time, the futility of trying to catch up or outrun it.

Aaron Krygier... Lost people looking for something to fulfill that emptiness. Whether it's something tangible or not. Love, revenge, greed.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
JH: Neo-noir or crime thriller
AK the same

2. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
JH: I'm biased, but I think it's well written. Meaty characters that actors might relish playing, and it's true to its genre, while subverting conventions and expectations in interesting or surprising ways.

AK it wears its influences on its sleeve and its simplicity offers a ton of options for outlandish Ness.

3. How would you describe this script in two words?
JH: uncertain redemption
AK... Evoking humanity.

4. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
JH: Probably a tie between "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" or "Miller's Crossing," though "Adaptation" is catching up.

AK... Heat, Blade Runner, Alien, Se7en are all contenders.

5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
JH: Off and on for over twenty years. It is very different from how it started out.

AK... about 3 years. Jeremy and I had known each other loosely for a long time, then after he was gracious enough to watch my film Rust Belt Driller he asked for me to jump in and rip it up.

6. How many stories have you written?
JH: Probably 6 feature length, 10 short scripts, maybe 20 short stories.

AK... 5 or 6 features, too many things unfinished.

7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
JH: I like the genre, I'm a genre guy in general, and I was inspired by films like "Blood Simple" or "After Dark, My Sweet" or "Red Rock West" and I thought I had a good "in" on it. An interesting McGuffin and a way to twist and then double twist the end. And maybe twist it once more for good measure and get away with it.

AK... it's always nice to feel wanted, and Jeremy trusted me to go into his story head on and to do my thing, which is to make things grounded and doable. It's a great story and I'm proud of our team up.

8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
JH: The problem with genre movies, especially sub-genre, is that conventions can become tropes, which can be very cliché. And it's tough to be true to the form and still make it interesting and new. There were times I felt like I had already seen this movie and shelved it. There was even an earlier draft that was so much like a movie I saw in the theater, right down to some similar character traits and the same names, that I thought "I literally have seen this movie, now." But after feeling kind of defeated and empty, I felt validated, like "hey! that worked!" and eventually decided to take what was still fresh and innovative about it and rework it.

AK... Jeremy has a great dreamlike vision for everything he writes. But sometimes that goes outside the scope of what's doable here and now. I have a theater background even before film so I look at things a little more practical. Taking something that would require a huge budget and still making it work but putting it in a room instead of a bus full of people was the fun of it.

9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
JH: Watching movies. I fell in love early and fell hard. I like reading and playing video games, as well. I have a hot and cold thing going on with water painting.

AK... Movies, 80s type music, cats, gaming, English football (soccer). Did I mention cats?

10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
JH: Reviews and feedback on FilmFreeway and seeing some of the results of past competitions. It's very interesting hearing a scene read.

AK... this was all Jeremy. I smiled and nodded and said go for it.

11. What movie have you watched the most times in your life?
JH: Since you asked twice, my first answer must have sounded phony. So I confess it's "Burlesque." It's "Purple Rain" meets "Cabaret" and I love it and I don't care who knows it.

Some other honorable mentions are Outlander, The Thing, Prince of Darkness... And Showgirls. Unrepentant amazing trash.