CAST LIST:

Narrator: Elizabeth Rose Morriss
Malcolm: Shawn Devlin
Sahara: Hannah Ehman
Mary: Val Cole

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

In 1947 a 19-year-old female genius is rejected for every job she applies to.

She gets recruited into a covert military program working alongside peaceful alien refugees.

When a test flight goes wrong, she's the only one who can save the two men, including the one who spent months harassing her.

She learns the hard way that in order to get respect, she first has to give it.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Soft Sci-Fi and Drama.

The alien and technology are just the hooks.

It's really about the characters.

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

I like to see the underdog succeed.

Mary is the smartest but has very few social skills.

She is hated by her professors who wouldn't write favorable reference letters.

No one would hire her, until the army looks for smart people who are overlooked.

When she meets the aliens, she finds people who understand her, and she can learn from.

Then she has the biggest challenge of her life, being assigned the task to save the man who'd been harassing her.

4. How would you describe this script in two words?

Reluctant hero.

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

I tend not to watch films a second time; however, the original Star Wars trilogy is probably the exception.

I watched every "making of" documentary I could, and then the digital releases when they came out.

6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

The script is based on my Earth's Secret Alliance book series.

I began writing about five years ago during Covid.

7. How many stories have you written?

There are six stories in the Earth's Secret Alliance franchise.

Five are written as live action, while the sixth is expected to be a children's animated series.

8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

We need more positive sci-fi.

I was getting tired of sci-fi that stressed me out, worst case scenario after worst case scenario, cliffhanger after cliffhanger.

I wanted to write a story that my brother and other parents could watch with their families, and the kids wouldn't be scared after.

I write stories where the underdog is a valuable part of the team, and they work together to save lives.

They are based on my books which sold almost 14,000 copies so far.

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

I wrote my books with the screenplay in mind, so it's mostly formatting. I had to put the character names before dialogue and had to decide if a thought became a look, an action, dialogue, or a voice-over. The rest is a lot of formatting.

10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

I enjoy watching other stories on the big screen and on TV.

Unfortunately, there are less and less shows that I'm interested in watching.

11. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

I was looking for a way to hear the script performed by real actors. Wild Sound’s Best Scene offered what I needed and was perfect. I hope that more people will get a chance to enjoy it.