Inspired by the Great Fire of Chicago 1871 following the investigation of Mrs O'Leary, a woman the newspapers blamed for starting the fire that spread all the way to Lincoln Park.

CAST LIST:

Narrator: Sean Ballantyne
Patrick O'Leary: Shawn Devlin
Mrs. O'Leary: Val Cole

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

My screenplay is about Catherine O'Leary, the Irish milkmaid unjustly accused of starting Chicago's "Great Fire" of 1871. As she fights to clear her name, she discovers the true culprit of the fire and faces an agonizing choice.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Historical fiction; thriller.

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

"Mrs. O'Leary" should be made into a movie because it's about a 19th-century "cancel culture" that 21st-century audiences would recognize. The story transcends region and period. "Mrs. O'Leary" is set 155 years ago, and yet the Chicago world of 1871 isn't so diffrent from our own -- a world where vulnerable people are "othered" due to their homeland or accent and where they can wither under stronger forces that are determined to cast blame for a social problem.

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

Hot Time.

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

"It's A Wonderful Life"

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

Shy of a year.

7. How many stories have you written?

About 20; features, pilots, and shorts.

8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

Over the phone in early 2025, my mother read a brief selection about Catherine O'Leary in a book about "bad days in history" (Oct. 8, 1871, real bad day in Chicago). Without sounding too dramatic, my imagination ignited immediately, and I saw Mrs. O'Leary as a cinematic protagonist. I saw drama: a woman who suffers through no fault of her own. As I researched and then reimagined her story, I added a thriller element: Mrs. O'Leary didn't start the fire... but somebody did! In my screenplay, I give Catherine O'Leary voice that she never had in life.

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

I faced the challenge of sifting through volumes of contemporary and modern texts about Mrs. O'Leary, and the fire, to locate gems that I would use for a 100-page script.

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

Animal welfare. My cat.

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

I was influenced to enter because the festival offered feedback and then a promotional best-scene video. The feedback I received for "Mrs. O'Leary" was excellent: specific and actionable. The promotional best-scene video is terrific, a compelling read by talented voiceover actors against a backdrop of visually engaging graphics.