A young gay songwriter in the grip of meth addiction must face his past when he learns he is actually a prophet who must save New York City from Judgement Day.

CAST LIST:

Narrator: Val Cole
Mayor Bloomberg: Steve Rizzo
Officer: Sean Ballantyne

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

My Name Is Jonas tells the story of a young gay songwriter in the throes of crystal meth addiction who gets a second chance at life when he meets God and learns that he's actually a prophet. It's a modern retelling of the Book of Jonah based on my own experiences as a person in recovery. The pilot episode introduces us to Jonas on his first day in rehab where he tries to convince his counselors that he's a prophet who has been sent on a mission from God to save New York City from Judgment Day.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Drama / supernatural / dark comedy

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

Although there are lots of great addiction and recovery stories out there, we've never seen one that deals with crystal meth addiction in the gay community, even though it's been a decades-long crisis. Meth addiction is different from alcohol and opioid addiction; it comes with its own unique set of problems - compulsive sexual behavior, paranoia, delusions, psychosis. In a word, it's intense. In addition to giving voice to this underrepresented issue, Jonas explores the spiritual nature of addiction in a unique way by casting the main character as a modern biblical hero. In short, it's a unique take on an addiction story that we haven't seen before.

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

Questionably insane.

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

Groundhog Day

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

A little over a year. I'm now adapting the story as a novel, as well.

7. How many stories have you written?

1 pilot episode (Jonas), and 1 feature screenplay

8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)

My Name Is Jonas by Weezer comes to mind, for obvious reasons.

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

I was in rehab when I started working on this story, so in addition to literally having my computer taken from me, I was dealing with a lot of my own struggles as I was trying to figure out the story I needed to tell. The good news is that deciding to take the writing seriously became one of the most powerful motivators for me to stay clean.

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

I'm a musician and a songwriter, as well, so I love to make music. I also directed and acted in a short film version of Jonas, so filmmaking is something I love, too. I'm currently submitting the short film to various festivals, including a lot of LGBTQ+ ones.

11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?

It's a useful tool for discovering and submitting to various competitions and festivals.

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

I'm passionate about getting this important story out there, and I think LGBT festivals is a great place to start. Feedback is helpful in honing the story, and making sure it's got the best chance to land.