Best Short Script: Austin Under the Stars Festival 2023

I flew out to Austin, TX, to support ‘tis the damn season in its first festival selection.

Festival director Ali AlKhafaji told me after the awards ceremony, “It was hard talking to you earlier. I wanted to be objective and complimentary about your script, but I also knew you had a trophy coming!”

Everyone in my industry community has opinions about film festivals and screenplay competitions, about whether they’re worth the investment or the effort. Surfing Film Freeway can sometimes feel like drowning, whereas mass applications can feel like screaming into the abyss.

Flying out to Austin Under the Stars Film Festival to hear ‘tis the damn season exclaimed aloud in that movie theatre was totally worth it.

A few things I learned about film festivals on this trip:

• Be sure to hit the red carpet, no matter how big/small, crowded/empty. Have fun with it. I will treasure these photos.

• If they’re doing interviews, dive in! I spoke with the red carpet host about my screenplay, its inspiration, and my journey as a filmmaker.

• Make friends (by talking to strangers). Sstriking up a genuinely interesting conversation with fellow festival-goers amplified event my experience and gave me plenty of follow-ups afterward.

This is the short script that started it all. What started as an idea turned into… “Can anyone teach me how to write a screenplay?” which relaunched my biggest childhood dream: to become a filmmaker.