Monday, August 03, 2009

I'm a semi-finalist in the Page Awards

Got home yesterday to discover one of my scripts is through to the semi-finals of the 2009 Page International Screenwriting Awards. That sounds more impressive than it is, since there are 25 semi-finalists in ten different categories, chosen from nearly 4400 entries in total. I'm in Short Film, a section I won two years ago for my animation project DANNY'S TOYS. Finalist will be announced September 1, the winners a month later.

My semi-finalist script is THE WOMAN WHO SCREAMED BUTTERFLIES, which I first write a year ago for the BBC Sharps opportunity. A perceptive reader at the BBC writersroom sent me this feedback: "...feels rather more like an extended short film than a drama for TV". How right they were. TWWSB has been through numerous drafts since, improving dramatically after feedback from readers [thanks to Adrian, Lucy, Laura and Lucy].

The script is now a svelte 19 pages, instead of the 28-page version I submitted for Sharps. The one-dimension villain is now more complicated and realistic, while the instability that fractures one character is echoed in the title character. I've no idea if TWWSB will progress any further in the Page Awards, as it's a darker piece than the fiarytale charm of DANNY'S TOYS. But a little affirmation is always a nice start to the week. ONwards!

3 comments:

Jason Arnopp said...

Good work, fella!

Sofluid said...

25/4400 - I'd say that's pretty good going Sir!

Congratulations and good luck!

Paul Campbell said...

Fingers well and truly crossed for you..