2009 SCREENWRITERS SHOWCASE
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 4:00pm
The 2009 IFFF Screenwriters Showcase spotlighted the Feature and Short Screenplay Finalists from all five categories with a "reading" of one scene from each screenplay by professional actors.
The announcement of the IFFF Feature a nd Short Screenplay Awards was made immediately following the Screenwriters Showcase in the Chaplin Theatre at the Raleigh Studios.
There was a Reception following the Screenplay Awards Ceremony in the Raleigh Studios Cantina.
FEATURE SCREENPLAYS
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| 09 FEATURE DRAMA SCREENPLAYS |
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FIRST DOG
by Bryan Michael Stoller
SYNOPSIS: The story begins when "First Dog," Teddy, diverts an attempt on the President's life, and is abandoned during the ensuing pandemonium. Thousands of miles from home, the dog is found by a young boy, Danny Milbright, who discovers that Teddy belongs to the President of the United States - but no one believes him. And so begins an exciting road adventure filled with hardships, friendships and suspense, as Danny runs away from his foster home to return First Dog to the White House because, "It's the right thing to do!" |
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FINALIST
LUCKY EDDIE
by Rusty T. Rhodes
SYNOPSIS: Chris Nicholl is an eleven year old who wants to get rich and leave his life of poverty. In his escapades to elusive wealth, he counterfeits money, battles a blackmailing schoolteacher, dodges a vengeful drug pusher and escapes a suicidal half-brother before he meets the teenager with all the luck. |
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| 09 FEATURE COMEDY SCREENPLAYS |
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G-pa
by Gary & Carolyn Mosier
SYNOPSIS: Henry Bowman reluctantly cares for thirteen, equally reluctant, grandchildren while their parents cruise in the Mediterranean: a trip reserved and paid for by Henry's late wife Margaret. As was Margaret's plan, after 21 days of family friendly-warfare, the children and G-pa learn the lessons of unconditional love.
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FINALIST
HAT TRICK
by Heidi Sullivan
SYNOPSIS: A New England housewife convinces her two best friends to face life's battles in the rink, as they lace up their skates to save the town's new (but beleaguered) all-women's ice hockey team. Penelope's put her life on ice - now she's skating back to claim it. |
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| 09 FEATURE ANIMATION SCREENPLAYS |
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TICKLED PINK
by Catherine Wilson
SYNOPSIS: A Pink Flamingo who hates being pink, goes on a quest to turn white. On his journey which takes him from Cuba to southern Florida, he meets a roseate spoonbill and a scarlett ibis who have problems of their own and a wood stork who wants to be pink instead of white. Color becomes the least of their worries, when soon they have to fend for their lives. |
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FINALIST
THE PUDDLE JUMPER
by Arla Bowers
SYNOPSIS: A mistrusting 10-year-old boy stumbles into the quirky world of Wayunder, Where he must confront his mother's frightening new identity (unbeknownst to her!) in order to rescue her.
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| 09 FEATURE SCI-FI/FANTASY SCREENPLAYS |
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ALPHONSE DOODLE, BOY WONDER
by Milton Riess
SYNOPSIS: 12-year-old genius Alphonse Doodle, his kid sister Tammy, and the equally intelligent Ether Faraday, become the world's first time travelers. All is not fun and games for Alphonse and the Gang. They must first protect history itself from being changed, but also guard their secret from the academic powers - which will stop at nothing to stop this history-changing science from happening. |
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FINALIST
HEAR BOY!
by Noah Edelson
SYNOPSIS: A pack of ragtag dogs seeks a mythic Guardian to guide them. Their one hope is Connor, a misfit boy who "smells like fear." If he can decode the lore of the canine ancestors, he may find his courage and lead the pack to the dogs' legendary Eden: The Fields |
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| 09 FEATURE MUSICAL SCREENPLAYS |
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ALPHIE BRUBAKER
by Joyce Ikemi
SYNOPSIS: 10-year-old Alphie Brubaker wants two things in life: to be a Radio City Rockette, and to have the attention of her uninvolved parents. When she wins an opportunity to dance with the Rockettes, she jeopardizes her relationship with her parents who have other ambitions for her. Public Domain music. |
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FINALIST
KHENG KHENG CROCODILE
by Donna Lisa
SYNOPSIS: A lonely boy in rural Thailand must overcome village fear, a raging river, and a nasty poacher, in order to keep his beloved pet crocodile. With the help of an orphaned teen and an elephant, the boy confronts jungle dangers, outsmarts the treacherous poacher, and gains village acceptance. All original music and lyrics. |
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| SHORT SCREENPLAYS |
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| 09 SHORT DRAMA SCREENPLAYS |
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HAMPTON COURT - HUNTING PARTY
by James Kirtland
SYNOPSIS: Episode #4 Hampton Court TV Series. Michael and Victoria Hampton are asked by Prince Charles to investigate an unknown member of the Royal staff selling favors. The setting is the annual Royal Fox Hunt. Katherine Hampton, Victoria's aunt, wangles an invitation and vows to sabotage the hunt. Victoria suspects Michael is having an affair with his young assistant and is tempted by an offer from an old beau. |
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FINALIST
TWENTY QUESTIONS
by Arla Bowers
A fourth grader wins the mental Math championship and can't wait to show her mother the trophy....until she arrives home and is barraged with twenty questions by her Mother. |
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| 09 SHORT COMEDY SCREENPLAYS |
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BARACK-O-LANTERN
by Christopher C. Canole
SYNOPSIS: Political October surprise for a Right Wing Republican who wears a Barack Obama mask on Halloween as a political statement with eye opening results. |
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FINALIST
SPY NIGHT
by Scott & Paula Merrow
SYNOPSIS: Ed and Margie Lobaski, are a typical middle class couple who hope to spice up their marriage with a monthly night on the town, complete with role playing. This month they're playing spies, and everything is going according to plan ... until they cross paths with the mysterious red-bearded man!! |
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| 09 SHORT ANIMATION SCREENPLAYS |
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TOUCAN YOU CAN
by Donna Lisa
SYNOPSIS: A pair of young toucans brave Amazon dangers to find a rare and delicious, medicinal fruit that will heal their ailing leader. The dynamic pair works as a team to prove the motto of their boisterous flock, "Two can!" |
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FINALIST
ELIOTT MOOSE: The Windy Creature
by Katarzyna Kochany
SYNOPSIS: When famous explorers Doctor Elliot and Doctor Socks decide to find the very scary Windy Creature, they are in for a surprise. |
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| 09 SHORT SCI-FI/FANTASY SCREENPLAYS |
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THE CUBE
by Scott & Paula Merrow
SYNOPSIS: A woman finds a strange black cube in her hotel room. She was never heard from again. |
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FINALIST
RAIN
by David Mahmoudieh
SYNOPSIS: A young girl with an allergy to water must decide whether to help a friend in need during a heavy rainstorm unsure whether assistance will arrive from a more mysterious quarter… |
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2009 FEATURE DRAMA SCREENPLAY SEMI-FINALISTS |
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AIR & SPACE by Coert Voorhees
SYNOPSIS: At the National Science Fair, a group of eighth-graders is trapped in the Air and Space Museum. When they discover bad guys and a bomb, they must work together to create weapons and distractions, using their scientific knowledge to prevent the theft of a secret exhibit and the destruction of the museum. |
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CHOICES by James Kirtland
SYNOPSIS: Can love begin again and can love be as sweet late in our lives? "Choices" is an unforgettable family saga that spans thirty years and two continents. Captain Alan Bradford and Rachael Sutton find each other in the maelstrom of the London blitz in 1944. Two halves of the same soul they are torn apart by their own flawed choices, condemned to live out their lives separated by an ocean. The thirtieth anniversary celebration of the D-Day invasion sets in motion a series of events merging past with present. |
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DIDE (D-Day) by Tamika Guishard
SYNOPSIS: On the heels of bowing out of the crack game, a self-made entrepreneur is faced with the decision to independently distribute his music or rehabilitate his estranged mother - his number one customer. Three foster siblings, seeds of the late eighties' drug epidemic, are empowered by tradition to eventually tap into their pain ... rejoice in its telling. |
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The GOOD SAMARITAN by Alpha Blair
SYNOPSIS: A young, female detective, who uncovers a modern-day Robin Hood, can't bring herself to turn him in to a brutalizing justice system because he's only eleven years old. Believing that he can grow up to become a productive adult, she risks her career to save him - but his life ends up on the line. |
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HER SWASTIKA SWORD by Christopher Canole
SYNOPSIS: Like alone gunman of the American West, the greatest sword-woman since Joan of Arc, half-Jewish German Helene Mayer, stands he ground against the Nazi Team and American Olympic officials threatening a boycott to make her point during 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. Joan of Arc meets Triumph of Will. |
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The HICKORY HORSE by Vicki Bartholomew
SYNOPSIS: A family drama about Michelle, who had been switched at birth, coming back to Lexington, KY when she turns eighteen. |
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The JUNIOR DETECTIVES & THE CITIES by Irin Evers
SYNOPSIS: A boy who's afraid of the dark joins forces with other misfit kids to find a hidden treasure on a Caribbean Island, but they'll have to overcome their phobias to triumph. |
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KEEL HAUL (Canada) by Eric Murphy
SYNOPSIS: The kids surround a bomb in the Air and Space Museum. The bad guys are in control, but the kids have to work together if they want to save themselves and the museum. This is when Tim finally realizes what leader he can be. |
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KITE KIDS by Joey Rocha
SYNOPSIS: A young Hawaiian boy and his friends must win The National Kite Flying Tournament in order to save the family business. This story is a visual feast showcasing the splendor of modern day kite flying, the beauty of friendship and the power of family. |
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The REVERES by Margaret S. & Lance Ballou
SYNOPSIS: This story is about the early American Revolution up to the battles of Lexington and Concord, told from the point of view of Paul Revere's sixteen year-old son and the girl he loves and marries. This is based on true characters and events. |
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SERENA’S THUNDER by Jean Hunter
SYNOPSIS: A newly-orphaned young girl and her estranged grandfather bond while they train an unwanted mustang for a prestigious Native American Heritage Race. |
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SPACE RACE by Eric W. Carlson
SYNOPSIS: Determined to reconnect with his two estranged sons, a workaholic rocket engineer takes them on a rollicking road trip to Florida to witness the historic launch of Apollo 11 from the V.I.P. stands - a rocket he helped design and build. But one week before liftoff, he loses his job ... and his V.I.P. passes. Will he also lose credibility with his sons? Houston, we have a problem. |
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The SWING KING by Eric W. Carlson
SYNOPSIS: During the Battle of the Bulge, an obnoxious arrogant big band leader becomes trapped behind German lines with an African American supply truck driver who is eager for a transfer to a front line infantry unit, a tough correspondent searching for her next headline, a devoted medic who will stop at nothing to save his three wounded patients, and an incompetent soldier escorting an accused deserter. Will their personal prejudices and conflicting agendas prevent them from escaping the harsh weather and pursuing Germans? |
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TRAIL OF DREAMS by Charlotte Rose
SYNOPSIS: Traveling the Oregon Trail requires facing the elements of Mother Nature, but the greatest challenges of all require facing the elements of Human Nature.
The Oregon Trail was the greatest migration in the history of the world. It is the reason we can sing "from sea-to-shining sea." |
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FEATURE COMEDY SCREENPLAY SEMI-FINALISTS |
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ARE YOU MY FATHER? by Kenneth Feinberg
SYNOPSIS: After accidentally letting out some information regarding his grandson's lost father, Gramps succumbs to the boy's pressure by breaking his vow of secrecy and leading him on an adventure to find the boy's father. But when the boy's mother figures out where they've gone, she's forced to confront her 3 men. |
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BABY E by Margaret S. and Lance Ballou
SYNOPSIS: The story is about a young girl whose father was killed in Afghanistan. She and her widowed mother are lonely. The young girl falls in love with a baby elephant at the circus. She is befriended by a sad clown who is attracted to her mother. She becomes an elephant trainer and learns more from the elephants than they learn from her. |
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BORDERLINE by Peter Aston
SYNOPSIS: A US Border Patrol Agent meets an Hispanic Illegal Alien and creates a scheme to arrest her family. While he learns about her life he falls in love. The US Government is bent on putting her in jail and the Agent helps the illegal alien escape to Mexico while the arm of the US Government is in pursuit! |
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The LOST & FOUND by Ken Hurt
SYNOPSIS: A mild mannered father wants to rekindle his lost relationship with this daughter. Will duping her into an outreach mission to Belize, Central America, work? Their adventure involves kidnapping, facing a sacrifice, the barrel of an M-16 and saving the legendary gold of Cortez. We have fun with banter, frustration, hopelessness and hope and finally, the growth and recognition both a father and daughter long for. Find out who is really lost and who is really found. |
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ONE STEP INTO MEXICO by Peter Aston
SYNOPSIS: A US Border Patrol assigned to transport illegal aliens to the US Mexico border fall in love with his illegal alien prisoner. She escapes, is rearrested and again deported back to Mexico. The race begins to see who gets back to Mexico first: the illegal alien or the Border Patrol Agent chasing the woman he loves! |
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FEATURE ANIMATION SCREENPLAY SEMI-FINALISTS |
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PAINTED PONY – LAND OF THE FORGOTTEN SOULS (UK)
by Shirley Warke
SYNOPSIS: Leah (aged 10) has wanted her own pony since she was tiny but her father doesn’t think that she would appreciate her own pony yet and she has to prove her worthiness. When Leah realizes she may have a chance at owning a pony, she jumps at it. Penny has been a wooden carousel pony for twenty-three years now and long to be real again. Then Leah comes along and brings a ray of hope for both of them. |
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A TALE OF WATER by Jason Wallach
SYNOPSIS: On a magical island, a happy multi-racial kingdom is sabotaged when the forces of the past contaminate their main water tank. They band together in ethnic identities and violence soon erupts between them. The only hope for the community comes through two teenagers, one Chinese and one Hispanic. They help the King and Queen unravel the mystery of what happened and enable the leaders to awaken the people by confronting the past. |
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FEATURE SCI/FI-FANTASY SCREENPLAY SEMI-FINALISTS |
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GHOST SONATA: THE WINNGED BRIDGE by Jamie Read
SYNOPSIS: With a ghost of a chance, Lu Zhang - Chinese dentist, master cellist, immigrant turned phantom of the Governor Hotel - waits a century in Portland, Oregon, for his love, a half-French, half-Chinese ballerina. An Aspergers boy and a grieving ghost girl help Lu and they travel continents for Lu to find his love, and a new life. This screenplay shares love and friendship, passion and persistence, and a belief in the ability to change. |
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The WISH KIDS by Joyce Ikemi
SYNOPSIS: On a mission to save a forest from greedy construction builders, a group of misfit kids discover not only is the forest one of the last remaining enchanted forests on Earth, it is also the home to a 300-year-old magical troll and his wish making factory. |
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ZERO HOUR by Peter Aston
SYNOPSIS: For 100 years, there has been a war between Good and Evil. A war between two Alien Races spills over to the Planet Earth. Earth is now a target of the Evil Empire. Humans are given the technology to build a Galactic Army and Earth becomes the battle ground as the Human Race must fight to survive. |
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