Hussein Kopole's Lounge Discussions

It's been a while since I've posted something here,but i.just wanna let everyone know that I'm still very much a part of this family.Since the last time I posted,which is about a year ago,I've managed to complete three more screenplays in various genres,and almost about to complete a romcom which is my first,and hopefully,one of many more to come.I must say that I feel most comfortable writing across genres except sci-fi,which I'd rather leave out to the best in the game.I always keep writing and I have learnt a lot since joining Stage32,going from a novice to a professional.A warm welcome to all creatives who've since joined the family during my sabbatical.

Hi everyone.I'm a novelist and screenwriter from South Africa with my first novel,'Before The Big Rains' out and adaptable.My first screenplay,'The School Teacher',a thriller,is now complete and available to anyone looking for something in this genre.I'm currently busy with another thriller,also for sale.Check me out for more details.

Hi, my name is Ariana Torralba, age 27, and I'm a writer. I have been writing ideas, stories, and screenplays for years. I haven't had much luck but I'm trying harder everyday. The one I'm mostly focused on pitching is my zombie script, When The Dead Came, which is a horror, action, adventure. Primarily horror, I also write other genres. I like to drink coffee and listen to music when writing, most are ideas from dreams and from my own life experiences. I'm also a single mom and hope to achieve my goal of getting my work sold so I can provide a better life for my son.

Achievements aren't as impressive as most, but I have a poem published in a book years ago, tried self publishing, and have been doing loglines and queries for two years now.

Audrey Wells passed away last week.  

Professionally, she is a really great writer, a friend of writers, a lover of cinema, and a great filmmaker.  She is what I call the best of the best of the best.   Personally, she is an amazing woman who supports social justice causes for all: from animals to people to the planet.  Socially and ethically, she champions for the oppressed, and helps women and minorities in cinema and in screenwriting.  She has a  husband and daughter.  Her passing leaves an immense void in all those ways.  

Her peers and admirers have made public statements like "she told stories of people whose voices were underrepresented, particularly women, and often developed female characters who were as complex as they were strong."  Nina Jacobson said “She was such an incredible feminist voice — long before it was fashionable. What Audrey’s work was doing was expanding the depth and complexity of the female characters,  and she gave them the opportunity to be as dimensional as white guys get to be all the time.””

Her scripts, some of which she directed, include The Truth About Cats and Dogs; Guinevere; The Kid; Under the Tuscan Sun; Shall We Dance; A Dog's Purpose; and The Hate U Give.    

I saw The Hate U Give a few nights ago.  It is based on a great novel, and here is a quick summary of it:

"Starr Carter is constantly switching between two worlds -- the poor, mostly black neighborhood where she lives and the wealthy, mostly white prep school that she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is soon shattered when she witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend at the hands of a police officer. Facing pressure from all sides of the community, Starr must find her voice and decide to stand up for what's right."

Man...talk about zeitgeist - that topic is one of the most socially relevant issue in America today, and based on that book, Audrey writes a brilliant script that leaves nearly everyone in the theater sad, frustrated, in tears, angry, hopeless...and hopeful.

An additionally sad element to this brilliant film that is going to win many 2018 film awards is this: Audrey passed away the night before the movie premiered.  

So I see this film the other day, and I read about Audrey's passing the next night.  I go for a long walk in the dark, and reflect on what she means to cinema, and the world, and her friends and family.  And I think about my own life too.  And then I go home and think, "man...if I could be...just a fraction of what she is and who she is....and what she leaves us...I will leave this world a better place, too."  And I walk home hopeful, and start working on one of my scripts, and can;t help but think about her every few minutes, and how her stories and scripts and directed films put hundreds of millions of hours of happiness and hope into the lives of us people who are part of this thing known as The Human Condition.  And I think....how lucky we are to be born in a world where we have the opportunity to make a lasting mark...and how we persevere through our struggles....and how we leave physically....and how we have a chance to always be here in spirit, because we made some lasting marks on those around us personally and on those around us outside of our circle....and I think....isn't this as good as it gets? To give this to others that Audrey gives like Audrey gives - isn't this as good as it gets?

I never knew her personally, and never saw her speak, but always feel like, when someone passes who influences/inspires me, and who leaves that kind of mark on the world...like that person never passes... and ultimately leaves a part of themselves in everyone in that sphere of their life and influence.  That's a reason why I write in the present tense about them, like I have here.  This of course doesn't provide any immediate comfort to those who are personally a part of her life,  and who are now in profound shock, and are shattered by this new emptiness in their lives, and who must absorb the anger, the pain, the sadness and the loss for the rest of their lives. But I, this stranger to Audrey and her family and friends, will always remember her works and her profound efforts for others, and will always be grateful for Audrey Wells.  Thank you for being you, Audrey Wells.  People like you make this world a better place.  

If you have any thoughts about her, or any of her works, or her efforts for women in film and screenwriting, or anything else, please share.  This will eventually make its way to her husband and daughter, and I am sure they will appreciate to read how she touched us cinema lovers, writers and other creatives.  RIP, Audrey Wells.   

Hi all, first thing's first, I'm proud to say I'm now an award winning screenwriter, my script 'Dark Forces' claimed the Gold Prize in the historical category of the 2018 Hollywood Screenplay Contest (yay), and my other script, 'Miss Verity' was listed as an official finalist. But I'm not here to blow my own trumpet, I've saved that for another lounge!

What I wanted to ask was if anyone here has previous experience with this competition as an award winner? Since learning that my script had won I've been trying to get in touch with the competition to try and claim the prizes that are advertised in their submission terms and conditions, but so far they've not responded. Has anyone dealt with them before or been able to redeem their prizes for this competition, if so, I'd be grateful if you could point me in the right direction. This is the competition website in case it rings any bells:

https://www.hollywoodscreenplaycontest.com/

This is my first competition win, it feels like a big step forward for me and hopefully the start of good things, I don't want to let this slip just because I couldn't claim the prizes I thought I was entitled to. Thanks!