September 21, 2025 • 29 mins
In this episode of Wild Rivers Film Radio, hosts Sue Wright and Kenny Wright sit down with screenwriter Chris Carr and his manager, Beth Ann Carr, to talk about his creative journey, the stories that inspire his work, and his experience bringing his latest project to the Wild Rivers Film Festival. It’s a candid, behind-the-scenes […]
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(00:08):
Greetings, cinephiles. I'm Sue Wright. And I'm Kenny
Wright. Welcome to the Wild Rivers Film Radio,
the official podcast of the Wild Rivers Film
Festival here on KCIW
one hundred point seven FM.
Today, we're sitting down with Chris Carr, author
of the screenplay Afterglow.
But before we dive in, we'd like to
(00:29):
thank the Wild Rivers Film Festival's twenty twenty
five presenting sponsor,
the Tolowa Dene Nation.
Your generous support has made both our festival
and the summer film workshop possible this year.
We also thank our incredible sponsors, the Roundhouse
Foundation,
Travel Curry Coast,
Sutter Coast Hospital, Edward Jones, Our Flower House,
(00:53):
Southwestern Oregon Community College, Curry's campus,
and the city of Brookings.
If you'd like to join these amazing supporters
in helping us celebrate indie cinema,
expand film education, and grow a film economy
here on the Wild Rivers Coast,
Visit wildriversfilmfestival.com
(01:14):
to learn about sponsorship opportunities.
And if you're just discovering us, welcome.
The Wild Rivers Film Festival is a four
day celebration of indie and local cinema
each August in Brookings.
This year, from August
'17,
we'll screen more than four dozen films across
(01:35):
three venues,
many followed by filmmaker q and a's.
There's also a full slate of panels, VIP
parties, and our unforgettable
awards ceremony.
Festival passes are on sale now at wildriversfilmfestival.com.
We'd love to see you here.
So if you're just tuning in, you're listening
(01:56):
to the Wild Rivers Film Radio. I'm Sue
Wright here with Kenny. And today, we're talking
with Chris Carr
and his
manager,
Beth.
So,
let's start at the beginning,
Chris.
How did you first get into writing and
(02:18):
screenplays
in particular?
So
when I was, like, much younger, I would,
like, watch all these YouTube videos about, like,
breaking down writing. Lindsay Ellis' The Whole Plate
was very, like, formative for me.
And I was also, like, drawn to, like,
a lot of narrative video games, and I
would browse, like, the various pages on TV
tropes about, like, all the different examples and
(02:40):
what media would, like, subvert it and what
would just play play it straight. And I
started thinking, I could do this.
And,
I I wanted to be in, like, some
kind of art form in general, and movies
just kinda ended up being that way. And
so writing was just, like,
the How old were you at this point?
Maybe about
11, 12. Okay. Because we really want to
(03:02):
motivate and inspire our young filmmakers in this
area. Yeah.
I love So go ahead. I'm sorry. So
we were talking about how you got started
with screenplay.
So
I had always wanted to do some kind
of art,
and
movies and video games were really, like, the
things that meshed well with me. And as
(03:24):
I was going through, like, YouTube,
lessons from the screenplay was also, like, really
informative for me.
And I would start to, like, pick up
all these different tropes and, like, what's good,
what's not, why it's good, why it's not.
And
after a point, once you just start to,
like, analyze everything, you're like, okay. How can
I start constructing it with all this analysis
(03:46):
and
start building off of there?
So that's generally how I got into the
writing. I figured I could do it with
everything
that I had just, like, picked up through
YouTube.
Okay. He he always had these stories in
his head,
and he was very talkative.
So this was a great outlet for him
(04:07):
to put it on paper
instead of talking everybody's ears
off when they were coming home from work.
Are you using a script writing software like
Final Draft? Yeah. I got Final Draft about
last year for Christmas. Before then, I was
using Treleby,
which, one of my teachers at UCF had
recommended, which is completely free.
(04:29):
It just took me a little while to
figure out how to convert it to a
PDF.
Okay.
But Final Draft is much smoother. Okay. Yeah.
So, you know, you're you've gotten your,
process down, it sounds like.
Tell us about Afterglow and how this project
came to be. So,
(04:52):
you know the ending of of La La
Land where they, like, see each other and
then all the memories come back and they're
just, like, kind of wondering what could have
been?
That will I wanted to create something kinda
like that. And so Afterglow,
with them meeting up at, like, a wedding
after they've broken up, I'm like, okay. That
(05:12):
could probably be it.
But there's in it a lot of regret,
and you probably wanna address the issue at
some point,
which is basically what Afterglow is all about.
It's addressing that
past relationship long after it's done
and giving closure to something that may have
been nagging you for years.
(05:33):
That's interesting because you're a fairly young writer,
and this feels like the kind of screenplay.
I mean, it's retrospective.
I don't know. The characters might be in
their mid thirties or somewhere. Late twenties, early
thirties. Okay. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. I I'm kind of like a
reflective person in general
(05:55):
being,
the lonely child.
Not not not not the only child, but
the lonely child makes you turn inward very
fast.
Okay. Do you wanna explain that just a
little bit more, or should we leave it?
I I I'd rather
leave it. Okay. We'll leave it. That's fine.
Thank you. You want me to explain it?
No.
(06:19):
So let's talk about the twenty twenty five
Wild Rivers Film Festival this August.
How did you actually learn about the festival,
and what drew you here?
So I had submitted Afterglow to the Orlando
Film Festival, and then I came home from
work one day. It was, like, maybe 1AM.
And
(06:39):
I just decided, you know what? Check my
emails. I'm not expecting anything. And I see
that I got selected for the Orlando Festival.
And then I got an email from Daniel,
the executive, director,
saying that your script would also be, selected
for Wild Rivers. You just gotta submit it.
And I'm like, you know what? Why not?
Let's let's go for it. And so then
(07:01):
about two weeks ago, I'm thinking,
I should probably go to that
just just
as a just if anything,
as, like, a first instance. So this is
kinda like a two week plan impromptu. So
where is home?
Home is outside Orlando.
Okay.
Probably, like, the Western edge of Orlando.
(07:23):
It's very hot and humid there. Yes. So
being Especially this time of the year. Yes.
So
being here in Brookings, which is,
on the Pacific Coast, it's not it doesn't
actually feel that humid, and it's pretty chilly
right now.
This is a very welcome break from the
summer
where you can just be sitting inside
(07:44):
doing nothing, and you will be sweating. From
the Texas Gulf Coast, I can fully agree
with that. Yeah. This is a much needed
escape from the 115
my car was the day I left.
So it's we do have some warm days,
but they're kind of few and far between.
So we had a couple of them over
(08:05):
the weekend at the pirate festival,
but we won't talk about that.
So is this your first screenplay that you've
submitted to a festival?
I submitted
a longer one to the Francis Ford Coppola
screenplay competition last year. I didn't get selected.
So this isn't my first that I've submitted,
(08:27):
but this is the first that, like, got
any traction. Well, congratulations.
And we're really happy to have you here.
So thank you for making the cross country
trip to the West Coast in our beautiful
Brookings.
Yeah.
So
now that you're here, have you had a
chance to explore anything yet?
(08:48):
We went down to
one of the beaches
campground nearby.
I got to see a pelican try, like,
four or five different times to find food,
which was really nice.
Every time I think of pelicans, I'm thinking
of Finding Nemo and and,
Nigel,
in that one scene where they're at Sydney
Harbour.
(09:11):
Yeah. So we went around the beach, and
we were about to head towards the marina,
I think it was.
Down in the harbor? Yeah. And then, you
know, we got the text, like, hey. Do
you wanna be on the podcast? And so
then we're just like, alright. Well, let's do
that. Okay. Well, when you get through here,
I hope you will get down to the
harbor and take a
it's it's quite a pretty little harbor. We're
(09:31):
very protected, and there's some fun little shops
down there. Some of our sponsors are down
there. The Boardwalk Mail and and Pithitude is
a wonderful little t shirt gift shop. We're
excited to explore the area and learn as
much as we can about it because it
is quite beautiful here. And it is it
is a nice escape from the heat.
(09:51):
So okay.
I'm I wanna come back to writing, though,
and screenwriting in particular.
So can you tell us a bit more
about
the
movies or the screenplays
that
excite you
or
inform you? I mean So my top four
(10:12):
on Letterboxd
are,
La La Land, Finding Nemo,
Lady Bird, and Tron Legacy. Although, I probably
Okay. That's so that's quite a diverse
that's quite a diverse list. Yes.
And
I always like
sort of like this maybe doomed romance aspect.
I also really like Titanic
(10:34):
in that sense.
We're looking for a theme here. Yeah.
And,
you know, I've had some troubles with with
my mom's relationship. So,
like, a a troubled relationship is also, like,
kind of a through line I like in
the work.
Other movies that inspire So you're kinda driving
towards drama rather than comedy?
(10:56):
Yeah. Maybe inserting some comedy in there and
maybe some higher concepts, but
high concept would come much later. Okay. Yeah.
Other things that I'm interested is, like, politics.
I have an idea right now. It's not
really much of anything about, like, this group
that might, like it'd be a heist movie.
Right? Okay. Except instead of stealing something, they'd,
(11:18):
like, install a bench at, like, a bus
stop.
And I I think I saw a video
out of San Francisco of a group that
does just that. Uh-huh. And the city, you
know, they weren't really interested in those benches,
but people are like, we want the bench.
And I'm thinking that would be a great
idea for a movie about, like, getting involved
in your local government. And, you know, if
the local government's not gonna do something, you
(11:40):
gotta do it yourself. So grassroots kind of
Yeah. Activism. Yeah. I'd go. I'd go. Yeah.
Kinda kind of like when they fill potholes
with pot plants.
Tactical urbanism, I think, is what it's called.
That that is what it's called. Okay. But
so you talked about the end of La
La Land and this retrospective
relationship. But I'm curious about what you bring
(12:02):
from
Finding Nemo.
So Finding Nemo, I watched it when I
was, like, maybe four or five. And, the
first thing I took from it is that
fish are friends, not food. And if we
have I don't eat seafood for that sole
reason. Okay.
And then it's just like this relationship that,
(12:23):
like, Marlin and Nemo have where
Marlin has to realize that, like, he can't
be even though he, like, loves Nemo, he
can't be, like, so overbearing and overprotective. And
Nemo has to understand that, like,
Marlin can be a pain in his sin
sometimes.
But
Marlin's not there to, like, have any sort
of malicious intent. He's in his best interest
(12:44):
at heart. Yeah. Even though he says, don't
touch the butt or the boat, the boat.
Don't touch the boat. It's for a very
good reason.
Okay. And Tron. Let's not forget Tron.
Tron, I also saw when I was, like,
maybe 10.
I didn't I hadn't seen the original Tron
until, like, maybe a year ago.
And,
(13:06):
it's also about, like, this kid who's, like,
estranged from his his parents.
And, you know, he then goes on this,
like, journey. He finds his dad. They get
to reconnect, but he doesn't have long before
they're just pulled apart again. That's what really,
stuck with me Uh-huh. Along with just it
looks gorgeous.
There was it's really good cinematography in that
(13:27):
and how they brought in the CGI. And
to think about how long ago that movie
was actually made to today, and CGI is
just so good.
Yeah.
Actually, I I read an article out of
Polygon a while ago about the way they
did Jeff Bridges in de aging
and how, like, the more that this kind
of technology gets put onto us,
(13:48):
Tron Legacy becomes a self owned Hollywood because
they're just pushing this constantly. It's like, just
recast them.
Do you mind if I ask your manager,
Beth, a few questions? Yes. Okay. So Beth,
you're his manage or his mom?
I Momager. Yeah. I refer to myself as
his momager.
Okay.
We have a number of young talent here
(14:11):
that probably would be really interested in
how families
kind of take this the next step. So
you you've got
a child who's talented and gifted. They're
creative. They've got the vision. They're actually doing
the work. How do you help them take
that next step into,
(14:34):
you know, the real world of filmmaking?
Well, I guess it's different for every child.
You know? It's it's just like, motivations and
what drives it. Everyone is different.
And with Chris, he's he's always been extremely
independent,
even from,
you know, a toddler where he he wanted
(14:54):
to be the one to put the entire
gallon of milk back into the refrigerator. Nobody
could help him, not even support the bottom
so it wouldn't end up on the floor.
So he he always had that independence, so
we had to give him plenty of room,
to do those types of things. And he
wouldn't share his work, so we had to
bribe him or bang him.
(15:14):
Even even with Afterglow, he wouldn't let me
read the script until he asked me what
I wanted for my birthday, and that was
it. I wanted to read his script.
So, you know, you you have to give
them the room that they need,
but you also have to be there to
support them
and guide them. We don't always disagree. We
(15:35):
we tend to debate
a lot,
usually at 10:00 at night after a long
day. So
but,
and, you know, it's it's really
guiding them along the way of their own
creativity.
I think with Chris,
when I do give him feedback or advice,
(15:57):
his independence is like, no. No. No. I
already know about this.
So I think we're getting to a point
now where he understands where, you know, we
go back to Finding Nemo that I have
his best interest at heart
and that I wanna support him.
And I'm getting to understand
that his creativity
drives him, and I've got to let him
(16:18):
explore that even if I don't agree always
in the direction that he wants to go.
It's a it's a tough balance for for
any parent and child.
It's just like kind of when they grow
up, you've got to let them go at
some point, and
you still have that protective
nature to them, you know, or I certainly
(16:41):
understand that feeling. It's a difficult thing to
do, but we manage and we talk it
out. We argue. We hug. We fight. We
love each other and
and support each other. You know, there's gonna
be good days and bad days. And, you
know, bottom line, it's the fact that, you
know, we're there for each other
regardless of how the day starts or ends.
Okay.
(17:02):
You know, and I gotta ask you though.
You you finally got Afterglow, the screenplay for
Afterglow Atab Beam.
Are you having to, like, pull teeth to
get the next projects out? Oh, yeah.
Could Could you wanna give us a little
sample of what you got coming through the
pipeline for next projects?
So I have a
I guess it's best to call it a
(17:23):
thriller. It wouldn't fit like our typical definition
of horror even though it may be,
about a
trans woman who has to basically
shoot her ex who's stalking her,
while she's also trying to just live her
life and be a normal person.
Yeah. So I think I'm about maybe five
or six pages into that. But I have
(17:44):
but I have the general,
story beats all lined out. It's just I
like the fact that you're not stuck in
one genre. Yeah. Yeah.
What
what are the big satisfactions that you get
out of
screenwriting?
I think part of it is the catharsis.
I'm I'm one of those people who just
has a lot of imaginary arguments in their
head while they're in the,
(18:06):
shower.
And I I can put that on paper
and think, like, okay. How how would this
argument reasonably go?
But also
using film as, like, a mass communication media.
You can put a message out there,
and,
sometimes
through a movie is the best way to
(18:26):
just deliver the message when people, like, aren't
expecting it.
And
That's absolutely right. Yeah. I'm gonna interrupt you
for just a second. Yeah. Because I'm a
retired sociology
professor from Eastern Washington University.
And I decided early on that films were
one of the great ways to teach a
concept that might otherwise be difficult to get
(18:48):
across.
So I've been using film as a teaching
tool for thirty years. And I usually get
told I'm the crazy one by my, classmates,
but, like, you're reading too much into this.
It's like, no. I'm not. Right.
Let's let's take this apart and analyze it.
Yeah. Let's use it as a case study.
Yeah.
(19:08):
So in in a lot of ways, it's
just using that to send the message that
you
may not otherwise get. Right? You you can,
like, get on a podium and say, I
believe x, y, and z,
but that might not hit with people. But
if you if you watch a movie where,
like, all the same things
are,
are espoused,
then it might get further in into that
(19:29):
and into your target audience. Mhmm. And that's
one of our goals here at the Wild
River's Film Festival is to bring a variety
of independent
films
to our audience
here that wouldn't otherwise get to see them.
We're six hours from Portland with film festival
there, and six hours from Bend, six hours
(19:49):
from San Francisco.
So it's really important to our board to
bring these
diverse
topics and issues
to our community to explore through film. So
Yeah. I'm looking forward to Afterglow
going somewhere. How do you shop it?
I have no idea.
(20:11):
Okay. Yeah. That's the next step. Right?
I I I don't know if I could
shop it because it's like 10 pages.
I I I don't know. I I did
write start writing it with the idea of
shooting it, and I just don't know how
to get it off the ground. Okay. Well,
that's one of the things we hope to
learn here,
for him at the film festival and meet
some you know, meet some So you're gonna
(20:32):
come to the educational seminars at 10:00 at
the library? Because Yeah. Our filmmakers will be
Friday tomorrow,
They're talking about preproduction.
Yeah. And then
Saturday, they're talking about production activities. And Sunday,
they're talking about postproduction.
Yeah. It's a great way to meet the
people that could help you take it the
(20:53):
next step. Yeah. Absolutely.
You know, we're we're excited to be here
and to learn as much as we can
about the industry.
We do have some family members who are
in the industry, but, you know, they've retired
now. So the industry's changed over the years.
Oh my goodness. It's changing
every year. So it's it's necessary
for us to learn everything we can,
(21:16):
of what's happening now and today in the
industry. And and, you know, and Orlando is
actually,
looking
at,
doing more to attract the film industry back
to Central Florida area where it used to
be before Disney left
Mhmm. 02/2004,
I think it was. 02/2003,
(21:37):
02/2004,
they left, Orlando.
So everything kinda just kind of
faded off into the distance,
with the credits rolling, if you will,
after Disney left. But now they're talking about
working to bring back the film industry into
Central Florida. So it'll be a good opportunity,
you know, for us to learn more here,
(21:58):
and at other film festivals. And, you know,
who knows? Maybe we'll end up shooting Afterglow
here in Brookings or somewhere We would love
that.
We will help you with that if it's
what you decide to do. Yeah. Absolutely. We've
got a lot of beautiful locations
and
Yep. Absolutely. It's, it's it's a good script.
(22:20):
I wasn't sure what to expect when I
read it, you know, because he wouldn't share
anything with me.
And,
I was I was
wonderfully surprised.
Okay. And,
I knew he had it in them. I
just didn't know if it would
if he would let it out, if you
will. Are are you feeling comfortable now with
putting it out there to the world? A
(22:42):
little bit.
Yeah.
I'll just say, yeah, That's fine. Well, he'll
have no choice. I'm also his publicist. So
Yeah. You've already read it. Yeah. I've read
it. It's going places. Well,
we're a film festival that loves shorts.
So,
getting a short produced
(23:03):
on a low budget is not impossible. It
gets easier all the time with the equipment.
So I hope you will talk with Dan
Springen, our executive director, who's also a producer
Absolutely. And some of our filmmakers,
especially those that have shorts out there about,
you know, what they're using and how they're
managing that.
(23:25):
I I do have to say that I
I'm not a filmmaker. I'm a retired professor.
But I got my feet wet with the
first film
back during COVID when our dance studio in
town was shut down.
And the
director of the dance studio was doing a
writing workshop at Harvard. And she said, I'm
(23:47):
gonna write a screenplay.
And the next thing we know, we're
bringing a crew of seven across the country
to film
a narrative version of The Nutcracker, which is
screening on Saturday. Oh, nice. So it it
it'll be its last film festival showing. We
started out in '22.
We premiered at Orlando Film Festival, and they,
(24:11):
the film received a cast ensemble award there.
So it has about a Right. It has
about a dozen laurels on it now. I'm
gonna brag a little bit. Mhmm.
But,
if we had known what we were doing
when we started, we wouldn't have done it.
So it only exists because we didn't know
what we were doing.
But isn't that the way a lot of
(24:31):
success have? That's the way a lot of
successes happen. We sometimes fall into them Yes.
And,
and find out that, hey. We actually have
been doing this all along.
So we are coming down to the end
pretty fast, but I'm curious which films
we have this year at the twenty twenty
five Wild Rivers Film Festival that you want
(24:54):
to see.
I have not even looked at the itinerary.
Okay. There's there's so many of them. I
looked at I looked at a number of
them. I wanna see the feature film.
Ethan Bloom? Yeah. That's coming tonight. Yeah. And
then,
again, the names escape me because there were
so many of them. But there's one,
(25:15):
about the young lady who's
dying and and exploring,
death. I can't remember the title on that
film right now either. There were so many
good ones. Yes. I know, you know, we
won't have time to see them all, but
they're they all look extremely I think I
had a dozen I wanted to see.
(25:35):
One of my favorites that's coming back from
last year is my little rock star.
The producer, Stephanie Williams, was actually here with
her with us last year. And what's interesting
is I believe if I'm not mistaken, wasn't
this her first festival as well? First festival.
Yeah. Yeah. Isn't there one title, We Are
Dead?
There is. Yes. There's that one too I
(25:56):
wanna see. Yeah.
The the best way I take, like, any
new experience is to just throw it all
at me, and I will figure it out.
That's that's good advice because,
our our first year, Sue was talking about,
a film festival for months on end, and
I'd get little bits and pieces here and
there. And then all of a sudden, I
showed up, and we had a festival going.
(26:17):
I just jumped right into it. And here
we are, year three, you know? Yeah. So
Well, we're excited to be here, and we're
excited to experience the whole festival. So thank
you for having us. Yes. Oh, I just
wanted to add one of the ones that
I'm really excited to see this year is
called Backseat Driver.
And it's about this
pair, and they each have an imaginary
(26:38):
friend, but their imaginary friends don't get along.
That's a that's a good one.
So Yeah.
I'll add that to my list if it's
not already there. Okay.
What else would you like to say, Kenny?
You've been quiet. I I'm just enjoying the
conversation.
You guys are giving me a lot of
good things to think about. That's,
(27:01):
we're excited for you guys to come all
the way from Orlando here, and I I'm
finding that as a common theme. We're a
smaller festival.
We and it seems to be attracting a
good group of creative people that are passionate
to be here. Because we're not we're not
a big festival where you're gonna bump into
big names and all of that.
(27:21):
You you get it. Because we are smaller
still, you're getting a higher quality
experience with getting to have one on ones
with producers and filmmakers and
set designers and stuff. So you're gonna get
a really good sense of what to expect
from the industry at large
because of the smaller experience here. And our
Okay.
(27:42):
Our first happy hour is at Brian Scott
Gallery this afternoon.
And so it's a good place to meet
and greet and mingle and get acquainted.
So I hope you're there. We'll definitely be
there. And if I could, Kenny, to,
come up on what you just said about
the smaller film festivals,
the intimate ones are are so much nicer
(28:03):
because you can connect directly. The larger ones,
you can get lost.
You know, even if even if you're a
pro.
It's out by Southwest, and Austin is a
is a prime example. And so, you know,
we we really are looking forward to this
entire experience.
We are so glad you're here.
So,
we're gonna wrap up. That's it for this
(28:24):
episode of Wild Rivers Film Radio.
To learn more about the festival bypasses,
volunteer, or explore sponsorship
opportunities, visit wildriversfilmfestival.com.
Follow us on Facebook
and Instagram.
Our sound booth is Michael Gorst.
Our editor is Tom Bozak.
(28:46):
I'm Sue Wright with Kenny Ray,
And
till next time.
Thank you.
Greetings, cinephiles. I'm Sue Wright. And I'm Kenny
Wright. Welcome to the Wild Rivers Film Radio,
the official podcast of the Wild Rivers Film
Festival here on KCIW
one hundred point seven FM.
Today, we're sitting down with Chris Carr, author
of the screenplay Afterglow.
But before we dive in, we'd like to
(00:29):
thank the Wild Rivers Film Festival's twenty twenty
five presenting sponsor,
the Tolowa Dene Nation.
Your generous support has made both our festival
and the summer film workshop possible this year.
We also thank our incredible sponsors, the Roundhouse
Foundation,
Travel Curry Coast,
Sutter Coast Hospital, Edward Jones, Our Flower House,
(00:53):
Southwestern Oregon Community College, Curry's campus,
and the city of Brookings.
If you'd like to join these amazing supporters
in helping us celebrate indie cinema,
expand film education, and grow a film economy
here on the Wild Rivers Coast,
Visit wildriversfilmfestival.com
(01:14):
to learn about sponsorship opportunities.
And if you're just discovering us, welcome.
The Wild Rivers Film Festival is a four
day celebration of indie and local cinema
each August in Brookings.
This year, from August
'17,
we'll screen more than four dozen films across
(01:35):
three venues,
many followed by filmmaker q and a's.
There's also a full slate of panels, VIP
parties, and our unforgettable
awards ceremony.
Festival passes are on sale now at wildriversfilmfestival.com.
We'd love to see you here.
So if you're just tuning in, you're listening
(01:56):
to the Wild Rivers Film Radio. I'm Sue
Wright here with Kenny. And today, we're talking
with Chris Carr
and his
manager,
Beth.
So,
let's start at the beginning,
Chris.
How did you first get into writing and
(02:18):
screenplays
in particular?
So
when I was, like, much younger, I would,
like, watch all these YouTube videos about, like,
breaking down writing. Lindsay Ellis' The Whole Plate
was very, like, formative for me.
And I was also, like, drawn to, like,
a lot of narrative video games, and I
would browse, like, the various pages on TV
tropes about, like, all the different examples and
(02:40):
what media would, like, subvert it and what
would just play play it straight. And I
started thinking, I could do this.
And,
I I wanted to be in, like, some
kind of art form in general, and movies
just kinda ended up being that way. And
so writing was just, like,
the How old were you at this point?
Maybe about
11, 12. Okay. Because we really want to
(03:02):
motivate and inspire our young filmmakers in this
area. Yeah.
I love So go ahead. I'm sorry. So
we were talking about how you got started
with screenplay.
So
I had always wanted to do some kind
of art,
and
movies and video games were really, like, the
things that meshed well with me. And as
(03:24):
I was going through, like, YouTube,
lessons from the screenplay was also, like, really
informative for me.
And I would start to, like, pick up
all these different tropes and, like, what's good,
what's not, why it's good, why it's not.
And
after a point, once you just start to,
like, analyze everything, you're like, okay. How can
I start constructing it with all this analysis
(03:46):
and
start building off of there?
So that's generally how I got into the
writing. I figured I could do it with
everything
that I had just, like, picked up through
YouTube.
Okay. He he always had these stories in
his head,
and he was very talkative.
So this was a great outlet for him
(04:07):
to put it on paper
instead of talking everybody's ears
off when they were coming home from work.
Are you using a script writing software like
Final Draft? Yeah. I got Final Draft about
last year for Christmas. Before then, I was
using Treleby,
which, one of my teachers at UCF had
recommended, which is completely free.
(04:29):
It just took me a little while to
figure out how to convert it to a
PDF.
Okay.
But Final Draft is much smoother. Okay. Yeah.
So, you know, you're you've gotten your,
process down, it sounds like.
Tell us about Afterglow and how this project
came to be. So,
(04:52):
you know the ending of of La La
Land where they, like, see each other and
then all the memories come back and they're
just, like, kind of wondering what could have
been?
That will I wanted to create something kinda
like that. And so Afterglow,
with them meeting up at, like, a wedding
after they've broken up, I'm like, okay. That
(05:12):
could probably be it.
But there's in it a lot of regret,
and you probably wanna address the issue at
some point,
which is basically what Afterglow is all about.
It's addressing that
past relationship long after it's done
and giving closure to something that may have
been nagging you for years.
(05:33):
That's interesting because you're a fairly young writer,
and this feels like the kind of screenplay.
I mean, it's retrospective.
I don't know. The characters might be in
their mid thirties or somewhere. Late twenties, early
thirties. Okay. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. I I'm kind of like a
reflective person in general
(05:55):
being,
the lonely child.
Not not not not the only child, but
the lonely child makes you turn inward very
fast.
Okay. Do you wanna explain that just a
little bit more, or should we leave it?
I I I'd rather
leave it. Okay. We'll leave it. That's fine.
Thank you. You want me to explain it?
No.
(06:19):
So let's talk about the twenty twenty five
Wild Rivers Film Festival this August.
How did you actually learn about the festival,
and what drew you here?
So I had submitted Afterglow to the Orlando
Film Festival, and then I came home from
work one day. It was, like, maybe 1AM.
And
(06:39):
I just decided, you know what? Check my
emails. I'm not expecting anything. And I see
that I got selected for the Orlando Festival.
And then I got an email from Daniel,
the executive, director,
saying that your script would also be, selected
for Wild Rivers. You just gotta submit it.
And I'm like, you know what? Why not?
Let's let's go for it. And so then
(07:01):
about two weeks ago, I'm thinking,
I should probably go to that
just just
as a just if anything,
as, like, a first instance. So this is
kinda like a two week plan impromptu. So
where is home?
Home is outside Orlando.
Okay.
Probably, like, the Western edge of Orlando.
(07:23):
It's very hot and humid there. Yes. So
being Especially this time of the year. Yes.
So
being here in Brookings, which is,
on the Pacific Coast, it's not it doesn't
actually feel that humid, and it's pretty chilly
right now.
This is a very welcome break from the
summer
where you can just be sitting inside
(07:44):
doing nothing, and you will be sweating. From
the Texas Gulf Coast, I can fully agree
with that. Yeah. This is a much needed
escape from the 115
my car was the day I left.
So it's we do have some warm days,
but they're kind of few and far between.
So we had a couple of them over
(08:05):
the weekend at the pirate festival,
but we won't talk about that.
So is this your first screenplay that you've
submitted to a festival?
I submitted
a longer one to the Francis Ford Coppola
screenplay competition last year. I didn't get selected.
So this isn't my first that I've submitted,
(08:27):
but this is the first that, like, got
any traction. Well, congratulations.
And we're really happy to have you here.
So thank you for making the cross country
trip to the West Coast in our beautiful
Brookings.
Yeah.
So
now that you're here, have you had a
chance to explore anything yet?
(08:48):
We went down to
one of the beaches
campground nearby.
I got to see a pelican try, like,
four or five different times to find food,
which was really nice.
Every time I think of pelicans, I'm thinking
of Finding Nemo and and,
Nigel,
in that one scene where they're at Sydney
Harbour.
(09:11):
Yeah. So we went around the beach, and
we were about to head towards the marina,
I think it was.
Down in the harbor? Yeah. And then, you
know, we got the text, like, hey. Do
you wanna be on the podcast? And so
then we're just like, alright. Well, let's do
that. Okay. Well, when you get through here,
I hope you will get down to the
harbor and take a
it's it's quite a pretty little harbor. We're
(09:31):
very protected, and there's some fun little shops
down there. Some of our sponsors are down
there. The Boardwalk Mail and and Pithitude is
a wonderful little t shirt gift shop. We're
excited to explore the area and learn as
much as we can about it because it
is quite beautiful here. And it is it
is a nice escape from the heat.
(09:51):
So okay.
I'm I wanna come back to writing, though,
and screenwriting in particular.
So can you tell us a bit more
about
the
movies or the screenplays
that
excite you
or
inform you? I mean So my top four
(10:12):
on Letterboxd
are,
La La Land, Finding Nemo,
Lady Bird, and Tron Legacy. Although, I probably
Okay. That's so that's quite a diverse
that's quite a diverse list. Yes.
And
I always like
sort of like this maybe doomed romance aspect.
I also really like Titanic
(10:34):
in that sense.
We're looking for a theme here. Yeah.
And,
you know, I've had some troubles with with
my mom's relationship. So,
like, a a troubled relationship is also, like,
kind of a through line I like in
the work.
Other movies that inspire So you're kinda driving
towards drama rather than comedy?
(10:56):
Yeah. Maybe inserting some comedy in there and
maybe some higher concepts, but
high concept would come much later. Okay. Yeah.
Other things that I'm interested is, like, politics.
I have an idea right now. It's not
really much of anything about, like, this group
that might, like it'd be a heist movie.
Right? Okay. Except instead of stealing something, they'd,
(11:18):
like, install a bench at, like, a bus
stop.
And I I think I saw a video
out of San Francisco of a group that
does just that. Uh-huh. And the city, you
know, they weren't really interested in those benches,
but people are like, we want the bench.
And I'm thinking that would be a great
idea for a movie about, like, getting involved
in your local government. And, you know, if
the local government's not gonna do something, you
(11:40):
gotta do it yourself. So grassroots kind of
Yeah. Activism. Yeah. I'd go. I'd go. Yeah.
Kinda kind of like when they fill potholes
with pot plants.
Tactical urbanism, I think, is what it's called.
That that is what it's called. Okay. But
so you talked about the end of La
La Land and this retrospective
relationship. But I'm curious about what you bring
(12:02):
from
Finding Nemo.
So Finding Nemo, I watched it when I
was, like, maybe four or five. And, the
first thing I took from it is that
fish are friends, not food. And if we
have I don't eat seafood for that sole
reason. Okay.
And then it's just like this relationship that,
(12:23):
like, Marlin and Nemo have where
Marlin has to realize that, like, he can't
be even though he, like, loves Nemo, he
can't be, like, so overbearing and overprotective. And
Nemo has to understand that, like,
Marlin can be a pain in his sin
sometimes.
But
Marlin's not there to, like, have any sort
of malicious intent. He's in his best interest
(12:44):
at heart. Yeah. Even though he says, don't
touch the butt or the boat, the boat.
Don't touch the boat. It's for a very
good reason.
Okay. And Tron. Let's not forget Tron.
Tron, I also saw when I was, like,
maybe 10.
I didn't I hadn't seen the original Tron
until, like, maybe a year ago.
And,
(13:06):
it's also about, like, this kid who's, like,
estranged from his his parents.
And, you know, he then goes on this,
like, journey. He finds his dad. They get
to reconnect, but he doesn't have long before
they're just pulled apart again. That's what really,
stuck with me Uh-huh. Along with just it
looks gorgeous.
There was it's really good cinematography in that
(13:27):
and how they brought in the CGI. And
to think about how long ago that movie
was actually made to today, and CGI is
just so good.
Yeah.
Actually, I I read an article out of
Polygon a while ago about the way they
did Jeff Bridges in de aging
and how, like, the more that this kind
of technology gets put onto us,
(13:48):
Tron Legacy becomes a self owned Hollywood because
they're just pushing this constantly. It's like, just
recast them.
Do you mind if I ask your manager,
Beth, a few questions? Yes. Okay. So Beth,
you're his manage or his mom?
I Momager. Yeah. I refer to myself as
his momager.
Okay.
We have a number of young talent here
(14:11):
that probably would be really interested in
how families
kind of take this the next step. So
you you've got
a child who's talented and gifted. They're
creative. They've got the vision. They're actually doing
the work. How do you help them take
that next step into,
(14:34):
you know, the real world of filmmaking?
Well, I guess it's different for every child.
You know? It's it's just like, motivations and
what drives it. Everyone is different.
And with Chris, he's he's always been extremely
independent,
even from,
you know, a toddler where he he wanted
(14:54):
to be the one to put the entire
gallon of milk back into the refrigerator. Nobody
could help him, not even support the bottom
so it wouldn't end up on the floor.
So he he always had that independence, so
we had to give him plenty of room,
to do those types of things. And he
wouldn't share his work, so we had to
bribe him or bang him.
(15:14):
Even even with Afterglow, he wouldn't let me
read the script until he asked me what
I wanted for my birthday, and that was
it. I wanted to read his script.
So, you know, you you have to give
them the room that they need,
but you also have to be there to
support them
and guide them. We don't always disagree. We
(15:35):
we tend to debate
a lot,
usually at 10:00 at night after a long
day. So
but,
and, you know, it's it's really
guiding them along the way of their own
creativity.
I think with Chris,
when I do give him feedback or advice,
(15:57):
his independence is like, no. No. No. I
already know about this.
So I think we're getting to a point
now where he understands where, you know, we
go back to Finding Nemo that I have
his best interest at heart
and that I wanna support him.
And I'm getting to understand
that his creativity
drives him, and I've got to let him
(16:18):
explore that even if I don't agree always
in the direction that he wants to go.
It's a it's a tough balance for for
any parent and child.
It's just like kind of when they grow
up, you've got to let them go at
some point, and
you still have that protective
nature to them, you know, or I certainly
(16:41):
understand that feeling. It's a difficult thing to
do, but we manage and we talk it
out. We argue. We hug. We fight. We
love each other and
and support each other. You know, there's gonna
be good days and bad days. And, you
know, bottom line, it's the fact that, you
know, we're there for each other
regardless of how the day starts or ends.
Okay.
(17:02):
You know, and I gotta ask you though.
You you finally got Afterglow, the screenplay for
Afterglow Atab Beam.
Are you having to, like, pull teeth to
get the next projects out? Oh, yeah.
Could Could you wanna give us a little
sample of what you got coming through the
pipeline for next projects?
So I have a
I guess it's best to call it a
(17:23):
thriller. It wouldn't fit like our typical definition
of horror even though it may be,
about a
trans woman who has to basically
shoot her ex who's stalking her,
while she's also trying to just live her
life and be a normal person.
Yeah. So I think I'm about maybe five
or six pages into that. But I have
(17:44):
but I have the general,
story beats all lined out. It's just I
like the fact that you're not stuck in
one genre. Yeah. Yeah.
What
what are the big satisfactions that you get
out of
screenwriting?
I think part of it is the catharsis.
I'm I'm one of those people who just
has a lot of imaginary arguments in their
head while they're in the,
(18:06):
shower.
And I I can put that on paper
and think, like, okay. How how would this
argument reasonably go?
But also
using film as, like, a mass communication media.
You can put a message out there,
and,
sometimes
through a movie is the best way to
(18:26):
just deliver the message when people, like, aren't
expecting it.
And
That's absolutely right. Yeah. I'm gonna interrupt you
for just a second. Yeah. Because I'm a
retired sociology
professor from Eastern Washington University.
And I decided early on that films were
one of the great ways to teach a
concept that might otherwise be difficult to get
(18:48):
across.
So I've been using film as a teaching
tool for thirty years. And I usually get
told I'm the crazy one by my, classmates,
but, like, you're reading too much into this.
It's like, no. I'm not. Right.
Let's let's take this apart and analyze it.
Yeah. Let's use it as a case study.
Yeah.
(19:08):
So in in a lot of ways, it's
just using that to send the message that
you
may not otherwise get. Right? You you can,
like, get on a podium and say, I
believe x, y, and z,
but that might not hit with people. But
if you if you watch a movie where,
like, all the same things
are,
are espoused,
then it might get further in into that
(19:29):
and into your target audience. Mhmm. And that's
one of our goals here at the Wild
River's Film Festival is to bring a variety
of independent
films
to our audience
here that wouldn't otherwise get to see them.
We're six hours from Portland with film festival
there, and six hours from Bend, six hours
(19:49):
from San Francisco.
So it's really important to our board to
bring these
diverse
topics and issues
to our community to explore through film. So
Yeah. I'm looking forward to Afterglow
going somewhere. How do you shop it?
I have no idea.
(20:11):
Okay. Yeah. That's the next step. Right?
I I I don't know if I could
shop it because it's like 10 pages.
I I I don't know. I I did
write start writing it with the idea of
shooting it, and I just don't know how
to get it off the ground. Okay. Well,
that's one of the things we hope to
learn here,
for him at the film festival and meet
some you know, meet some So you're gonna
(20:32):
come to the educational seminars at 10:00 at
the library? Because Yeah. Our filmmakers will be
Friday tomorrow,
They're talking about preproduction.
Yeah. And then
Saturday, they're talking about production activities. And Sunday,
they're talking about postproduction.
Yeah. It's a great way to meet the
people that could help you take it the
(20:53):
next step. Yeah. Absolutely.
You know, we're we're excited to be here
and to learn as much as we can
about the industry.
We do have some family members who are
in the industry, but, you know, they've retired
now. So the industry's changed over the years.
Oh my goodness. It's changing
every year. So it's it's necessary
for us to learn everything we can,
(21:16):
of what's happening now and today in the
industry. And and, you know, and Orlando is
actually,
looking
at,
doing more to attract the film industry back
to Central Florida area where it used to
be before Disney left
Mhmm. 02/2004,
I think it was. 02/2003,
(21:37):
02/2004,
they left, Orlando.
So everything kinda just kind of
faded off into the distance,
with the credits rolling, if you will,
after Disney left. But now they're talking about
working to bring back the film industry into
Central Florida. So it'll be a good opportunity,
you know, for us to learn more here,
(21:58):
and at other film festivals. And, you know,
who knows? Maybe we'll end up shooting Afterglow
here in Brookings or somewhere We would love
that.
We will help you with that if it's
what you decide to do. Yeah. Absolutely. We've
got a lot of beautiful locations
and
Yep. Absolutely. It's, it's it's a good script.
(22:20):
I wasn't sure what to expect when I
read it, you know, because he wouldn't share
anything with me.
And,
I was I was
wonderfully surprised.
Okay. And,
I knew he had it in them. I
just didn't know if it would
if he would let it out, if you
will. Are are you feeling comfortable now with
putting it out there to the world? A
(22:42):
little bit.
Yeah.
I'll just say, yeah, That's fine. Well, he'll
have no choice. I'm also his publicist. So
Yeah. You've already read it. Yeah. I've read
it. It's going places. Well,
we're a film festival that loves shorts.
So,
getting a short produced
(23:03):
on a low budget is not impossible. It
gets easier all the time with the equipment.
So I hope you will talk with Dan
Springen, our executive director, who's also a producer
Absolutely. And some of our filmmakers,
especially those that have shorts out there about,
you know, what they're using and how they're
managing that.
(23:25):
I I do have to say that I
I'm not a filmmaker. I'm a retired professor.
But I got my feet wet with the
first film
back during COVID when our dance studio in
town was shut down.
And the
director of the dance studio was doing a
writing workshop at Harvard. And she said, I'm
(23:47):
gonna write a screenplay.
And the next thing we know, we're
bringing a crew of seven across the country
to film
a narrative version of The Nutcracker, which is
screening on Saturday. Oh, nice. So it it
it'll be its last film festival showing. We
started out in '22.
We premiered at Orlando Film Festival, and they,
(24:11):
the film received a cast ensemble award there.
So it has about a Right. It has
about a dozen laurels on it now. I'm
gonna brag a little bit. Mhmm.
But,
if we had known what we were doing
when we started, we wouldn't have done it.
So it only exists because we didn't know
what we were doing.
But isn't that the way a lot of
(24:31):
success have? That's the way a lot of
successes happen. We sometimes fall into them Yes.
And,
and find out that, hey. We actually have
been doing this all along.
So we are coming down to the end
pretty fast, but I'm curious which films
we have this year at the twenty twenty
five Wild Rivers Film Festival that you want
(24:54):
to see.
I have not even looked at the itinerary.
Okay. There's there's so many of them. I
looked at I looked at a number of
them. I wanna see the feature film.
Ethan Bloom? Yeah. That's coming tonight. Yeah. And
then,
again, the names escape me because there were
so many of them. But there's one,
(25:15):
about the young lady who's
dying and and exploring,
death. I can't remember the title on that
film right now either. There were so many
good ones. Yes. I know, you know, we
won't have time to see them all, but
they're they all look extremely I think I
had a dozen I wanted to see.
(25:35):
One of my favorites that's coming back from
last year is my little rock star.
The producer, Stephanie Williams, was actually here with
her with us last year. And what's interesting
is I believe if I'm not mistaken, wasn't
this her first festival as well? First festival.
Yeah. Yeah. Isn't there one title, We Are
Dead?
There is. Yes. There's that one too I
(25:56):
wanna see. Yeah.
The the best way I take, like, any
new experience is to just throw it all
at me, and I will figure it out.
That's that's good advice because,
our our first year, Sue was talking about,
a film festival for months on end, and
I'd get little bits and pieces here and
there. And then all of a sudden, I
showed up, and we had a festival going.
(26:17):
I just jumped right into it. And here
we are, year three, you know? Yeah. So
Well, we're excited to be here, and we're
excited to experience the whole festival. So thank
you for having us. Yes. Oh, I just
wanted to add one of the ones that
I'm really excited to see this year is
called Backseat Driver.
And it's about this
pair, and they each have an imaginary
(26:38):
friend, but their imaginary friends don't get along.
That's a that's a good one.
So Yeah.
I'll add that to my list if it's
not already there. Okay.
What else would you like to say, Kenny?
You've been quiet. I I'm just enjoying the
conversation.
You guys are giving me a lot of
good things to think about. That's,
(27:01):
we're excited for you guys to come all
the way from Orlando here, and I I'm
finding that as a common theme. We're a
smaller festival.
We and it seems to be attracting a
good group of creative people that are passionate
to be here. Because we're not we're not
a big festival where you're gonna bump into
big names and all of that.
(27:21):
You you get it. Because we are smaller
still, you're getting a higher quality
experience with getting to have one on ones
with producers and filmmakers and
set designers and stuff. So you're gonna get
a really good sense of what to expect
from the industry at large
because of the smaller experience here. And our
Okay.
(27:42):
Our first happy hour is at Brian Scott
Gallery this afternoon.
And so it's a good place to meet
and greet and mingle and get acquainted.
So I hope you're there. We'll definitely be
there. And if I could, Kenny, to,
come up on what you just said about
the smaller film festivals,
the intimate ones are are so much nicer
(28:03):
because you can connect directly. The larger ones,
you can get lost.
You know, even if even if you're a
pro.
It's out by Southwest, and Austin is a
is a prime example. And so, you know,
we we really are looking forward to this
entire experience.
We are so glad you're here.
So,
we're gonna wrap up. That's it for this
(28:24):
episode of Wild Rivers Film Radio.
To learn more about the festival bypasses,
volunteer, or explore sponsorship
opportunities, visit wildriversfilmfestival.com.
Follow us on Facebook
and Instagram.
Our sound booth is Michael Gorst.
Our editor is Tom Bozak.
(28:46):
I'm Sue Wright with Kenny Ray,
And
till next time.
Thank you.
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It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.