ALFRED THOMAS CATALFO
2024 Spring Winner Best Short Script: "We Will Never Be"
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Dover, New Hampshire, USA Your script or media entry stood out among hundreds of others. What was the inspiration for your project ? Thank you. I’m honored. I’ve written and directed nine short films that have screened at festivals and appeared on Entertainment Weekly’s Must List, and often have a supernatural twist. I thought it would be interesting if someone’s older self appeared and told them which choices they made in life were mistakes. My son and I are both actors and I thought this would be a fun one to do together. How long did it take you to write your script or produce your pitch deck/sizzle reel/trailer...and what was your development process? I’ve written quite a few feature scripts and short scripts and generally follow the same process although features, of course, take much longer. I wrote the first draft of this short script in a few days, then sent it out to several trusted readers who are writers themselves. Once I received that feedback, I rewrote it several times. What is your ultimate ambition as a writer or filmmaker? I would like to write and direct feature films, and produce episodic television. Which film directors or screenwriters inspire you? Why? So many but for writer-directors, I would say Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Peter Jackson, and Robert Zemeckis inspire me. They demonstrate innovative storytelling, take on extremely ambitious projects, and have a complete and decisive command of the language of film. Screenwriters I admire include Lawrence Kasdan and David Magee, Oscar-nominated for “Life of Pi” and “Finding Neverland” who was my mentor at the Stowe Story Labs for a feature script. What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show? Movies: The Godfather, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Limitless TV: Ozark, Your Honor What advice do you have for others hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have? Read The Screenwriter’s Bible by David Trottier. Be able to articulate how your script fits into a three-act structure. Make sure there’s a defined third act. When you ask someone to read your script, seek honest criticism not validation. What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? We are currently gearing up to produce OIL AND WATER, a feature script I wrote with Morgan Webster Dudley, based on an amazing true story with a strong female protagonist. The screenplay has won numerous awards (e.g., Top 6 Finalist in the Austin Film Festival Script Competition out of 3,558 submissions, Winner of the Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting Competition out of 1,300+ submissions, Second Place in the Slamdance Screenplay Competition out of 1600+ submissions, First Prize in the Fade In Awards True Story/Biopic Script Competition). Where can the world find you? (Website, IMDB, etc.) I’m on IMDb (Alfred Thomas Catalfo) and my website is www.catalfo.com |
