AMY TOWNSEND
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Nashville, Tennessee — where the stories (and the sweet tea) run deep. How did you discover The Palm Springs International Screenplay Awards and how did you decide to enter this contest among all the others? Through Film Freeway. What made this one stand out was the promise of thoughtful industry insight and real feedback — not just a laurel and a “good luck.” It felt like the kind of competition that actually wants to help writers move the needle. Your script or media entry stood out among hundreds of others. What was the inspiration for your project ? As the executive producer of True Crime Recaps, I live and breathe crime stories. I knew I wanted to write something that could channel that adrenaline — something dark, intense, and gripping — but also grounded in a character with depth. Enter: a tormented female detective with a supernatural secret. Before They’re Gone is true crime with a twist of the unknown, which is right in my storytelling sweet spot. How long did it take you to write your script or produce your pitch deck/sizzle reel/trailer...and what was your development process? This concept has been simmering for a while. The characters have been talking to me for months — they just needed a pitch deck to live in. Building it out felt like giving form to a dream I’ve had on loop. And once I sat down to write it, it all clicked into place like a crime scene finally making sense. What is your ultimate ambition as a writer or filmmaker? To scare people. Not with jump scares — with stories that creep into your mind and linger there long after you’ve turned off the screen. I want to create the kind of shows that make you check your locks. Twice. Which film directors or screenwriters inspire you? Why? Carina Adly MacKenzie is a big one for me. Her work on Roswell and We Were Liars walks that tightrope between emotion and mystery. But more than that, I admire her advocacy for new writers and inclusive writers’ rooms. That’s the kind of storyteller — and showrunner — I hope to be. What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show? Right now I’m deep into a rewatch of Panic. I love how Lauren Oliver and Mallory Rosenthal waste zero time pulling you into the world. It’s atmospheric, intense, and totally binge-worthy — everything I want in a series. How do you approach competition entries, and what have you learned from participating in these contests? I try to hit “submit” and then let go. Once it’s out in the world, I tell my concept, “Go make friends, baby.” But honestly, what I’ve learned is that feedback — the kind you get from competitions like this one — is worth its weight in gold. Win or lose, it sharpens you. What advice do you have for others hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have? Keep going. It’s simple, not easy. You made something incredible — don’t bury it. Let contests be the spotlight that gets your work seen. You never know who’s watching. What else are you working on that the world needs to know about? I’m really proud of what we’re building at True Crime Recaps. It’s all the crime in half the time — 15-minute stories that are smart, fast-paced, and totally bingeable. You can find us on all major platforms and streaming on Roku via the Mysteria channel. Where can the world find you? (Website, IMDB, etc.) truecrimerecaps.com IMDB |
