ANTONIO STELLATO
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 PictureANTONIO STELLATO
Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
North Hollywood, CA

How did you discover The Palm Springs International Screenplay Awards and how did you decide to enter this contest among all the others?
After submitting to the Disney Entertainment Television Writing Fellowship, I was hung up over the fact that I was actually quite proud of my TV Pilot I had written (something that doesn’t happen often). As a way to either validate that pride, or realign my personal expectations, I decided to submit to a small handful of festivals. I found Palm Springs during research on FilmFreeway, looking for festivals where finalists have a chance to get in front of managers, since management is my current goal.

Your script or media entry stood out among hundreds of others. What was the inspiration for your project ?
The inspiration for SWEET HONEY was my experience immigrating. I wanted to express the nuance and complexities around the journey you embark on after moving, and how failure (and disappointment) are central themes in that journey. However, I did not want to write textually about immigration. I wanted to wrap it up in the breezy and exciting world of decades-lost Americana; something that feels romanticized, echoing my own romanticization of my American Dream.

How long did it take you to write your script or produce your pitch deck/sizzle reel/trailer...and what was your development process?
The first draft of this project was written before I immigrated, many years ago. Throughout the years, as I’ve changed and developed my own complicated relationship with the move, I would return to this script and see how its themes and lessons have changed. The TV Pilot version of this script took about two weeks to write, which is quite fast by my own standards, but would have never been possible without the years of revisions on previous versions.

What is your ultimate ambition as a writer or filmmaker?
I know I am destined to be a career writer in Hollywood. Although I very much enjoy writing television, features are my bread and butter. My ultimate ambition is to sustain myself solely through writing. I have dreams of directing my own screenplays eventually, but I would like to truly establish myself as I competent and even desirable writer first and foremost.

Which film directors or screenwriters inspire you? Why?
I am deeply inspired by the classical and romantic ideals of the 1960s French movement. Jacques Demy is probably my number one. However, I do still love modern cinema, and visual-first films like David Lowery’s A GHOST STORY have played a big role in motivating my inner eye for cinematic storytelling.

What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show?
THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG might have to be the pick for me.

How do you approach competition entries, and what have you learned from participating in these contests?
I look for competitions that I feel qualified to enter. I don’t have expectations for the tastes and sensibilities of a festival to adapt to me and my style. Always research the places you submit to! I have learned, through this process, that your writing shines when you submit with confidence. Everyone has their own unique perspectives, and submitting your script should feel like a celebration of that perspective you carry.

What advice do you have for others hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
Stories you are passionate about transform over time, just as you do. Embrace the change, and see how your personal evolution changes stories that might feel otherwise locked in place.

What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
I have joined Roadmap Writers and am honing my pitching skills. SWEET HONEY is certainly one of several scripts I am preparing through this process. In terms of work-in- progresses, I am writing a charming, funny, and off-beat Murder Mystery that is KNIVES OUT meets THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD. Another script I am currently developing, which I am very excited about, is a teen drama that is squarely THE BREAKFAST CLUB meets A QUIET PLACE. The comp alone brings some joy to me, as it’s such a fun pairing.

Where can the world find you? (Website, IMDB, etc.)
My IMDB is https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8973549/ and my personal Vimeo ishttps://vimeo.com/ghostwriterfilms , where I have my LA Shorts-featured short film IMPRESSIONS OF A GHOST.