Interview with Screenwriter George Deihl Jr. (ALGORITHM)

Matthew Toffolo: What is your screenplay about?

Thematically, The Algorithm is about the dangers of strict adherance to a religion or ideology and how those beliefs can be directly opposed to morality and a common sense of decency.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Science Fiction. I always imagined it’s style to match an original ‘Star Trek’ or ‘The Outer Limits’ episode. I thought that style juxtaposed against the tone and modern theme of the piece would be very dynamic.

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

The current political climate and vast differences we are struggling with as a nation are portrayed through the characters within the story. It is hard to find a “middle ground” when certain parties are willing to sacrifice the rights and values of woman and minorities to remain in power.

4. How would you describe this script in two words?

Dystopian Thriller.

5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?

Probably ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’. Although, the film that has had the most impact on me is a Terrence Malick film called ‘Days of Heaven’. My taste in film lay somewhere between those two.

6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

It has gone through quite a few changes. On and off and between other projects around eight months.

7. How many stories have you written?

Five. I wrote and illustrated a comic book film called ‘Issues’, about a psychiatrist and his superhero patient. I’ve written two Star Wars fan fiction scripts. One is about a fallen, yet noble Jedi and his daughter set between ‘The Phantom Menace’ and ‘Attack of the Clones’. The other is about the underworld finding their place within the galaxy’s shifting power dynamics after the Rebellion has destroyed the first Death Star. My opus (that I hope to reveal soon) is ‘The Journals of Isaac Bangs: Unabridged’, a supernatural thriller set in Manhattan, NY during the Revolutionary War. Additionally, on the back-burner is a western called ‘Hellbent’.

8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)

“Your Love” by The Outfield. But I’ve probably listened to “She Said She Said” by the Beatles the most. It was one of the first songs I learned on the guitar.

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

Being an actor in New York, I’ve read a lot of plays and novels. The most difficult thing about writing a screenplay is writing a screenplay. As silly as that may sound, I think any new screenwriter will understand this struggle perfectly.

10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

Acting. I love it. Also, in my personal life my wife and I adopt senior dogs.

11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?

Great! I recommend it to everyone.

12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

It fit the genre for which I was aiming. I have really enjoyed getting all the feedback that I have received. 

Watch the Best Scene Reading:

Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure

Designated to save her home planet, a woman must make a choice between devotion to her humanity and the glorification of The Algorithm.

CAST LIST:

The Algorithm: Peter Nelson
Male: John Leung
Narrator: Elizabeth Rose Morriss
Female: Pearl Ho
Ship’s Computer: Katelyn Vanier
Him: Twain Ward

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