Interview with Screenwriter Sonja Knyssok (M for Mole Murder)

Matthew Toffolo: What is your screenplay about?

Sonja Knyssok: My Screenplay is about a young mole who suffers from claustrophobia and has to clear up a murder mystery that leads him in the tunnels where he has to escape from mutated killer roots of flowers
to finally overcome his fears.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Animation (Well, Animation is not really a genre, so: Thriller / Comedy)

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

This screenplay is so much fun for all ages. The adults will have some extra fun in recognizing some Hitchcock reference (like: The Birds / Vertigo).

It is thrilling and entertaining…and something like a comedy-thriller hasn´t been made yet in Animation. Moles and the underground environment would be also something new to Animation.

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

funny and exciting.

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

I really don´t know, but I watched the old Hitchcock Movies over and over again.

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

Very long if you count from the first idea. This was back in Animation School. First there was only the idea for a short film. Much later I thought: hey, this could be a feature-length screenplay.

From Treatment to Screenplay ist was maybe 4 month or so.

7. How many stories have you written?

I wrote three Screenplays (Animation) and a concept for an animated series. Seperate from the screenplays I wrote a short story.

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

I don´t know. I guess I have many favourite songs. 🙂

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

The middle was the worst thing. I had the beginning and knew how the story would end. It was really challenging to fill the middle. That´s why I developed the paralell story with the gardener and the lady.

The gardener also recognizes that somethings wrong in the garden.

Since this is a Crime-Story, it was also not always easy to change scenes. Once you take one brick out, the whole thing collapses.

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

Drawing.

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

I think the submission platform side has a good structure.

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

I was very happy to get detailed feedback so I could refine the specific areas of my screenplay. I took the advice of getting a professional, native-english, proofreader.

Watch the Screenplay Reading: 

Willy Wuehlman is a mole who lives in a tree. Since he had a traumatic experience in his childhood when his parents died, he suffers from claustrophobia and is unable to go through tunnels. When he is accused to be the murderer of his aunt, he has to overcome his fear. But he does not know that some strange mutated killer roots of garden flowers waiting for him in the dark.

CAST LIST:

Woodpecker – Neil Bennett
Molly – Rebecca MacDonald
NARRATION – Tracy Rowland
Willy – Marcus Bernacci
Ricky – David Jackson

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