1. What is your screenplay about?
“Strays” is about a lonely surveillance officer at a grocery store helps a street kid get a job, but their budding friendship soon turns into a brewing obsession.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
It’s a dark drama with a touch of thriller/suspense.
3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
I feel “Strays” gives a different view on an obsessive crush and looks into the world of loneliness and the desperation of longing.
4. How would you describe this script in two words?
Gut punch.
5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
That is long list… Brian de Palma’s “Dressed to Kill” comes to mind.
6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
I started “Strays” in August of 2020 but had the idea forming about a year prior.
7. How many stories have you written?
I have about seven finished screenplays.
8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
I have been a big fan of Eurythmics most of my life. I usually put one of their CDs in the player and listen to it on repeat until I move on to the next. Right now, I’ve been listening to “This City Never Sleeps” a lot.
9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
Crippling Self-Doubt. It’s usually the biggest obstacle I face daily.
10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
I used to cook quite a bit. I owned a restaurant from 1996 to 2007. I guess I still have a passion for food.
11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?
Film Freeway has been a vital help in searching and researching contests. It’s crucial for writers to have forums and communities where they feel safe in expressing themselves and developing their craft. We are lucky to live in world where connections can be made so easily.
12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
With “Strays” having a gay main character I sought out LGBTQ+ contests. I’m also partial to the Canadian film industry. The feedback was positive from the start with some constructive notes. I felt like the reader understood what I was conveying.
Watch the Screenplay Reading:
Pete is ruthlessly efficient in his role as loss prevention officer at a grocery store, scanning cameras, ready to catch potential thieves. Feeling the Christmas spirit, he lets a new shoplifter, Nick, off, and buys him shopping. But this is the start of a growing infatuation with the young man, which clouds Pete’s judgment, driving him to go as far as framing a member of staff for stealing. However, he cannot stop Nick going out with Lexi, the latter of which he pushes down some stairs after she gets too close to the truth. With her death, Pete makes his move on Nick, but his rejection turns into another altercation which ends with Nick dying in the struggle.
CAST LIST:
Narrator: Allison Kampf
Pete: Geoff Mays
Young Woman: Elizabeth Rose Morriss
Matthew Toffolo's Summary 