Interview with Screenwriter Melissa L. White (AGAIN)

Watch the Screenplay Reading:

AGAIN tells the story of three strong women whose lives intertwine in three parallel stories about r eincarnation, life-altering love, and the re-connecting of souls throughout history: from Duchess Bianca Maria Visconti in 15th Century Milan; to author Jean Rhys in Devon, England in 1966; to current day Los Angeles UCLA professor, Mayra Jean Lewis.

CAST LIST:

Narrator: Steve Rizzo
Antoinette: Kyana Teresa
Mayra: Hannah Ehman
Liang: Geoff Mays

Get to know the screenwriter:

What is your screenplay about?
My screenplay contains three parallel stories where themes of reincarnation and life-altering love intertwine throughout the lives of Duchess Bianca Maria Visconti in 15th Century Milan, author Jean Rhys in 1966 England, and UCLA professor Mayra Jean Lewis in 2021 Los Angeles.

What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Genres my script falls under include Female-Centered Drama; with crossover to Biopic and Historical Drama genres


Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
This story’s mass appeal lies in its themes of reincarnation, and a timeless love which is so powerful that it requires multiple lifetimes to experience all this love has to offer to a particular group of souls, who repeatedly find each other throughout history, in lifetime after lifetime.


How would you describe this script in two words?
Two words that best describe this script are: Thought Igniting.


What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
The movie I’ve seen the most times in my life is: It’s a Wonderful Life

How long have you been working on this screenplay?
I’ve been working on this screenplay since July 2022.


How many stories have you written?
I’ve written many types of stories, including the following: 7 Novels, 29 Feature Screenplays, 26 Short Screenplays, 8 Pilot Screenplays, 3 Plays, and 76+ Short Stories.


What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
My favorite song is “True Companion” by Marc Cohn.


What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
Obstacles I faced in writing this screenplay include: trying to adapt a novel about actual, historical people, while keeping parallel storylines interlaced throughout the screenplay from settings as diverse as 15th Century Milan; 1966 England; and Los Angeles, CA in 2021.

Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
I’m very passionate about writing essays. I’ve published 3 new essays in the last three months. Links to these 3 essays, (plus others) can be found here:

https://www.melissalwhite.com/publications/


You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?
FilmFreeway is amazing. It’s simple to use and very convenient.


What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
I learned about this festival from the ISA Platform (International Screenwriters’ Association) and I decided to enter the script for my Pilot “AGAIN.” I was impressed by the insightful, detailed and extremely actionable notes and suggestions I received from them. Very helpful feedback.