Best Scene Reading of ATHENS, by M. Lee Brutsche

Winning Screenplay – ATHENS Written by M. Lee Brutsche CAST LIST: NARRATOR – Frances Townend FBI TASK – Peter Mark Raphael NICK – Jonah Akler-Silliman KIRK – Christopher Huron LEAD MEDIC – Charles Gordon

SYNOPSIS:

Genre: Mystery, Drama, Thriller

After disappearing at the end of the second world war and being sent to Ohio to help in the treatment of psychopathy, two Nazi scientists mysteriously disappear, only to start an elaborate plot against Senator Church of Ohio and by extension, America.

Get to know the writer:

What is your screenplay about?

It’s in the late ’50s, and the FBI and CIA have opposing views with confronting communism.

To the point, they fight each other.

What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Suspense, psyop thriller.

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

Utterly original. Nothing about this script has been explored before such as –

– The MK-Ultra program.

– The “Paperclip” Op that brought the Nazis over to help with the
Manhattan project.

– The Odessa ratline they escaped through, etc

How would you describe this script in two words?

Saddle up

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

Goodfellas

How long have you been working on this screenplay?

6 months (I have two different versions since completing this one)

How many stories have you written?

On this one, four

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

Blue October, Fear

What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

Still am – the story is three scripts. There’s one version that should be Shutter Island meets Jacobs Ladder.

Another version should be character based on the Nazi Scientist and the FBI agent (one dealing with tragedy, the other dealing with a tragic past). The third version should take a direct and simple plot placing the CIA and FBI on a collision course, in the realm of “Sicario.”

Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

Nothing

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

The imagination, premise, and cinematic originality is unrivaled…to the point, only a Tarrantino could appreciate it.

It’s nailing the three act structure I appear to not be good at. For example, on the Black list, half my scores are 10’s, and the other half are 6’s. The tens are on premise, setting, dialogue, structure, while the 6s are on plot and pacing.

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Producer/Director: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com

Editor: John Johnson

Camera Operator: Kierston Drier

Casting: Sean Ballantyne