Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller, Horror
Poseidon Adventure meets Night of the Dead. When the world’s largest cruise ship is over-run by thousands of shambling, groping, synthetically reanimated corpses, celebrity Vlogger Rozo and her Dad Ammy, the Chief Engineer, must help the last survivors off the ship – which is made all the more hellish when it capsizes, as these particular flesh-eaters can swim like demented sharks.
CAST LIST:
Narrator: Carina Cojeen
Rozo/Holly: Carly Tisdall
Macavoy: Peter Nelson
Satoshi: Christopher Huron
Ruben: David Occhipinti
Qadira: Kiran Friesen
Kerry Jo: Alicia Ryan
Get to know the writer:
1. What is your screenplay about?
It’s about hedonism and heroism. Chief engineer Ammy tries to help his estranged kids Rozo and Bud off his upturned cruise liner when it’s overrun by swimming zombies
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
The genre is contemporary action horror.
2. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
This would make a cinematically exciting, at times amusing, and visually amazing movie. It satirises today’s obsessions with celebrity, entertainment and gambling and so on, but also ends on an ironic note of hope. Although there have been examples of zombies in water, this is the first with huge numbers of them swimming like demented sharks, as far as I know.
3. How would you describe this script in two words?
Grossly exciting. Just two words? Maybe “sea zombies”.
4. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
Blade Runner is the film I’ve probably seen the most times, but there have been a few since that might surpass that. The Matrix (the first one obviously) is one. Sean of the Dead might be another.
5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
Off and on I’ve been working on this idea for about 18 months, but it came together as a complete script in about three months.
6. How many stories have you written?
I don’t know how many stories I’ve written, and I’ve destroyed a lot. I’m working on two other screenplays and building up a set of about ten short stories, as well as a mini-series which I can’t talk about which is basically a mash-up of the Matrix and a kind of Road-trip.
7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
I love the way the zombie genre in films and literature explores and reveals human nature and deep fears, and wanted to apply it to what I see as the current western malaise. Consumerism has been done, so basically my targets are shallow hedonism, vanity and celebrity culture. Also I couldn’t resist the appeal of reanimated corpses infesting the deep.
8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
Two major obstacles: 1. fitting it in to a busy life, and 2. not rewriting it too many times for the sake of it. I am in the middle or a whole new draft though!
9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Architecture and philosophy, and I’m semi-addicted to chess. I also have a bee in my bonnet about Religion being the very thing Jesus of Nazareth cam to liberate humans from, but that’s going to be a book, not a film.
10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
I love the enthusiasm and creativity in festivals like this and in all kinds of meetups with people in all areas of film making. This one seemed right for this screenplay. The initial feedback showed a huge amount of understanding and intelligence and was incredibly helpful and well-written.
11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?
So far I’ve found the submission platform very smooth and user-friendly, and I’ll be using it a good deal more in the future.
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Producer: Matthew Toffolo http://www.matthewtoffolo.com
Director: Kierston Drier
Casting Director: Sean Ballantyne
Editor: John Johnson
Camera Op: Mary Cox
Action/Adventure Film & Screenplay Festival 