Author: Dreamate Demo

What are your expectations for 2026?

So far, all my scripts have performed well and received numerous awards in international contests. My expectation for 2026 is that one of them, “The Man with a Glove”, which is currently optioned, will lead to a positive outcome. Additionally, I hope that my multi-award-winning action/thriller script, “The Dead Ringer”, will capture a producer’s interest and reach a broader audience by making its way to the silver screen.    

What projects are you currently working on?

I’m thrilled to announce that I have completed a sci-fi thriller titled “The Star Seeker”. This project tells the story of a homeless teenage math prodigy in a climate-ravaged future who competes for a coveted spot on a space exploration mission while simultaneously searching for her father’s missing spaceship. It combines elements of “Interstellar” with the thrill of an “Escape Room”, showcasing resilience and the hopeful pursuit of a brighter future in the face of challenges.

What would you ask event organizers in the film industry to do to support the creativity of talented independent artists like yourself? 

I appreciate the work event organizers are already doing to showcase and promote independent artists. To further support our creativity, I suggest creating a platform that facilitates connections between industry executives, producers, and artists, ideally serving as a stepping stone to production.  If not, just providing a means for artists to see that these professionals have recognized their work would serve as valuable encouragement. This kind of acknowledgment can significantly boost our morale, much like the applause a performer receives on stage. Ultimately, fostering this supportive environment would affirm the idea that contests can help us gain traction and achieve success.

What vision or desire currently guides your artistic choices?

As a writer, my mission is to craft compelling stories that resonate deeply with audiences. My journey from Vietnam to France profoundly influences my narrative style, as I intentionally explore themes of belonging and identity. By focusing on these compelling concepts within the realms of Sci-Fi, Action, and Supernatural Thrillers, I aim to foster a connection with my audience, inviting them to join me on this creative journey.

-Who is Ibrahim Buznego?

I am a Venezuelan director, writer, and screenwriter. I currently reside in Mexico City. My passion for storytelling began through science fiction. In 2019, my novel titled SERES was published. From there, I made the leap into cinematography. I began professional photography studies at the New York Institute of Photography (LATAM), which helped broaden my cinematic vision.

Since then, I have created short films and screenplays that have been featured in high-impact international festivals such as the Rhode Island International Film Festival (a qualifying event for the prestigious BAFTA and Canadian Screen Awards), Short to the Point, Venezuelan Film Festival, Shorts México, among others.

I am currently developing my debut feature film titled Syncope.

-Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?

At home, since childhood, my family has always been passionate about cinema—especially my mother. She would bring home movie tapes, and every Sunday we’d gather in the living room to watch them together. Several films captured my imagination as a child: Independence Day, E.T., Bicentennial Man, among many, many others. I’ve been in love with cinema and its stories since I was young; it became a vivid and essential part of my upbringing. It shaped countless wonderful and unforgettable afternoons.-Tell us about your project “MUTE”.

Mute is my latest short film, shot in Venezuela with a multidisciplinary and exceptionally talented team. Mute tells the story of a young violinist who is abused by the Orchestra Director, shattering both her psyche and her life. Through Mute, I seek to keep the conversation alive around one of the most devastating afflictions of our modern society: sexual aggression and violence.

The narrative of Mute explores aspects of the personal prejudices that victims often face after a sexual assault—prejudices amplified by misinformation, social stigma, and both public and personal scorn. These elements compound the trauma endured by survivors.

With Mute, I do not aim to lecture the audience, but rather to expose the tribulations and psychological harm that victims confront and endure—individuals who, while demanding justice, also yearn for empathy-Which Director inspires you the most?

The directors who have most influenced me are Steven Spielberg, Tarantino, Nolan, and Guillermo del Toro—not only for the stories they tell, but for the way they see and live cinema. Their journeys into such a complex and competitive industry are truly inspiring.

Likewise, two of the most influential writers for me are Isaac Asimov and Stephen King—both visionaries, ahead of their time.

-What do you dislike about the world and what would you change?

Today, the world—and the way we see it—is steeped in overwhelming frivolity. I believe the weight of the trivial clouds what truly matters, or should matter, in order to take a step forward toward collective evolution and a clearer vision of a better world.

I believe in the enduring effort of the arts to serve as a counterbalance to everything that tries to distract us from what is essential. I hope that artistic expression—regardless of its medium—can expand that vision and, at the very least, make our passage through time more gentle and more hopeful.

-How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?

Cinema has always been one of the great survivors of modernity. It endured silent film, black-and-white film, television—and it will continue to endure. Creativity is a human gift that will prevail through the changes of the future.

A hundred years from now, I imagine cinema returning to its roots, having crossed the threshold of AI and disruptive technologies. A cinema that is more democratic, and at the same time, more human.

Perhaps it will become an eloquent curiosity amid the overwhelming abundance of content, carving its way through the fog of countless consumption platforms—bringing us back, once again, to the darkened theatre.

-What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?

Wild Filmmaker is a space for connection, for truth, for inspiration—bringing together emerging filmmakers in the challenging task of sharing our work with the world. I believe this platform is not only important but commendable; having access to it offers a showcase that is both necessary and timely. Let’s keep making Wild Cinema.

– What are your expectations for 2026?

Maybe the question should be “What are my hopes for 2026?”  I would love for at least one of my many award-winning scripts to enter into production.  

ALTA CALIFORNIA, for one, is a script that has won over 200 national and international awards.  Its subject is particularly appropriate now given that Governor Newsom’s recently signed a bill requiring the true history of the Mission Era and its effect on California natives be taught in schools.  As an immigrant, from Wales, I am surprised how many Californians cannot name one person, other than Junipero Serra, the “Good Padre,” from the Mission Era. 

Then there’s my six-episode teleplay, young-adult fantasy adventure series, “The Boy Who Earned His Magic.”  In it I use the relatively unexplored world of the differing characters, peoples, languages, myths and dramatic landscapes that make up my adopted country, the United States.  

 
– What projects are you currently working on?

Whenever I receive a serious, professional critique of my work, I review it and make changes commensurate with the criticism. 

At the end of the sixth episode of “The Boy who Earned His Magic,”  there is a mystery, a forward: one of the characters had not returned home.  And so, to my seventh episode.

Then there’s the continuation of “The Mongrel,”  pilot for THE COMING MORROW.  At the end of the pilot, Johnny Z, the mongrel, is captured!  What now?

I am constantly reading and reviewing various prompts.  For example, a story from Irish mythology prompted my mystery THE SCRIPT, A CELTIC HORROR TALE.  There are other stories from Celtic mythology that are worth reviewing.

There could be other projects.  As an elder in the writing community, I am continually seeking and creating.  We live in very challenging times.  I believe it is the task of the artist/writer to confront those challenges.  

I am definitely not planning “to go gentle into that good night” (Dylan Thomas)

– What would you ask event organizers in the film industry to do in order to support the creativity of highly talented independent artists like yourself?

Unfortunately, I see so many requests for scripts that seek to replicate a recent hit.   

A cursory glance at some of these “experts” is revealing.  So-and-so will read your script and talk with you for an hour.  Cost $290!  I fell for this and realized, in the case of two of these, the person hadn’t even read the script!  

I had a career as an academic.  I rose to the rank of full professor in a university.  Some student’s work was not easy to read, but I always read everything and tried to offer some positive advice and hope.  That’s what I ask.

I have won about 400 festival awards through FilmFreeway, ISA, MovieBytes, Wild Filmmakers, etc.  I would really like to believe that someone reading one of my scripts has an avenue by which he/she can guide my script to a producer/agent/director and say, “You might want to read this!”

– What vision or desire currently guides your artistic choices?

As mentioned, in my “previous life” I was an academic teaching the works of dramatic writers, Celtic literature, humanities, critical thinking, philosophy, etc.

Variations of the earlier works often guide my decisions.  “Ghost Town, N.M.,” for example, is a comic variation on a Midsummer Night’s Dream.      

“Pirandello’s Wife” is an example of my seeking the truth hidden behind an accepted untruth. When teaching Pirandello’s plays, I dutifully trotted out an accepted biographical “truth”:  the playwright’s wife, Antonietta, was placed in an asylum for the last 40 years of her life.  Reason? She inherited her father’s “gelosia suprema”/intense jealousy.  I wondered if this was an acceptable rationale given details of her “lived experience.”  And so was born PIRANDELLO’S WIFE, a stage play at first which later developed into a screenplay.

Questioning, questioning, aways questioning.  Questions range from those about a character’s existential quests (Alta California), his/her wants desires, etc. to those involving the reworking of a character’s dialog/line over and over.  

– What are your expectations for 2026?

Riding on the crest of all the recognition and accolades that we have received worldwide from the Wild Filmmaker team this year, we are positioned to make 2026 our best and most productive year of our careers! Thank you, Wild Filmmaker, for putting us on the map and making magic happen!

– What projects are you currently working on?

We are currently working on another documentary titled “Growing Up In The Land Of Kryptonite,” about the global effects and consequences of atomic testing worldwide. President Trump has ordered the US to resume nuclear testing, making this topic especially timely.

We will be shooting a feature Christmas movie, THE ORNAMENT, this winter. It has been said of THE ORNAMENT, “Not since IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE has there been a Christmas story about forgiveness and redemption like this one.”

We are also currently in pre-production on a 10-part mini-series about Helen Foster Snow, a woman and foreign correspondent from rural Utah who coined the phrase, “Gung Ho,” during the Japanese occupation of China in WWII. She became a hero to the Chinese by establishing industrial cooperatives nationwide, saving millions of lives during the devastation of war and subsequent revolution.   

– What would you ask event organizers in the film industry to do in order to support the creativity of highly talented independent artists like yourself?

Three things immediately come to mind:

1. Provide connections to industry mentors
2. Provide opportunities to connect with distributors and secure distribution.
3. Provide grant opportunities, connections with investors, and any funding opportunities that may be available.

– What vision or desire currently guides your artistic choices?

Our goals are to create films that advance the art and language of cinema, transcend the ordinary, are cost-effective to produce, speak to the hearts and souls of people, educate and elevate, and generate strong profit returns.

– What are your expectations for 2026?

The year 2026 will, I hope, unfold as one of profound artistic creativity. I remain deeply grateful that several of my films—among them Not Without Gloves, The Rorschach Test, In the Eye of the Beholder with Bo Cavefors, Truth Is in the Eye of the Beholder, and The Aesthetics of Failure—have garnered international acclaim and prestigious awards in recent years. Having devoted many years to the medium of film and moving image, I continually strive to expand the boundaries of what it may encompass. As a filmmaker, my foremost mission is to open the door to the unknown—that which we may resist seeing, that which has hitherto eluded representation in moving image—while remaining steadfastly authentic and drawing narratives from the depths of my inner world. In this context, film becomes a visual embodiment, a rhythm, a poetry, intended to evoke reflection in the beholder’s eye. Is it not, ultimately, a matter of daring to see? Of questioning what we behold? Of perpetually scrutinising the world with a critical gaze? With surgical precision, I depict life’s varied scenes, painting both darkness and light from its palette. To perceive the light, one must embrace the darkness. I can assure you that, on a deeply personal level, I have gazed into the abyss in manifold ways throughout my life. As recently as this past autumn, I teetered on the brink of dissolution, nearly drifting into the misty quays wrought by severe asthma and pulmonary effusion—or, to speak plainly, the precipice of unconsciousness—which has lent me a renewed perspective on existence. I may now inscribe a new diagnosis upon my extensive medical curriculum vitae: laryngospasm. Yet, like a cat with nine lives, I was saved by the consummate expertise of the intensive care team and emergency staff at Malmö University Hospital. For this, I am profoundly thankful. The year 2026 represents an opportunity to secure the time I require for unfettered creative exploration and experimentation with sound and image, in pursuit of the optimal expression of my narratives, wherein I frequently interweave the lived and the experiential. Above all, I must endeavour to obtain the economic resources necessary to devote myself entirely to the creation of innovative films that push boundaries and, artistically, open the door to the unknown and to the magical realm we term cinema. I am presently immersed in an intensely creative phase, sketching new artistic projects. In 2026, I aspire to develop screenplays and synopses, to direct, shoot, lay sound, edit, and complete several new film concepts for presentation in cinemas, at international film festivals, in art institutions, galleries, and museums. Concurrently, I am writing scripts and sketches for large-scale works in the public realm. For me, there are no limits to how or where moving images may be exhibited; each work is equally significant and shaped in relation to its intended site or platform. This demands considerable effort from myself and my exceptional artistic collaborators. I have the privilege of working with the versatile Conny C-A Malmqvist, who, as ever, composes the evocative music for my films. Malmqvist is a composer, musician, art critic, and philosopher who has, inter alia, created scores for me, and for other filmmakers. Recently, we have won awards for the film The Rorschach Test, in which the gifted young artist Ebba Melber plays the lead role. A new, norm-critical, thought-provoking collaboration among the three of us may emerge in the near future. Keep your eyes open. I am feverishly sketching a new project with the working title In the Artist’s Eye.

– What projects are you currently working on?

In the Artist’s Eye is the title of a new film project that demands both financial resources and a visionary producer. Originally trained as a classical visual artist, I began my career as a painter; I still regard myself as a painter, albeit one who now employs moving image and projection to render reality. I work consistently from a norm-critical perspective; this foundational stance is decisive for everything I create. I also serve as a curator of contemporary art, wherein I highlight overlooked gems of artistic practice that have been effaced from art-historical memory. In In the Artist’s Eye, the viewer is invited to confront and experience that which we would prefer to avert our gaze from. We are taken on a journey that shakes and touches us to the core. My profound engagement with our shared contemporaneity and my passion for art, music, literature, and film history permeate all my works. I strive to produce pieces that penetrate beneath the surface, illuminating both the present and the past through poetic, metaphorical, and visual means. Therein, I explore and elucidate our capacity for perception, interweaving past and present. I seek to open the door to the spiritual and the inner chambers of our consciousness. This is my current focus. The journey itself constitutes both path and destination: to continually challenge myself and to discover new modes of expression. To render visible the singular narratives of diverse individuals who enrich my films is the central vocation of my life—to touch, to make visible the unseen, and to open the door to norm-critique and reflection is the essence of my artistic practice.

– What would you ask event organizers in the film industry to do in order to support the creativity of highly talented independent artists like yourself?

In a world marked by violence, polarisation, and superficiality, I urge greater openness to non-linear visual storytelling and a bolder commitment to experimental cinema. Film must be recognised as art rather than merely as entertainment. It should be self-evident to provide economic and institutional support to filmmakers who take risks, thereby enabling both younger and older artists to exercise creativity unbound by celebrity cults, red carpets, market demands, or blockbuster conventions. For a devoted passionate film lover cineaste, and filmmaker such as myself, the art of cinema possesses a singular capacity to engage both the audience and the individual on a profound plane. Few art forms can address all our senses as cinema does. Harness this unique medium, take courage, and forge new paths—what might they look like? I implore event organisers to broaden their horizons and perspectives, to dare establish contact and to open new avenues to the unknown. Only together can we transform cinema and its history. This requires innovative forces that cherish our cinematic cultural heritage while creating fresh opportunities for renewal in film and the cultural sector. In so doing, I refer not primarily to myself but to all who labour in film, art, and culture.

– What vision or desire currently guides your artistic choices?

My artistic choices are perpetually governed by the imperative to illuminate our shared human vulnerability and to honour the courage required to forge new paths when we stumble from life’s precarious metaphorical ladder. To lay bare the fissures in the fabric of reality. To discern beauty in the imperfect. This is exemplified in my most recent internationally acclaimed film, The Aesthetics of Failure—a short, experimental, and deeply poetic work in which I explore universal human reflections on failure. Rendered in black and white, the film celebrates the quiet courage inherent in embracing the beauty of the imperfect. Long live free cinema—uncensored, bridge-building, and generative of spaces for intellectual discourse.

– What are your expectations for 2026?

I am building Hunyifilms.com, so early days… To grow my social media following and try to build an audience who want to participate in the whole process of making a film so they even know about the characters *perhaps can even contribute creatively) before the film is made. Developing meaningful relations with local independent film makers.

– What projects are you currently working on?

I have a feature film project Garbage Rex and am approaching pharmaceuticals and Exec Producers and other Production Companies, Sal;es Agents and Distributors both here and internationally for funding. I have raised 20 000 euros so far. https://popl.co/card/uSaH3Fwu/5/dash

I plan to complete another short film “Puzzle Demon” in January 2026.

– What would you ask event organizers in the film industry to do in order to support the creativity of highly talented independent artists like yourself?

Success is defined by various paramaters. Right now, I wish to develop a career as a writer director – I am looking for mainstream acceptance and a breakthrough project, significant attention (actual meetings, virtual or in-person, including mentorship, support and advice, not just funding) and in the mid-term a stable group of likeminded investors to help with my slate of projects.

– What vision or desire currently guides your artistic choices?

Do-ability. I am writing another script right now with my eye on a microbudget for a single – already identified – location in a rural area which is character-driven.

What are your expectations for 2026?

I actually do not have any expectations for the new year. Being an independent artist with expectations is nothing more than a dream killer. It’s mostly a daily grind of disappointment, so I take each day as it comes and just hope for the best. The one thing I will continue to work on through next year is distribution for my most recent project Wacko. To have a little fun though, I would love it if I could film a short and secure funding for my next feature. That would be my dream for ’26. 

What projects are you currently working on?

Sadly, I’m not working on anything right now. I do have a couple of projects in the queue. I have a short film called Where is Lady? I have submitted for a couple of grants to help fund this project and am currently waiting for the results. It is an action film, based around human trafficking. I also have a feature length film I will be pitching around to try and get funding for. It is called True Friend. I derived a short film from it that I tested through the festival circuit and it cleaned up well world wide. If I’m able to obtain distribution for my current film Wacko, then I will use whatever proceeds from there to help fund this project. 

What would you ask event organizers in the film industry to do in order to support the creativity of highly talented independent artists like yourself?

That is a pretty open ended question but I’ll attack it from all angles. It really depends on what these organizers are capable of doing but for all intents and purposes let us say there are no boundaries. It really depends on what stage a filmmaker is at. If they are at the beginning stage with just a script or an idea, then they would need to be put into a mixer with investors who are looking for a project to fund. It would be something similar to Shark Tank, where investors are ready to put their money down, but in the setting of speed dating. The filmmaker or director/producer are able to mingle and get to know investors who might be right for their project and vice versa, the investor is able to find a project they are passionate about as well and are excited to get behind. Let’s say they already were able to get the project made, but now need to find an outlet for this project. They would need to be able to put these projects in front of the eyes of the right people who can distribute these films. Ultimately developing a market that ultra low budgets without star status can have an opportunity to succeed. The market that exists for “independent” filmmakers is saturated with celebrities and multi million dollar budgets. It’s more of a hybrid between studio and indie.  

What vision or desire currently guides your artistic choices?

This will probably sound like a line out of a movie but it’s the truth. I’ve always followed my gut and my heart. Might need to use this line in one of my films. I’m not really sure where the story/idea or vision comes from but it usually has to do with something that I have come across that I found interesting and that I think others will find entertaining as well. From there, is where I let this idea stew in my brain for a while until I can find the right characters to use, that will help tell the story. To help explain, my most current film is called Wacko. I first got the idea for this film from a character I came across. I was intrigued by this person and thought others might find him interesting as well. From there I needed to find a way to put this person/character into a situation that others would find entertaining. I chose to use bullying because it is a current ongoing issue that our country (USA) has been dealing with. Once I have the basics put in place, BAM, my gut and heart take over and my imagination runs wild.  

What are your expectations for 2026?

My goal for 2026 is to take the next step in my screenwriting journey by finding the right manager or agent to represent my work. I’ve already begun reaching out to agencies like CircleMP, who champion unique and diverse voices in film and television. I want to continue developing my stories — PACO, Gift of Hope, and My Name is John… — while building strong creative relationships that can help bring them to the screen. More than anything, I hope 2026 will be a year of connection, growth, and opportunity.

What projects are you currently working on?

I’m currently developing on 2 stories. My first one is a series called Barrio De Los Fantasmas (Neighborhood Of The Ghosts) and it focuses on a 16-year-old boy, Diego, who discovers he can see and talk to ghosts – not to fight them, but to understand them. In this town, the dead still live among the living, dealing with the same emotions, humor, and heart as when they were alive.

My second story is a full-length feature titled This Is Gonna Hurt — a darkly funny, emotionally charged action film that blends gritty hand-to-hand combat with personal trauma and twisted humor.

It follows a former Marine who finds himself pulled into a violent situation that quickly unravels into something far more personal than he — or anyone else — could have expected. Beneath the chaos lies a story about brotherhood, guilt, and the kind of pain you can’t outrun, no matter how fast you fight.

At its core, This Is Gonna Hurt isn’t just about bullets and bruises — it’s about the promises we break, the family we inherit, and the hurt we carry when we leave things unfinished.

What would you ask event organizers in the film industry to do in order to support the creativity of highly talented independent artists like yourself?

I would ask them to look deeper into the heart of independent storytelling. Indie artists are the original storytellers — the ones inspired by filmmakers who built cinema from raw vision and passion, not studios or budgets. The spirit of John Cassavetes, Francis Ford Coppola, and Frederick Wiseman in the 1960s and 1970s — and later artists like Steven Soderbergh, Jim Jarmusch, Quentin Tarantino, and Wes Anderson — paved the way for new generations to follow. Today, filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson, Richard Linklater, Noah Baumbach, and Greta Gerwig keep that spirit alive. We need the industry to continue supporting platforms, grants, and festivals that celebrate this kind of originality — because that’s where the next great voices are born.

What vision or desire currently guides your artistic choices?

My artistic vision is driven by the belief that storytelling is a form of healing. I’m guided by faith, memory, and the emotional power of human connection — stories that bridge family, culture, and time. Whether it’s the spiritual resilience of PACO, the emotional grace in Gift of Hope, or the cosmic reflection in My Name is John…, I’m always chasing truth — the kind that lingers with the audience long after the credits roll. My desire is to create stories that remind people that hope still exists, even in the darkest places.

What are your expectations for 2026?

Thank you for the opportunity to interview again with WILD FILMMAKER. As with my first interview in September, I’m going to be completely transparent with you. The year 2026 is my 70^th year on this planet. Reflecting on what I’ve learned in the previous 69 years, and at the risk of appearing flippant, I have no expectations. Expectations, I’ve learned, are a killer of joy. I like what a wise Roman Catholic grandfather once told me, “Trust in God. God is kind. God has a sense of humor. You want to make God laugh? Tell him your plans!” In January 2022, nearly four years ago. I decided to go for the gusto and be a screenwriter. I looked back at my life up until then – a retired mechanical engineer standing tall after two romances failed miserably. I declared victory for making it to my 66^th year, surrendered the future to The Holy Trinity, and in a sense took my entire “wager” off life’s blackjack table. That means I’m “playing with house money.” Everything that happened from that day forward was either a win or a lesson leading to the next win.

What projects are you currently working on?

I’m excited. Today Monday November 10^th I begin the 6^th and penultimate rewrite of Padre Guns, the screen adaptation of Wise Fools, my first novel. The film script is the story of corruption and faith battling in a game of American college football that becomes a morality play. After working with my long-time script advisor Tammy Gross (TammyGross.com), I’ll begin offering Padre Guns to producers on New Year’s Day 2026. The year will be filled with two film scripts I’ve decided to write concurrently. Peace Of Mind is a prequel to Soaring Dove. Peace Of Mind delves into the 1990 true-life story of my personal experience of betrayal by my wife (I divorced her in 2019) and my boss (he died in autumn 2021) that led to my happy exit from a Wall Street career as a stockbroker. Dual betrayal sounds like I caught them in bed together; that would have been much easier to handle. I’ll discuss it in more detail in my answer to your fourth question. Soaring Dove is based on the events that surrounded me in the year 1992. Those events were driven by the most fascinating woman I have ever known. If the elections of political leaders in the United States were conducted through counting paper ballots instead of rigging ballot machines, Charlotte Pritt would have been a great two-term governor in my home state of West Virginia and the world would have been a better place. I was honored to be the caregiver for the 76 year old Charlotte from mid-2024 through mid-2025, hanging on her every word as she shared with me the stories of her life of benevolent service. No one knew I was Charlotte’s secret admirer for 32 years; she resonates with me in such a beautiful way. I text Charlotte from my home a hundred miles south of her home twice a day with prayers for her healing and peace. We will never be together again. We had our time. That, my friends, is a recipe for a good movie. 2026 is going to be a year to remember.  

What would you ask event organizers in the film industry to do in order to support the creativity of highly talented independent artists like yourself?

Please keep doing what you’re doing! Event organizers have presented me with a forum to get my message across while I pursue production opportunities for my film scripts. I’m thrilled. Thank you very much!

What vision or desire currently guides your artistic choices?

My artistic choices are fired by personal experience. I am a facet, to some degree, of each of my four screenplays. American Money began in January 1983 when I was laid off by the multinational petrochemical company that hired me as a mechanical engineer 19 months earlier. The economy was bad for the basic manufacturing industries, but good for Wall Street. I landed a job as a stockbroker. The stock market was hot for four years, then crashed in October 1987. A few brave renegade souls saw the crash coming; one of them was my friend and colleague. So, the film script addresses Reaganomics’ effect on the workers left behind, which included me, and asked the question of the brave souls: What if renegade investors bet against the stock market on Black Monday, not for greed, but for justice? The third act was well-received by film festival judges. Padre Guns employs American football to discuss racial corruption in the mid-1970s. I played high school football at that time in history well enough to receive some offers to play college ball, most notably the United States Naval Academy. With 260 days until my 70^th birthday, the sport of bone-jarring collisions is still in my blood. Peace Of Mind tells the true tale of my stockbroker boss in April 1990 illegally & unethically going behind my back to sell my clients out of significant holdings in the stock of Kay Jewelers because he thought it was too risky while my wife responded by falsely accusing me of embezzling $50,000. My measured response in a lawyers’ meeting contrasted with my boss absolutely losing his mind screaming; the attorneys’ common sense prevailed. I was exonerated as my wife sought an annulment of our marriage. It was a crazy time in my life. I happily landed a job as a mechanical engineer in sales, then was vindicated just two months later when Kay Jewelers was bought out as I had predicted. My clients would have made 70% in two months had my stockbroker boss not lost his nerve. I stayed married for another 28 years so I could be the father of my daughters. That brings me to Soaring Dove, which I’ve discussed. May the peace your higher power gives you be as wonderful as the peace The Holy Trinity provides me. Thank you for the interview.

What are your expectations for 2026?

2026 is about ignition — the moment where years of creative groundwork turn into motion. I’ve spent the last few years building a slate of stories that blend emotion, tension, and truth. This year, the focus is on forward movement: packaging, production, and partnership. My goal is simple — to see Chasing Truths, Handprint, or More Going Down take that final step from page to screen. It’s time for the work to meet the world.

---

What projects are you currently working on?

I’m currently developing several screenplays that speak to different corners of the human experience.
– More Going Down — a Miami-set noir about power, loyalty, and the dangerous cost of ambition.
– Chasing Truths — an award-winning, memory-driven drama about identity, faith, and acceptance.
– Handprint — a modern noir thriller now under contract with Price Productions.
And Honesty — a short that began as a personal meditation and became a message: “This is your life. Share it.” Each story carries its own pulse, but all beat toward the same heart — connection.

---

What would you ask event organizers in the film industry to do in order to support the creativity of highly talented independent artists like yourself?

Give independent artists real access — not just to audiences, but to allies. The best festivals and organizations champion creative risk and emotional authenticity, not just market metrics. I’d ask organizers to spotlight writers before production begins, to make mentorships more visible, and to create real bridges between creatives and producers who value original, character-driven work. The next great story won’t come from an algorithm — it’ll come from someone brave enough to tell the truth.

---

What vision or desire currently guides your artistic choices?

Connection and honesty. Every story I write is an attempt to hold a mirror to what it means to be alive — flawed, searching, and still hopeful. My guiding phrase is simple: This is your life. Share it. That’s what drives my choices, my collaborations, and my voice. Whether I’m writing about love, betrayal, or redemption, the goal remains the same — to make the audience feel seen, even for a moment.