Based on a shocking 1927 crime, a grieving woman exposes the decades-old truth about her twin sister's murder to prevent the killer's lawyer from publishing his own skewed account of the tragedy.

CAST LIST:

Narrator: Julie Sheppard
Marjorie: Hannah Ehman
Ralph: Steve Rizzo

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?
My script concerns the December 1927 kidnapping and murder of 12 year old Marion Parker in Los Angeles. It was nation-wide news at the time, but now, almost 100 years later, it's been mostly forgotten. The screenplay is based on the true story as told in James Neibaur's acclaimed book "Butterfly In The Rain", but the core of the script is a fictionalized account of Marjorie, the surviving twin sister, seeking justice for Marion's murder decades later. The screenplay hops around in time, indicated on screen by changes in aspect ratio and color saturation.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Drama. True Story. Crime. Mystery. Horror. Psychological. Religious. And tangentially, found footage. (Sort of.)

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
The events it's based on - the kidnapping, the murder, the manhunt, and the trial - tell an incredible tale in and of themselves. But my screenplay adds several unique layers to the storytelling. Firstly, I added a deep family relationship to the drama, exploring the painful guilt of the survivors. Secondly, I did my best to craft an almost "Zodiac"-like mystery surrounding the killer and his motivations. And finally, in the style of Kurosawa's classic "Rashomon", the killer's confession changes drastically with each retelling. Combined with the distinct visual look I've indicated, "Pretty Baby" makes for a riveting, chilling, and ultimately hopeful experience.

4. How would you describe this script in two words?
Tragic atonement.

5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
The short answer: "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?".

The long answer: I worked in a comic book store from 1991 to 1993. We had a TV and VCR in the back of the store, where we would play movies as background noise for the customers. Inevitably during my thrice-weekly shifts, I would pop "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?" into the VCR as I worked. But no matter how many customers I had to serve, I found myself sucked into the movie for most of its run time. So it's my guess that over those two years, I saw the majority of "Roger Rabbit" somewhere in the neighborhood of over 250 times.

6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
My friend, the late producer Gary Khammar, suggested I try adapting Mr. Neibaur's book in late 2020. I finished my first draft by November 2021. The version that your judges enjoyed was completed in late 2022. And based on the feedback I received from your readers, I just completed a second revision.

7. How many stories have you written?
I have ten completed scripts under my belt. Eight were written by me, two were co-written with my colleague Winter Mead.

8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)
"Shine", by Liberty Horses.

I actually wrote about how I discovered this song in my online column "Lend Me Your Ears":
http://www.donaldstroud.com/writing_col_lmye_17-joyland.html

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
The biggest hurdle was whittling the immense amount of information in Mr. Neibaur's book down to its most important facts. And then, folding those facts into an original "wrapper" that was plausible and interesting. And then, keeping all that under 120 pages. It was quite a learning experience!

10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Comic books. Sushi. Music. Cats. Cherry Coke. Autumn. Creating.

11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?
FilmFreeway is so easy to use. Once you've got all your relevant script info input, entering a contest is as easy as clicking a couple of buttons. And it's also easy to update script listings.

12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
I wanted to get my script in front of new people. To expose it to as many readers an possible. I've had an incredibly hard time over the years getting the attention of managers, producers, and agents, so contests have been my main vehicle for exposure.