Screenwriter plans to submit short film to top international festivals

Bermudian screenwriter and producer Andrew Stoneham is about to ­embark on his most ambitious short film project to date — a film he envisages will reach the most influential of industry audiences.

The Full Sail University Filmmaking graduate has high hopes that his “anti-romance comedy”, Coffee and Pie, has a chance of ­being screened at some of the world’s most prestigious film festivals including the Cannes International, Sundance and Berlin ­International film festivals. As well as the domestic and international festival ­circuit, Mr. Stoneham plans to approach various short film markets such as the ­Independent Film Channel, the Sundance Channel, PBS, and Shorts International among other distributors with the intention of selling the film to one of them.

With funding from the Bermuda Musical and ­Dramatic Society and the Bermuda Arts Council, the former Berkeley Institute and  Bermuda College ­student has currently raised $5,000 of the total $13,000 needed for the HD shot film and is on the look out for further donors and sponsors.

Although it is still early days, Mr. Stoneham has managed to secure the highly regarded director Douglas Horn to direct his 12-minute short for him. Mr. Horn has written and directed two produced ­feature films, Entry Level and The No-Sit List which are currently in distribution while his short films have earned recognition at numerous film festivals.

Landing the esteemed ­director was “a test of fate’ according to Mr. Stoneham.

He was only half joking.

Mr. Stoneham had recently bought the film Full ­Disclosure from the iTunes store and was struck by how similar it was to how he wanted Coffee and Pie to end up. So much so the fact, that when he posted an ­advertisement to find a ­director for his film on the international production website mandy.com, he added a side note suggesting that any prospective ­directors should watch Full Disclosure to get a feel for his own film.

A few weeks later, a Mr. Horn expressed interest. To Mr. Stoneham’s incredible delight, he turned out to be the director of Full Disclosure himself. The film, ­starring Judy Greer of 13 Going on 30, had been the top-selling short film in the iTune Store for several weeks as well as picking up Special Jury Award for Screenwriting from the 2006 Florida Film Festival and Best Short Film awards at the 2006 Sedona and ­Omaha film festivals.

 “I received a resume from L.A. and I almost deleted it because I needed someone in New York but I read it and it was the same guy!,” recalled Mr. ­Stoneham. “It was so amazing — I instantly emailed him.

“He said he really ­enjoyed the script and would love to direct it. ­Normally you have to pay a director’s fee but he said he loved the script so much he would waive the fee, ­knowing that we were a low budget film still in the processes of securing ­funding.

“I just have to pay for his accommodation and flight.”

Coffee and Pie is set in an American diner and is ­driven by ­dialogue. The plot centres on two women, June and October, who are having a conversation about breaking up. The one doing the breaking up ­admits she is only interested in a relationship when it is fresh, new and enticing but once it becomes boring and predictable she goes her separate ways. The ­other cannot fathom being with someone who isn’t emotionally committed — when she loves someone, she loves them wholeheartedly. Theirs could never be a working relationship.

The two are trying to come to terms with their break up when a third character, Billy Jean sits down with the rejected girl and “gives her a little slice of life.”

The film relies on a witty dialogue and an unusual twist at the end for its popularity so far among industry experts according to Mr. Stoneham.

He plans to premiere the film next March at the Bermuda International Film Festival (for which he coordinates the Monthly Series).

Among his influences in the world of screenplay are creator of Buffy the ­Vampire Slayer Joss ­Whedon, who recently ­directed an episode of the hugely popular TV series Glee, and scriptwriter for the 2007 film Juno, Diablo Cody.

Mr. Stoneham is hoping that themes of sexual ambiguity will challenge the conservative portions of Bermudian society. He openly acknowledges that many of his previous works, including The ­Assassination of a High School Cheerleader put on by BMDS, have “pushed the envelope” in terms of edgy content.

“I like really challenging things and I know Bermuda is conservative. When I did The Assassination of High School Cheerleader, the language was super edgy for the Bermudian­ ­audience, you know, we dropped the C-bomb a few times and it dealt with drugs.”

Speaking of Coffee and Pie he continued: “The characters were not originally going to be homosexual. I had the idea of changing them both to female to add a little oomph and I am more interested in portraying intelligent and layered female characters. The ­notion of sexuality I thought about after. I don’t know how people here will respond — people can be funny here.”

Mr. Stoneham recently wrote a play called I ‘Heart’ Grady McBrady which has been selected as one of BMDS’s six Famous for ­Fifteen Minutes playwriting competition finalists. It was the first time he had entered the competition.

“This play also messes around with sexuality,” he said. “It’s about two store clerks who fancy the same person. I am interested in playing with the notion of stereotypes — that is my theme — people coming to the table with a pre-conceived notion of someone. “Just like Coffee and Pie there is a little twist and again it plays with sexual ambiguity.”

Mr. Stoneham’s long-term plan is to pursue a ­career as a professional producer and screenwriter. He has written a number of screenplays which have been produced. His short film First Time went on to win an Audience Choice award at the Enzian FilmSlam, a small student ­centric film festival.

While these are all great achievements Mr. Stoneham admits that this latest venture is a great leap from what he ever done before. However, he is confident that it has a good chance of success.

“It is a huge leap but I ­believe it will do well as long as the production ­values are high. I have full faith in the script. Industry professionals have told me this will have a real good chance and to have a director of Douglas Horn’s ­calibre says a lot.”