Category: Blog

To celebrate the craft of screenwriting, the Omaha Film Festival is thrilled to present the 2019 Writer’s Theatre.

The Writer’s Theatre will take place at the College of Saint Mary
on Saturday, March 9 from 2:00pm – 4:00pm

College of Saint Mary, Gross Auditorium – 7000 Mercy Road

See schedule for more details!

DON’T GO THERE by Jeffrey R Field (Feature Screenplay)
Directed by Christina Rohling

A housebound senior struggles to stay alive when a mass murderer takes refuge in her home on the coldest night in eighty years.

EATS YOU ALIVE by Zack Eagles (Feature Screenplay)
Directed by Laura Kendall

A man in the post-apocalypse comes face to face with the beings who destroyed the world.

MISS ME WHEN I’M GONE by Matthew Gomez (Feature Screenplay)
Directed by Aaron Sailors

The mother and brother of a man who has committed suicide spend the next seven days searching for a location to host his Celebration of Life ceremony in Omaha, Nebraska.

HOOSIER DADDY by Jeffrey R Field (Feature Screenplay)
Directed by David M. Weiss

After accidentally destroying his future father-in-law’s prized autographed basketball, a hapless college student and his slacker buddy have one week to re-gather the signatures of the 1976 Indiana University basketball team.

MYOSOTIS LOVE by Charlie LaTourette (Short Screenplay)
Directed by Christina Rohling

A woman plants flowers in the garden and challenges her husband to remember how they met.

HOME by Katie Micay (Short Screenplay)
Directed by Jason Levering

Megan, who suffers from agoraphobia, is alone for her first holidays since her wife moved out. Sydney, a young widower, has been living in her car outside Megan’s house since she lost her apartment. When Sydney knocks on Megan’s door to sell her makeup, the two only see each other’s differences. But after a scary incident forces Megan out of her house to come to Sydney’s aid, they realize that they are two lonely souls with more in common than they first thought.

PANCAKE SKANK by Savannah Rodgers (Short Screenplay)
Directed by Laura Kendall

Pancake Skank is a surrealist, satirical comedy about our titular anti-heroine and her unlikely partner-in-crime, Lover Boi, as they wreak havoc on a small town and its breakfast joints.

HEAD ON by Christine Burright McGuigan (Short Screenplay)
Directed by Aaron Sailor

Two people meet under unusual circumstances.

THE SYNDICATE by Peter Jang (Teleplay)
Directed by David M. Weiss

After a child sees his parents brutally murdered, his dad’s police partner, connected to a covert organization known as The Syndicate, turns him into a one-man killing machine, primed to take out those who took his parents’ lives.

MIDWEST MOM GROUP by Darcy Lueking Bahensky (Teleplay)
Directed by Jason Levering

A fed-up LA mom relocates her family to Nebraska, but she quickly learns that parenting in a flyover state has its own rules.

See BLOG for past Screenplay Finalists.

 

OFF’19 dates are March 5-10 and will feature amazing independent feature films, documentaries, short films, animated films, and screenplays from around the world. Each night after the film screenings will be VIP parties for All Access badge holders.

March 5th – Tuesday – Opening Night
Aksarben Cinema Lounge
2110 South 67th Street
Drink specials and food from Le Voltaire
Free entry for All Access pass holders!
$10 entry without a pass.
Immediately following our opening night film!

March 6th – Wednesday
LIV Lounge
2285 South 67th Street
Free drinks for All Access pass holders provided by Tito’s, Brickway, and Soaring Wings
Free entry for All Access pass holders!
$10 entry without a pass.
10:00pm – midnight

March 7th – Thursday
Dante
16901 Wright Plaza #173
Food provided by Dante
Drink specials / Cash bar
Free entry for All Access pass holders!
$10 entry without a pass.
10:00pm – midnight

March 8th – Friday
Ring the Bell Party
Julio’s
2820 South 123rd Ct
Free taco bar provided by Julio’s
Drink Specials / Cash bar
Free entry for All Access pass holders!
$10 entry without a pass.
10:00pm – midnight

March 9th – Saturday
Beacon Hills
6750 Mercy Road
Free food and drinks provided by Beacon Hills
Free entry for All Access pass holders!
$10 entry without a pass.
10:00pm – midnight

March 10th – Sunday
Closing Night Party
Herbe Sainte
1934 South 67th Street
Heavy hors d’oeuvres
Free drinks for All Access pass holders provided by Tito’s, Brickway, and Soaring Wings
Free entry for All Access pass holders!
$10 entry without a pass.
7:30pm – 11:00pm

 

All Conference Sessions will be at the Village Pointe Theatre
304 North 174th Street
All sessions will be in Theatre #15
All Conference Panelists are “scheduled to appear”

Saturday, March 10, 2018

9:30am – 10:15am – Documentary Panel
A conversation with visiting documentary filmmakers about their process.

10:30am – 11:15am – Filmmaker Panel
Attending (non-Nebraska) filmmaker’s Q&A panel.

11:30am – 12:30pm – The Moments That Mattered
A frank discussion about the moments, choices, and decisions that turned out to make a big difference in our filmmaking careers at every level along the way. With Pamela Ribon and Jason Headley.

1:00pm – 1:45pm – Filmmaking in Nebraska
An open panel discussion about filmmaking in Nebraska.

Sunday, March 11, 2018

12:00pm – 3:00pm – Writer’s Theatre
A live reading of selections from this year’s OFF screenplay finalists

Panelists:
Pamela Ribon is a screenwriter (Moana, Smurfs: The Lost Village), TV writer (Samantha Who?), comic book writer (SLAM!, Rick & Morty), author, and best-selling novelist. She’s currently co-writing Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2. She was recently named one of Variety’s 10 Screenwriters to Watch and was a 2017 Film Independent Directing Lab Fellow. She has been a member of the Disney Animation StoryTrust since 2013. She was a writer and narration consultant on the DisneyNature documentary Bears. Her comedic memoir Notes to Boys (and Other Things I Shouldn’t Share in Public) was praised by NPR as “brain-breakingly funny.” Her first graphic novel, My Boyfriend is a Bear, (co-created with Cat Farris) will be released April 2018 from Oni Press. She’s been in comedy rooms for both network and cable television, and developed original series and features for ABC, ABC Family, Sony, Warner Bros., Disney Channel and 20th Century Fox Productions.

Jason Headley’s feature film, “A Bad Idea Gone Wrong,” won a Special Jury Prize at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival and the Grand Jury Award at the deadCenter Film Festival. Called “a talent to watch” by the Hollywood Reporter, Jason is currently writing an upcoming feature film for Pixar Animation Studios. His short films—including the viral videos “It’s Not About the Nail” and “F*ck That: An Honest Meditation”—have been featured at Banksy’s Dismaland, NBC’s TODAY Show, SundanceTV, the TED Conference, Vimeo Staff Picks, and film festivals far and wide. Jason has been a part of the IFP Narrative Labs, IFP Emerging Storytellers, and SFFILM FilmHouse. He’s also been commissioned by Heineken, Sony, and Chrysler to write, direct, and produce original short films. Fun fact: Jason is more handsome in real life than he is on camera, but he’s still not actually handsome.

All OFF Academy Sessions will be at the Funny Bone
17305 Davenport Street, Suite 201
All OFF Academy Panelists are “scheduled to appear”

For more information or to find out how you can get involved with the OFF Academy, send an email to omahafilmfestival@gmail.com.

Thursday, March 8, 2018 – Day 1

8:00am – 9:00am – participant check-in / breakfast
Students will check in for the day
Beverages and a light breakfast will be provided

8:30am – 9:00am Welcome from OFF Staff

9:15am – 10:30am Breakout Sessions

“Special FX Makeup: Creating A Character”
Tim Welch, Sarah O’Connell from Scream in the Dark

“How to Talk the Talk”
Pamela Ribon, Jason Headley from Pixar

Lighting/Cinematography For Your Scene
Ben Drickey from Torchwerks

“Directing: The Ups, Downs, and Enjoying the Ride”
Visiting Filmmakers

10:45am – 12:00pm Breakout Sessions

“Special FX Makeup: Creating A Character”
Tim Welch, Sarah O’Connell from Scream in the Dark

“How To Talk The Talk”
Pamela Ribon, Jason Headley from Pixar

Lighting/Cinematography For Your Scene
Ben Drickey from Torchwerks

“Directing: The Ups, Downs, and Enjoying the Ride”
Visiting Filmmakers

12:00pm – 1:00pm Lunch
Beverages and lunch will be provided
~ Funny Bone Main Room ~

1:00pm – 1:20pm Group Photograph

1:20pm – 2:15pm Say What? Sound Mixing
Kevin Keplar

2:15pm – 2:30pm End of the Day Wrap Session

Friday, March 9, 2018 – Day 2

8:00am – 9:00am – participant check-in / breakfast
Students will check in for the day
Beverages and a light breakfast will be provided

8:30am – 9:00am Welcome from OFF Staff

9:15am – 10:30am Breakout Sessions

“How To Walk the Walk”
Pamela Ribon, Jason Headley from Pixar

“Documentary Filmmaking: How Do I Tell My Story?”
Dana Nachman and Robin Berghaus

“Live Auditioning For Film”
Visiting Actors

“Live Storyboarding for Your Movie”
Dave Weiss, Jason Levering

10:45am – 12:00pm Breakout Sessions

“How To Walk the Walk”
Pamela Ribon, Jason Headley from Pixar

“Documentary Filmmaking: How Do I Tell My Story?”
Dana Nachman and Robin Berghaus

“Live Auditioning for Film”
Visiting Actors

“Live Storyboarding for Your Movie”
Dave Weiss, Jason Levering

12:00pm – 1:15pm Lunch and Learn with Filmmakers
Beverages and lunch will be provided
Vegetarian option available
~ Funny Bone Main Room ~

1:30pm – 2:30pm Visiting Filmmaker Panel

2:30pm – 2:40pm End of the Day Wrap Session and Goodbye

OFF’18 dates are March 6-11 and will feature amazing independent feature films, documentaries, short films, animated films, and screenplays from around the world. Each night after the film screenings will be VIP parties for All Access badge holders.

March 6th – Tuesday
Opening Night Party
Cheeseburger in Paradise
17304 Davenport Street
Free appetizers provided by Cheeseburger in Paradise
Drink specials / Cash bar
Free entry for folks with All Access passes!
$10 entry without a pass
8:00pm – 11:00pm

March 7th – Wednesday
Tavern 180
203 North 180th Street
Food provided by Tavern 180
Drink specials / Cash bar
Free entry for folks with All Access passes!
$10 entry without a pass
10:00pm – midnight

March 8th – Thursday
Playmakers Pizzeria & Sports Grill
12744 Westport Pkwy, La Vista
Drink specials / Cash bar
Free entry for folks with All Access passes!
$10 entry without a pass
10:00pm – midnight

March 9th – Friday
Ring the Bell Party
Julio’s West
2820 South 123rd Ct
Free taco bar provided by Julio’s
Drink Specials / Cash bar
Free entry for folks with All Access passes!
$10 entry without a pass
10:00pm – midnight

March 10th – Saturday
Dante Ristorante Pizzeria
16901 Wright Plaza #173
Free pizza provided by Dante
Drink specials / Cash bar
Free entry for folks with All Access passes!
$10 entry without a pass
10:00pm – midnight

March 11th – Sunday
Closing Night Party
Brickway Brewery & Distillery
1116 Jackson Street
Free appetizers provided by Brickway
Drink Specials / Cash bar
Free entry for folks with All Access passes!
$10 entry without a pass
7:15pm – 11:00pm

Feature Length Scripts:

The Road to Matanzas written by Christopher Helton
American Mule written by Ian James Ortiz
Sam’s War written by Stephen C. Settle
Alice in War written by Steven Bogart

Short Scripts (under 30 pages):

Memories for Sale written by Doug Sasse
Honor written by Ed Vela
Mad Rush written by Christine Burright
Monkeys written by Matthew Strasburger

Teleplays:

Stranger Things: f7/f2 written by Ana Ziegler Loes
Hell Hound – “The Legend of Robert Johnson” written by Giancarlo Fusi
End of Life written by Sean Collins-Smith
Buffalo Nation written by Alexander Major

Congratulations to the semi-finalists for the 2018 Omaha Film Festival!
Finalists will be announced in early February.

Feature Length Scripts:

4th Of July by Erin Cardiff
Alice in War by Steven Bogart
American Mule by Ian James Ortiz
Connect by John Pisano-Thomsen
Growing Paranoia by Ryan M. Andrews
Honey Boy by Otis Lort & Shia Labeouf
Infamy by Samuel Laskey
The Kingdom’s Spell by Ben Adams
The Road to Matanzas by Christopher Helton
Sam’s War by Stephen C. Settle
Secrets by Lori Kay Allred
The Witness by Nic Lewis

Short Scripts (under 30 pages):

A War on Terror by Peter Haig
Baby in the Basement by David-Matthew Barnes
Boring People Die Alone by Darcy Lueking
Dirty Winds by Andrew Huggins
Empathic by John Burdeaux
Fortytwo B by Paraskevas (Paris) Grigorakis
Honor by Ed Vela
June Block Hero by Seth Kozak
Mad Rush by Christine Burright
Memories for Sale by Doug Sasse
Monkeys by Matthew Strasburger
Saline County, Illinois by Jeffrey Howe
Stasis by Alex Giannoulis
Stutter Buddy by Jeff Hoferer
Sweet Sixteen by Joyce Sherrí

Teleplays:

Aftermath by Rebecca Heim
Buffalo Nation by Alexander Major
Éire’s Song by Kristen Nedopak
End of Life by Sean Collins-Smith
Hell Hound – “The Legend of Robert Johnson” by Giancarlo Fusi
The Red Dogs by Mark Sims
Stranger Things: f7/f2 by Ana Ziegler Loes
Supergirl: Eclipsed by Yanjuan Song

28 teams turned in their 48hr Film Challenge Films!
Genres: Drama, Comedy, Sci-Fi, Thriller, Crime
Line of Dialog: “it’s never been more clear”
Prop: Calculator
Facebook page – Facebook Event Page
Film screening information and winners list is here

Audio workshop – Facebook Event Page

As a part of our continuing educational outreach for the OFF Academy we are offering an audio workshop. Taught by audio professional Kevin Keplar, we will give you a good understanding of the best ways to get great sound when making films. Sound is 50% of a film and how you capture it and what you do with it when it’s captured can make or break your film so you won’t want to miss this amazing opportunity to learn from someone who’s been capturing and processing live sound professionally his whole career

When:
Sunday, September 10 from 10:00am – noon (check-in at 9:30am)

Where:
Metropolitan Community College
Do Space
7205 Dodge St
Omaha NE 68114

How Much:
High School student pre-registration is $10 per student
(student ID required at check-in).
Registration the day of the session is $15.
Non-students welcome for $15. Please pre-register if you can!

If you would like to attend but can’t afford the entry fee, send us a message and we will work with some of our sponsors that have previously provided OFF Academy scholarships to see what is available.

Pre-register online to secure your spot.
Fees accepted at check-in on the day of the workshop.
Checks can be made out to “Omaha Film Festival.”
Cash or Credit Card are also accepted.

Please submit your completed form by September 9, 2017
Register:
http://forms.omahafilmfestival.org/form-2907436/2017-Audio-Workshop-Registration-Form