Howard Payne alumna and graduate of Santa Anna High School Laurie Powers recently won the Hollyshorts’ Louisiana Jury Prize and is working to bring her screenplay to life on film.
Powers’ screenplay, “The Importance of Sex Education,” has also won awards such as Sidewrite 2014: Best Overall Screenplay, LA Comedy Fest: Best Short Screenplay, and Marquee Lights Screenplay Competition: Best Short Screenplay. With winning the Hollyshort’s Lousiana Jury Prize in August of 2015, Powers was awarded a partial grant from the Louisiana Film Prize to shoot the script as a part of the 2016 LAFP competition.
Powers (pictured left) stated that these awards were won competing against screenwriters from all over the world.
The film, which is required to be shot in the Shreveport/Bossier area as a part of the festival competition, will have local expenses covered (ie. pay for local talent and crew, rentals from local vendors, catering and materials purchased locally). The producers, who are from neighboring Texas, are then responsible for the remainder of the budget.
Powers explained, “I have a big cast and am using professional actors with lots of professional film credits and an experienced crew. The budget for this film is just under $20,000 and somehow, I have to come up with that myself before March. If I can’t come up with the production money, we lose the grant.”
The reason Powers stated that the filming is so important is because it is such a rare opportunity to get to make a professional grade short film, and if this can be done right, it could be a life changing experience for both Powers and everyone involved.
“The whole team is really excited to bring this film to life,” said Powers on her crowdfunding website. “Full of unique characters, hilarious dialogue and plenty of opportunity to produce a real visual treat, we can’t wait to shoot it. Why? Because we can’t wait to see it. And we hope you want to see it as much as we do.” CLICK HERE to donate to the making of the film.
Contributions to help support the film can be made by donations to the crowdfunding campaign and also by sharing the link to The Importance of Sex Education’s crowdfunding webpage to help publicize the need.
Powers stated that she believes film projects are important to society in general, “People need stories. It’s not only an escape, it is a mechanism that helps people contemplate and understand emotions, relationships and possibilities. And it helps us understand how we relate to each other, and the world in general.”
Plans have been made to start shooting the film March 3-7 in Shreveport. A rough-cut will be produced by the summer with post production wrapping up soon after. Powers and her team are already guaranteed a screening in Los Angeles at the 2016 Hollyshorts Film Festival as a part of the 2015 award and grant, as long as they complete the filming, which will require the help of friends and supporters.
About “The Importance of Sex Education”: This coming of age comedy starring Frances Watson takes the audience on a trip through puberty, as seen through the eyes of 12-year-old Adeline. In the fall of 1975, when her parents announce they are expecting a new baby, Adeline begins to wonder how exactly babies are made. She pieces together what little information she is able to get, including some awkward advice from her eccentric Southern grandmother, and comes to her own conclusion—that she is pregnant.
Set in 1975-1976, this short film promises to be not only a hilarious story, but also an artistic stylized period piece that will take the audience back four decades. Think part Welcome to the Dollhouse, part Wonder Years, and all set and styled ala Dazed and Confused.
