Evan Ari Kelman’s latest film, the elevated kidnapping thriller “Barron’s Cove,” premiered recently at the Hampton International Film Festival. The script was a semifinalist for the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowships and appeared on the Black List in 2021. Evan is also the CEO of ScriptGen, an AI company that creates tools for writers, designers, and producers to accelerate production and eliminate inefficiencies.

SHOW NOTES:

• Evan on IMDB

• Barron’s Cove on IMDB

• ScriptGen

• Evan on Instagram

On this session of Writers Group Therapy we have with us New Zealand writer/director Christine Jeffs to talk about her new medical drama “A Mistake” starring Elizabeth Banks. Previously Christine directed Amy Adams and Emily Blunt in “Sunshine Cleaning,” and Gwyneth Paltrow in “Sylvia.”

SHOW NOTES:

• "A Mistake" on IMDB
• Christine Jeffs on IMDB

On Writers Group Therapy, I am joined by the Award-winning author and journalist Alex Temblador to talk about her recently release ground-breaking book “Writing an Identity Not Your Own: A Guide for Creative Writers.” Alex received her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Central Oklahoma and has taught creative writing seminars, workshops and classes with the Women’s Fiction Association, WritingWorkshops.com and the Writer’s League of Texas. She has spoken about diversity at many festivals, conferences and universities as well as SXSW.

Book website: writinganidentitynotyourown.com

Alex's website: alextemblador.com

On IG, X and Threads: @alex_temblador

This summer, AI-related disruptions left the entertainment industry reeling. From video game devs and VO artists strikes over unregulated AI use to protests at Warner Bros. Studios, it's clear that the rapid advancements in AI technology are causing major waves. In this episode, we explore the relationship between AI innovation and human creativity, and ask the question: can these two forces coexist in the world of storytelling?

SHOW NOTES:

• ⁠As AI Encroaches on Hollywood, Animators Say This Is An Existential Moment⁠
• ⁠Hollywood’s Divide on Artificial Intelligence Is Only Growing⁠ (THR)

AI Tools:

• ⁠Claude⁠
• ⁠Pi.ai⁠
• ⁠Adobe Express Generative AI⁠
• ⁠Leonardo.ai⁠

In this session of Writers Group Therapy we discuss Netflix’s visually stunning and narratively compelling“Our Living World” with award winning producer and show runner Ben Roy. Ben has worked across many genres and platforms, creating content for Channel 4, the BBC, PBS and Animal Planet. He has produced adventure and wildlife shows for Discovery, National Geographic and Smithsonian channels.

SHOW NOTES:

• Our Living World on IMDB
• Our Living World on Netflix
• Producer Ben Roy on IMDB

In this session of Writers Group Therapy, we have with us Lauren Pomerantz, the writer of the new comedy feature “Am I Okay?" that streams on Max starting June 6th. Lauren has previously written for TV on The Ellen DeGenes Show, Saturday Night Live and Community. She brings her comedy chops to “Am I Okay,” which debuted at Sundance in 2022 and stars Dokota Johnson and Sonoya Mizuno.

SHOW NOTES:

• Am I Ok? on IMDB
• Lauren on IMDB
• Wooby & Fotty YouTube series
  

In this session, our guest this session is screenwriter and screenwriting teacher Tom Vaughn. Tom teaches screenwriting at The University of Houston, his alma mater, and online, he offers tons of free writing advice online through his daily posts on X and his weekly Story and Plot newsletter, which has nearly 5000 subscribers. SHOW NOTES: Storyandplot.com On IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1129343 Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/storyandplot

In this session of Writers Group Therapy, we are talking with Brett Wagner, the writer and director of The Big Bend, a thriller borne out of an experience he had with his own family in the deep desert of west Texas. His award winning shorts “Chief” and “Care” appeared at Sundance, the LA International Short Film Festival and received a BAFTA award of excellence, and qualified for the Academy Awards.

SHOW NOTES;

• Trailer: https://youtu.be/fyKelEO-v_0
• The Big Bend on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0994587/
• Brett Wagner on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10536088/
• Review: https://www.showbizjunkies.com/movies/the-big-bend-review/#google_vignette
• Brett on Instagram: @Wagnerific
• The Big Bend on Instagram: @theBigBendmovie
• The Big Bend Facebook page