http://www.kormorant.co.za/2013/08/hartbeespoort-writer-on-hollywood-short-list/
If at first you don't succeed, try and try again, they say! And try and try yet again . . .
(ABOVE) Hartbeespoort writer Rene van Zyl and husband Anton.
Well known Hartbeespoort based writer and playwright, Rene van Zyl who recently entered a
Hollywood pitch competition for aspiring screenwriters and made it to the final round will possibly
know by the end of today whether she has written the winning pitch.
René recently finished an Afrikaans thriller, Vuurdraak and decided to write a pitch and enter the
2013 Fresh Voices Pitch Contest. The contest offers aspiring writers the opportunity to turn great
ideas into saleable screenplays with experienced script guidance, professional mentoring, over
$5,000 in cash and prizes, plus the chance to pitch your winning project directly to producers,
executives, agents and managers. The Grand Prize Winner will work with an established manager
or producer who will offer professional guidance throughout the development process including
feedback, story notes and career consultation. The Grand Prize Winner will also receive the
opportunity to pitch their project to producers.
One of the judges is the acclaimed Hollywood Director Joel Schumacher (St. Elmo’s Fire,
Time To Kill, Batman Forever, 8MM, Phone Booth, Tigerland, Phantom of the Opera, Trespass,
House of Cards). In addition, Joel has agreed to have an informative lunch with the winning
screenwriter in Hollywood, California. This is an amazing addition to this year’s competition
and a once in a lifetime opportunity for any screenwriter.
Rene’s pitch for the screenplay is Silent Weapons. Along with the pitch, René had to enter
a summary of the screenplay. The story is about a spoilt socialite and fashion icon,
Michaela Cohen (25), whose charismatic father commits suicide in his mansion in Cape Town,
South Africa. She inherits his lucrative international New Age Church, the Wadi El Natrun Order.
She is clearly not qualified for the job or in the least welcome. The six remaining directors
(the Big Six) will stop at nothing to keep her from taking over or finding out the devious secrets
contained in the company’s original hidden creed.
In order to keep Michaela out of the way the Big Six conjures up a plan to imprison her in
Thailand. Michaela quickly figures out who is behind her raw deal and spends every waking
moment in jail to plan revenge. Her only hope in escaping and getting her life back is
Josh Young (35), an Indiana Jones type of ex-special-ops soldier who smuggles Bibles into
persecuted African countries on behalf of the Wadi Order. He too needs to flush out the
criminals and their dirty secrets when his wife is murdered by them.
Hollywood pitch competition for aspiring screenwriters and made it to the final round will possibly
know by the end of today whether she has written the winning pitch.
René recently finished an Afrikaans thriller, Vuurdraak and decided to write a pitch and enter the
2013 Fresh Voices Pitch Contest. The contest offers aspiring writers the opportunity to turn great
ideas into saleable screenplays with experienced script guidance, professional mentoring, over
$5,000 in cash and prizes, plus the chance to pitch your winning project directly to producers,
executives, agents and managers. The Grand Prize Winner will work with an established manager
or producer who will offer professional guidance throughout the development process including
feedback, story notes and career consultation. The Grand Prize Winner will also receive the
opportunity to pitch their project to producers.
One of the judges is the acclaimed Hollywood Director Joel Schumacher (St. Elmo’s Fire,
Time To Kill, Batman Forever, 8MM, Phone Booth, Tigerland, Phantom of the Opera, Trespass,
House of Cards). In addition, Joel has agreed to have an informative lunch with the winning
screenwriter in Hollywood, California. This is an amazing addition to this year’s competition
and a once in a lifetime opportunity for any screenwriter.
Rene’s pitch for the screenplay is Silent Weapons. Along with the pitch, René had to enter
a summary of the screenplay. The story is about a spoilt socialite and fashion icon,
Michaela Cohen (25), whose charismatic father commits suicide in his mansion in Cape Town,
South Africa. She inherits his lucrative international New Age Church, the Wadi El Natrun Order.
She is clearly not qualified for the job or in the least welcome. The six remaining directors
(the Big Six) will stop at nothing to keep her from taking over or finding out the devious secrets
contained in the company’s original hidden creed.
In order to keep Michaela out of the way the Big Six conjures up a plan to imprison her in
Thailand. Michaela quickly figures out who is behind her raw deal and spends every waking
moment in jail to plan revenge. Her only hope in escaping and getting her life back is
Josh Young (35), an Indiana Jones type of ex-special-ops soldier who smuggles Bibles into
persecuted African countries on behalf of the Wadi Order. He too needs to flush out the
criminals and their dirty secrets when his wife is murdered by them.
René says she is excited about the competition but also about the Afrikaans novel that she
hopes to publish soon. In the meantime she keeps on refining the Afrikaans text in order to
find a publisher and she has already started adapting it into a screenplay. Other works
by the talented writer includes a published teenage novel, Wee Monk’s Tale, the Secret
of Immortality, as well as a data CD with memory sketches of all 66 Bible Books with
clues. She applies the pictures with her own Bible lessons in the Children’s Church of Kuierkerk
at Xanadu Xing shopping centre where her husband, Anton, is the Reverend. She is also known
for the annual Biblical plays that she writes and co-directs for the community.
