Dear Daniel

Dear Daniel,

It’s funny how life is. This blog inspired by my publisher Lea Schizas suggestion three years ago that I should create bipolar writers blog. I decided to do a spin on that. A gratitude blog that quickly spun into something altogether which morphed several times in under a year and produced a memoir and documentary.

You’ll notice that today I placed the 1 is 2 Many PSA in my sidebar. As a sexual abuse and rape survivor I feel that it is imperative that I do my part to show my solidarity with my fellow victims, survivors, and thrivers. That fact you’re in it all the better. It makes it relevant to this blog as I envisioned it.

But onto exciting news. A few months ago I submitted the Letters to Daniel documentary blog to http://Film-Com.com to be held in Nashville. It’s a business market that brings industry professionals from LA, NY, and Nashville and perhaps elsewhere to Nashville for 4 day and three night networking and new project expo.

I sent my sixty dollars in and put Letters… name in the hat never dreaming in a million years that it would get picked. Because, I can count on two fingers over the last fifteen years that Missy and I have gotten picked for any screenwriting/film award. Yes, I’ve won awards at Moondance but that was for a short story (first ten pages of a novel both times).

And while that was totally awesome, and helped get us to this point imagine my total shock when I opened my email this past Saturday night when this came in the mail:

Greetings, Film-Com Content Creators -

This is a brief note to indicate that if you are receiving this message, your project is an Official Selection of Film-Com 2014. This means:you will receive all-access laminates for you and up to three other team members for: 

• the VIP Reception on Tuesday June 17
• the Packaging, Financing & Distribution Summit on June 18 
• the How to Pitch & How Not to Pitch Evening Session on June 18
• have a free booth for two days at the New Project Expo at Titans Stadium June 19 & 20
• access to three Networking Breakfasts with industry executives at the Hilton Nashville Downtown June 18, 19 & 20 
• attend the annual Film-Com Industry Gala at the Governor's Mansion
• are now a Finalist for the Direct Pitch Sessions to industry execs 
• have discounted rates at three hotels in downtown Nashville
• discounted rates at the finale event at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center under the Film-Com Block Rate.

I ran thru the house screaming for mom. She had already gone to bed so I woke her and dad up from a dead sleep. They didn’t exactly appreciate that. But I was so giddy with joy that they quickly forgave me the faux paus.

Then the bottom dropped out. I couldn’t get Missy to take 4 days off. I couldn’t get the rest of the money together. The depression that I was going to miss out on this golden opportunity so close to home hit me hard. I was angry at the world. Why would god give me this opportunity only to snatch it away.

Then I started listening to those around me. I’d prefer to do both New Project Expo days, but as it turns out I can only do one. So we drive down do one networking breakfast and the booth one day and drive back. Not ideal. But to paraphrase Oprah do what you can. And to follow in the great footsteps of Nia Vardalos who only had enough money for an ad in Variety one day for her one woman show one day may be all that Missy and me need to get all our work in front of the right people.

So it looks like Letters to Daniel the documentary is our little movie that could. And the PSA by the way it touched me in a big way. It’s good to know our president  as well as so many people I admire find women worth the time of day to speak out against a serious problem.

Sincerely,

Amy McCorkle