Writers and Filmmakers

Mr. Bassi has chosen a winning script from the top 10:

"Having read all the top ten screenplays I chose 'The Invention' as the winner.

All the selected screenplays offered some beautiful moments. They also offered some challenges for a director to sink his/her teeth into.

For me, 'The Invention' felt more well-rounded in its approach to storytelling. Though the narrative is dialogue heavy, I feel it has the potential to be leaner and allow for a visual short film. 'The Invention' is not as stylised as some of the other screenplays.

Its story has the structure other scripts lacked. Hence allowing for character development and tightening of the plot. Apart from the challenges in the story and plot, I do see challenges to the shooting of the film. Challenges such as some CGI elements and some old school special effects.

Being a screenwriter myself I know we want our screenplays realised. To that end we often write in a way that would make it easy and cheap to shoot but only a few stories lend themselves to that. In the end, we are visual storytellers and our stories cannot do without some visual elements.

I am grateful for the opportunity to read the work of so many writers and learn new things."

Congratulations to Dennis Hennessey, the author of 'The Invention'!

Writers and Filmmaker's Winning Director Shekhar Bassi

Witers and Filmmaker's Winning Screenwriter Dennis Hennessey

Deeply inspired by early Spielberg movies and the Twilight Zone at a young age, Dennis Hennessey began writing short stories when he was 11. He later wrote his first screenplay, a supernatural thriller, in High School for an AV class film. From that point forward, he knew this is what he was meant to do. He eventually would transfer to Emerson College where he majored in Communications with a concentration in Film. While there, his screenplays and short stories received considerable praise and attention.

Unable to break into the film industry, Hennessey put writing on the back burner as he turned his focus to starting a family and operating an independent record label. All the while, he continued to feel the pull of writing. Then, upon receiving an unexpected handwritten letter from an old college classmate praising his screenplays, Hennessey became re-energized and began writing again.

He currently has 4 feature length screenplays, 4 shorts, and roughly 100 story ideas to his credit. Hennessey is now writing regularly and hopes to resume the pursuit of a career as a screenwriter.