Rob Gunnerson

Rob Gunnerson

Screenwriter and Director

Temecula, California

Member Since:
March 2018
Last online:
> 2 weeks ago
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About Rob

I'm listed as a writer/director, but I'd actually call myself a "storyteller." I love telling stories via whatever means at my disposal. If I could, I'd spend my days just walking around telling people stories while they eat their lunches or wait for the doctor to see them or whatever. Unfortunately, that kind of behavior would probably get me arrested, so writing and directing seemed like a much more acceptable means of getting ideas out of my head.

I was born and raised in Indiana. I went to a small college that is now called Manchester University. I played basketball for Steve Alford, who now coaches at UCLA. I took a creative writing course during my junior year just for fun. My professor pulled me into her office one day after reading a couple of my stories and asked if I'd ever thought about writing screenplays. "You have a gift for writing dialogue," she said. So she sent me to a summer film workshop at Vassar College in New York. And that's really where it all started.

My movie ARC was an early adopter of digital technology (mini-DV, to be exact). It starred Peter Facinelli, Ken Howard and Mel Harris. It screened at multiple festivals, won a few awards and can now be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.

Unfortunately, an illness in the family forced me to leave the industry for a few years. But I returned in 2016 with a screenplay entitled KING! that finished in the Top 5 Drama category in the Final Draft Big Break Contest. And in 2017, my screenplay Polar Bear was a Quarterfinalist for the Acadamy Nicholl Fellowships. It trended on THE BLACKLIST, was featured in INKTIP's industry newsletter and was optioned at the start of 2018.

I was also once a Semi-Finalist for the Sundance Feature Film Program, but that's going back quite a ways.

I'm here to network, talk shop, make friends, hang out, learn and stay inspired. I'm also a fan of the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Eagles and Indiana Pacers. So say hello if you've read this far, if you feel like being pals or if you want to give high fives over sports teams!

Badges

Credits

  • Arc

    Arc (2006)
    Film (Drama) Writer Set in the belly of Los Angeles' criminal underworld, Arc is the story of Paris Pritchert, a former police officer turned drug dealer and addict, who embarks on a quest to find a missing child in the hope of redeeming his eroding character. The only catch is, like all addicts, Paris' confidence completely relies on the drugs in his system and -- in this case -- his firm belief that he can succeed in his mission if he can just stay high 24/7 and alive long enough to see it through. To aid in the endeavor, Paris enlists the help of Maya Gibbs, an African American prostitute versed not only in the language of the street, but also in the words of Maya Angelou and Nadine Gordimer. And together, the path of this dysfunctional duo crosses with those of the child's parents, a doctor with a penchant for soliciting "Street Boys", a self-ascribed King Of Porn, a drug supplier with a gift for making impeccable hors d'oeuvres, and a hardened cop with more scams than the most adept street hustler. ... Written by Anonymous

  • Latter Days

    Latter Days (2003)
    Film (Comedy, Drama and Romance) Actor Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss) and Christian Markelli (Wes Ramsey) are perhaps the two most opposite people in the world. Aaron is a passionate young Elder (a Mormon missionary) who wants to do his family and church proud. Christian is a shallow West Hollywood waiter/party boy who only looks forward to what man the next night will bring to him. After Aaron and three other Elders move into the apartment across from his, Christian's friends make a bet that he can't get one of them into the sack, so he instantly latches onto Aaron, suspecting there is more than meets the eye to him. There are two problems, though: Christian finds himself questioning his own identity as he falls in love with Aaron and the Mormon Church treats homosexuality as a sinful lifestyle. When Aaron's burgeoning sexuality is discovered, they will have to go through trials of regret, loss, perseverance, and forgiveness if they want to get to the thing that matters to them most: each other. Written by Will

  • The Ghosts of Edendale

    The Ghosts of Edendale (2003)
    Film (Horror, Western and Thriller) Camera and Electrical Department A young couple moves into a neighborhood obsessed with the frightening silent movie history that took place 80 years before. As the boyfriend also becomes obsessed, it becomes apparent that something more is happening. Written by Anonymous

  • The Distance

    The Distance (2000)
    Film Writer This story is about a man who is suffering from the aftermath of sexual child abuse, while his best friend, who also had an abusive past, tries to help him overcome his tragic life. Instead of concentrating on the abuse, this movie concentrates on the painful after effects of abuse. Written by Anonymous

  • El Chico Blanco

    El Chico Blanco
    Film (Drama) Writer El Chico Blanco is a tale of two best friends; one Caucasian, one Hispanic, who have been driven apart. Circumstances lead one to prison and one to the good life. After each rising to power they meet again years later to realize they have become different people, ending their friendship and becoming mortal enemies. Written by Anonymous

  • Lettuce

    Lettuce
    Film (Comedy) Writer Add a Plot »

Awards

  • Academy Nicholl Fellowship Quarterfinalist
    (2017)

  • Quarterfinalist - Shore Scripts
    (2017)

  • Official Finalist - Cannes Screenplay Competition
    (2017)

  • Top 5 Drama Category - Final Draft Big Break Contest
    (2016)

  • Quarterfinalist - PAGE International Awards
    (2016)

  • Director's Award - Indie Gathering
    (2006)

  • Official Selection - Hollywood Film Festival
    (2006)

  • Semi-Finalist Sundance Feature Film Program
    (1999)

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