Apparently not.
I’m pleased to share that Screw, a small, contained, very dialogue-driven short, has just won Best Script at the LA Indie Short Film Festival.
It’s basically a conversation between two men on a park bench. Something that starts ordinary and slowly turns, Most of the tension lives in the gaps, what’s being said, and what’s being carefully avoided.
The short sits inside a wider world I’m building called Ministry of Demons, and the win feels like a good reminder that atmosphere, restraint, and character still count when the writing pulls its weight.
Huge thanks to LA Indie Shorts for the vote of confidence, and to the Stage 32 community for being a place where stranger work can still find an audience.
— Tom Newman
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Congratulations on Screw winning Best Script, Thomas Newman! "Dialogue Driven, Atmospheric Scripts Don’t Work Anymore... Right?" They can work. Any script can work. Hope you keep having success with Screw and all your projects!
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Congratulations, Thomas.
This is a powerful reminder that atmosphere isn’t the absence of story, it is the story when it’s carried with intention.
What you describe, tension living in the gaps, in what’s avoided, is exactly where cinema becomes alive.
Really inspiring to read this. Well deserved.
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It is amazing to me that the movie industry continues to ignore elements like atmosphere, restraint, and characters. They are still gambling on franchise-driven, comic-book IP, adolescent humor, spectacular-first storytelling. They say "adults" don't come to the theatres anymore. But studios have stopped inviting them. Their model has been to under-serve emotional intelligence, offer flat characters, sideline mature characters (especially women), and assume complexity won't sell. But they have forgotten that a whole generation they are ignoring was the staple of movie-going. We grew up going to films as our main source of socializing and entertainment. And now, as we are getting older, they are ignoring us completely. Our habits, likes, and wants didn't go away. Movies went away from us. So, kudos to you for bringing to life and having success, highlighting the need for intelligent movies. Note to producers: WE ARE STILL HERE when you are ready to entertain us again!