Genre: War/Supernatural/Drama

Logline:  In a chilling tale of justice from beyond the grave, a boy of 10 remembers a past life as a doctor that was murdered with his wife and children. He is abducted by an army led by the same general who killed him in the past life.

Treatment

Act 1

Jabari , a man of 35, is watching television with his family one night. He hears the sound of a troop carrier outside. He thinks nothing of it, but soon his door is broken down and a dozen troops storm into his house. A soldier  zip ties Jabari and tells him to get on his knees. The general, Omari, walks in.

He questions Jabari and asks why he killed his brother Idir. Omari is insane with rage. He only wants blood tonight. Jabari explains he is only a doctor and points to a framed photo of him and his staff. Omari doesn’t care. The case of mistaken identity only enraged him more.

Omari’s soldiers round up his family, zip tie them, and bring them together. Before he dies a furious Jabari  looks at Omari and swears he will exact a bloody revenge in this life or the next. He is quickly executed by Omari with a shot between the eyes.

The soldiers pour gasoline around the house, and then set it on fire. They leave. In minutes the house will be fully ablaze.

Act 2

Three months later Amari is born. He is born with a pale, circular birthmark on his forehead. It is about the size of a nickel.

Amari struggles with bad dreams. When he is five years of age, he goes to the market with his mother. While his mother, Hibo, examines produce Amari excitedly tells her a woman of about 60, Imani, is his past mother. He points to her matter-of-factly. Hibo is noticeably disturbed, and quickly leaves the market.

After consulting with her husband Chima they decide to see a child psychologist. Amari is able to open up to her. He tells Zuri, the psychologist, everything he remembers. After the session, Zuri calls his mother and says he has a vivid imagination and may be experiencing a form of dissassociation. She notes one area of concern. She says that Amari told him about his former mother, Imani, and that he even remembered her number, which she called and confirmed. She refers him to a psychiatrist, who prescribes two medications: Clozapine, an anti-psychotic, and Trazadone, a sleeping medication.

Act 3

By the time Amari is ten the country is still ravaged by war and there are many child soldiers. While walking to school with friends a truck in a long line of military vehicles pulls off the road close to them. He is abducted by the militia. Troops tell them to get in, firing in the air. Amari gets on the back of a Toyota truck with a .50 caliber machine gun mounted in the back. The passenger disembarks and heads to the back of the truck. He smiles at Amari. It’s Gen. Omari!

Soon, however, Amari gets used to life in the militia. He gets hardened after several close calls with death. After several battles with a rival militia, Amari is an experienced, fearless killer. Having killed grown men made him bolder, but he is still haunted by nightmares of his past life and still obsessed with thoughts of revenge.

One day in the base camp Amari notices Omari has become ill and has diarrhea. He is running back and forth to the latrines right in the middle of an attempt to overrun the camp.  The sound of gunfire fills the air. While everyone else is rushing to battle, Amari sees an opportunity. He pretends he is sick too. He follows Omari to the latrines and as he is relieving himself, and before Omari could grab his weapon Amari stands in front of him, aiming straight at him. No one is with them as all the men are fighting. He reminds him of who Jabari was and what he did ten years ago. He asks Omari if he remembers the promise. He shakes his head. Amari tells him detail by painful detail before he tells him that as Jabari, he would kill him, in this life or the next. Omari now remembers and tries to excuse it as mistaken identity.

Amari is in tears of rage, and now channeling the full voice of Jabari, he shakes his head and opens fire.

Act 4

Weary, Amari makes his way out of the jungle and can now go home. He boards a bus. When Amari arrives home he comes inside and his family celebrates his return, but he tells them that he really needs to go to sleep. When he wakes the next day he can’t recall what he did in the last night or the past three months. He stops telling everyone he lived a previous life, because he honestly can’t remember it.

Your Turn

Genre: Sci-Fi / Mystery / Thriller

Logline: “Vanishing Skies” follows an FAA investigator’s relentless pursuit of the truth when a 747 mysteriously lands at LAX with no passengers on board. As he unravels the baffling enigma, he uncovers a mind-bending reality: the passengers have been transported to another dimension.

Synopsis: “Vanishing Skies” combines gripping suspense and mind-bending science fiction to unravel the mysteries of an otherworldly occurrence that challenges the boundaries of reality.

Act 1:

Flight 2323, a routine 747 flight with 220 passengers and crew, takes off on a clear day, only to land at LAX with no one on board. The absence of passengers and crew stuns the aviation world, and experts speculate on remote abduction and landing by an external force. The FAA appoints investigator Alex Holloway, a tenacious and dedicated professional, to lead the investigation.

As Alex delves into the case, he discovers that the black box records offer no tangible clues, except for a sudden and unexplained halt in communications during the flight. Frustrated by the lack of answers, he becomes determined to uncover the truth behind the vanishing passengers.

Act 2:

Meanwhile, across the world, passengers from Flight 2323 begin to reappear in disparate locations, disoriented and confused. The unexplained phenomenon triggers widespread panic and speculation, as the passengers struggle to comprehend what has transpired. Their accounts of the disappearance vary, but a recurring theme emerges: a surreal and disorienting transition from the plane to an unfamiliar realm.

Alex’s investigation intensifies as he pieces together fragments of evidence that lead him to a shocking revelation. The black box data, when analyzed further, reveals a momentary lapse in time and space during the flight, suggesting a phenomenon beyond the realm of human understanding. As he delves deeper into the enigma, he becomes convinced that the passengers were transported to another dimension during the flight.

Act 3:

Alex’s pursuit of the truth leads him to collaborate with fringe physicists and theoretical experts, each with their own theories about interdimensional travel. Together, they unravel the extraordinary events surrounding Flight 2323 and the passengers’ inexplicable journey.

As the passengers continue to resurface, some dead, some alive, Alex faces the pressing challenge of guiding some through their shared trauma and helping them reclaim their lives. Simultaneously, he races against time to unlock the scientific mechanisms behind the dimension-shifting phenomenon and find a way to bring the passengers home.

In a pulse-pounding climax, Alex orchestrates a daring plan to recreate the conditions of the original flight, hoping to trigger another interdimensional transition. The fate of the passengers, and the boundaries of reality itself, hang in the balance as Alex confronts the ultimate question: can he unravel the secrets of the vanishing skies rescue the remaining passengers?

Logline: In perhaps the most terrifying battle of the Civil War, The Battle of the Wilderness, a Union soldier is shot in the head and somehow survives but is blinded, now contending with the intense wilderness fire and escaping before he burns alive.

Synopsis: “The Wildernes” presents a horrifying,compelling true narrative of resilience and courage, and the indomitable instinct for survival in the case of impossible odds.

Treatment:

Act 1:

The intense chaos of the Battle of the Wilderness rages on. Amidst the deafening sounds of gunshots and the overpowering smell of smoke, Union soldier Jacob Miller, mid-twenties, fights courageously. Suddenly, a shot resonates, hitting Jacob in the head.

Jacob collapses, disoriented and in excruciating pain. His surroundings worsen as the hot bullets ignite the dry tinder, causing flames to spread like wildfire. He awakens to horrifying screams of wounded soldiers burning alive, their desperate cries echoing in his ears. All turns black.  Jacob’s life flashes before his eyes, like a movie. He sees the good things and the bad things that he did.

Act 2:

Jacob regains consciousness. Disoriented and blinded, Jacob desperately tries to find his bearings. His eyes are swollen shut, making it impossible to determine which way to go. In the midst of overwhelming hopelessness, he stumbles upon a dead soldier. As he gropes around, his hand lands on his canteen. Miraculously, it still holds water.

Summoning a last reserve of strength, Jacob pours water into his eyes, willing them to open. With sheer determination, he manages to force his right eye open, albeit blurry. Though his vision remains impaired, he can discern enough to start moving once more.

Using his rifle as a crutch, Jacob staggers forward, the flames closing in around him. The scene suggests that his struggle may be in vain. Suddenly, he loses his vision, his breath stolen by smoke inhalation. In a final attempt at survival, he stumbles blindly towards a nearby creek, where he finds solace and relief.

Jacob clings to life, laying in the shallow waters of the creek. Though he cannot see, he feels a slight relief as the swelling in his eyes subsides. To his astonishment, light penetrates through his one open eye, revealing an injured soldier filled with determination.

Act 3:

A compassionate farmer discovers the wounded Jacob at the creek and ensures his safety. He brings him to a nearby Union field hospital, where overwhelmed surgeons and nurses attend to the relentless stream of casualties. Jacob, now lying on a makeshift cot, is examined by a weary Union surgeon. The surgeon informs him that the mini ball had passed through his skull, miraculously sparing his brain but causing severe damage.

Overwhelmed with both gratitude and disbelief, Jacob understands that he has a second chance at life. Though recovery may be long, he is filled with hope and the strength to endure the consequences of war.

Logline: Refusing to accept his loss, a cat attempts to dig up his owner’s grave at the funeral as sympathetic villagers try to pull him away, ending in a dramatic climax.

Treatment:

Act 1

In a small village in Indonesia, a stray cat, Bintang, wanders the streets and meanders through narrow alleyways. Bintang is no ordinary cat; he has been a loyal companion to his owner, Mr. Wahyu, for years. As Wahyu talks to Bintang, he finds a ready listener to express his loneliness since the death of his wife. Bintang becomes his therapy animal. The cat seems to sense his emotions, and we hear Wahyu describe his life with his late wife. We watch Wahyu discuss things from the cat’s point of view. In fact, we never leave this point of view. We see Bintang’s paws when they climb onto the foot of Bahyu’s bed and begin to knead the blankets. We see his paws as he scratches the fleas on his neck.

Act 2

Mr. Wahyu can’t wake up. A doctor is called and Wahyu is declared dead. The villagers gather around for Mr. Wahyu’s funeral, devastated by the loss of their beloved friend. Bintang, unable to comprehend the absence of his owner, appears in distress. He approaches Mr. Wahyu’s grave and meows pitifully. Bintang’s grief grows stronger. Determined to be close to his beloved owner, Bintang starts digging at Mr. Wahyu’s grave, forcing the villagers to intervene. Villagers struggle to stop the cat from unearthing the grave, but Bintang doesn’t understand their efforts. A weary grave digger named PAK ADI notices Bintang’s relentless attempts once the villagers leave. He observes the cat’s behavior and offers a sympathetic smile. Understanding Bintang’s struggle, Pak Adi decides to help.

With Pak Adi’s assistance, Bintang and the grave digger dig up the grave. As the grave opens, they uncover an astonishing sight: Mr. Wahyu, who had been in a coma, breathes weakly. Determined, they act swiftly, carrying Mr. Wahyu to a nearby hospital.

Act 3

Mr. Wahyu lies motionless, hooked-up to monitors and surrounded by medical professionals. Bintang watches him from the corner of the room, hope emanating from his eyes. After an anxious wait, a doctor walks up to Bintang, running his hand over the feline’s fur. The doctor announces that Mr. Wahyu has awakened from his coma, shocking everyone present. Bintang, overjoyed, leaps onto Mr. Wahyu’s hospital bed, purring loudly. Tears stream down Mr. Wahyu’s face as he strokes Bintang’s head, grateful for his feline companion’s unwavering loyalty.

Months pass, and Bintang and Mr. Wahyu, both healthy, return to their humble village hut. The villagers are thrilled to see the miraculous recovery. Bintang, having brought his owner back from the edge of death, becomes a local hero. The villagers honor Bintang in a joyous celebration. They shower him with treats and affection, forever recognizing his unwavering love and loyalty. Bintang, content in his role as savior, basks in the adoration.