Bernadett Belinda York
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Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
I’ve lived in Los Angeles, CA for the past decade, but I was born and raised in the suburbs outside of Chicago.
 
Your script stood out among hundreds of others. What was the inspiration for your story and why did you write a script instead of a short story or a novel?
 
I wrote the script for WILD DATURA because that's the medium I envisioned for the story. I was inspired to write the story because it helped me address certain topics I was struggling with professionally and personally. Since childhood, I have been drawn to the western genre but rarely see myself in its narratives. As a queer-identified female in my 30s, it is my responsibility as an emerging artist to bring an evolving voice to this mainstream category. By blending my perspective with "gold rush grit," I crafted a novel look inside the woman's experience during that time. While staying true to style, WILD DATURA also navigates meaningful conversations about inequality, intolerance, violence against women, sacrifice, and survival in a male-dominated era. The screenplay continues to prove the need for diversity in western features, and it's an honor to be recognized and awarded by contests such as yours.
 
How long did it take you to write your script...and what is your writing process? Do you outline...use index cards...white board...or just start with FADE IN?
 
WILD DATURA was my first full-length screenplay, so it took me longer than I would have liked. I had more experience writing teleplays, sketches, e-books, and song lyrics. But, my process is similar for everything, and I make sure I am passionate about "why" I want to work on it. The ideas usually come to me while meditating or sleeping, and I'll see the story vividly from start to finish. When I wake up, if I feel viscerally connected to the premise, as I did with WILD DATURA, I'll immediately write it down and get to work. I have an adamant need to be organized... I am definitely a plotter, not a pantser. So, once the idea manifests, I construct the outline or beat sheet and then move on to the character, world-building, research, etc.
 
What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
 
My ultimate ambition is to become a powerful storyteller known for creating inclusive content involving complex female and LGBTQ+ narratives across mainstream genres and mediums.
 
Which film or television writers inspire you? Why?
Oh, gosh! I don't think there's enough time to list everyone. There's so much content, so many talented writers and creators that deserve to be named. Honestly, anyone who can create authentic, inclusive, and groundbreaking content is inspirational to me.
 
What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show?
I have to defer to my previous answer. I sincerely love all film and television genres, and there are just too many to name.
 
What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
Great question here. I think fellow writers can find everything I would suggest in Robert L. McCullough's book "Stop Screwing Around and Win Your Next Screenplay Contest." So, I would start by reading that little gem.
 
What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
I'm excited to share a few things, actually! At the beginning of 2022, my award-winning screenplay WILD DATURA attached executive producers Matthew Helderman and Luke Taylor with BondItMedia Capital. Since then, they've packaged my script and concept trailer with their production budget, schedule, projections model, and distribution plan. I've been heavily involved in the development, and it's been a great collaboration and learning experience. The company is currently pitching the deck to major studios and above-the-line talent. Logline:  During the California Gold Rush, a naive widow forms an intense bond with the alluring wife of a wealthy prospector while navigating her sexuality and survival in the male-dominated boomtown.
 
The previous year I produced a paranormal, dark comedy mini-series called PARANNOYANCE that I co-created, starred in, and wrote. The pilot premiered digitally in Hollywood and has earned several laurels during the 2021 film festival season. The product is currently being shopped to various streaming platforms. Logline:  After entering a "ghost hunting" competition for various shallow reasons, three teams of misguided misfits spend the weekend in the Hollywood Hills investigating the haunted mansion of a sketchy heiress and her tiny butler.
 
At the end of the day, I'm just grateful to be an artist with a marketable portfolio. I would love to see all of my scripts produced by a significant studio, but I also love being in control of my destiny. I look forward to starting my own company called "St. Emma Productions'' (in memory of my late canine companion), where I can champion fellow LGBTQ+ individuals and women in film throughout the Los Angeles area.

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