ERNESTINA JUAREZ

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​Where do you live (City, State, or Country)?
Austin, Texas (Music Capital of the World!)
 
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?
The Mexican Revolution of 1810 was a quest for equality and social justice led by people who believed in the power of love to achieve their goals. I wrote THE BANNER as a screenplay to make this quest come alive to people today in a way only a film can.
 
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?
When I began the actual writing, the first draft flowed onto the page in just a few weeks. The next thirty or so drafts took another two years. Probably more!!!
 
What is your ultimate ambition as a writer?
To write stories that are both entertaining and inspiring with particular focus on how love and human kindness can often overcome or at least lessen the suffering and hardship that everyone must face at one time or another in life.
 
Which film or television writers inspire you? Why?
A writer that inspires me is Kasi Lemmons, who co-wrote and directed HARRIET. She was able to portray in a powerful way the injustices and suffering of slavery in a manner that showcased the resiliency of the human soul and how love can transcend cruelty and evil.
 
What’s your all-time favorite movie or television show?
As a classic movie buff, my all-time favorite is JUAREZ (1939), starring two of my favorites, Bette Davis and Paul Muni. The screenwriter, John Huston, centered on the theme of how there can be no freedom for anyone without freedom and justice for all.
 
What advice do you have for writers hoping to win a contest or place as a finalist as you have?
Write what interests you. Seek the advice of those who have expertise in screenwriting.
 
What else are you working on that the world needs to know about?
A contemporary supernatural/thriller keyed to the Spanish mystic San Juan de la Cruz.