How Quieted Became a Festival Finalist & My Screenwriting Experiment

Finalist: Top 3 🎬Talking about delayed gratification is like telling a horror story—the suspense is unreal! Except this one has a happy ending. 😆😏

Act 1: Finishing the First Draft

In Q4 2023, while reflecting on my year and setting goals for 2024, I gave myself one clear directive: finish writing a feature film script based on my doctoral dissertation and fieldwork.

The deadline? 11:59:59 PM on December 31, 2023.
Mission accomplished.
So, what does that have to do with Fowl Play, Saddle Standouts, and Quieted?

Act 2: The Rewrite Battle Begins

By January 2024, with my completed draft in hand, I faced a new challenge: rewriting.

The Problem? Two things:
1️⃣ My screenwriting education came exclusively from books, many of which contradicted each other.
2️⃣ I had no practical understanding of how a script actually translated to production.

To tackle this, I wrote two short scripts:

• 🎬 Fowl Play became my hands-on education in film production.
• 🎞 Quieted went out into the world--submitted to festivals to test the strength of my writing.

Meanwhile, I launched a documentary film project, relocated from Texas to Washington, and took on a new role designing a Black Studies minor (just casually crossing off goals). Oh, and I finally have a vision for my first book. 🙄 (About time.)
Q4 2024? 🤷🏾‍♀️ Can’t say much about this yet. Check back in January 2025.

What I can say? I’Z TIRED, BOSS. 😮‍💨

But also? I’M WINNING. 🏆 So, there’s that.

Act 3: Festival Wins & Industry Recognition

• 🥇 Winner: Best Drama Script – Hollywood Just4Shorts (2025)
• 🥈 Finalist: 2nd Place – [Festival Name TBD]
• 🏅 Finalist: Script-Short Film – Urban Mediamakers Film Festival (2024)
• 🎬 Nominee: Best Script – Cannes Independent Shorts (2024)
• ⭐ Official Selection – ETHOS Film Awards (2024)

🎭 Quieted continues to gain industry recognition, proving that stories about power, silencing, and resilience in academic spaces resonate beyond the university walls.

I never expected a script I wrote in 3-4 hours to place top two in a long-running competition or to gain momentum at multiple festivals. But that’s what storytelling does—it finds its audience, even when we least expect it.

Writer’s Statement:

The Story Behind QuietedMy films explore the intricate relationship between history, education, and cultural identity through both documentary and narrative storytelling.

With Quieted, I wanted to make the invisible visible—to show, rather than just tell, how bias and exclusion operate in academic spaces. The script takes a surrealist approach, using non-linear storytelling and magical realism to externalize Dr. Zora Johnson’s experiences of silencing, marginalization, and imposter syndrome.

This script isn’t just a concept—it’s a reflection of real, lived experiences. It’s about the weight of being in spaces not designed for your success, the exhaustion of proving yourself over and over again, and the resilience required to break those cycles.
This is why I write.

Not just to preserve cultural memory but to spark meaningful conversations and demand systemic change.

What’s Next?
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🎞 Revisions & Future Development
As Quieted continues to receive festival recognition, I’m revising the script with new insights. The version that won 2nd place isn’t even the final version anymore—because that’s how art and storytelling grow.

📜 Expanding the Script
I’m exploring whether Quieted remains a short film or if its themes demand a longer format. Could this be a feature-length film or even the foundation for a limited series? That’s the next creative challenge.

🏆 Additional Festival Submissions
Quieted has more to say—and I want to give it the platform to do so. More festival applications are on the way, along with deeper conversations about how this script can move beyond the page.

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