The following is from an interview with the talented prior grand prize winner Bill Ray.
Being fortunate enough to win the Spring 2017 Faith in Film contest has been one of the greatest blessings of my writing life. Though Burden Stone has yet to find a producer, winning the contest has given it a credibility that has led to various producers paying attention to it, the latest producer writing, “Thanks for the privilege of letting me read Burden Stone. Both my wife and I enjoyed it. I am not in a place to move forward with it at this time, but I will keep it on my back burner if someone doesn’t grab it before I get back around to it.” These were unsolicited comments—in fact, I wasn’t even aware he was reading it—so I’m hopeful something might turn up down this road.
In addition, I turned the script into a novel that sells regularly on Amazon and receives inspiring comments from readers. I feel like one reason it finds buyers is the tag, “Grand Prize Winner of the 2017 International Faith in Film Competition” featured prominently on the cover.
Perhaps most importantly, those times I find myself wondering if all these lonely moments writing are really worth it—feelings that I’m sure are common to most writers—I remember my experience with the Faith in Film contest and am encouraged. I have since plowed through to finish two science fiction novels (The Lost Colony and The Journey) and am on the homestretch of a screenplay about Ulysses S. Grant.
All of this and I’m an old fogey—almost 60! I’ll always be thankful for the Faith in Film contest.
