Before I get to today’s blog…

Thinking about doing more with your writing? Why not join me in Paris June 2-7 for my Masterclass in Screenwriting? Come be part of a dynamic community of writers and literary agents to learn, to write, to network, to energize your literary goals—and just to have fun in the City of Light!

The Paris Writers Workshop is the longest running literary program of its kind. This program offers 6 masterclasses by renowned authors, each a specialist in their field—and I’ll be teaching the Screenwriting Masterclass—in English, of course.

The workshop will be held at Columbia University’s beautiful Reid Hall campus in the heart of literary Paris—Montparnasse.

Registration is now open: https://wice-paris.org/paris-writers- workshop

We’ll have a great time getting your story ideas off the ground!!

Award Season

I love award season. This is a season in movies, loosely defined, as October through December. This is when all the ‘big’ movies come out that studios and independent producers hope have a chance at an Academy Award. Or a WGA award, DGA award, SAG award, Independent Spirit award, Golden Globe, etc., etc.

This is the time of year to factor into your evenings and weekends as many trips to the movie theater as you can manage. Sure, you might still be disappointed at a film you see during awards season just as you can be disappointed at a film you see any time of the year. But, chances are, there’s something special about most films being touted for an award—a great performance, amazing cinematography, great direction, a great script…something that made the distributor plan to release it now, at the end of the year, closer to the time those of us who vote for these awards are filling out our nomination ballots.

So take advantage. This is definitely the time of the year to binge on movies—no regrets.

There are many I’m looking forward to this year. La La Land, the latest effort from Damien Chazelle, the writer/director who gave us the intensely creative Whiplash [2014] is at the top of my list. Take a look at the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBUXcNTjviI

Then there’s Rules Don’t Apply. I actually know very little about this one, other than it started out with Beatty wanting to do a Howard Hughes movie and morphed into what’s being called an ‘unconventional’ love story. But I do know that it’s writer/director Warren Beatty’s first film in 18 years. His film Reds [1981] is one of my favorite films of all time so I can’t wait to see his newest effort. Here’s the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_QiAunKtxo

Then there’s the coming of age Moonlight, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fYFIj16YC0 and the dramatic thriller Nocturnal Animals,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H1Ii1LjyFU and the prison documentary The 13th,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V66F3WU2CKk and the space utopia film Passengers,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfD1mlcRfhU and war drama Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUULFJ_I048 and a film set in the ‘50s, Fences, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2m6Jvp0bUw and the adventure, Gold https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdLXPv5NsA4 and the conscientious objector war film Hacksaw Ridge, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdLXPv5NsA4 and the love story Loving, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33g-ZHBQdNU and the family drama Manchester by the Sea, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ODEsqrapzM and the period crime drama Live by Night, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtFZcAuH-qI and the quirky The Comedian, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVDzuT0fXro and, well, tons more… so this is the season, the movie season…so get out there and do your job. GO.

Copyright © Diane Lake

30Oct16

Email Diane a question to Diane@DianeLake.com