On Sunday, February 9th, 2014, from 2-5 pm, Willamette Writers and Ampersand Productions will host an Open House at the Cynthia Whitcomb House for Writers. This will give all of our screenwriters a chance to visit the site where the FiLMLaB Script to Screen Competition will be filmed. You’ll have an opportunity to explore the individual writing rooms, the library and the patio; hang out in the living room and dining room while enjoying some food and drink with other screenwriters; and meet with our production team, including Director Christopher Alley, Assistant Director Tony Forsythe, and producers Stefan Feuerherdt and Bill Johnson. They’ll have lots of insight into what kind of script translates best into a short film of this kind.

We’ve invited Haley Isleib, our 2012 winning writer, to talk about submitting her last minute script and watching it develop into the award-winning Alis Volat Propriis. Stars from our previous films, such as Greg Alexander, Brynne Baron, Randall Jahnson, and Ruth Witteried, might also swing by to talk about what wonderful experiences they had in working with the writers and filmmakers. (We hope, anyway. Fingers crossed. We may not have paid them enough to call it “wonderful,” but I’m sure they all would agree it was definitely an experience.)

The Willamette Writer’s Cynthia Whitcomb House for Writers is located at 2108 Buck Street in West Linn, Oregon, right off of Willamette Drive/Pacific Highway (Highway 43) and a short distance north of I-205. The 35 bus stops just a few blocks away.

Remember, if you don’t have a chance to make it to the Open House, you can always reserve a writing room of your own to be steeped in inspiration, or watch the video tour of the house. Submissions for the contest are $25 for members of Willamette Writers, and $30 for non-members. Payment and scripts are due by March 1st, 2014.

Hope to see you there!