SCRIPT TRAILER: The Christmas Solution, by Michael DAmbrosio


Julius once had the best PR agency in New York until a mobster framed him for white collar crimes and bankrupted him. After beating the charges in court, Julius needs something really big to rebuild his damaged career. Unbeknownst to Julius, his fiancee’ is the onetime girlfriend of a mobster, who still harbors ill feelings toward her over leaving him for Julius several years ago. The mobster, seeing Julius’ return as a sign of weakness to his enemies, wants to make sure Julius stays ‘gone’. Julius’ fiancee’ tries to deter Julius from re-entering the PR field to hide her secret past.

Julius watches from a cafe as a street corner Santa gets knocked over and ignored by several pedestrians. He wonders that the true spirit of Christmas has been lost. He suddenly realizes that if he can save the Christmas’ image from commercialism and restore its true spirit, he could get back on top of the PR world and back in the public spotlight.

After the mobster’s men trash Julius’ apartment as a warning, Julius and his fiancee’ travel to the North Pole to meet a reluctant and despondent Nick Baxter, the modern day Santa. Nick struggles with his boring image and the public’s fading perception of Christmas. Julius and Nick meet, thanks to some prodding from Nick’s elves and an old high school flame, to discuss a plan to save Christmas. Nick is reluctant to trust Julius at first but Tess and the elves pressure him into giving Julius a chance.

With the two women in New York for some advanced PR for Julius, he and Nick partake in a series of events and stunts to get Nick the right media attention to change the public’s perception of him. Nick and Julius learn much from each other, particularly how to improve their relationships with their women. One of the events features a 10 minute half-time one on one contest between Nick and a basketball star for charity. Nick gives the star a battle to the last bucket, much to the crowd’s delight. Julius’ fiancee’ takes exception to Julius’ growing popularity among the women during TV interviews and unknowingly takes Nick’s girlfriend to a club owned by the mobster, in hopes of making Julius jealous.

Things go horribly wrong when the mobster and his men kidnap the women, intending to sell them to a human trafficking cartel. Julius realizes that he needs to step up and save his fiancee’. Nick teaches Julius to be courageous and determined after an attempt on his life by mobsters. Nick’s determination to rescue the women inspires him as they pursue the kidnappers. Julius learns to use his resources by employing help from his media friends and the new look elves in cammo attire. They rescue the women while taking down the mobster and his gang in a dockside brawl.

The news crews air the rescue live on TV, capping a wild return of the new look Santa, while injecting new-found Christmas spirit into an otherwise commercial holiday. Julius and Nick become close friends, knowing that they helped change each other’s lives. Julius steps up and commits to a wedding date with his fiancee’. Nick and his girlfriend enjoy their budding romance, making up for the past and missed opportunities

. All is well – for now. Merry Christmas

Winning BEST SCENE Feature Screenplay Reading: A Christmas Cheer, by Clint Ford



Narrator; Allison Kampf
Cratchit: Shawn Devlin
Fred: Sean Ballantyne
Scrooge: Steve Rizzo

Winning DIVERSITY 1st Scene Screenplay Reading: Alta California, by Lynn Elliott

When was the beginning of the end for California’s indigenous tribes? During the turbulent and violent California mission era, a young, half-breed, haunted by the ghost of his slaughtered mother, struggles to find his true identity.


Narrator: Allison Kampf
FRIAR/NEOPHYTES: Sean Ballantyne
CORDERO: Steve Rizzo

Winning 1st Scene Feature Screenplay Reading: Nightshade, by Rick Grogan

From Nashville darling to recluse luthier, Lester Dawson devotes his life to the search for the soul of bluegrass music. His dark secrets buried deep beneath the fallow fields of time slowly unearth, revealing the cold truth behind the music of the people.


Narrator: Allison Kampf
Chet: Shawn Devlin
Stone/Lester: Sean Ballantyne

Winning 1st Scene Feature Screenplay Reading: Origins, by Ric Marshall



Narrator: Allison Kampf
DAN: Sean Ballantyne
JIM: Steve Rizzo

Winning TV 1st Scene Screenplay Reading: Quantum Entanglement, by KC Kramer

After being led to an ancient artifact that bears her signature as well as a mysterious name drawn inside a heart, Clea Smith finally gets to realize her childhood dream of becoming a time traveler when she crosses paths with agents of a time travel law enforcement agency from the future and joins them in their mission.


Narrator: Allison Kampf
YOUNG CLEA: Victoria Urquart
VICKI: Alicia Ryan

Winning DIVERSITY Best Scene Feature Script Reading: The Regent, by Priscila Santa Rosa

When the Emperor’s illness makes timid Princess Isabel the regent of the Brazilian Empire, she must find the strength to fight against the country’s most powerful men to help end slavery in Brazil.


Narrator: Allison Kampf
Isabel: Kyana Teresa
Saravia: Geoff Mays
Announcer/Gaston: Bill Poulin

Winning 1st Scene Feature Script Reading: Inversion, by Suzy Stein, Fernando Perez

When a futuristic law enforcement officer discovers that his new partner might have been responsible for the death of his old partner, he volunteers to bring him to justice. But when he learns of a conspiracy involving a secret operation that caused diverging timelines, he must determine who is behind it before time is altered forever.


John Bowden: Bill Poulin
Mark Reeves: Geoff Mays

Winning SHORT Screenplay Reading: Do Tell, by Bree Wyrd

Amber Lynn’s coming out announcement at her family’s annual gathering goes off the rails when she gets upstaged by her mother’s secret.


Amber Lynn/Grace: Kyana Teresa
Becca/Aunt Barb/Nana: Hannah Ehman
Crimson/Great Aunt Mabel: Elizabeth Rose Morris
Ezekiel/Cousin Jedd/Uncle Mike/Uncle Rufus: Geoff Mays
JR/Cousin Toby/Cousin Tim/Steven: Bill Poulin