Roscommon to Paris via LA

Little did I know when I wrote a screenplay based on my horror thriller "unRIP" that it would send chills down the spines of judging panels in some of the world's finest film festivals.
First I got some lovely words of encouragement from the Director of the Roscommon International Film Festival (RIFF), Andrew Hannon.
Then my little screenplay only went and won the Best TV Pilot Script / Screenplay at the Stingray International Film Festival in Paris.
More awards followed: Semi-Finalist at the Hollywood Hype International Film Festival and Nominee at the Movieplay International Film Festival.
It's not even Halloween, but the bonfire is blazing for this twisty story about goth girls and ghosts in modern Dublin.
Maybe it's something to do with the fact that one of the locations in the story is the infamous Hellfire club in the Dublin Mountains, which is soon to get a rebranding and corporate-style make-over in a bid to attract more "vanilla" visitors. Horror fans are, naturally, horrified - but the location is unspoilt in unRIP.
And let's keep it that way - at least on screen and in the pages of a book! The screenplay is the pilot for a TV series, and the commentary from RIFF Director Andrew Hannon are encouraging: "unRIP is an atmospheric and haunting story that blends elements of supernatural horror with deep emotional and psychological themes. The plot is intriguing, with strong, memorable imagery that leaves a lasting impression. The tension between grief, guilt, and unresolved trauma is palpable, and the film's dark, atmospheric tone effectively draws the audience into the eerie world you've created. The symbolic use of animals like crows and foxes, as well as the exploration of modern societal issues like social media influence and public scrutiny, make it not just a horror story but a commentary on contemporary life."
The novel on which it is based also earned critical acclaim in the horror fiction community when it came out last year, with a review in Reader Views and a coveted interview spot for the author: https://gnofhorror.com/geraldine-comi...
Horror is at the heart of this story and - be warned! - some people will find the exorcism scene particularly disturbing. Other themes in the book include school bullying, domestic violence, celebrity culture and outsiders (one of the character has autism, another is an in-the-closet lesbian and the story reflects multicultural Dublin).
If you're brave enough to read the book, which will seriously mess with your sleep patterns, check it out here:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/unRIP-Aneeta...