We recently announced our full list of industry judges for the Screenplay & Teleplay Competitions (click here for the list). From now through the final June 1st deadline, we’ll post a few interviews from this year’s group of judges. The first interview is with Richard Bever, a Los Angeles-based producer and co-president of Chill Films. Richard has attended AFF as a panelist and judge for several years and is an all-around nice guy.
Richard Bever’s Bio
Richard is the former Head of Development and Production at Andrew Lauren Productions, which produced the Oscar-nominated film The Squid and the Whale during his tenure. Among his producing credits are In Memory of My Father; Audrey; and Against the Current (Sundance 2009). Richard and his partners at Chill Films are currently packaging: the horror project Blood Letter to be directed by David A. Armstrong (Saw I-VI); the crime drama NUM to be directed by veteran actor Brian Cox and starring Kiefer Sutherland; the sports drama Slugger (2007 AFF Winner) with director Mark Robert Ellis and producers Tamer Howard and G.Mac Brown (Men in Black; The Departed); the drama The Gardener’s Daughter by writer Steven Peros (Cat’s Meow; Footprints), to be directed by Dean Pollack (Audrey; Show and Tell) Richard recently executive produced the documentary Wish Me Away (Grand Jury Prize for Documentary at Los Angeles Film Festival) and he is currently working on the documentary Rebels of the Third Age.
Matt: What excites you most when you read a script?
Richard: Succinct, realistic dialogue; well-thought out characters; and unforeseen events – and all within the first act.
Matt: What common mistakes do you find when you read a script?
Richard: Scenes that start too soon and end too late. Writers should look at their scenes and see if they can enter the scene a line or two later and then leave as soon as the goal of the scene is accomplished.
Matt: What’s the best advice you would give to a writer wanting to break out?
Richard: Know what types of stories the industry is hungry for and put your stamp on those genres.
Matt: Having judged for AFF previously, were there any writers that you connected with from the competition?
Richard: I’ve connected w/ countless writers from AFF – keeping in touch w/ writers from outside of my area and reconnecting in person with writers who are nearby. Every year I attend I see face after face, writers whom I know by name and know their work.
Matt: What is the best script you’ve read and/or best film you’ve seen lately?
Richard: Adam Gyngell and Fred Fernandez-Armesto’s “Deep Burial”, which was a winner at AFF in 2011.
Matt: Why should someone submit a script to AFF?
Richard: Every year I meet writers who have made their virgin AFF trek and they are universally amazed at the opportunities the festival provides for them and they vow to make it an annual journey. And this is why every year I know more and more of the writers.
June 1st is the final deadline for submissions. Enter your script for the opportunity to have your script read by our industry judges. To submit your entry, click here.