STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK
Charles Brandt, a bestselling author of Mafia tales, will help the Silver Creek Writers Residency kick off its sponsorship of the 2017 Sun Valley Film Festival at 5 p.m. tonight—Wednesday, March 15.
Brandt, a Sun Valley resident and New York Times bestselling author, will take part in the event, titled “Writing for Film: A Conversation About Transforming Words into Vision,” at the nexStage Theatre.
The event is free and open to the public. A reception will follow.
Brandt wrote “I Heard You Paint Houses,” the tale of a Mafia hit man who told Brandt that he had killed Jimmy Hoffa. Oscar-winning screenwriter Steve Zailloan has adapted the book into “The Irishman,” a much anticipated film directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino.
Brandt will discuss the adaption of his book during the event.
He will be joined by Silver Creek Writers 2016 Screenwriter-in-Residence Elizabeth Rodgers, who has returned to screen her film “Old Dog.” Rodgers will discuss her process from writing to funding, from directing to editing and screening, offering do’s and don’ts from her career spent writing for TV and film.
Silver Creek Writers Residency is also co-presenter of the festival’s High Scribe Award, offering a $1,000 prize to the winning screenwriter at the Sun Valley Film Festival’s Screenwriters Lab. The lab will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 18, at the nexStage Theatre.
Charles Randolph, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of “The Big Short” will host the lab, which offers an interactive look at the process of writing for film. Oscar nominated producer Chris Moore of “Manchester by the Sea” will join as a High Scribe judge and presenter of the award.
The event, which includes a Q&A and live table read, is open to festival pass holders. Some individual tickets are also available at Festival Headquarters at Warfield Distillery.
Silver Creek writers Residency seeks and promotes emerging literary talent nationwide through its residencies, partnerships and events, according to the organization’s founder Bill Fowler.
For information, go to www.silvercreekwr.org.