MovieBytes Interview:
Screenwriter John Edward Flynt

An interview with screenwriter John Edward Flynt regarding the IFA Universal Writing Competition.

A: "Esperancia".

A wealthy and sometimes arrogant shipping tycoon named Marten LeBron must forsake all his power and influence to keep a promise to his closest friend -- a man who saved his life during a deadly ship explosion when they were in the Navy together -- but in the process Marten's life becomes increasingly endangered after dredging up some highly incrminating evidence tying someone he cares about deeply into the murderous, multi-billion dollar human trafficking trade in the Caribbean and South Florida.

A: I believe "Esperancia" is well suited to the Independent Film Market for a number of reasons. First, it deals with issues of race and prejudice, but with the added dynamic of blacks who are also struggling to escape from the misery and heartache in their own homeland. Secondly, my protagonist Marten Lebron -- a man who has grown wealthy despite the significant barriers erected by our society to keep men like him from succeeding -- must once more humble himself and come to Miami as a common black man to keep a promise to his closest friend, a Haitian-American who risked his own life to save Marten from death during a deadly ship explosion when they were in the Navy together . Thirdly, it demonstrates our nation's long-standing prejudices and brings them to a head with the introduction of a young racist policeman that Marten is forced to confront in a powerful way. Finally, the story evolves from a personal drama into a murder mystery, then explodes into an action/thriller as Marten's life hangs in the balance and the only person who can stop him from being murdered is the young racist policeman.

"Esperancia" has done very well in other competitions, including top 35 in the "Century City Screenwriting Competition", top 13 in the "Cynosure Screenwriting Awards", top 10 in "Anything But Hollywood" and "Screenwriters Showcase Awards" (it also placed as a Quarter-Finalist in the "Filmmaker's International" competition and Finalist in "WriteMovies #12" competitions). In addition, I just received an email telling me that I was being considered for the "IndieFest Chicago Film Festival" competition, which announces their winners on May 20th.

A: Naoimi Wiggins has been very supprotive in keeping me undated with the process of awarding the prizes and making sure that my script was being offered during IFA's meetings with various producers and filmmakers.

A: None so far except IFA's email/web announcement of their winners (it had a very nice two-paragraph review of "Esperancia").

A: It's only been a few weeks and I haven't really started the process of using this award as a means of contacting people. My twin daughters are getting ready to go off to college and things have been very hectic around my house recently!

A: I have a degree in Music and served in the army prior to beginning an acting career in and out of NYC. I was the understudy to the 'romantic' lead in revival of "Finian's Rainbow" in NYC with Christopher Hewitt ("Mr. Belvedere" in the TV series), became a Flight Instructor in Los Angeles, then moved back to hometown Miami and began a job with the Dade County Fire Dept. I am now a Paramedic Lieutenant and love my job. (I was also the "Open Category" winner of "The American Song Festival").

"Esperancia" is my sixth script. I wrote 4 while in Los Angeles and had some interest in 2 of them from NBC and CBS but nothing came of it before I moved back to Miami to help my parents with their avocado business (I became a firefighter shortly after moving back here). Scrip # 5, "Silence", was a Quarter-Finalist in "WriteMovies"-- I think it was #10).

My job has offered an incredible variety of circumstances, emergencies and unique personalities from which to garner story ideas, and "Esperancia" actually evolved from a true event that occured down here (when a wooden freighter named "Esperancia" sank off the Florida coast during a severe storm, 12 of the 21 bodies that washed ashore have never been identified. Marten LeBron's intial goal in coming down here is to find out -- before his friend dies -- if this friend's daughter was one of those 12 who remain unidentified).

I have also written about 95% of a Historical Novel that deals with the early formation of the nation of Israel (specifically, how the Balfour Declaration of 1917 and it's 'offer' of a Jewish Homeland in Palestine affected Polish Jews shortly after the end of World War One). I plan to complete this soon and adapt it into a screenplay.

A: I live in Coral Gables, Florida with my wife and twin daughters (who are leaving for college in August). My hope is to reach a level of success that will allow me to be in phone, email and occasional physical contact with those who are interested in my scripts and other writings.

A: I'm working on a new script now. While at the Expo in October I discovered that the Action/Thriller and Romantic Comedy genres were the most marketable. Because I already had an idea for a new story, I didn't waste any time starting on it (Research first, of course). It's a fast paced Action/Thriller with some significant world-changing ramifications and a little paranormal thrown in for good measure. I hope to be done by the end of the summer.

Posted Thursday, May 17, 2007