A young woman in New Orleans decides to enlist in the U.S. Navy to improve her life and get out of poverty, but an unexpected pregnancy disrupts her plans.
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Type: Feature (106 pps)
Genre: Drama
Subgenre: Military
Time Period: 1990s
Location: New Orleans, LA & Naval Station Great Lakes (IL)
Status: Unproduced
Budget: $5-$10 million
Comps: Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Mississippi Damned, Yelling to the Sky
Synopsis
It is 1998 and drug-related crimes have taken hold of New Orleans, especially in the run-down Desire neighborhood where Clarice Jackson lives. Dreams of enlisting in the U.S. Navy take hold, but there is one problem – Clarice is pregnant. However, Clarice is conflicted and unsure what direction to take or even how to break the news to her boyfriend, Steve. Her mother, Sadie, guesses that Clarice might be pregnant which puts pressure on her to reveal the truth. During their conversation, the apartment gets shot up in an apparent drive-by. The events that follow puts Clarice in a position to make some tough decisions about her future and come face to face with all that she holds dear.
Awards & Honors
Fellow, BIPOC Writers Fellowship: Adapting Books to Screen, 2021
Grant Development Winner, Stowe Story Labs, October 2020
Top 2%, The Red List, 2022
Top 10%, The Academy Nicholl Fellowships for Screenwriting, 2020
Top 100, Launch Pad Feature Competition, 2020
Nominee - Golden Palm Award, Beverly Hills Film Festival, 2021
Nominee - Best Feature Script, Top Indie Film Awards, 2020
Second Rounder, Austin Film Festival Screenwriting Competition, 2021
Second Rounder, MACRO x The Black List Feature Screenwriter Incubator, 2021
Official Selection, Beverly Hills Film Festival, Golden Palm Award Nominee, 2021
Official Selection, The Industry Next Screenwriting Initiative, 2019
Finalist, George Abbott Award for Best Script, New York City Film and Television Festival, 2022
Finalist, The Film Empire Diversity Mentorship, 2021
Finalist, SAGindie Fellowship, 2020
Semifinalist, The Script Lab Screenwriting Contest, 2021
Semifinalist, Age Inclusion in Media (AIM) - Silver Bullet Screenplay Contest, 2020
Quarterfinalist, The Writers Lab NY, 2022
Quarterfinalist, Screencraft Screenwriting Fellowship, 2021
Quarterfinalist, Page Turner Screenplays, 2020