Feature (Part 2): Michael Harden — Winner, Cassian Elwes Independent Screenwriting Fellowship

Back in 2013, the Black List and longtime independent movie producer Cassian Elwes (Lee Daniels’ The Butler, Dallas Buyers Club) launched a screenwriting fellowship. A major part of the experience was for a screenwriter to accompany Elwes to the Sundance Film Festival which is precisely what happened with the first fellowship winner Matthew Hickman (you may read about his time at the Festival here and here).

That led to a second year for the fellowship and the winner was Michael Harden. Yesterday we got to hear from Mike in the form of a Q&A re his background. Today a first-person report of his experiences at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival:

My Trip To Sundance

By Mike Harden

So it’s been over a week since I’ve been back from my trip to the Sundance Film Festival, and I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that it actually happened. I mean, how do you describe one of, if not the greatest experience of your life? I guess for a writer, that shouldn’t sound like such an insurmountable task, but even after being home for a week and still trying to process the whole ordeal, I still can’t quite find the words that do it justice. What Cassian Elwes and The Blacklist have done for me, by choosing me for this year’s fellowship, is one of those life-changing stories that you only hear about in the movies. One day I was just another warehouse worker with a crazy dream of being a filmmaker, the next I’m walking around Sundance, going to movies and parties with people I’ve only read about or seen on TV. Not only that, but Cassian told me repeatedly how much he loved my screenplay and spoke, in detail, about getting it made. I mean, seriously…? Honestly, it still blows my mind every time I think about it. But for the sake of this blog, and anyone who’s bothered to read this far, I will try to string enough coherent thoughts together and give you some of the highlights.

The Festival

It’s hard to describe the energy you feel as you walk through the festival, between the celebrities walking the streets, the filmmakers in competition, the dealmakers and even the normal-folk like myself just excited to be there, you could really feel the excitement in the air. It is something I wish every film lover could get to experience, at least once. I was a little surprised on how concentrated the festival was, even though the theaters were spread out, the festival itself seemed to take place on one long street, which makes it a more intimate experience. Also, it helps that Park City seems to have been carved out of the mountains, surrounded by picturesque scenery everywhere you look. You can see why people flock there year- round, just for the skiing alone.

The Films

Anyone who has ever dreamed of becoming a filmmaker knows the mystique of the Sundance Film Festival. Getting your film into the festival is the goal of most(if not all) independent films. So I was really excited to see the types of films that made this year’s cut. And I certainly wasn’t disappointed. THE BRONZE was probably the funniest film I got to see; even at a 9am showing it played great and had some of the most outrageous scenes I’ve seen in a long time. KNOCK KNOCK was both unnerving, yet hilarious at times — definitely a great movie to watch with a group of friends. But my favorite film was ’71, which if my flight home wasn’t cancelled due to weather, I never would’ve had the chance to see. But I’m sure glad I did, it was the type of film I had hoped to see while at the festival, so much so that I sought out the director afterwards and told him how much I enjoyed it. That was definitely one of the best parts of the festival, being able to talk with the filmmakers about their work, and just being around people who love to make great films.

Parties and Events

This was definitely my first taste of the Hollywood-type parties you always hear about. One that stands out the most was setup in a garish mansion that looked over all of Park City. It was the epitome of exclusive; so much so that you had to take special shuttle rides to it because no one was giving out the address. We drove up through several sets of gates and security checkpoints — it had shades of EYES WIDE SHUT (minus the orgies…well, at least not that I saw…) and filled to the brim with Hollywood heavyweights. At one point I remember staring out over the city, thinking that only a couple months ago I thought my chances of becoming a filmmaker where all but pipe dreams, and now I’m partying inside a mansion at the top of Sundance. It doesn’t get much better than that.

The People

At first I was a little intimidated to meet so many powerful people in the industry, but everyone I met couldn’t have been nicer. I met a lot of really cool people and a lot of them gave me some really great advice. I loved hearing the stories of how they got started in the business, and I picked their brains any chance I could get. It was really encouraging to be around so many people who started out with dreams like mine, and actually went out and achieved them. One of my favorite memories was getting to have lunch with the cast and crew of KNOCK KNOCK, on the day of their premiere. Even with such a busy night ahead of them, they all took the time to give me some great tips on breaking into the business. Plus, director Eli Roth and I talked at length about being from Boston, his accent in Inglourious Basterds, and how awesome Tom Brady is. It was a pretty good day.

Black List Crew

I cannot say enough about Franklin Leonard and the Black List team, and how fortunate I am to have met them. For a Hollywood-outsider like myself, the Black List has provided me, and many other aspiring screenwriters, with a chance to get our material out there and read by people in the industry. I can honestly say that without it, I don’t know if my screenplay ever would have seen the light of day. Along with Franklin, I would like to also thank Terry, Kate, Megan, Scott and everyone at the Black List for all their hard work and for making the trip as exciting and enjoyable as possible.

Cassian Elwes

Really, what can I say? The night Cassian called me on the phone and told me I had won the fellowship will probably go down as the single biggest turning point in my entire life. I just wish I could remember it a little more clearly. Once he told me I had won, I was so elated that I probably heard every third word he said after that. But the one thing I do remember him saying was, “Mike, I’m going to change your life.” And boy has he ever. I was fortunate enough to be able to shadow him around the festival, from panels and business meetings, to the most exclusive parties at Sundance — it was quite the crash course on the business of filmmaking. Now I knew a little bit about Cassian before I got there, but once I got to know him, and to see the respect he has from his peers, I quickly realized what an absolute honor it is to have someone like him in my corner. And I will be forever grateful.

So all and all, it was an amazing trip, one that I know I will never forget. After trying for so long to get a break in this business, with very limited success, I’m still afraid I’m going to wake up and find out this was all just a dream. As a writer, you are constantly looking for some type of confirmation or validation — always wondering if your work is “good enough.” Well by winning this fellowship, it feels like the sky just opened up and the film gods reached down and extended their hand to me, welcoming me to the club. Now I know, by no means have I made it yet, but it’s definitely a pretty big shot in the arm, and I’m ready for whatever happens next. The one thing Cassian and Franklin both told me, repeatedly, is that this is just the beginning. So I know I still have a long journey ahead of me…and I can’t wait.

Congratulations to Mike and best of luck with the writing!

For a list of Black List initiatives, go here.