More Good News!

The Thorn Trees script progressed to FINALIST status in the Vail Screenplay Competition!

Jacob Larch and Valerie Mich’El Oliver were one (1) out of nine (9) finalists chosen in the TV Pilot category (see below).

The top winning television pilot genres are included below as an FYI.

Have a great day, and thanks to all who assisted with script development, “happy thoughts” and other support!

TV PILOT FINALISTS & WINNERS

• Disasterman by Mark C. Spera
• 1st Place: Don’t Fear the Reaper by Erin Burchard
• 3rd Place: Dragoness by Samantha Duncan
• 2nd Place: Hartline by Chuck Driskell
• In Utero by Gina Scanlon
• The Mâr Chronicles by A.S. Templeton
• THORN TREES by Jacob Larch, Valerie Mich’El Oliver
• XCHANGE by Scott Hawthorne, Jim Goode
• You’re Doing Great by Sharon Spell

1st Place: Don’t Fear the Reaper by Erin Burchard
Genre: Not Given (looks like a Thriller from the title)
Logline: Not Given

2nd Place: Hartline by Chuck Driskell
Genre: Thriller
Gage Hartline, a former special operations soldier, is targeted by the French mob after he uncovers a set of diaries written by Adolf Hitler’s Jewish lover.

3rd Place: Dragoness by Samantha Duncan
Genre: Adventure
When she finds a clue that her father may be alive, a tenacious, mixed-race high school student hurls herself into Chinatown gang life to uncover the truth about the incident that broke up her family ten years earlier, inadvertently impressing the city’s lone superhero and becoming his sidekick.

#thorntrees #thorntreespilot #witches #witchcraft #magick #magic #England #Scotland #Wales #Ireland
#thepursuitstudio #screenwriting #tvpilot #tvseries #awards #competitions #finalist #storytelling #femalefilmmakers #femaleentrepreneur #producers #drama #historical #salem #salemwitchtrials #british #development #occult #suspense #family #faith #spirituality #adventure #diversity #Spain #Salem #salemwitchtrials #witchhunter

It’s been said that “a picture speaks a thousand words” so there are not so many words in this post. We are one of five TV Dramas selected, and one of two 60 minute TV Dramas. Deep gratitude, and keep those happy thoughts for Thorn Trees flowing as the finalist selections will be soon!

Also, congratulations to Lili Bordan for achieving Best Director at the Cannes Artisan Festival International World Peace & Tolerance Initiative at Cannes Marché du Film for her “One Night Only” short film, and other awards there as well!


#thorntreespilot #witches #witchcraft #magick #England #Scotland #Wales #Ireland 
#thepursuitstudio #screenwriting #tvpilot #tvseries #awards #competitions #semifinalist 
#storytelling #femalefilmmakers  #femaleentrepreneur #producers #drama #historical #salem #salemwitchtrials #british #development #occult #suspense #family #faith #spirituality

We hope you all are doing well!

Jacob and I received a notification about the Thorn Trees script:

“We want to congratulate you on being a Quarter-Finalist in the 2021 Vail Screenplay Competition!”

We are one (1) of seven (7) selected in the Television One-Hour category. And one (1) of three (3) in the Television One-Hour DRAMA genre category!

Vail will announce the Semifinalists on July 23rd, and the winners during the first week in August.

Let’s all “think happy thoughts” that the script continues to progress. If not, that’s OK. We’re very happy to to have been chosen among who knows how many submissions as the number of screenplays being written is massive these days.

As some you know who are in this industry, winning selection status in film & TV screenplay competitions can attract cast, crew, investors and distributors.

Thanks to you ALL for your contributions to and/or interest in and support for Thorn Trees! We’ll keep you posted!

“The GOD Games: Heaven & Hell” is an allegorical Fantasy/Science Fiction/Magical Realism tale & Memoir that finds ANN NELSON, who is in Heaven, preparing her new Life Game (one lifetime on the planet of your choice – Ann choses Earth).

DAVALENE HIRSH, the author, says the main message of the book is: “God loves you just as you are right now.”

• 

• 

Welcome to “The GOD Games: Heaven and Hell” Book Launch (Part I) with author DAVALENE HIRSCH being interviewed by host Valerie Mich’El Oliver (The Pursuit Studio) and reading excerpts from the first two of four parts of her book.

The first and third parts of the book are Memoir; the second and fourth parts are Fiction/Fantasy/Science Fiction/Magic Realism.

– Purchase on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/3yv989z8

– The GOD Games: Heaven & Hell” Facebook Page & Messaging

– Contact the Author via email: davalenehirsch@comcast.net

– Contact Valerie Mich’El Oliver via email: thepursuitstudiobiz@gmail.com

#books #author #inspiration #inspirational #spirituality #spiritual #spiritualgrowth #spiritualjourney #fantasy #sciencefiction #magical #memoir #heaven #hell #religion #newbook #goodreads #davalenehirsch #DRHirsch #thepursuitstudio #podcast #seniors #writing #seniorsmatter #love

• 

• 

“THE GOD GAMES: HEAVEN & HELL” BOOK LAUNCH EVENT
for Author, D.R. HIRSCH
SUNDAY, JUNE 27 at 12pm ET

All the info you need to join this event (via Zoom, Facebook or phone) and to win a FREE copy of this “SPIRITUALLY-CHANNELED” thought-provoking story about ONE (aka God and other names), why we are on Earth, our purpose for being here, and why God & games go together can be accessed via – https://lnkd.in/eWrAq7u

Or… Join Zoom Meeting – https://lnkd.in/e6SGT2n

NOVEL EXCERPT:

“Did any of the galaxies stand out for you, Ann?” asked Glenna.

“Well, when we came to the Milky Way galaxy, several planets seemed familiar: seemed to tug at my heart.”

“That’s not surprising Ann, you’ve spent many life games on the planets in that galaxy; MX-11, Earth and Sylvan. When we go back in, we’ll take out the videos of those planets and see if you’d be interested in choosing one of them for you new life game.”

We’ll discuss why many of us who have spiritual experiences and write about them don’t feel “safe” or supported promoting them as #MEMOIRS; instead, we categorize our stories as #FANTASY, #SCIFI and/or #SUPERNATURAL for publishing. It’s the same issue for those of us who are screenwriters for film & TV.

#storytelling #bookrelease #livereading #goodreads #booklaunch #fiction #memoir #fantasy #sciencefiction #womenauthors #faith #heaven #hell #adoption #games #spirituality #God #mentalillness #novels #publishing #bookevents #newreleases #intellectualproperty #thepursuitstudio #DRHirsch #literature #PTSD #childabuse

CLICK HERE to Join via Zoom

CLICK HERE for the Facebook Event Page and Discussion

CLICK HERE TO READ CURRENT ISSUE

What’s Inside This Issue?

Welcome to Rachel’s Gazette!

Merry Meet! This issue is shorter than usual due to editor and Assistant Producer intern Rachel Kaufman graduating, Assistant Producer intern Clarissa Labady graduating, and Valerie Mich’El taking a break from The Pursuit Studio’s Internship Program this summer semester. During the summer, it’s most likely that the Gazette stories may be included as a section of the quarterly “Creativity & Storytelling ‘Zine“ curated and published by Valerie. Her main focus this summer is producing the Thorn Trees TV series pilot by working on the series bible with Jacob Larch (creator/screenwriter/producer), Clarissa Labady (Assistant Producer) focused on graphic design, and Irene Krawzuk (Associate Producer) focused on copy editing. Our top stories in this 4th edition are: Top 70 Witchcraft Blogs & Websites To Follow in 2021, Editorial: What is Spirituality?, In Her Portraits Of Witches, Frances Denny Challenges A Stereotype, and Pagan Voices: 25 Years After The Craft. Also included are more stories curated from the web featuring photography, book reviews, audio podcasts, and videos from Youtube and more! We wish you a enjoyable and healthy summer season! Blessed Be, Rachel Gare, Executive Editor Rachel Kaufman, Editor Rachel Kaufman, “Editorial: Rachel Speaks” Bernadette Montana and Valerie Mich’El Oliver, Contributing Editors Irene Krawczuk, Copy Editor Clarissa Labady, Graphic Design Discover more about and help support Thorn Trees in our Facebook Community. Visit us  on Instagram and Twitter.

Read the Gazette!

THIS IS A TASTE OF THE CONTENT! USE THE RSS FEED IN THE RIGHT COLUMN TO SAMPLE MORE STORIES, OR VISIT THE ‘ZINE TO REVIEW ALL THE CURATED AND ORIGINAL CONTENT. 
~THE EDITOR

CLICK HERE TO READ CURRENT ISSUE

What’s Inside This Issue?

Merry Meet!

I am Rachel Gare, a witch and the lead character in my own story, Thorn Trees.

This gazette issue continues our focus on the portrayal of witches in entertainment (film and television) throughout the years. We share clips of content on subjects discussed in The Portrayal of Witches in Entertainment discussion event on Zoom, feature the Thorn Trees producing team interviewed on a lively That Witch Life podcast, and provide plenty of stories curated from online content around the world (in videos, photos, and articles) about witches, witchcraft, Wiccans, Pagans, and kindred souls.

There’s a special hearty and heartfelt THANK YOU to the Thorn Trees Crowdfunding Campaign contributors who requested this as a giving incentive/reward! Due to their generosity, the campaign was a success; in fact, we exceeded our goal! In fact, Rachel’s Gazette is now funded to continue a a result.

Rachel Speaks, my editorial, is different in this edition. It’s a letter written to me by my friend Victoria concerning her distress after attending a Shakespeare play featuring witches in the plot, followed by my reply to its content.

Finally, there are a few invitations in this issue for you. One, to attend a planned Witches in Business: Issues & Solutions Zoom event hosted by witches about witches in business. Two,an invitation to actors and actresses interested in performing a virtual table reading of the pilot. Both of these events are planned  for Spring 2021.

I am grateful to exist through space and time among friends to share this experience.

Discover more about and help support Thorn Trees. Join us on Facebook, and also on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.

Blessed Be,
Rachel Gare, Executive Editor

Molly Shilling and Clarissa Labady, Editors
Rachel Kaufman, Assistant Editor of “Editorial: Rachel Speaks”
Bernadette Montana and Valerie Mich’El Oliver, Contributing Editors
Clarissa Labady, Graphic Design
Irene Krawczuk, Copy Editor

Read the Gazette!

THIS IS A TASTE OF THE CONTENT! USE THE RSS FEED IN THE RIGHT COLUMN TO SAMPLE MORE STORIES, OR VISIT THE ‘ZINE TO REVIEW ALL THE CURATED AND ORIGINAL CONTENT. 
~THE EDITOR

 STEP ONE in our funding strategy was to crowdfund keeping the project operational in our early pre-production phase (and during COVID) for the Thorn Trees TV pilot by inviting influencers & supporters to:

• FUND our social media campaign to get the word out and attract more influencers/supporters.
• FUND creating an LLC business entity for producing Thorn Trees.
  
• FUND RACHEL’S GAZETTE, our unique publication for supporting witches stories’ and our outreach to influencers/supporters (Our female protagonist is the editor!). Get to know RACHEL before she comes to life in the pilot for our series.
• FUND subscriptions to Internet Database (IMDb Pro) and other resources required for cast and crew outreach.
• FUND our Assistant Producers Internship Program for Thorn Trees (We’ve been supporting interns since they lost their prior paid educational positions due to COVID in March 2020. What we raise beyond our funding requirement will go to them.)

Visit our Crowdsourcing Campaign to see the elements used to help make it a success!

Join our Thorn Trees Facebook Group for news updates, videos and other special content!

Editorial: Rachel Speaks

Merry Meet!

I am Rachel Gare, a witch and the lead character in my own story, Thorn Trees.

The main theme of this gazette issue is on the portrayal of witches in entertainment (film and television) throughout the years. Please read my editorial, Rachel Speaks, to read my perspective on the subject. 

Video links are provided to what is believed to be the first documentary film about witches, a film made in the 1940s that led to domestic witch shows like the TV series Bewitched (watch the pilot episode by clicking on it in the gazette), and an episode from the FX series, Mrs. America, in which feminist, Betty Friedan that uses the word witch in a derogatory manner in a debate against Phyllis Schlafly who is against the women’s movement…

Read the Gazette!

THIS IS A TASTE OF THE CONTENT! USE THE RSS FEED IN THE RIGHT COLUMN TO SAMPLE MORE STORIES, OR VISIT THE ‘ZINE TO REVIEW ALL THE CURATED AND ORIGINAL CONTENT. 
~THE EDITOR