A WORCESTER film writer won a global full production screenwriting competition and his work will now be shown in festivals.
Sandstorm, a film production company, has successfully concluded the first round of their screenwriting competition, Sandstorm Slates.
The competition, designed to unearth compelling stories from undiscovered writers, aims to create the company’s first full narrative production, fully produced by Sandstorm.
Tom Ward, executive producer and founder of Sandstorm, said: “When we came up with the idea of Sandstorm Slates, it was to build on the success of our Lockdown series of films, which shifted our focus from traditional advertising towards narrative filmmaking.
“We felt that this new opportunity needed a fresh idea to go with it.”
Recognising the importance of storytelling in an oversaturated content landscape, Sandstorm launched a competition open to writers globally.
The winning script would be brought to life through Sandstorm’s unique end-to-end production capabilities, with the writer receiving payment and retaining rights to their work upon completion.
After blind reading 250 scripts, the Gothic drama Strike was selected as the winner.
Set against the backdrop of the Matchgirl Strikes of 1888, Strike explores friendship and the hidden toxicity behind the guise of love.
Hendrik Harms from Worcester, the writer behind the winning script, said: “This was an incredibly ambitious script for Sandstorm to take on for their first slate, with its period setting and need for strong visual effects, but I am so glad they did.
“The Matchgirl strikes are a relatively undocumented topic in film but it is a time period that is so relevant to now as we still battle for better working conditions and campaign for equality.
“Strike takes us back to 1888 to show how far we’ve come by standing still.”
Following the announcement of his win, Hendrik collaborated with Sandstorm’s team, led by in-house director Mark Patterson, on the extensive pre-production process.
Strike was filmed over five days on a set constructed within Sandstorm’s studios, utilising their full array of resources to bring Hollywood-level production to the Cotswolds.
Tom Ward added: “Strike took us a step further than we’d imagined, showcasing everything we can achieve at Sandstorm.
“As narrative filmmaking becomes increasingly popular with viewers and studios demand high-quality content for less money, this puts us in an incredible position.
“We feel it sets us in the right direction for the future of our business and the film industry as a whole.”
With post-production complete, Strike now embarks on its festival journey just as the blind reading for the second round of Sandstorm Slates begins.
