The Lion by the Altar

In this exciting search for the truth, four young Florentine intellectuals are faced with the challenge of their lives when they are summoned to unravel the mystery surrounding the discovery of a lion's corpse on the altar of the Basilica of San Lorenzo on the day of the procession commemorating the 15th-century martyr.
The Abbot of San Lorenzo, a former Gulf War combatant turned priest, summons Lorenzo Lorenzo, a young genius historian, along with his friends, a beautiful master in biology, an eccentric millionaire who loves adventure, and a young genius historian-archaeologist. To unravel the mystery of the symbol found near the lion's body out of sight of the suspicious authorities involved in cases of persecution and disappearances during the investigation. Lorenzo enters a circle of perdition as he approaches the mystery, one of the young men is murdered and everything seems to lead to a story linked to the 15th century where the scene moves to the time of the followers of Friar Girolamo Savonarola, who accuses Lorenzo de Medici of being the promoter of the sin that invades Florence, his faithful follower, Sandro Botticelli, will keep the flag of a secret movement that defends Savonarola's faith to this day.
This exciting adventure wrapped in mystery, romance, and history will reveal the mystery of The Lion at the Altar.

  • BIrna Avila
    Writer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    El León en el Altar
  • Project Type:
    Screenplay
  • Genres:
    action, Thriller, Religious, Romance, Mistery
  • Number of Pages:
    110
  • Country of Origin:
    Colombia
  • Language:
    English, Spanish
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Cannes Screenplay Contest
    Cannes - France
    April 14, 2016
    Official Finalists of the 2015 Cannes Screenplay Contest.
  • Los Angeles Cine Fest
    Los Angeles CA - USA
    February 5, 2016
    Official Selection
  • Scriptapalooza
    Los Angeles
    February 2, 2016
    Official Selection Scriptapalooza
  • Oaxaca Filmfest
    Mexico
    September 1, 2015
    Official Selection Global Script Challenge
  • Milan Gold Awards
    Milan - Italu
    September 5, 2023
    Award winner
  • Florence Film Awards
    Florence - Italy
    September 3, 2019
    Selected
  • The Maco Project
    USA
    September 3, 2023
    selected
  • Hollywood International Screenplay Competition
    USA
    January 10, 2024
    Selected
Writer Biography - BIrna Avila

I worked as creative a copywriter in my own agency for 18 years, the last years I started to study for be a professional writer, first, in short stories, screenplays and novels. This is my first screenplay and I have been working on it during almost two years. The lion by the altar, is an expression of my self, in many ways that actually I can’t define easily. I love movies and books. Be a creative person awakes my desire of develop my own voice. I’m married and have two grounded children and a dog, I love to cook and of course to write.
I hope that the audience enjoy the movies that a write as I enjoy to write it.

Que viva el cine!

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Writer Statement

I hope that you enjoy the story as I enjoyed writing it.