Grandfella

A former mobster struggles to stay straight and reconcile with his daughter while small-town politics, a crazy ex-mob boss and a PTA fundraiser stand in his way.

  • JoAnn Hess
    Writer
    Framer, Devils Dandruff, Fakers, Gangster's Runner, A Nice Little Earner
  • Project Type:
    Screenplay
  • Genres:
    dramedy
  • Number of Pages:
    109
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Page Awards - 2017
    Los Angeles, CA
    September 15, 2017
    Finalist
  • Page Awards - 2016
    Los Angeles, CA
    July 15, 2016
    Semi-Finalist
  • Final Draft BIG BREAK
    Los Angeles, CA
    July 15, 2016
    Semifinalist
  • Cleveland International Indiegathering Film Festival
    Cleveland, OH
    August 12, 2016
    Best Feature script; 1st place Dramatic comedy
  • Action of Film International Film Festival
    Las Vegas, NV
    August 24, 2017
    Best Dialogue
  • Screencraft - Comedy
    Beverly Hills, CA
    May 12, 2016
    Quarterfinalist
  • National Screenwriters Day Competition
    Los Angeles, CA
    January 5, 2018
    2nd Place
  • Stage 32 Comedy
    Los Angeles , CA
    November 15, 2017
    Quarterfinalist
  • Tribal Film Festival
    Talequah, OK
    August 4, 2017
    1st Place
Writer Biography - JoAnn Hess

JoAnn Hess is a multi-award winning, optioned screenwriter who specializes in character-driven Thrillers. Her work is highly demanded by producers and has written several scripts on paid-assignment in Crime Drama, Thriller and Action/Thriller genres.

JoAnn’s project STAR QUEST was a 2018 Torino ScriptLab selection, one of only eight projects. She was also named one of ScreenwritingU’s Most Recommended Writers.

After spending over a decade in the corporate world in marketing and international finance manager for a Fortune 500 company, JoAnn took a break when she started her family. She spent the next two decades studying and honing her craft, becoming a voiceover actor and full-time screenwriter with over ten scripts written for-hire for six producers.

JoAnn’s scripts have placed in numerous, prestigious award competitions including PAGE Awards FINALIST, AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL 2nd Rounder, Final Draft’s BIG BREAK Semifinalist, New Hope Film Festival WINNER; LONDON FILM AWARDS 3rd Place; ACTION ON FILM Festival WINNER for Best Script and Best Dramatic Short; Cleveland International IndieGathering Film Festival: 1st Place Crime/Drama, 1st Place Suspense/Thriller, Best Feature Script and 1st Place Dramatic/Comedy; 1st Place: Action/Thriller Script, and more.

Along with FRAMER (AAIG, LLC), THE DEVIL’S DANDRUFF (JC Productions, Ltd) is in Pre-Production with Peter Field (World War Z, Edge of Tomorrow) directing. FAKERS (JC Productions, Ltd) has Tom Delmar (SNATCH) attached to direct. She has produced two short films, DEBRIS (2015) and the multiple award-winning, OUR FATHER (2014), starring Michael Gross.

In 2016, JoAnn attained a MASTER SCREENWRITER certification from ScreenwritingU’s Master Screenwriting Program and holds an MBA (Finance) and BA (Economics).

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Writer Statement

Passion... I'm passionate about the stories I write, the relationships I create throughout the film-making process and devotion to the craft. I am a seeker of truth... pushing through fear and anxiety to understand the underlying essence of each scene, character and plot-line. I seek to illustrate the growing changes each character must make... from damaged to a healthy state... so they may become who they are meant to be. In doing so, I engage the audience in the process enabling them to discover some truth within themselves.

Each script is written with essential business decisions in mind to maximize marketability. These key elements include High concept, attractive roles for actors, and a conflict-driven transformational journey that meets budget specific requirements. I am particularly adept at creating dynamic characters that are universally relatable and reach audiences on a deep emotional level. Through interest techniques and strong structure, I create a story that captures one's attention all the way to FADE OUT.