Heartstrings
Two grieving parents receive an unexpected visitor, unaware that along with this visitor comes a gift they never knew they needed. While one sees this as an opportunity to heal, the other struggles to see past the comforting unforgiveness and all-consuming bitterness that they now feel they’re unable to live without.
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Anthony L. WilliamsWriterIt's Not You, It's Me, Thicker Than Blood, Absolutely Positive
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Project Type:Screenplay, Short Script, Stage Play, Television Script
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Genres:Drama, LGBTQ, Health, Black, Short, TV Pilot, Family
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Number of Pages:12
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Country of Origin:United States
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Language:English
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First-time Screenwriter:No
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Student Project:No
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Digital Cinema Package:Unavailable
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World Music & Independent FIlm FestivalWashington DC
May 2, 2025
FINALIST -- Best Short Screenplay -
11th Annual Shortcut 100 Film FestivalChicago, IL
November 2, 2024
FINALIST -- Best Short Screenplay -
Chicago Script AwardsChicago, IL
June 21, 2024
Official Selection -
Toronto Lift-Off Film FestivalToronto, Canada
June 1, 2024
Official Selection -
Sunday Shorts Film FestivalLondon / LIsbon, England
May 4, 2024
1st Place Winner -- Script Competition -
Flip the Script Screenwriting CompetitionChicago, IL
August 14, 2021
2nd Place Winner - Screenwriting Competition
Founder of Second Glance Productions, Anthony L. Williams is a performer, educator, and award-winning director, writer, and producer.
In 2024, he was the 1st Place Winner in IL LGBT Chamber of Commerce’s entrepreneur ‘Biz Boot Camp,’ and his newest queer dating docuseries, "It’s Not You, It’s Me," was a festival winner at both the Cinema WorldFest Awards, Creation International Film Festival, and received the Honorable Mention award at the Various Artists Independent Film Festival. In 2021, he won 2nd place in the Flip the Script Competition for his TV pilot, "Heartstrings," which also claimed 1st Place in London & Lisbon’s 2024 Sunday Shorts Film Festival and was selected in the Chicago Script Awards and Toronto Lift-Off Film Festival.
His critically-acclaimed feature film, Thicker Than Blood, garnered awards for "Best Director” and "Best Feature Film" in 2019. TTB's impact campaign continues to foster conversations through LGBTQ and African-American nonprofits, HBCUs/universities & teaching hospitals, medical and faith-based organizations, and state and local health departments in nearly 30 major cities nationwide.
His film, Absolutely Positive, holds nominations for Best Short Film, Director, Actor, and Actress at the World Music & Independent Film Festival and earned him a personal invite to the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Initiative at the White House in 2013. Now developed as a scripted series, the pilot advanced to the Quarterfinalist round in the 2020 TSL Screenplay Contest.
Having produced content for HGTV, the History Channel, National Geographic, A&E, The Travel Channel, Food Network, Investigative Discovery, and more, no matter the storytelling medium, Anthony takes pride in creating memorable media that pushes boundaries with purpose and on purpose. And with every story he tells, his mission is to ‘edutain’ and inspire viewers at first glance, while provoking deeper thought, conversation, and connection upon ‘second glance.’
What excites me most about “Heartstrings” is that it has the flexibility to live as a standalone short film or serve as a larger proof-of-concept for either a miniseries or feature film.
“Heartstrings” was originally developed as the season finale episode in a larger dramatic film or series that I’ve created called “Leave Your Mark.” A connective, anthological project set to the backdrop of the city of Chicago, “Leave Your Mark” takes place over a 24-hour time period where a random string of strangers and unrelated encounters all contribute to the same major, life-changing event. By taking a deeper look into the ripple effects that our interactions make throughout society, “Heartstrings” and “Leave Your Mark” both give in-depth views into how our decisions and treatments of our fellow neighbors impact those we come in contact with, and even those we never will.
What excites me most about this project is that I can create stories that fall within my storytelling sweet spots: empathy and edutainment — combining education and entertainment. These stories will give a different insight into human behaviors and struggles that will give way to compassion and understanding.
What excites me the most is being able to play with the complexities of creating intricate, standalone, vignette stories that all connect to one event in the end. I’m excited to combine my favorite storytelling elements to create something new for me to explore: the familiar storytelling structures of the tv shows “24” and “Black Mirror” with the filmmaking and storytelling styles of the film “Crash”.
With queer protagonists and storylines woven throughout, “Heartstrings” was created to remind me that even the smallest interaction — positive or negative — has a domino effect that will always leave an everlasting impression on someone’s life. And in that same vein, what excites me most of all is that this project is a reminder to viewers and myself alike to treat others with love and respect, for you never know what’s going on behind the smile that someone’s presenting to the world. I’m excited to see how “Heartstrings” will leave viewers pondering the answer to: “how do you want to leave your mark?”
