I am incredibly honored to have be selected as the 2026 Scriptapalooza Fellowship recipient with my screenplay "Beyond the Arc"
The fellowship consists of:
• Attend an online Robert McKee seminar.
• 6 month mentorship with producer.
• Access to over 90 producers thru Scriptapalooza's network.
• We will offer advice, guidance and direction on your script.
I am excited at the opportunity this represents and intend to make the most of this chance.
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Congratulations, David! That’s a fantastic opportunity, especially with the six-month mentorship and access to producers. It sounds like Beyond the Arc has already taken you quite a journey. What are you hoping to accomplish with the script during those six months that would make you look back and say, “This fellowship changed everything”?
I hope the mentorship will help me to package the script and most importantly open the door to representation for my slate and provide connections with partners to produce it. I realize that now the real work begins.
Absolutely, and I think that mindset of knowing the real work begins after the recognition is important. Getting the right representation and production partners can make a huge difference, especially when you have a slate rather than just one script. I did love to hear more about the other projects you are developing are they in a similar genre to Beyond the Arc, or are you exploring something completely different?
I write character-driven feature dramas centered on identity, belonging, relationships, and the conflict between who people are and who their families, communities, or circumstances expect them to be. and combine LGBTQ+ themes with universal stories of love, family, resilience, and personal transformation.
David Mills That’s a really meaningful space to write in. I like that while LGBTQ+ themes are part of your stories, you are also grounding them in universal experiences like family, love, belonging, and personal transformation. Those themes can connect with audiences far beyond one specific community. What usually comes first for you when developing a new story the character, the central conflict, or a real-life experience that sparks the idea?
For Beyond the Arc, the setting in rural Eastern Kentucky, and the crossroads of fundamentalist religious beliefs, and gay protagonist set the screenplay in motion. Without making the surroundings stereotypical, I show how the community beliefs shape the inhabitants. No one is made out to be evil or ignorant.
I really like that approach. It makes the story feel more human when nobody is simply labeled as “good” or “bad.” Did real people or places influence how you created the community in Beyond the Arc?
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I wouldn't say any particular person or place, but more of a compilation of people and places.
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That makes senseit can actually make the world feel more authentic when it’s built from different people and places rather than one specific source. What part of the community was the most challenging for you to get right?
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The most challenging thing about the community was to show the town's rejection of the protagonist. Meaning that their reaction was negative but came from what they were taught to believe. This way the townspeople weren't drawn as stereotypes. That was a problem that I also had to tackle with other characters. I had to give them a heart and soul beyond being a villan.
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David Mills Wow! Congrats, man! That's awesome.
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Congratulations, David Mills!
Wow David Mills You are on a roll! Congratulations on all your success! Thank you for always sharing your journey with the Stage 32 community, our members learn from each other's pathways.
That's amazing! Congratulations.
Congratulations, David! That’s a fantastic achievement and a great opportunity for Beyond the Arc. Wishing you every success with the fellowship!