Harbourfront Community Center (HCC)
627 Queen’s Quay West Toronto, ON Canada M5V 3G3
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ReelHeART Live Read Feature Screenplay
Thursday June 25, 2014
11:30AM-1:30PM
“Homestead” – Feature Screenplay Top 3 Winner
by Lindsay Waite (Albuquerque, New Mexico)
Inspiration: I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, at one time the home of one of the largest steel mills, Bethlehem Steel, where tens of thousands worked. Baltimore, in fact, was a union town for decades, including unions of shipbuilders, carpenters, operating engineers, and more. When in college, I was part of the peace movement and during those heady times, members of the peace movement supported labor strikes and vice versa.
My worked as a researcher for the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers union, along with music of Pete Seeger and Bob Dylan, further sparked my interest. Then, I read of Cesar Chavez’s incredible efforts to organize farmworkers. I never knew, though, about the Homestead Steelworkers strike of 1892 until decades later when my former husband, a history teacher, told me the story of this strike. I was fascinated, and wanted to learn more. And what I learned was incredible. This strike was the result of an alliance between union workers (English, Scottish, Welsh) and laborers (Eastern Europeans), unheard of during those times. A huge cultural divide was crossed as these workers united to fight together, and they ended up in a fiery battle with Pinkertons who had been hired by the mill owner and his henchman. Inspired also by John Sayles’ films (particularly “Matewan”), I decided to write a screenplay and spent a number of years researching archives, visiting Homestead, and developing the story. I hold all of these brave and committed workers and their families in very high esteem and believe the story is very relevant today.
Screenwriter Bio: For 27 years I practiced law, my last and most meaningful job being as a public defender. I also taught legal writing in a prison for several years. Meanwhile, though, I had a lifetime of loving film and decided to return to college in the 90s and early 2000s to get a second bachelor’s degree and then a master’s with an emphasis in film. I also love to write and take photographs, and gradually began to carve out more time for both. I was able to shed the “9 to 5” world in 2011 and now spend much of my time on creative projects. In addition, though I lived in Baltimore City for decades (and really miss it), I have settled in the Southwest. The climate, geography, culture, and people are what drew me here. I work part-time for a nonprofit association the sets up mentoring relationships between young people and college students. I’m hopeful this program can be expanded to work with juvenile offenders since I still carry with me a belief (maybe naive) that the American criminal “justice” system will become more just and rehabilitative. I have ideas on how that story can be told in the film/video medium. I also still have a tremendous interest in heroes of the past (as the Homestead steel strikers were) and am exploring a story about a brave feminist from England around the turn of the 20th century. If only I had an infinite amount of time, I say to myself constantly.
Raindance Toronto – Dedicated to supporting independent film in Canada through training courses and events. Raindance Canada promotes and supports independent filmmaking in Canada and around the world. Raindance is founder of the Raindance Film Festival and The British Independent Film Awards. Raindance doesn’t teach filmmaking, Raindance makes filmmakers. Through our signature courses and networking events, we help you learn the business of filmmaking.
We welcome Raindance as a proud partner of the 10th Annual ReelHeART – As a Top 3 Feature Screenplay Winner, Lindsay will receive as part of her prize, a *Premium Membership* courtesy of Raindance Toronto.
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