BPS 189: I Sold My Eggs To Finance My Feature Film With Sonja O’Hara

BPS 189: I Sold My Eggs To Finance My Feature Film With Sonja O’Hara

Author: Bulletproof Screenwriting April 15, 2022 Duration: 1:10:46
Today on the show we have writer, actor and director Sonja O'Hara. You might recognize here from my feature film On the Corner of Ego and Desire where she played an insane director at Sundance.

Sonja O’Hara is an Emmy-nominated queer writer, director and actor represented by WME and Management 360. She was chosen as one of the “10 Filmmakers To Watch” by Independent Magazine, selected by a jury from MovieMaker Magazine, the Sundance Institute and Austin Film Festival. (Past recipients include Barry Jenkins of MOONLIGHT.)

Sonja just directed two back to back features which are currently completing post-production: MID-CENTURY, a provocative thriller starring Stephan Lang (DON'T BREATHE) and two time Academy Award® nominee Bruce Dern, produced by Jeremy Walton (THE INVENTOR with Marion Cotillard), and ROOT LETTER, an adaptation of the popular Japanese PlayStation game, written by Tribeca Film Festival Narrative Prize winner David Ebeltoft and starring Danny Ramirez of THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER.

Sonja also created and directed the Webby award winning series DOOMSDAY which was nominated for the 2021 Daytime Emmy Awards. For DOOMSDAY, she was awarded the “Best Director” prize out of 4000 submissions at The New York Television Festival. Sonja sold her original series ASTRAL to Adaptive Studios.

I wanted to have her on the show to discuss not only her directing career but also wanted to discuss her remarkable story on how she financed DOOMSDAY...she sold her eggs! This is easily the most unique film financing method I'd ever heard of. She made a film about her experience called Ovum.

An offbeat young actress who will do anything for a part, ends up giving up a part of herself when her method acting exercise goes too far and she ends up selling her eggs.

Enjoy my conversation with the remarkable filmmaker Sonja O'Hara.

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Ever find yourself staring at a blank page, wondering how the stories you love actually got made? Bulletproof Screenwriting™ Podcast digs into that process with the people who live it. Each week, we sit down for honest, detailed conversations that pull back the curtain on the craft and business of telling stories for the screen. You’ll hear from Oscar® and Emmy® award-winning writers, not just about their triumphs, but about the drafts that failed and the specific problems they had to solve. We also talk with best-selling authors who have adapted their work, seasoned Hollywood agents and managers who know what sells, and various industry insiders who provide a clear-eyed view of how things really work. This isn't about abstract theory or motivational fluff. It's a practical resource built on real experience, covering every aspect of the screenwriting process from that initial spark of an idea to navigating the complexities of the marketplace. The goal is straightforward: to provide you with actionable insights and straight talk that can strengthen your work and clarify your path forward. Whether you're just starting out or have a few scripts under your belt, this podcast offers a grounded perspective on the journey, one concrete discussion at a time. Tune in for a dose of reality and craft from those who have been in the trenches and emerged with stories to tell.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 500

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