MOUNTAIN LAW

SYNOPSIS
Life for screenwriter Jillian McMichael has always been long on critique and short on praise. And the progress on her current romantic comedy script shows no indication that the Brooklyn native’s life is going to change. Bryan Grant, the film producer of her project despises the ending of her script so much that he hires four additional writers to fix it. Due to the incredibly stiff time constraints of production Bryan sequesters Jillian and the other writers, a mix of urbanites, to his plush cabin located in the Blue Ridge Mountains for an extended weekend where he hopes the isolation and change of scenery will ignite their creative genius. But for Jillian, the weekend only represents another opportunity for her skills as a writer to be ridiculed and to make matters worse by her creative peers no less.

The other writers themselves are a band of characters with all the idiosyncrasies of young urban artistic people. Misa Williams is a Malibu princess with serious desires of being a great writer though in reality her writing skills are average and her looks have inspired most of the opportunities she’s received. Eric Johnson is a former college athlete turned actor turned writer with desires of acting from New Jersey. Beau Ankerson is by far the most talented of the writers but is also the brashest of the group, he fancies himself a Chicago playboy. And Frichard Moorelee, III is a San Francisco native whose excellent writing talents often pale in comparison to his flamboyant cynical personality.

The five different personalities confined in their extreme location with no transportation or communication with the outside world proves to be a battleground of scorn not just for Jillian but for all the writers as they quickly began taking shots at each other’s ideas. But the writers soon find the need for alliance after Beau’s arrogance finally gets the best of him when he crosses the moral line of a local mountain man and his wife. The man seeks justice but in areas of their elevation there is no legal jurisdiction only the law of the land which the locals simply refer to as, “Mountain Law.” Now in order for these writers to ever enjoy the blissful chaos of the city life they’re accustomed to they must first prove their innocence by passing the ultimate test for survival. But can this group of urbanites stand the rural harshness of Mountain Law?  

Tagline
Sometimes the law of the land is higher than the law of man.  

Logline
A suspense/thriller about five young urban screenwriters sent to the mountains to work on a script.

 Marshall Dean- “The Writer”
When it comes to motivations for writing, Marshall Dean, a southern-bred scribe proclaims there is truly only one for him, “to tell a good story”. In early 2007, Marshall’s writing abilities caught the eye of super film producer Reuben Cannon (Daddy’s Little Girls, Johnson Family Vacation). Mr. Cannon was so impressed that he hired Marshall instantly as a writer’s assistant for mega mogul Tyler Perry’s sitcom, House of Payne. Presently, Marshall has several projects in development: Overdraft, an action comedy starring comedian Mike Epps; he’s co-creator of an animated series with Doreen Spicer of Disney’s The Proud Family along with famed publicist Marvet Britto; A Katrina story with rappers Lil Wayne and Slim Thug; and finally Brownstone, an episodic dramedy that’s based on the Three Brown Girls(Kim Porter, Eboni Elektra & Nicole Johnson).  

Edford Banuel- “The Director”
In 2003, he won the Showtime Black Filmmaker Showcase for his short film he directed titled Unjust Cause. Upon winning the competition, Banuel was awarded a $30,000 grant by Showtime Networks, Inc. and went on to direct another short film titled Land of the Free in 2004. Both films have concurrently aired on Showtime and have gained visibility at various film festivals and screenings. In 2005, Banuel completed A Message from Pops, in which he won the IFP Market Gordon Parks Award for Emerging African-American Director. The film stars Greg Alan Williams (Be Cool, Remember the Titans, Sopranos), and Dorian Missick (ABC Series:6 Degrees, Lucky Number Slevin, Freedomland).

Presently, Banuel has completed production on his first feature film titled The Last Adam starring Leonard Roberts (NBC Series: Hereos, Drumline, Love Jones). This story has won the 2005 Atlanta Film Festival Southeastern Media Award and received $100,000 worth of in-kind services towards production of this film. Edford’s innovative storytelling, creative vision, and urban sensibility enable him to uncover a fresh perspective for each new project he undertakes.  

Lynne Braggs- “The Producer”
Lynne Braggs possesses a diverse entertainment background in the areas of television, film, and home entertainment with special emphasis in marketing, production and operations. Not only has she been involved with independent theatrical productions and music videos, but she has also held positions at Sony, Artisan, New Line, TNT and E! Entertainment. While at Artisan Entertainment (now known as Lionsgate) she developed and executed a home video/DVD marketing plan for their most successful release The Blair Witch Project. She has produced several award winning short films one of which Out of Body Experience aired on Showtime as a part of Showtime’s Black Filmmaker Showcase and another A Message From Pops, which won the prestigious 2005 IFP Market’s Gordon Parks Award for Emerging Filmmakers.

Ms. Braggs is a member of the board for the Atlanta Chapter of Women in Film and Television (WIFTA) and holds the position of VP of Communications. She holds a MBA in marketing from the University of Texas in Austin and is also a graduate of Howard University in Washington D.C. She currently resides in Atlanta, GA.
 
Contact Abdjul Martin at info.meg09@gmail.com for questions an consideration.