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RECENT POSTS


Why We Still Love Big-Hearted Comedy: The Case for Grandfella
Grandfella is a big-hearted comedy with chaos, charm, and a wildly imperfect hero audiences can’t help but root for. Blending the sharp humor of My Cousin Vinny with the family-driven warmth of The Family, this character-driven film dives into second chances, found family, and the hilariously messy journey toward redemption. A feel-good crowd-pleaser with real emotional punch.

JoAnn Hess
Nov 303 min read


Variety: ‘Cookster: The Darkest Days’ Lands at Sky
Variety reports Cookster: The Darkest Days has landed at Sky for the U.K. & Ireland rollout—read the trade item and get project details here. PRESSBEE

JoAnn Hess
Oct 181 min read


Cookster: The Darkest Days Official Trailer
“COOKSTER: THE DARKEST DAYS”, a "Silent D Pictures" production, in co-production with "JC Pictures"; a film by Stephen Roach.
Directed by: Stephen Roach
Story by: Jason Cook
Written by: JoAnn Hess
Produced by: Djonny Chen & Jason Cook

JoAnn Hess
Sep 21 min read


Hudson Life Magazine: September Feature
Thank you, Hudson Life Magazine, for the September feature on my latest projects and the hustle behind them.

JoAnn Hess
Sep 11 min read


Family First, Magic Second
Elemental powers matter—but family is the engine.

JoAnn Hess
Sep 11 min read


Building a Conspiracy You Can Touch
Our tactile rules for a modern conspiracy.

JoAnn Hess
Sep 11 min read


Writing Toward Truth (Not Shock)
Why dignity beats sensationalism in Cookster: The Darkest Days.

JoAnn Hess
Sep 11 min read


The Line That Hooked Us
One sentence that made the mob look like child’s play.

JoAnn Hess
Sep 11 min read


MovieBark interview. Conversation about my award winning scripts GO ASK ALICE and ZERO-DAY
A phenomenal and exciting interview with host and Austin Revolution Film Festival Director James Christopher. We chat about the scripts, where the stories originated and what goes into writing a solid TV pilot and multi-layered series. soundcloud.com/user-272628491/moviebark-clip-arff-interview

JoAnn Hess
Aug 22, 20191 min read


First "on-air" inteview
During the Horror Hotel Film festival, I had the double pleasure of representing a wonderful short, DEBRIS , written and directed by a friend and fellow screenwriter, Nicole Jones-Dion as well as sit for an interview with Kristina Michelle, host of Horror Hotel, The Reel Show and Indie Film School. (Starts @ 8:57) Unfortunately, since this interview, the Devil's Dandruff remains in Pre-production with a new director... but hope springs eternal that we'll begin filming soon.

JoAnn Hess
Oct 11, 20161 min read


Capturing the Emotional Journey
What a night and what a championship! The Cleveland Cavaliers come back from an unprecedented 3-1 deficit to clinch the NBA title and bring a championship back to Cleveland after a 52-year drought. The ultimate under-dog story, right? An emotional roller-coaster for the masses. Isn't that exactly what we hope to achieve as writers? Our protagonist must always be reaching for that elusive goal, one that will transform him or her from the person they think they are, to the pe

JoAnn Hess
Jun 20, 20162 min read
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