INTERVIEW with Sherry Louise Frasier

How long have you been writing scripts? How did you decide to enter the world of cinema?

A. I tried to write scripts several years ago, and looking back now, they weren’t good at all. I started again last year, and that one wasn’t good either. However, the professional analysis I received put me on the right path of how to fix it. Using that information, and a few other resources, I set out to write this screenplay.

Why did you do this project?

A. I did “FOR THE BIRDS” because I like westerns and I like a strong, unusual female protagonist. I did this project because I wanted to see if I could, if I could actually produce something in the written form which I’d like to see on the screen: a female lead in a western with an often unseen specialness. I also wanted to see my growth compared to my previous poor attempts.

How long did it take from the initial idea to finishing the script?

A. I started with the idea and a rough draft outline on Dec 21, 2025, and completed all my edits to bring it into its final form on Mar 29, 2026. That’s a little over 90 days. In those 90 days, it took me 106 hours and 35 minutes. Yes, I kept track. I took a chance and submitted it to film festivals a week before I made my final edits.

Are you happy with the result?

A. I am thrilled with how the project is performing. It is beyond anything I could have imagined.

What phase is this project in right now? Are you in the initial phase of sending it to festivals, intermediate phase or finishing the circuit?

A. I am in the initial phase of sending this project to film festivals and the reception it has been given amazes me.

How has your experience with festivals been so far? Where do you think they should improve?

A. Since this is my first experience in the film festival circuit, I didn’t know what to expect and don’t have anything to compare the experience to. I am grateful and excited each time I get an “Official Selection” notification. I’m finding each festival accepts different things, some only films, some accept screenplays of a certain genre, and some only accept short screenplays. The excitement of knowing others across the world are reading my words is very special. The only improvement I can offer is for festivals to communicate timely with their submitters, and to have a working website. Some websites don’t work.

Normally artists use many references, favorite directors, favorite movies, etc. Were you inspired by any director or film? If so, tell us your references.

A. Simple stories about the human experience touch me most. “Sling Blade” by Billy Bob Thornton and “The Road” starring Viggo Mortensen are two of my favorites. And then there are those with a surprise twist, like the 2025 US western “Long Shadows.” Powerful historical WWII dramas like “The Pianist,” “Schindler’s List,” and “Defiance” are also special because they are based on actual world events. Again, simple stories about regular people in ordinary (sometimes extraordinary) circumstances. Those are the inspirations which helped me formulate my own story.

Your favorite movie?

A. Being from the Deep South in the United States, I am fortunate to have visited several southern 19th-century plantations. I remain interested in that period in history, so “Gone With the Wind” is my favorite movie.

Favorite TV show?

A. I don’t watch much TV, but my favorite TV show is the British crime / mystery show “Midsomer Murder.”

Do you see yourself doing scripts in 5 years?

A. Yes, I absolutely do.

Do you have any other projects in mind?

A. With the newness of having my project in the film festivals, I’m focusing on it at present, so at the moment I don’t have another project in mind. I’m sure I will soon though.

What do you ask for the future? (cinematographically speaking)

A. I can’t think of anything in regards to that.

Your best experience in a movie theater?

A. My best experience in a movie theater came in the Fall of 2025. My husband and I went to a fancy multi-theater complex in Utah. We were the only patrons in the theater with large, leather-reclining seats. No noise. No cell phones. No chatter by other movie-goers. To watch a movie and learn from it, without any distractions, was the best experience. It was so much fun to be fully immersed in the experience and to be drawn into the film’s story, then to experience the surprising twist at the end. It was great! The movie was excellent and it went on to win some awards!

Sherry Frasier

Screenwriter “FOR THE BIRDS”