Former Cambria writer Kac Young is the first place winner in the recent Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards competition. Young won the prize for her original screenplay, Loving Out Loud, inspired by her relationship with her late wife Marlene Morris.
Young, who lived with Morris in Cambria from 2005 to 2015, says she was stunned to win the contest. “I always had faith in this script, but I was knocked off my chair when I heard the news. This award changes everything.”
Winning the Los Angeles contest means that Young will soon be meeting with a literary manager, and news of her script will be shared with 25,000 industry contacts. The story is set in Cambria, and Young would like to see the movie eventually shot on the North Coast.
Loving Out Loud shares the story of a female television producer and a female minister who work together to save a church and end up in their first same-sex romantic relationship.
Young, who now lives in Ventura, was a successful television producer in Hollywood for decades before earning a Ph.D. and branching out as an author in a wide range of subjects, from animals to aromatherapy.
Morris, who served as minister of Cambria Unity, died last year.
“I fell in love with a person of my own sex, battled a nightmare roster of challenges, and would still have my beautiful partner with me if it hadn’t been for the negligence of a trusted physician,” Young says. “I felt the story needed telling.”
Editor’s Note: Writers interested in learning more about hundreds of screenplay contests around the world are invited to check out Film Freeway.