Creative Artistry Productions

BEYOND AVALON, the RETURN of the SWORD

an Original Screenplay

by

Saundra McKenna

LOGLINE:           

In the future, as the world plummets towards annihilation, Excalibur's rightful heir summons the sword of power and the Lady of the Lake to rise against ubiquitous evil.

SYNOPSIS

Once upon an ancient time in a land not far from Avalon, KING ARTHUR bedded his chambermaid. What Arthur did not know was the lass’ true identity - the beautiful Faerie Queen, LADY ÁINE. When their son, ARTAIR, is secretly born and rejected by Arthur as Fae abomination, Lady Áine retreats with Artair never to return to the world of man again. Gifted with Faerie magic by his mother’s DNA, Artair’s human side retreats - though the bloodline of the King pulses through his veins. 

 
Meanwhile, the MERLIN of legends battles and ensnares the evil LORD BÁS, villain of our story. Through a battle of psyches and magic, Merlin imprisons Lord Bás into a vortex beyond his escape. Or so Merlin believes...

Magically, Artair transcends the lines of time. Disguised as human, he blends undetected in the world of man until he needs to rejuvenate in his birth realm. 

In 2154, Merlin’s spell dissolves into a time when Lord Bás reigns with chaos. Mysteriously, he weaves throughout ten spatial dimensions, sets the stage for man's ultimate destruction in a world devoid of integrity. Lord Bás steals UTPALA BLÁTHAIGH - the heart of magic and unleashes magic into the 3rd dimension. Misused magic in human hands triggers catastrophic ripple effects. The world begins to implode in on itself. As his own magic dwindles, the King’s bloodline awakens Artair to the power of the sword, EXCALIBUR. He must intervene before his magic and the world fades completely out of existence.
 
Artair summons Excalibur out of the crystal grid below and the Lady of the Lake – NINIANE, guardian of the sacred sword – along with it. Dimensional portals collide when Merlin materializes outside his own timeline into the future and for just long enough to initiate Artair to Excalibur – after all, he did not pull the sword out of a rock like his father did.

Artair's trusted shape-shifter companion SHIWATSO, an albino puma, joins him to face this new battle. Stripped of their magic, all of the Fae slip into a deep coma. Artair, Niniane and Shiwatso plunge into their sojourn propelled through Lord Bás’s mercurial realm and the surreal futuristic London. Artair and Shiwatso confront a horde of demons while they try to free Niniane from a trap. Niniane begins to trust Artair, softens to his charm. Unknown to her, Artair has loved her since the moment he secretly witnessed her accept Excalibur from Arthur as he drew his last breath. LORD YAMA, god of the Far-Eastern underworld, provides another diversion. They must discern what is real, what is illusion.

Saving each other’s lives more than once, Artair and Niniane agree to split up. Artair must get the wildly bizarre London under control while Niniane finds the Utpala Blàthaigh and returns it to the Fae. Artair and Shiwatso engage in a bizarre battle - Excalibur extracts the stolen magic. Niniane encounters the powerful Lord Bás, his cruelties... His seductions...

Lured by temptations, they lunge into the final stand against Lord Bás to restore the balance of Earth's reality.

riSING & fALLing

an Original Screenplay

by

Saundra McKenna & Marci Winters

LOGLINE: The impact of life-changing events shapes the Boulette family's new life in Austin as they pick up the pieces in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, while coping with Henri’s shell-shocked struggle to recover from his service in the Middle East.

SYNOPSIS

Uprooted and still settling into their new home in Austin, the artistic Boulette family struggles to rebuild a life lost in the eye of the storm, Hurricane Katrina. Blinded by the responsibilities to reestablish their Cajun family restaurant, the overworked parents miss the shadow signs threatening their children's lives.

Upon return from war, oldest brother, HENRI, the once capable and good-natured son, reveals a disturbing depth of soul no one in the family has ever witnessed before. Seeking solace in alcohol and internet dating, he dives into any distraction he can find to elude his painfully visceral memories… until pushed to the outer edges and he can no longer escape himself. Will he drown in the monkey hole of despair or confront his options and discern a greater self-truth that could transform his reality?

Having left her friends behind, 17 year old MAYA finds herself vulnerable and more alone than she could have imagined. Her new friend DANA – an 18 year old intellectual goth – introduces her to the local scene; a strong musical connection and sisterhood develops between the girls as they search for meaning, experimenting and exploring… until a dark side draws them into danger. Maya’s curious nature, coupled by Danna's influence, lures her into a shocking date with fate.

Maya’s unique, talented grandmother DOROTHEE, known as “D” – a music teacher who makes funny fudge – inspires, providing guidance and serves as the emotional and pragmatic backbone of the family.

Charismatic middle son, TY, juggles a semblance of balance between family obligations and his own artistic and musical aspirations. When he and LEEZA – a spicy mid- twenties baker – experience a chance encounter, her lightness of being breathes a breath of sweetness into his life.

Realizations on the weight of one’s choices leads to transformative awakenings…