Desert Moon Pictures Hires InkTip Writer
Justin Ament with Desert Moon Pictures hired InkTip scribe Russ Lippitt to write a feature MMA action film titled, “Lyon's Pride,” after putting a call out to our writers. Ament’s previous credits include the soon-to-be-released, “Shadowheart” (with Angus MacFadyen, William Saddler and Daniel Baldwin). Writer Lippitt has one other previous option on his script “Lion’s Share,” which was based on his best-selling novel of the same title.

Illuminary Pictures Adds One to the Slate
Masiela Lusha, founder and president of Illuminary Pictures, has optioned the feature script, “Graf,” from InkTip writers Roman Rosales and Peter Loffredo. Lusha, who played the beautiful and feisty daughter on “The George Lopez Show,” is building a slate of projects to develop and package through her various industry sources and contacts. You can also see Masiela in “Blood: The Last Vampire” and “Time of the Comet,” two features which will be released later this year. Writer Rosales has been writing, producing and directing television programs for twenty years (including “Ripley’s Believe It or Not,” and “Steve Harvey’s Big Time”), but this is his first feature option.

Joops Fragale & Mike Long Option Short
Joops Fragale and Mike Long of 3hree8ight6ix Films have optioned Gene Doucette's short script, “Parting,” after discovering it on InkTip. Doucette's previously optioned films include “Lady in Black” (with Firesite Films), and “PrintError” and “Surviving Hector,” produced in association with the RIFC. Two of his features are listed on InkTip and he is actively seeking representation. Fragale stated he is a great fan of the site and checks it regularly for new writers and material, “I think its simple navigation and ease of writer contact are fantastic.”

Producers Ricky Moore & Dustin McKim Option Short
Producer Ricky Moore and producer/director Dustin McKim have optioned the short script,"Hitman," from Phyllis Heltay. After they searched several outlets, they found the short on InkTip. Moore stated that “Phyllis is very easy to work with and came back hitting the nail on the head for each of our suggestions towards the script in a more than timely manner, usually that same day.” Cult Classic Films is comprised of Actor/Producer Ricky Moore, Director/Co-producer Dustin McKim, Camera Operator/Colorist/Editor Luis Flores and FX/Storyboard Artist Tony Moore, all based out of the Los Angeles area. This is the first short optioned by Cult Classic Films from Inktip.com. Storyboarding has begun and the short will be shot in late August. This is the second option of work placed on InkTip for Heltay whose other option was for a feature film.

Poche Pictures Hires Hughes
Rich Poche of Poche Pictures has commissioned Daniel Hughes to write a short script currently titled, "Hell Hath No Fury." Poche Pictures produced the romantic comedy feature, "Rescuing Rufus," by Daniel Hughes, which stars Stuart Brazell (of the reality show “Dirty Dancing”), Elizabeth Di Prinzio, Gina DeVettori, Natalie Edwards, Sara Konecky, and Elizabeth Lauren Hoffman (from YouTube's popular “Blonde Star”). This is the ninth short optioned through InkTip for Hughes.

Immediate Discovery
Within minutes of his first login to InkTip, Matthew Herath with The Lighthouse Group discovered Nur Nur Cummings's dark comic thriller, "Death and Taxes.” Herath's previous credits include "One Kill" (starring Anne Heche and Sam Shepard). Cummings, an award winning writer/director whose credits include “Only In LA,” is now currently attached to this project as a co-producer. He is also developing “Feeling Ducky,” a romantic action comedy with his manager Jay Sanders, one of the producers on the feature "Jumper" (starring Samuel Jackson and Diane Lane).

ThunderBall Films Options “Escape from Paradise”
ThunderBall Films has optioned “Escape from Paradise” from InkTip writer John Harding. The published book, which Harding co-authored with his wife, May Chu, reached the Amazon.com bestseller list in the UK at number 7. The book is based on the true story of May Chu, a woman in Singapore who escaped from an arranged marriage with the help of an American expatriate. The former president of Singapore even wrote a glowing review of the book on Amazon, although the book has since been banned in that country. Executive producer Mario Domina of ThunderBall Films is currently in pre-production on “American Lip Sync,” a reality series, “The House of the Baskervilles,” a feature documentary and subsequent feature film also optioned from InkTip a few years ago, and several projects in development including a documentary feature following the Zodiac Killer of the late 60s and 70s.

Illuminary Pictures Options Another for Their Slate
Masiela Lusha, founder and president of Illuminary Pictures, has optioned the feature script, “On, Cupid!,” from InkTip writer Mark Onspaugh. Lusha, who played the beautiful and feisty daughter on “The George Lopez Show,” is building a slate of projects to develop and package through her various industry sources and contacts. You can also see Masiela in “Blood: The Last Vampire,” and “Time of the Comet,” two features that will be released later this year. Mark Onspaugh, one of the writers on the cult favorite, “Flight of the Living Dead,” has also written for episodic television (including “X-Men” and “Street Fighter the Animated Series”). This is his second option through InkTip.

Soffer & Ford Option their Fourth from InkTip
Producers Roger Soffer & Christian Ford have optioned the feature script, “Reprobates of the Wasteland,” from InkTip scribe James Ivan Greco. This is their fourth InkTip find as they work on building a slate of independent films to fast track into production. Ford & Soffer's credits include "Kazaam" (starring Shaquille O'Neil), "Slow Burn" (starring Minnie Driver, James Spader and Josh Brolin), "Merlin's Apprentice" (starring Sam Neill and Miranda Richardson), and a variety of ABC, CBS and Hallmark miniseries. Ford & Soffer are also developing a global, state-of-the-art, next-generation online Independent Film & New Media University. This is Greco’s first option.

IAFT Hires InkTip Writer
InkTip writer Axel Melzener joins the International Academy of Film and Television (IAFT) in Cebu, Philippines as a Screenwriting Mentor. After putting a call out to InkTip writers, IAFT chose Melzener from among the many qualified applicants. IAFT is Asia's premier film school, attracting talented students from numerous countries. Melzener is now one of the industry-recognized practitioners from across the globe that comprises the faculty at IAFT. The top-tier education, coupled with hands-on training, provides a unique learning environment for students. IAFT's parent company, Bigfoot Entertainment, holds credits in producing films such as "3 Needles," (starring Lucy Liu, Sandra Oh, Stockard Channing) "Shanghai Kiss," (starring Ken Leung, Hayden Panetierre) and "Within" (starring Lori Heuring, Sam Jaeger). Melzener, a successful German writer and producer, is also credited in English-language feature writing, and currently has a film in development with a Los Angeles based production company.