You can't get more authentic or likable than Kimberly Dilts. Add to that just how skilled of a writer she is, making the Gauntlet team laugh out loud with her script BREW. Fun fact: at our big event where we announced Kimberly, she hired a costumed medieval times barmaid to walk through the crowd and give tasters of beer brewed using the olden ways. A big hit, just as BREW is going to be!
Can you tell us a bit about you?
I started as a theater actor, director and choreographer. I'm curious about everything though, which has served me in my current career as a producer, writer, and director across narrative and non-narrative film projects. I am a sort of swiss army knife creative — my career has definitely NOT been a straight line.
What made you want to become a screenwriter?
We were raising money for our first independent feature, and I started writing as a way to stay creative while doing something that felt soul-crushing. It was love at first slugline.
Do you have a favorite film or TV show?
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Parks and Rec" are my go-to comfort watches.
How about a favorite screenwriter/filmmaker?
I can't pick just one!
Favorite movie snack?
It is impossible for me to go to the movies and not have popcorn, which is the one and only reason I am not an international supermodel.
Is there a favorite movie theater experience you had?
My favorite experience is just GOING. I love the ritual of it. The hubs and I try to see as much as we can on the big screen. As Saint Kidman says, "we come to this place for magic..."
Can you give us a screenwriting hot take?
No two paths are the same, so my hot take might be your hot garbage. Nobody knows anything!
What was your strategy for breaking into the industry?
I studied theatre in school and moved to New York, then LA. I pivoted pretty quickly from acting because I found the industry to be cartoonishly gross to actresses. My husband and I had been producing and directing theater, so when he wrote a beautiful screenplay, we decided to take the plunge. Everything we learned about filmmaking we learned by doing.
What are your overall screenwriter goals?
I'd love to make a living from my writing. It's supported me sporadically, but it would be amazing to be able to quit my survival work. I'd love to work with some of my idols.
Up until now, what have been your screenwriting "wins?"
Anytime I've been hired to write has felt like an extraordinary win, even if the scripts never got produced. With BREW, landing the Cinestory Fellowship was a huge win. And then making it through the Gauntlet!
How many screenplays have you written?
Six.
Have you always written features?
Yep.
What is your favorite genre to write?
Comedy.
Is there a genre you'd like to try in the future?
I'm currently working on a comedy horror that's been fun. I'd love to try my hand at sci-fi or a whodunnit!
What is your process?
I usually start with an idea or concept I'd like to explore. Then I think about who the characters are that it'd be fun to explore that idea with. I don't typically outline, but I can't start writing unless I know the general shape of the story, and the ending. I have a very difficult time multi-tasking, so I often have to write on weekend "retreats." I'll sometimes book myself into a shitty hotel or go coffee shop hopping.
Do you have any tips on starting a new screenplay? What about finishing one?
Starting: write something you'd be excited to see onscreen. Finishing: Give yourself an accountability buddy, a deadline, a finishing gift. Some kind of external pressure or structure to help you wrap it up.
What is the first thing you do after finishing a screenplay?
Host a reading in my living room! It's so much fun, and it shows me what's working, and what's not.
As the Hollywood landscape shifts, how has that changed your approach to the industry?
It hasn't changed it as much as it's underlined for me that as an independent filmmaker, I don't have to wait to be picked — I can bet on myself.
Any tips for other up-and-coming screenwriters?
Write what brings you joy. And let the writing itself BE the joy.