British-Bulgarian screenwriter Ella Valentine fell in love with poetry, predominantly Bulgarian and French poets, such as Peyo Yavorov and Paul Éluard from a very young age. In her teens, when she started writing in English and attending an English language school, she got introduced to James Joyce, Jack Kerouac and The Beat Generation, who are still her biggest inspiration.
Now years later Ella is a professional sought-after writer, and her screenplay ‘Revolution X’ is an award-winning feature film out on Apple TV.
About Insider sat down with Ella Valentine to discuss the movie and more about her passion for writing.
HELLO ELLA VALENTINE, WELCOME TO ABOUT INSIDER! WAS IT ALWAYS YOUR DREAM TO BE A WRITER?
Thank you very much! I never dreamt of being a writer because I was always one. I do believe that there are people who are born as writers and those who are made to be writers. Not to say that one is better than the other, but I was definitely born as such.
It was never a choice, it was a force that chose me, And even though I didn’t choose it, I am so grateful that it came. Writing is who I am and I can’t separate it from myself.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR EARLY WRITING EXPERIENCES?
I will never forget my first writing piece. I remember exactly where I was sitting, the time of the day, and how it made me feel. I was only 8 years old and I wrote it in the afternoon when I was living in Bulgaria. It’s kind of funny because it was about love, and what did I know about love at 8? It was also too deep for an 8 year-old and to this day I wonder where that came from.
I also remember being embarrassed that I wrote it, so I hid it away and luckily my sister found it. She encouraged me to keep writing and I’ll forever be grateful to her for having encouraged my very early writing endeavors.
When I got into screenwriting initially, I was such a cliché, and I was overly ambitious. I also put too much pressure on myself, and I thought I was supposed to do every single thing, including the editing. When I made my first short, Break The Sky, I was shown how to edit it by my Professor at the time and I cried so much because I wasn’t very good at it and I thought I was failing myself. To think of it, nobody even told me I didn’t have to necessarily edit my own film. Maybe they were scared of me because I was so distressed.
WHEN WERE YOU FIRST PUBLISHED AS A WRITER?
When I was 16, I got my first job as an intern at a local newspaper and some of my articles got published in the digital edition. When I moved to London I self-published a poetry book for young adults which is still available for purchase on Amazon.
In my early 20s while studying Screenwriting I wrote and directed three short films, while making a living as a freelance content writer and copywriter. I have written numerous articles and blogs for a variety of brands for marketing purposes.
A couple of years ago I co-wrote a feature film titled Revolution X, which is currently streaming on Apple TV and on selected airlines. It’s also available to purchase on DVD.
In 2021 I worked as a script writer at the Cannes Lions International Creativity Awards where I wrote scripts for the hosts during the live shows.
I also write scripts for YouTube channels and a number of them are currently available on YouTube.
This year I founded a film magazine dedicated to women in horror and thriller, called Horror Valentines and some of my articles and interviews with fellow female filmmakers have been published.
YOU MENTION THE MOVIE ‘REVOLUTION X’ WHAT IS THE FILM ABOUT?
Yes, it’s a sci-fi time-twisting film of good against evil. It tells a story of humanity and the grounding, undeniable power of human will. It follows the journey of Tee, a talented artist who has impacted the world greatly, which unfortunately has angered some bad people. It features alternative universes where good and evil fight against each other and both attempt to change Tee’s timeline for their own benefit.
I have always played around with parallel worlds concepts so I was very glad to have found this project that would allow me to deliver and execute a script exploring this notion. It is definitely challenging, and I have learnt so much in the process of creating this piece. But I still feel very strongly that without giving out any spoilers, at least in life, the good always prevails.
I co-wrote the film together with the director, Matt Cannon. We wrote hundreds of drafts before we landed on the perfect storyline, and especially the ending.
HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT?
I met one of the film investors at a social event in London and he introduced me to the director, Matt, who was looking for a screenwriter. I had extensive calls with Matt discussing our visions for the project and they instantly aligned.
We filmed in England and more specifically between Leicestershire, Birmingham and Cumbria. Having a limited budget, we were lucky to find this amazing English cottage in Cumbria which was complemented by its stunning surroundings. The nature there is breathtaking, and I absolutely recommend this area for filming, or even just for a visit.
HOW CAN WE SEE THE MOVIE?
It is currently available to stream on Apple TV in North America, YouTube, and selected airlines. As I mentioned, it’s also available to purchase on DVD.
You can watch the official trailer:
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE WRITING PROJECTS THAT YOU TYPICALLY PREFER?
My preferred genre is undoubtedly psychological thriller. I also enjoy writing elevated psychological horrors and sci-fi. I like projects that are intensely character-driven and explore real human emotions.
ONE WOULD IMAGINE THAT ALIGNS PERFECTLY WITH YOUR HORROR MAGAZINE! WHAT’S COMING UP NEXT FOR YOU?
Yes, I believe it does! I am working on a horrorpiece called Baba Yaga (working title). It’s based on the Slavic mythological creature, Baba Yaga and it’s about a woman named Mira who returns home to post-socialist Bulgaria in the early 90s after having lived abroad and discovers a dark rumor going around about her true identity. I don’t want to delve too deeply into it, you’ll just have to wait and see!
OK! HOW CAN PEOPLE FIND AND FOLLOW YOUR JOURNEY?
People can check out my work on IMDb @Ella Valentine and follow me on Instagram @ella.vn and Facebook @Ella Valentine. I also have a Website ellavalentine.wordpress.com where I publish short form prose pieces which serve as inspiration to my screenwriting too.
