Leslie Hardy
Writer, Producer, Director
After two decades as an actor, Leslie turned to writing and wondered what took her so long to “pick up her pen!” She was accepted into the writers’ unit of Fierce Backbone, a Los Angeles new play development company. Fierce produced one of her first full length works, "A Good Grief." In 2021, Leslie cofounded third act productions. Leslie has written numerous plays and screenplays and co-directed several of her shorts, including "Do Over" with Tony-nominated, Denis Arndt, and SNL alum, Melanie Hutsell. Leslie was recently selected to participate in the 2024 Sidewalk/Stowe Story Narrative Lab with her feature screenplay, "County of Coosa."
Leslie is currently filming her first documentary, exploring the disintegration of a small Alabama town through the eyes and voices of its people. Leslie is a member of Women In Film (WIF), The Dramatists Guild, Los Angeles Female Playwrights Initiative (LAFPI), and SAG-AFTRA.
WEBSITE: WEBSITE
SOCIAL MEDIA: INSTAGRAM
A Q&A WITH FILMSHOP BREAKTHROUGH SERIES 2019 FEATURED ARTIST WAlker HAre...
What was the inspiration for your project?
Thorp was inspired by a conversation Dennis Donovan (director) and I had about how different it would be to grow up today. In a world where we are more connected (technologically) than ever before, how can we also be so disconnected from each other? After that initial conversation, our producers Liz Printz and Diana Rivera Vera were instrumental in helping shape our way of exploring this question, through the lens of a quirky, lovable alien from the ’80s.
How has the Filmshop community contributed to the development of your project?
Filmshop was instrumental in the process, and progress, of our film. From member notes on early drafts of the script to attaching one of our producers (shoutout to Stacey Maltin!) to feedback on our Seed&Spark campaign to screenings of cuts in process. We would not be where we are were it not for this community.
What do you feel is your greatest challenge moving forward?
Our team is excited to near the finish line. We are pitching Thorp as the next great comedic-sci-fi-fish-out-of-water-coming-of-age-dramatic-thriller-love-story! Obviously, our film doesn't fit into a traditional box, so our challenge is: how do we find our audience? We are excited about the possibilities of a festival run, but in the end, we want to share this with a large scale (streaming) audience down the road. Also, how do we get Tom Selleck to be in the sequel?
What are you most looking forward to getting out of your Breakthrough experience?
We are thrilled to connect with other inspiring filmmakers at the event throughout the day. We are excited to have our first opportunity to share our film with members of the industry. And we can't wait to see how the audience reacts to seeing a part of our work, in the magical space that is Lincoln Center.