The particularity of screenwriting, as opposed to prose, is that it doesn’t end on the page… Screenwriting continues on set and even after, until the Final Cut.

I’m happy to be able to edit myself, although I love to collaborate with editors… Editing is like holding the pen and doing another rewrite. What does that mean?

Well, on this example from The Last Touch, my last movie. You can see an excerpt of the script as it was written for production, on set. And I annotated it and parallel-played it with the scene as it is edited in the film.

As you can see and hear, a lot of the dialogue has been cut.
Some of the changes in the dialogue just happened on set, letting the words come out in a natural way.
The rest, I decided to cut out in the editing.

You can also notice the AI voice doesn’t appear in the script. That “character” did not exist until a year after we shot. I had done a first cut. Then put the project to sleep. When I went back to finish it, I realized something was missing… and thankfully, I didn’t need to re-shoot anything. Just recorded the wonderful voice of Monica Blaze Leavitt and worked on the sound design.

I hope you enjoyed sneaking behind my screen.

To watch the whole movie: direction Vidiverse !

You can rent and watch the The Last Touch and the whole collection for $1.99
Or access the whole platform for $3.30 for a whole month and join the revolution!

The Last Touch is available with English, Spanish and French subtitles! > RENT THE MOVIE

The Last Touch festival run is extended – to our great surprise! While we thought that Garden State Film Festival in March 2022 was an outstanding closing with writer/director/star of The Last Touch, Melissa Mars attending the event in person for the first time…  more festivals and more screenings have come up since: Vero Beach Film Festival, Hollyshorts Monthly Screening in June 2022, and now, what looks like the “real” last festival: Skyline Indie Film Festival in September 2022.

We want to thank the festival and also Mark Ward, producer consultant on the project, who has been a big supporter and help for our film!

• SKYLINE INDIE FILM FESTIVAL 2022 – PREMIERE IN VIRGINIAL
  In Person & Virtual
  September 8-11 2022
  TIX: skylineindiefilmfest.org

The Last Touch has garnered an enthusiastic response at festivals, having won Best Sci-Fi Short at the Hollywood Boulevard Film Festival 2021, Crypticon Minneapolis 2021, Crypticon Kansas City 2021 and Best Social Distanced Production Runner-up at Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival 2021, Honorable mention at Atlanta Sci Fi Film Festival 2021, with multiple other award nominations at festivals and over 20 official selections!

It is now available on the director of Dark City, iRobot, The Crow… Alex Proyas’ growing platform  Vidiverse

Watch the The Last Touch and a whole collection of shorts for $1.99
Or access the whole platform for $3.30 for a month and join the revolution!

*The Last Touch is available with English, Spanish and French subtitles! > STREAM THE MOVIE

Past Festivals

• SKYLINE INDIE FILM FESTIVAL 2022 
• HOLLYSHORTS MONTHLY SCREENING 2022
• VERO BEACH FILM FESTIVAL 2022 – PREMIERE IN FLORIDA
• GARDEN STATE FILM FESTIVAL 2022 – New Jersey Premiere! + 20th Anniversary!!
• STRANGER DAYS INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL 2021
  ***Best Scifi Short Nominee***
• HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD FILM FESTIVAL 2021
  ***Best Scifi Short Winner***
• ATLANTA SCI-FI FILM FESTIVAL 2021
  ***Honorable Mention***
• HOBNOBBEN FILM FESTIVAL – Indiana Premiere!
• SILICON BEACH FILM FESTIVAL 2021 – Hollywood Premiere @ TCL Chinese Theatres!
• DETROIT SHETOWN FILM FESTIVAL 2021
• FESTIVAL DU FILM MERVEILLEUX & IMAGINAIRE 2021
• CRYPTICON MINNEAPOLIS 2021 – Minnesota Premiere!
  ***Best Scifi Short Winner***
• PARIS ART & MOVIE AWARDS 2021 – French Premiere!
  ***Nomination Best International Short***
• L’HOSPITALET DE LLOBREGAT INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL – Spanish Premiere!
  ***Nominations Best International Short, Best Actress, Best Scenario, Best Director***
• TYLERMAN FILM FESTIVAL – Illinois Premiere!
• CRYPTICON KANSAS CITY 2021 – Missouri Premiere!
  ***Best Scifi Short Winner***
• AXD SHORT FILM FESTIVAL 2021 – GREECE Premiere!
• ZEITGEIST FILM FESTIVAL 2021 – California Premiere!
• CINEMA SISTERS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2021 – North Carolina Premiere
• PHILADELPHIA INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL 2021 – Pennsylvania Premiere
• UNRESTRICTED VIEW FILM FESTIVAL 2021 – U.K Premiere
  ***Best Sound & Best Score Nominations***
• MIAMI INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE FICTION FILM FESTIVAL 2021 – Florida Premiere
  ***Best Social Distanced Production Runner-up***
• MIDWEST WEIRDFEST 2021 – Wisconsin Premiere!
• WORLD LONDON FILM FESTIVAL 2021
  ***Gold Selection***
• PITTSBURGH SHORTS 2020 – World Premiere

“A film that (…) reflect[s] how many feel about the future of love in the age of technology.”

Check out this beautiful new review of The Last Touch by Bitpix TV news, a channel where you can still watch The Last Touch and a whole collection of shorts selected by Hollyshorts Film Festival for their latest monthly screening that they played live at the iconic TCL Chinese 6 Theaters!

Read the review

 Watch The Last Touch until July 3rd on Bitpix*

*Bitpix is available on Roku, iOS, Android, Google Play, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV

The blog also features Writer/Director/Actor Melissa Mars in an interview in which Mars shares the dystopias that inspired her the most, such as the movies Dark City and Blade Runner, or the book 1984, one of the first novels she read as a teenager.  She also chats about how acting, filmmaking and music have been part of her life since the age of 13, the challenges of making The Last Touch, her projects in the works and her favorite movies including E.T., Gary Ross’ Pleasantville and Peter Jackson’s Lovely Bones.

[Read the full interview in French]

Last year, The Last Touch garnered a Gold Selection at the British festival and was included in their second issue. This year, it is an honor to be featured on the COVER and on two pages of World London Film Festival’s magazine.

You can check out the magazine online for free.

And stay tuned for the release date of the magazine in PRINT. COMING SOON !!!

The Last Touch holds a metaphorical mirror up to our world. It shows us a vision of what we are drifting towards, a world where we are so connected virtually that we are disconnected physically and emotionally. It acts as a warning – [look at what we have to lose]. It may be disturbing, but isn’t it what we all like about dystopias?’

What is true connection? How is technology connecting us and how does it threaten the existence of connection as we know it?

[Read the full interview]

The prestigious Hollyshorts Film Festival, which has been running for the last fifteen years, is now doing monthly screenings! And it is an honor to have The Last Touch selected and possibly closing the circuit there! (using the word “possibly” because it’s still very “possible” to receive new unexpected selections thanks to the word of mouth and the wonderful festival circuit the film has had… And, hey! if there’s more, that will be a joy and an honor!) But what a symbol to possibly close on Hollywood Boulevard at Hollyshorts’ monthly screening at the TCL Chinese Theater!

Mark your calendars: Wednesday June 29 at 9:30pm

Tickets are on sale here and include a subscription to all the films on Bitpix, available on Roku, iOS, Android, Google Play, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV): Bitpix (bitpixtv.com)

Films will go virtually live on Bitpix JUNE 30 at 12am Midnight (after the in person screening at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres) and run through Sunday July 3rd.  

The film with the most views will be the audience choice winner. Spread the word!!! 

Vidiverse is a revolutionary streaming platform, created and launched recently by Alex Proyas, acclaimed director who helmed iRobot, Dark City, among other and biggest supporter of indie filmmakers!
Vidiverse is now the new home of The Last Touch included in Deceptions, a collection of five stories that toy with your expectations like a cat with a rat.

You can rent and watch the The Last Touch and the whole collection for $1.99
Or access the whole platform for $3.30 for a whole month and join the revolution!

The Last Touch is available with English, Spanish and French subtitles! > RENT THE MOVIE

The Last Touch festival run is extended – to our great surprise! While we thought that Garden State Film Festival 2022 was an outstanding closing with writer/director/star of The Last Touch, Melissa Mars attending the event in person for the first time…  more festivals and more screenings are coming, Vero Beach being one of them. Schedule and ticket information below.

• VERO BEACH FILM FESTIVAL 2022 – PREMIERE IN FLORIDA
  In Person 
  Dramatic Shorts 1
  Friday, June 10 at 9:30 am – Womens Club
  Sunday, June 12 at 10am – IRC Commission Chambers
  TIX: www.vbfilmfest.org