The world has ended, the Earth is gone.
Within an enormous domed base that perfectly recreates an idyllic 19th century farming settlement, a group of men and women awaken with no memory of their past. Their purpose, to repopulate the human race.
Reya, the Last Awakened, also suffers from amnesia but unlike the others begins to remember her former life, including visions of her lost daughter.
As she struggles to piece together who she once was, she quickly learns that all of the settlers have been indoctrinated into a new world religion. A religion designed by the unknown architects of the Sanctuary to ensure the long term survival of the human race. A process achieved through the men earning the right to “Claim” any woman for one night.
Disgusted by the practice, Reya rallies the other women to resist, urging them to remember who they once were. But her defiance soon places her in direct conflict with Christopher, the mysterious and charismatic leader of the settlement, who has had feelings for Reya from the moment she awakened. Feelings that could further jeopardize the stability of the Sanctuary.
As the two sides grow, each with their own allies and adversaries (male and female), we build to a shocking finale that not only reveals the true purpose of the Sanctuary but also Christopher’s connection to Reya.
The Handmaid’s Tale meets Midsommar and Get Out with the visual serenity of Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven, Sanctuary is a haunting science fiction thriller that explores one woman’s struggle to hold on to her identity in a world seeking to erase her past and reduce her to a single function.
An ideal mid budget vehicle for an established female talent in their 30s or 40s, Sanctuary offers a strong message of female empowerment and parental sacrifice, with sequel/franchise potential.
- Semi-finalist, Creative Screenwriting Unique Voices Competition (2023)
- Finalist, Final Draft, Big Break Screenwriting Contest (2022)
- Second Round, Drama Feature, Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition (2022)
- Quarter-finalist, ScreenCraft Action & Adventure Screenplay Competition (2022)
- Quarter-finalist, Stage 32 Sci-Fi/Fantasy Screenwriting Contest (2022)
- Quarter-finalist, ScreenCraft Feature Competition (2022)
- Quarter-finalist, PAGE International Screenwriting Awards (2022)