Interview: Sara Crow & David Rafailedes / Satoshi – 2024 Sundance Screenwriters Lab Fellow

On the day that this conversation took place, Sara Crow and David Rafailedes were on their way to a reception to accept one of the Sloan Development Fellowships—an artist grant supporting projects in development involving technology. However, as we spoke, it became apparent that while their upcoming project might delve into the tech world, particularly crypto, it’ll feature the unlikeliest of perspectives: that of a protagonist burdened by the weight of the world. Satoshi is unlike the usual set of films that fall into sector start-ups.

Sara Crow comes from a mostly docu world producing television work for others and a feature-length docu herself with Never Get Tired (2014). Her short “Bluebird,” is currently making the rounds. He has produced a strong of short films, and David Rafailedes provides the project was some of the funny-bone – is was part of the creative team for the Cellino v. Barnes. I got to speak to the tandem about the DNA of the screenplay, the lure of a myth, the backdrop of the film and some of the rte-tooling advice they received at the labs.

Sundance project synopsis: The potentially true story of a teenage anime-obsessed hacktivist who, after losing her scholarship to Stanford, returns home to Arizona to become the mysterious inventor of a new digital currency called Bitcoin.

Throughout this week, we’ll be featuring profiles of several fellows from the recent 2024 Sundance Screenwriters Labs, all of whom we had the pleasure of speaking with during the Sundance Film Festival. Some of these projects are slated to become future films and may even debut in Park City, while a smaller fraction might not find their way to the big screen. However, being part of this select group serves as a significant source of encouragement and progression within the film industry. What’s particularly inspiring is witnessing how each of these distinctive voices is crafting original works spanning various genres, often exploring themes of politics and social engagement through cinema.

We extend our sincere gratitude to Ilyse McKimmie and all the talented artists Claire Fowler, Francesca Canepa & Miguel Ángel Papalini, Jane Casey Modderno, Hanna Gray Organschi, Kristine Gerolaga, Sara Crow & David Rafailedes, and Christian Moldes — they generously spared their time to meet with us. Despite their hectic schedules and fresh experiences from the labs, they felt comfortable discussing projects and worth noting this is one of the earliest instances where we’ve had the opportunity to delve into projects still in their developmental stages.