SUNY Fredonia Criminal Justice professor Daniela Peterka-Benton has been named a finalist in a screenwriting competition at the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival.
Dr. Peterka-Benton has been recognized for her screenplay, “Bloodbrother,” which follows a story of a criminologist with a “comfortable present, who is confronted with an uncomfortable past.” By wandering into random circumstances, dark family secrets are revealed, brutal tragedies are brought to light, and questions about who she is must finally be answered.
The Buffalo Niagara Film Festival showcases creative writing, film and video arts by passionate filmmakers and writers from all over the world. The 10-day event begins April 8 in three locations: Buffalo, Niagara Falls and North Tonawanda. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on April 17.
Peterka-Benton submitted her story to receive professional input on her writing and also attempt to break into the industry. She is originally from Austria where she received her Ph.D. in sociology (criminology) and an M.Ed. in adult education from the University of Vienna. She also holds a master’s in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati.
Before joining SUNY Fredonia in 2010, she spent seven years in the security industry, working mostly for the U.S. Embassy in Vienna. She was also a professor at Norwich University, a private military college in Vermont.
Peterka-Benton recalls being inspired to write and tell stories as a young child. “I wrote my first ‘book’ at the age of 11; it was a few pages I folded together,” she explained. “I always played through stories in my head and I tried to write something like a novel, but discovered that my creative process involved developing stories through dialogue. Screenplays worked with this type of writing style. I had to learn, and still am learning, about the proper formatting and structure of screenplays, but it’s a process that I fully enjoy.”
The Buffalo Niagara Film Festival hosts screenings and offers seminars and panel discussions for filmmakers, screenwriters and entertainment industry professionals. Special guests include actor Williams Fichtner and comedian Jim Breuer. Project affiliates include Jay Leno, Sigourney Weaver, Bill Cosby and former President Jimmy Carter, among many others.
“Being listed as a finalist in such a competition gives a writer industry exposure, which hopefully at some point will lead to a studio that is interested in making the film. Ultimately that is what every screenwriter dreams about is to see your story on the big screen.”
To learn more, contact Dr. Peterka-Benton at daniela.peterka-benton@fredonia.edu.
