Meet Mashael Alqahtani | Screenwriter
We had the good fortune of connecting with Mashael Alqahtani and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Mashael, why did you pursue a creative career?
One of the few places that I could be comfortable with myself growing up was through writing. While I was in middle school, I realized that I wasn’t very good at any other subjects as much as I excelled at English. I had a fair amount of social anxiety as a tween and was pretty much glued to the TV. I watched a lot of American movies, like the 2000’s era Charlie’s Angels franchise, Jawbreaker and Legally Blonde. The sheer, weird imagination and expansive worlds of those movies made me really curious about what it would be like to make up my own worlds. I found that a big way I could deal with a difficult, anxious moment in school was to write an alternate version of what I experienced in a made-up story. Inevitably, even as I strived to write for a positive ending, I found that I could laugh at myself and make fun of how seriously I took things. I was telling the truth, but found a way to let myself process it through this unusual, comedic sensibility similar to the movies I grew up on. I found that telling stories of pain or fear made me understand who I was and what I could overcome. My voice came through in this personal space, and I just realized that I wanted to continue feeling this way: more connected to myself. And as I pursued this path, I found that I excelled even more than I thought was possible. A career doing what I loved and what made me feel confidence in myself just made more sense to me than anything else I’d tried doing.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a screenwriter and a proud Saudi Arabian woman. The marriage of those two aspects of me means that I have the opportunity to be both specific and universal in my storytelling. I want to continue writing stories about women confronting their stunted youth, desires, family and the terrifying quest of learning to be a grown-up. No matter what I write, I want to find ways to entertain above all else through broad, commercial appeal and a comedic sensibility. I’ve earned a BA in Film Production from Emerson College, an MFA in Screenwriting from USC and I’m currently a Screenwriting Fellow at the American Film Institute. What sets me apart is not only my extensive academic experience, but my network and knowledge of the industry through my varied work experience, working on set, interning for the Cannes Film Festival in 2017, reading for Film Independent and interning at six other companies — from literary management teams, like Grandview, to film production companies, like FilmNation and Sight Unseen. This has allowed me to refine my work and how to appeal to the marketplace with my voice. As a result, my writing has placed in notable competitions and festivals. My comedy one-hour script Banat was a quarterfinalist in the 2019 Austin Film Festival and my feature script The Wedding was a finalist in the 2020 Script Pipeline competition and a semifinalist in the 2021 BlueCat feature screenplay competition.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting town, I’d take them to get coffee at Maru Coffee or Constellation in Silverlake and go for a walk around the Silverlake Reservoir. Afterwards, we’d probably go to Clark Street Diner or Fred62 for some breakfast/lunch. There’s something about an LA diner that I just love — besides the fact that I’m just obsessed with breakfast food and will have it for every meal. LA Diner menus are super accessible for every kind of eater and are so beautifully influenced by the staple cuisines of the city. After breakfast, we’d walk around the area, maybe visit Skylight Books and Wacko – a place that I think encapsulates the endearing absurdity, joy and art in the city. Also, I do really love their novelty socks and collection of incense cones. If thrifting or shopping was on the agenda and we were out on a Sunday, I’d take them to Melrose Trading Post or the Rose Bowl Flea Market. For a movie, we’d see what was playing at Vidiots in Highland Park or make use of my AMC Stubs membership. For dinner or an early lunch during their stay, I’d take them to my favorite place for some pasta, La Pergoletta. And for dessert, either Mashti Malone’s or the nearest Van Leeuwen.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I will happily dedicate a shoutout to the masterpiece that is Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle, written by the incredible John August. My friends, family and literally everyone I know has heard me yap non-stop about how much I love this movie. I’m sure it’s infuriating at this point, but they still humor me on occasion. Full Throttle has been a huge influence on my work and the experience I hope to create when I think of ideas and stories I want to see on screen. It’s the reason why I’m a writer. Every time I watch this movie or read the script, I’m so emotionally moved by the characters and their friendship. I’m astounded by how grounded they are through such an absurd, hilarious and insanely campy tone. The emotional motivations push the plot and the action sequences forward in a way that is so inspiring for anyone trying to write in an expansive, action-packed world. The story is crafted so seamlessly by John August in a way that is endlessly entertaining and moving. It’s inspiring to me. I’ve gone back to Full Throttle many times to remember why I write and what intentions I want to set out in my work.
Image Credits
Brynn Mitchell (headshot)
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