SAM IPEMA
DEAR ANNIE, I HATE YOU
In Development
This piece was born out of a silly 5-minute school assignment, based on my life at 20, when I was suddenly diagnosed with a fatal brain aneurysm (aka 'Annie').
It's now being developed as a series and, finally, returning to its original form as one-woman play.
Inquire for further details.
RECENT ACCOLADES
Coverfly's RED LIST
TOP 20 TELEVISION PILOTS, October 2021
Nominated for
BEST NEW SERIES IN DEVELOPMENT
BEST NEW COMEDY SERIES
NEWCOMERS TO WATCH FOR IN 2021
Semi-Finalist
BIG BREAK CONTEST 2021
"Dear Annie is full of heart, humour, and ultimately kindness, even as it tackles devastating subject matter. It does an excellent job in balancing tone. The humour is never an attempt to shy away from or diminish the pain of Sam's ordeal; it's just a natural flow entangled in every absurd moment because sometimes (in fact, often) pain and illness has an inherently absurd quality to it."
"We've had a few pieces of media tackle similar themes of mental illness, hallucinations, "imaginary friends" and the like with a dramatic angle but this show manages to make it feel fresh and personal, engaging empathy in very visceral ways.
"Anyone who has experienced a monumental life-altering event knows this story; and I feel it's a safe bet that more than a few of us have found ourselves sitting on the concrete of a parking lot, trying to gather the threads of our day after everything has been blown apart."
Quarter-Finalist
SCREENCRAFT FELLOWSHIP
The writer does such a beautiful job with the tone of this piece. It's so hard to balance comedy with drama, but by never being flippant about the protagonist's pending diagnosis, the story remains grounded despite the broader (and very much welcome) comedic elements. Never downplaying the critical nature of Sam's situation, while at the same time, mining her awkward interactions and personal flaws for plenty of laughs.