The Octopus's Garden

By Ed Moran

The screenplay version was awarded Best Screenplay in the FANTSAY/SCI-FI Festival, January 2026 and was a Semi-Finalist in the LA International Screenplay Contest, Summer 2025. International Screenwriters' Association: "The project presents a distinctive blend of science fiction and emotional drama, anchored by the unlikely relationship between Slip, a disillusioned former agent, and an intelligent, shapeshifting octopus named Gilly. Their connection provides both the narrative's emotional center and its conceptual novelty, exploring trust, survival, and empathy in an unconventional yet interesting context.

The tone operates in a deliberately hybrid register, merging high-concept science fiction with a light, often self-aware humor. In its best moments, this tonal elasticity creates a sense of discovery and curiosity, it allows for levity in scenes that might otherwise risk melodrama. The concept itself, an intelligent, shapeshifting octopus that engages with humanity, is imaginative and commercially distinctive, particularly in a cinematic landscape with familiar properties. What makes it notable is not simply its novelty but its potential for visual and tonal contrast, the serene oceanic imagery juxtaposed with covert operations, and the organic intelligence of a sea creature contrasted with human technology.

Overall, this screenplay's originality and emotional core position it as a distinctive and engaging piece with strong cinematic potential."

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0DX7B6M9G
• ISBN13: 9798310691933
• Release Date: February 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 132 Pages
• Weight: 0.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"