MISSION & GOAL:

Cadenza is a film that will shed light on a condition knows as Musical Ear Syndrome as a sensory and emotional reality rather than a narrative device. Cadenza is a music driven drama set in Seoul, following a gifted pianist living with constant sound, as she navigates grief, love, and the courage to be heard on her own terms.

With your help, Cadenza's production journey will begin. Funds will be used to support the "soft prep" strategic development stage. This will include travel and meetings in Seoul in mid to late 2026 in South Korea. The agenda will include research to determine a rough top sheet budget and a preliminary shooting schedule, initial location research with the help of an informal scout, conversations with directors and cinematographers, early casting conversations, and most importantly - early investor meetings.

Cadenza, Love does not cure the noise, but it changes how she listens.



LOGLINE:

A gifted pianist plagued by constant phantom music abandons the stage to teach children, but grief and an unexpected romance pull her back toward the life she is afraid to claim.

WHY THIS STORY MATTERS:

Cadenza arrives at a moment when conversations around mental health, grief, and neurodiversity are finally moving into the mainstream, yet are still rarely portrayed with patience or intimacy on screen. Hana’s experience with Musical Ear Syndrome places the audience inside an invisible condition that many live with quietly. The film does not frame her struggle as something to overcome quickly or dramatically. Instead, it shows how people learn to coexist with conditions that reshape daily life, relationships, and creative identity.

Cadenza is not about love as rescue or transformation through another person. It is about love as something that asks for presence, honesty, and emotional risk.

Cadenza's Korean setting adds cultural specificity without alienating global audiences, while its themes of grief, artistic pressure, and connection translate across borders.

PREMISE:

Cadenza takes place in Seoul and Jeju Island for a variety of reasons. Aside from the beauty of the locations, the atmosphere of each place matches the world my main character lives in. Modern day Seoul constantly tussles with sound and space, a reflection of Hana's (the main character) struggles. Jeju Island, in contrast, offers an open and freeing environment that enables her to decide how her path to healing will unfold.

WHAT SETS THIS SCRIPT APART:

Cadenza distinguishes itself through its portrayal of Musical Ear Syndrome - or MES for short - as an emotional and sensory reality rather than a narrative device. The condition shapes Hana’s relationship to sound, space, and intimacy, allowing music to function as both comfort and threat. This creates a rare perspective on creativity and mental health within a romantic drama.

The script also avoids romantic shortcuts. Love does not fix grief, and distance does not erase it. Instead, the story allows characters to leave, return, misunderstand each other, and grow at different speeds.

Combined with its Korean cultural setting and the blending of classical music with contemporary production, Cadenza offers a fresh emotional texture within a familiar genre.

MARKETING POSITION AND AUDIENCE:

The ultimate end goal will be to produce Cadenza in such a way that it will sit comfortably against successful, music driven prestige dramas such as A Star Is Born, produced on a budget of approximately 36 million with a worldwide gross of approximately 436 million, or La La Land, produced on a budget of approximately 30 million with a worldwide gross of approximately 446 million.

The target audience includes adult drama viewers, music focused audiences, and viewers drawn to emotionally grounded romance.

MARKET & AWARDS POTENTIAL:

Industry reviewers and International Screenwriting Competition feedback have stated that Cadenza is best positioned as an awards leaning romantic drama with strong festival appeal. Its budget profile aligns with low to mid range prestige dramas, while its cross cultural setting, neurodiversity focus, and music driven narrative make it attractive to streaming platforms and international distributors seeking elevated adult storytelling.

Cadenza's focus on performance, mental health, and music aligns well with Sundance, TIFF, Busan, Venice sidebars, and prestige focused streaming debuts, particularly in categories celebrating acting, original score, and international storytelling.

THANK YOU FOR YOU TIME & CONSIDERATION

Thank you kindly for allowing me the opportunity to present my screenplay project to you. I hope you will consider joining me on this incredibly thrilling journey by donating to my project.

Together, let's bring Cadenza to life on screen!

Writer Bio

Courtney Fernández is a Virginia based screenwriter with seven copyrighted feature screenplays. Five of her scripts have placed in fourteen international screenwriting competitions.

Cadenza has received multiple quarterfinal placements and has already been requested by multiple producers for full review.

You can learn more about Cadenza at https://www.andallamaproductions.com/projects/cadenza

AI Disclosure:

*Certain concept images included in this presentation were generated using AI-assisted tools for illustrative purposes only. These visuals are placeholders and will not appear in the final production. All written materials are original works authored by the credited writer.