Destined for the bright lights
Three University of Glasgow students hatch a daring plot to seize Scotland’s legendary Stone of Scone from Westminster Abbey and return it to its rightful home in Scotland. Such is the premise of Caroline McNamara’s first short film, A Date with Destiny. Written and directed by McNamara, it is based on the lead-up to the actual 1950 Christmas Day heist of the legendary stone used in the coronation ceremonies of Scottish, and later, English monarchs since circa 500. At the IndieFEST Film Awards in October, the film garnered the top awards for a student in four categories: film short, liberation/social justice/protest, women filmmakers, and cinematography.
McNamara, a 2018 University of Richmond alum, learned about the Stone of Scone, a.k.a. the Stone of Destiny, in 2023 while completing a master’s in television fiction writing at Glasgow Caledonian University. “Preparations were underway to transport the stone, at considerable expense, from its current home in Edinburgh Castle to Westminster Abbey for the coronation of King Charles,” she said.
Intrigued by the history of the 335-pound block of red sandstone, which the English captured during their 1296 invasion of Scotland, she decided to make it the focus of her first short film.
“Filming is like conducting an orchestra,” the nascent screenwriter and director said. “It’s about getting everyone on the same page to tell the same story. You have to communicate well and let the experts have room to be creative. We found that magic synergy filming A Date with Destiny.”
McNamara continued refining her short while completing her certificate in film and TV industry essentials at New York University. She said one of the film’s actors uploaded the short to his online portfolio, where it was discovered by IndieFEST organizers. They asked McNamara to submit it for consideration. She was thrilled and surprised when it won four awards.
“I love that my first film is called A Date with Destiny,” she said, “because I believe in destiny. Our choices determine how soon we arrive at our destiny. If you don’t like the scenery, choose a different road.”
McNamara did just that when she pivoted from working as a litigation paralegal to pursuing work in the film and television industry, a dream connected to her lifelong love of storytelling. Her undergraduate major in classical civilizations is rooted in mythology and storytelling, she explained, while her leadership studies major prepared her to lead as a director and producer.
The alum now lives in Los Angeles, where she is editing her second short, The LA Story. The film features a young woman on the cusp of making it as a movie actress in Los Angeles, a theme that resonates with her, she said. She wrote the script this summer and fall and shot the film over two days in mid-November.
“It was my first time directing a multi-camera film,” she said. “When you’re leading a project like this, it’s easy to get impostor’s syndrome. But as the director, you have to see the bigger picture. When people throw out ideas that aren’t in line with your vision, you have to say thank you, but no thank you.”
McNamara’s vision for writing, directing, and producing films appears to be spot on. Her pilot TV episode, “Good Grief,” qualified as a quarterfinalist at the Outstanding Screenplays TV Pilot Competition, she said. At last count, A Date with Destiny had received eight awards at national and international film festivals, including the Best Script in Short Award at the Paris International Short Festival.
“Shorts showcase your chops as a filmmaker,” she said. “You can shoot a short to try to interest financial backers in supporting a feature film. I would love to be a screenwriter and director and even have my own production company one day.”
She paused for a moment before adding, "Don't die with your stories in you!"