Can artificial intelligence give us the perfect relationship—or does perfection come at the cost of real human connection?

In this episode of Best in Fest, host Leslie LaPage sits down with writer, director, producer, and bestselling author Lisa Steadman to discuss modern relationships, romantic storytelling, artificial intelligence, and her new festival short film, Tainted Love.

A graduate of the USC screenwriting program, Lisa has built a wide-ranging creative career spanning film, television, publishing, branding, and digital media. She shares how she went from working in film production to helping build the Barbie Collector brand at Mattel, launching an influential breakup blog, and becoming the bestselling author of It’s a Breakup, Not a Breakdown.

Lisa also opens up about how her own relationships shaped her writing, why she initially resisted writing romantic comedies, and how she learned to balance the fantasy of romance with the emotional truth of real-life relationships.

In this episode:

• Lisa Steadman’s journey from USC Film School to professional screenwriting
• What film school does—and does not—prepare writers for
• How she helped build Mattel’s Barbie Collector brand
• Why she refused to sign away ownership of her creative ideas
• Turning a painful breakup into a successful blog and book career
• How personal relationships influence screenwriting
• Why romantic comedies need both fantasy and emotional truth
• The creative process behind Tainted Love
• Why people may choose AI companions over human relationships
• What artificial intelligence cannot replace about real love
• How AI could change screenwriting and independent filmmaking
• The risks and opportunities AI creates for writers
• Why filmmakers should stop waiting for permission and create their own work
• The importance of collaboration in independent film
• Lisa’s dream of bringing her television series Lauren of Arabia to the screen

In Tainted Love, Lisa imagines a near future where AI companions look and behave like real people. During a neighborhood dinner party, a sudden blackout exposes who is human—and who is not—forcing the characters to confront the emotional consequences of choosing artificial perfection over genuine connection.

The conversation also explores Lisa’s nuanced view of AI in Hollywood. She uses it as a creative assistant and believes it could help independent filmmakers reduce costs and green-light their own projects, but she remains concerned about protecting the heart, humanity, and creative livelihoods that only people can provide.

Whether you are a screenwriter, filmmaker, author, romantic-comedy fan, or simply curious about the future of love and technology, this episode offers an entertaining and thought-provoking look at relationships in the age of artificial intelligence.

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