LOS ANGELES, Dec. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dr. Walter Jacobson, a Los Angeles-based psychiatrist, author, and first-time filmmaker, scored a major win at this year’s American Film Market (AFM) Pitch Conference when his outrageous comedy, Baxter’s Brain, took 3rd place from a panel of industry judges, including award-winning producer Cassian Elwes, screenwriting professor and coach Lee Jessup, and independent producer Loni Rodgers.
The AFM Pitch Conference is one of the market’s signature showcases where selected creators present their concepts live to top producers, financiers, and development executives.
Walter first came to Hollywood years ago to write movies, but shifted gears to become a psychiatrist after deciding he needed more life experience to tell the stories he wanted to tell.
After 25 years in private practice, he has returned to screenwriting with Baxter’s Brain, a satiric, irreverent, over the top comedy that pokes fun at doctors, TV shows, and “the insanity of our society that has become the new normal.”
After submitting a 2-minute video to the AFM Pitch Conference committee, Walter was one of 20 filmmakers chosen from over 150 entries to pitch Baxter’s Brain at the Pitch Conference on November 15, 2025.
“The response from the audience to my pitch was incredibly validating,” reports Walter. “It was a great affirmation that Baxter’s Brain is funny and that people will go see it.”
When asked how he feels about his screenwriting skills this second time around, Walter is very clear about this. “I drew from my years as a psychiatrist. Interacting with a wide range of people from all walks of life gave me insights into the quirks of human nature that my younger self didn’t have access to. I am immensely proud of the screenplay and confident that this is a movie that will bring a lot of laughter and joy to the world.”
Joining forces with veteran producer Franco Sama of Samaco Films, Walter has no doubts about Baxter’s Brain becoming a global box office phenomenon and a new comedy franchise. “People love wacky comedies like The Naked Gun and Blazing Saddles,” states Walter. “They are hungry for more and they will go to the theatres in droves if a really funny movie shows up. There is also a separate huge market of people who love movies with talking animals, like TED and Paddington. Baxter is a super-smart, talking gorilla. Audiences will love him! And you can take that to the bank!”
One wonders where Walter’s confidence comes from. “That’s easy. I’ve studied comedy my whole life. I know what’s funny. When I was struggling to make it as a writer, I produced a weekly show, Poor Walter’s Almanac, on cable TV, which was me ranting and raving about everything under the sun. Roseanne and Tom Arnold were fans of the show, as were many celebrities including Richard Lewis, George Carlin, Casey Kasem and Steve Edwards. The point of all this is to say that I made all those people laugh, AND Roseanne brought me onto her ROSEANNE show as a recurring character. So I must know a few things about comedy.”
So what’s next for Baxter’s Brain? “We need to get it financed and produced. I’m hoping this article will inspire the right people to contact me and help me bring Baxter’s Brain to a welcoming public.”
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