Sleepless in Pennsylvania
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Time: TBD
Milford Theater – ticketed event
Attachments: A Novel by Jeff Arch, author of screenplay Sleepless in Seattle
Moderator: John DiLeo
Jeff Arch famously wrote the Sleepless in Seattle screenplay, one of the most successful romcoms of the 20th Century, but before he became a Hollywood heavy, Arch was a concert-lighting designer for touring rock-and-reggae acts, and an owner of a martial-arts school instructing rotating officers at the Pentagon. In fact, this Malibu resident was born in Harrisburg, Pa., and Arch’s adolescent years in a Pennsylvania boarding school served as the inspirational spark for his indie-published novel, Attachments, which has won several literary awards, including Kirkus Review’s Best Indie Book of the Year in 2021. Come hear the extraordinary story of how Arch beat the Hollywood odds to write Sleepless in Seattle, and the how and why of his later transition to novel writing.
Jeff Arch
Jeff Arch grew up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he spent two of his high school years at a boarding school much like the one depicted in Attachments. In the 70’s, Jeff studied film/tv/theater production at Emerson College in Boston, and then moved to Los Angeles, where he worked as a concert lighting designer and toured the country with national rock and reggae acts, while teaching himself to write screenplays on the side. When a comedy he wrote opened and closed off-Broadway in the same week, Jeff went into a rebuilding period where he studied tae kwon do with a Grand Master, while teaching English electives in a local alternative high school. Eventually Jeff opened up a martial arts school of his own, and then a second, while also teaching summer programs at the Pentagon for officers who were rotating through. Married and with a young family, Jeff heard the call to write again; in 1989, he sold his business, rented a small office and gave himself one year to write three screenplays. The second of those – a quirky romantic comedy where the two lovers don’t even meet until the very last page – sold almost immediately, and “Sleepless in Seattle” became a surprise megahit worldwide. For his screenplay, Jeff was nominated for an Oscar, as well as for Writers Guild and BAFTA Awards, among others.
His other credits include the Disney adventure film “Iron Will,” New Line’s romantic comedy “Sealed With a Kiss,” and the independent comedy “Dave Barry’s Complete Guide to Guys.” Jeff’s script for “Saving Milly,” based on Mort Kondracke’s searing memoir, earned the 2005 Humanitas Nomination, an honor Jeff treasures.
Jeff has taught master classes and seminars at film festivals, screenwriting conferences, and solo presentations in the U.S., England, Finland, Sweden, Chile and Australia. He is currently a board member of The Story Summit, an organization for writers, with two annual conferences and an online Story School.
Moderator: John DiLeo
John DiLeo is the author of eight books about classic movies: And You Thought You Knew Classic Movies (1999), 100 Great Film Performances You Should Remember—But Probably Don’t (2002), Screen Savers: 40 Remarkable Movies Awaiting Rediscovery (2007), Tennessee Williams and Company: His Essential Screen Actors (2010), Screen Savers II: My Grab Bag of Classic Movies (2012), Ten Movies at a Time: A 350-Film Journey Through Hollywood and America 1930-1970 (2017), There Are No Small Parts: 100 Outstanding Film Performances with Screen Time of 10 Minutes or Less (2022), and Not Even Nominated: 40 Overlooked Costars of Oscar-Winning Performances (2024).
He has been an annual participant in the Black Bear Film Festival (Milford, PA), conducting onstage interviews with such notables as Farley Granger, Arlene Dahl, Marge Champion, Keir Dullea, Jane Powell, Rex Reed, Tab Hunter, Lorna Luft, Jane Alexander, and Illeana Douglas.
DiLeo spends most Sunday afternoons introducing classic movies (and leading post-film discussions) at the historic Milford Theater in Milford, PA.
He can be found on social media, including Facebook, Instagram (john.dileo.12), and his website is johndileo.com.