“It’s a love story that brings together opposites,” says Muritiba in our interview below. “It may start out as romantic love, but then it develops into another kind of love.” Indeed, Deserto Particular is a deeply sensitive examination of love, gender, and queerness set against a backdrop of toxic masculinity and conservative social ideals. Daniel represents the old-fashioned view of what it means to be a man (rough, gruff, and stoic), while Sara (later revealed to be a young man named Robson) represents the modern, softer, and more emotionally accessible ideas of masculinity. “The cold and conservative Brazil of the south, the warmer and freer Brazil of the northeast.”

Deserto Particular premiered in Venice Giornate Degli Autori, where it ultimately won the BNL People’s Choice Award. It was up against 92 other countries in the Best International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards. Being representative of Brazilian cinema is a moment that isn’t lost on Muritiba: “Brazil has a history of social issue cinema, and my film is part of this tradition. But it also points to a new path, a path of hope.”

First of all, may I just say how magnificent your film is! I’m curious to know where this story started for you? What inspired it?

The original script telling the story of a man who falls in love with a woman he virtually knows is by Henrique dos Santos, co-writer of the film who invited me to write this story with him. In the beginning, Deserto Particular was a drama of discordance, a film that spoke of the way things are. And they are very painful and difficult. But little by little, as we worked and discussed what kind of emotions we wanted to provoke in people, it became a love story. The escalation of hatred in my country has entered since the election of Jair Bolsonaro has contributed to this. I was fed up with so much bad news, so much violence and hate speech. So I decided to make this movie no longer about how things are, but how they can be. And they can be different, better and more positive.

The film examines and incites conversations about masculinity, the role (and reputation) of the police force, gender expression, and queerness, all of which are very topical today both in Brazil and many other parts of the world. What are you hoping viewers will take away from your film?

Deserto Particular is a film of great affection, in which deserts meet. It’s a love story that brings together opposites. It may start out as romantic love, but then it develops into another kind of love. I would very much like that if someone were to look for my movie in a hypothetical video store, they would find it on the love movie shelf. But it’s also a movie about masculinity. About what it’s like to be “male” in Brazil. To grow up as a man in my country is to grow up under the sign of violence. All our training as men is based on the imposing use of force and oppression. And this is obviously much more acute in the police world. So I chose as my protagonist this man educated in violent and heteronormative logic, but who, thanks to desire and affection, thanks to love, is able to change and become a better person. The film is about that, about the redeeming capacity of love, encounters and tolerance. And that’s what I hope the viewer will take with them at the end of the session. Much love.

The film’s opening credits don’t show up until about half an hour into the film. Daniel’s professional and personal circumstances are starting to cave in on him, he’s about to face the impending consequences of his actions, and he leaves town to drive across the country to find Sara. It’s a very marked moment of separation because we don’t travel back with Daniel at the end of the film. How important was it for you to take the time in the beginning to really situate the audience in Daniel’s life? What do you imagine happens to him when he returns home?

I honestly don’t know if Daniel will return home or if, fulfilling Robson’s grandfather’s destiny, he will stay in Sobradinho and become a fisherman. Anyway, if he comes home, he’ll be a much better man, he’ll take the consequences of his mistake, and he’ll be a kinder brother.

The film has a long prologue in which we present Daniel’s routine in southern Brazil. I spend a lot of time on this so that the viewer can understand what Daniel is running away from and what he is looking for (even if unconsciously) when he decides to leave. Without establishing the oppressive background in which Daniel lives, it would be impossible to release him at the end of the journey. Rather, he needed to show how hard and violent his surroundings were, and then flood him with affection (something he doesn’t have or know how to express), break it and finally transform it.

What I loved about Deserto Particular was how it felt like a diptych of, on the one hand, Daniel’s journey of self-discovery and, on the other, Robson/Sara’s journey of self-becoming. Both narratives explore masculinity and queerness as it relates to social location, but each offers nuanced perspectives. Can you talk more about your decision to structure the film in this way?

My film is a film that brings together two very different worlds that need to learn to coexist. It is also about the different Brazils that exist within the same Brazil. The cold and conservative Brazil of the south, the warmer and freer Brazil of the northeast. It is also about the different models of masculinity, the archaic, represented in Daniel, and the new, represented in Robson. So I decided that I would split the film into three parts conducted by two protagonists. The first part takes on the point of view of Daniel and his loneliness, the second with Robson/Sara and his desire to be free, and finally a third part about the encounter that transforms them.

Another thing that especially stood out to me was the soundtrack. There was a range of songs (in both genre and language), and each song really cemented the emotion of the scenes they appear in, which, to me, was particularly powerful because there are a lot of either silences or words left unsaid between the characters. How did you go about selecting the music?

I’m a musical guy. Everything I do I’m listening to music. Actually, I never wanted to be a filmmaker, I really wanted to be a singer. I even had a band and made a record, but it was terrible, I must admit. So I wrote Deserto Particular listening to most of the songs that play in the movie. When I decided that this movie was going to be a melodramatic road movie, I started to think of the songs as commentators on the scenes. So yes, often the songs are there to comment or add up what the characters say or keep silent.

Your film was chosen as Brazil’s international entry for the Academy Awards–congratulations! How does it feel to have your film (which challenges many people’s understanding of life, love, and people) be a sort of representative of Brazilian cinema? Do you think this moment gestures towards a deeper significance about where Brazilian cinema is right now (or where it’s going)?

It is symptomatic to have a queer movie about love representing Brazil in the Oscars race during the Bolsonaro government. Brazil is the country with the highest rates of LGBTQIA+ murders, and Deserto Particular appears to offer another perspective, another possible world: a sheltering world. Brazil has a history of social issue cinema, and my film is part of this tradition. But it also points to a new path, a path of hope.

The post A Conversation With ‘Deserto Particular’ Brazilian Filmmaker Aly Muritiba appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

We chatted with Goetz about his book, the tension between film as an art and film as a business, and the growing impact of social media conversations on the film industry among other things. Audience-ology is available for purchase now.

Congratulations on Audience-ology! This was an absolute joy for me to read; I studied film at university, so your book was very much up my alley. That said, it’s a very accessible book in that you don’t necessarily need to be an expert on film history or the industry in order to fully appreciate it. What ultimately inspired you to write the book, and how did you settle on its blend of history and industry anecdotes/interviews that also incorporates moments of your own professional journey?

Thank you, Jericho, for the positive feedback. I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed Audience-ology, especially knowing your background. The book was originally conceived as a way to inform novice filmmakers and film school students about the test screening process, and to demystify it for others who work in the industry. As my co-author and I got into it, we realized that we needed to bring the material to life with examples of how the data has been used to change, refine or simply validate what ends up on the screen. But these aren’t my stories to tell. So I reached out to filmmakers and studio executives and asked them to share their experiences. Their stories were terrific, and we soon realized that the book could have broader potential. We wanted to provide the reader with some historical perspective to reinforce this type of early previewing has been around for more than a century. So we spent time in the Margaret Herrick Library (the main repository for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science archives) researching the beginnings of test audience research and found copies of the survey “cards” that were used decades ago. Interviews with Samuel Goldwyn, Jr. and Dick Zanuck also helped, because they had recollections of their fathers conducting research. With regard to my own story, I thought it important that readers know who is narrating, and that I have the credentials to present this material having grown up in the business under the wings of the two pioneers of modern movie research, Joe Farrell and Catherine Paura. Importantly, I wanted to let young readers know that their lives can take unexpected turns and encourage them to be open-minded about the goals they choose to pursue and the opportunities that present themselves along the way.

The book really spotlights a relatively unseen aspect of the filmmaking process and, what’s more, dives into how unique the test-screening process can be for any given film. Out of the countless films that you’ve worked on (and that have been made in general), how did you manage to boil it down to the select few that made it into the book? Were there any stories / films that you loved but didn’t make the final draft?

Certain movies that are discussed represent a particular aspect of the screening process that we want to inform, such as deciding the location of the venue, the mechanics and challenges of recruiting a test audience, and how to interpret the scores. Other stories were chosen because they highlight a certain type of insight that can be gleaned from the audience’s response. Having worked on the research thousands of films, I had a wish list of interviewees who had experiences that I knew would drive home our points. We leaned toward including blockbuster movies that “everyone” has seen or at least recognizes, although we also wove in stories about smaller films that illustrate some facet of the process that we didn’t have with any of the bigger titles. Ultimately, we had many more stories than we could possibly use and I think there is an Audience-ology 2 in my future.

One of the most stand-out parts of the book is Sherry Lansing’s quote: “The process does not corrupt your art, it helps you get your message through.” It’s very poignant, considering how easy–perhaps, cynical–it would be to categorize the test-screening process as a purely American-capitalist methodology–profit takes precedence over art. What are your thoughts on the inherent tension of filmmaking in that it’s an art form but also a business? And how do you approach (or appease) that tension in your line of work?

Excellent question! Movie making is not a singular art form, and there are many voices along the way. We actually considered subtitling the book, “The Science Behind the Art of Making Movies.” I believe market research lands right at the intersection of those two entities, art and science, which are both crucial to the business proposition of any film. There is a reason why it’s called the movie business. It is commerce with very high stakes. I have a philosophy that every movie can be profitable if it is made for the right price. You can make a movie for somebody. You can make a movie for everybody. But make it and market it for the right price, with the size of the potential audience in mind. By the time we test produced content, it’s already too late. My company, Screen Engine/ASI has other products to help assess risk by testing ideas at the concept stage and at the script stage. We can identify who is likely to turn out to buy tickets (or stream it) way before lights and cameras are turned on. We can also help studios gauge the value of cast or cast pairings, which can greatly impact above-the-line costs. This isn’t to take anything away from the writers, directors, actors, cinematographers, production designers, etc. who turn words on a page into a piece of art. But someone is footing the bill and in order to continue making that art, studios must turn a profit. I’m in the business of mitigating risk.

With the rise of social media–and, by extension, social discourse–audience reaction is arguably more alive now than, say, a decade ago. Anyone with a smartphone or a Twitter account effectively has a voice in the way a film is talked about publicly–sometimes even before production begins! Whether it’s a casting choice or a film’s insensitivity towards a particular subject matter, audiences more easily rally together now than before. How do you keep up to date on what audiences truly want from their movies? How do social media and online conversations, now, affect or change your process (if at all)?

Social media chatter, especially based on an early cut of a film that is tested, is a huge concern. Every attendee to a test screening supplies us with proof of identity and contact information. We also have participants sign non-disclosure agreements prohibiting them from talking about the film, texting, Tweeting, or posting anything at all prior to its release. Once they are seated in the theater, we explain that they’ve been invited into the process and they must give the people working on the film the courtesy of finishing it before they talk about it. We have taken legal action against participants who have posted something publicly and on very rare occasions, entire test screenings have been cancelled because of chatter beforehand. In recent years, we have added questions to our surveys that ask movie consumers how they might talk about the film if and when they are permitted to do so. We also query their social media habits and whether they would “like” an ad for the movie, post something on their own, or re-Tweet something that others have posted. We’ve included a list of multiple choice hashtags and asked them to select the one they would personally post. This feedback is critical to the studio marketing departments, allowing them to get out ahead of chatter with their own early messaging. But as you well know from your question, it is difficult to control what ends up online, as we saw with Sonic for example, when fans rejected the character design in an early trailer.

We monitor social media but we do not rely upon it to learn what moviegoers want. We have our own tracking studies (Tracktion® and PostTrak®) which collect data from thousands of nationally representative entertainment consumers every day, every week, year round. We know what’s on their radar, what sparks interest, what they have seen, and whether or not they will endorse it with positive word-of-mouth.

You’ve made a name for yourself in the market research side of filmmaking, but you started out as an actor. Indeed, you recount in your book how your skills as an actor often helped you navigate conversations with test audiences. Throughout your research work, has there ever been a film that you’ve seen / tested that reached into your inner-actor and made you wish you could have been in that film? If so, what was it?

Well, there have been times when I’ve tested a movie, most recently Dear Evan Hansen, and thought I would have loved that role back when I was still acting, singing and dancing. I didn’t actually wish I could have been in the movie, I only envisioned how I would have felt if given the opportunity when I was still working as “a triple threat,” as they say in the business. I don’t have any regrets about where I’ve landed career-wise, and to the contrary, my work is totally fulfilling. And, anyone who has seen the film knows the amazingly talented Ben Platt owned it!

I also related to the role of Billy in Billy Elliot. My memory about the test audience preview of the 2000 Oscar-nominated film is vague, but I clearly recall seeing it on the London stage and being beyond moved by the story and the lead performance. When it was over, there were tears streaming down my face. My husband, Neil leaned over and asked why I was crying. “That was my life!,” I exclaimed. Without missing a beat, he replied, “Your father was a coal miner??” (In fact, he worked on Wall Street.)

Above all else, what are you hoping readers will take away from reading Audience-ology?

For general movie fans, I want them to know that their opinions matter. They have a voice and Hollywood is listening. Obviously, the box office sends a clear message but they should know that a representative sample of typical moviegoers weighs in on just about every movie that is released by a major studio. I’m not sure that’s common knowledge. For young filmmakers, I hope they understand that the screening process should be embraced, not feared. If they want to achieve success in the industry, they need to consider audience feedback while they still have time to make adjustments. In the book, I tried to emphasize the idea of conducting small private screenings for anecdotal feedback, even before the studio executives schedule their official tests. For industry insiders, I hope they will learn something new about the process and find the stories shared by their colleagues entertaining and relatable.

Will you be picking up Audience-ology? Tell us in the comments below!

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As he notes in our interview below, Rodrigues spent a year researching and interviewing / forming relationships with disability activists and transit advocates. What ultimately inspired his investigation was the news of the death of Malaysia Goodson in 2019. Goodson was a 22 year-old mother who fell while trying to carry her daughter’s stroller down a flight of subway stairs, resulting in her tragic death. “It didn’t make sense. It just didn’t compute,” says Rodrigues.

This is perhaps what makes All Riders exceptional: the film spotlights the importance (and struggle) of the disability movement, while ultimately making the argument that accessibility is a fight for all. Blair-Goldensohn, for instance, became disabled after an accident in 2009, and Goodson was an able-bodied mother whose death could certainly have been avoided if her subway station’s elevator weren’t broken. “Accessibility is about universality,” says Rodrigues. “This is the fundamental magnetism of the issue. Making a space accessible elevates the living standards of all people.”

Congratulations on your film! It offers a really powerful, emotive, and informative perspective on the issues and struggles that many disabled people experience every day. Where did All Riders start for you? What inspired you to spotlight this issue?

It all started in late January of 2019 when I learned of the death of Malaysia Goodson. I was appalled by the news of a 22 year old mother’s fatal fall down subway stairs as she carried her one-year-old daughter in her stroller. It didn’t make sense. It just didn’t compute. I needed to know more. I, like many straphangers, have helped parents with strollers navigate subway stairs. These experiences added to my motivation to understand the factors that lead to Malaysia’s death.

I delved into a year’s long process of investigative research. This research then transitioned into field work which involved meeting disability activists and transit advocates. Next thing you know I am attending meetings of various disability groups, rallies and court hearings.

In your film’s short runtime, you highlight diverse experiences and voices, ultimately illustrating that you don’t necessarily need to be disabled in order to be affected by an environment’s lack of accessibility. How important was it for you to channel a multitude of perspectives in All Riders and to really hone in on the anger, frustration, and fighting spirit of everyone affected by the MTA inaction?

The disabled community in the city of New York is fascinating. It is extremely diverse cutting through all quantifiable metrics be it income, zip code, ethnicity—you name it! It is also the city’s largest minority numbering almost one million New Yorkers. Crucially, it is a community you can become part of during life like for Sasha Blair-Goldensohn, one of our characters who became disabled after a freak accident in 2009. Then of course you have Malaysia Goodson who was an able-bodied mother.

As an able-bodied person myself, it was crucial to amplify the personal aspects of our character’s stories to address this wide range of experiences. Accessibility is about universality. This is the fundamental magnetism of the issue. Making a space accessible elevates the living standards of all people.

All Riders isn’t your first documentary short to highlight social issues; The Ending of a Dream sheds light on the realities of undocumented works in NYC. Would it be fair to say that film is your medium for activism? Conversely, how much does your social consciousness inform your approach to filmmaking?

Although my passport says I am a Brazilian citizen, an upbringing across four continents has shaped my inquisitiveness on the complexities and challenges of the human condition. I don’t seek to convince my audience to adhere to my worldview per se. Instead, through personal interest stories, I hope to touch their hearts and to challenge their perspectives, to hold up a mirror and make them reflect on the real, tangible human aspects of the issues I present.

What advice would you have for aspiring filmmakers and activists who want to use film as tool for social education and change?

You have to be diligent and patient. You have to be humble in understanding that you may not fully understand an issue at first so it is key that you put yourself out there and do your homework. Do not expect results overnight. Building bridges and gaining the trust of your characters take time. If you show a genuine interest in the topic at hand, that you’ve done your research and – above all – that you are willing to learn and listen, doors will open. I was able to obtain the amount of access for All Riders through a year’s worth of relationship and trust building. It’s a challenging process but extremely fulfilling. 

What’s next for you? And where can our readers follow you and your work?

I am now living in São Paulo, Brazil after ten years in New York City. Readers can follow me and my work on Instagram with the handle @vdrsvictor.

The post A Conversation with ‘All Riders’ Filmmaker Victor Dias Rodrigues appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Interestingly, although her love of musicals is clear in our email interview below, it was documentary that Rongfei majored in at NYU. Of course, that wasn’t an obstacle: “My studies at NYU didn’t really inform my approach to the musical genre, but it gave me a sense of how to tell a riveting story,” she says.

Indeed, Girl With a Thermal Gun is a ray of light at a time when our world is continuously darkened by political and social division, pandemic devastation, and and climate-related destruction. Rongfei’s film is a reminder that even when all hope seems to be lost, we must continue dancing and singing.

I’d like to start by commending you on your film! On top of being such a well-crafted film about a very topical issue, it was an immense joy to watch. Where did the idea for the film come from? What made you decide to make it a musical?

Thanks a lot. I’ve always had a strong interest in the musical genre. I’ve always felt that musical films with dance capture larger-than-life emotions. It is naturally suited for exploring characters’ inner lives. During Covid-19, I was quarantined in my room for a long time alone and the whole city was locked down. I didn’t know what the future would be like and the feeling of fear emerged. One day when I was walking in a supermarket, I felt that the supermarket was just like a metaphor of a family, from vegetables, bed sheets to napkins… This made me feel lonelier at that time. When I saw people wearing masks and keeping themselves socially distanced, I felt so depressed and really wanted to burst into songs and dances even just for one minute. Then I came up with this idea — a musical film about a delivery man who falls in love with a girl with a thermal gun. The fantasy uplifted him in dark times, and it uplifted me as well.

Although it highlights the ways in which our daily lives have been affected by the global pandemic, the film feels, to me, fundamentally like a celebration of life: it’s set in an everyday environment and stars everyday characters, and the musical structure of it really brings out the beauty and grandeur of the ordinary. Particularly at the end, when Li Chao’s character goes on dancing, it feels like a message of hope and perseverance. What are you hoping audiences will feel or take away from watching Girl with a Thermal Gun?

Yes, exactly. I wanted to make the story a great escape from the cruel reality. I wanted him to dance in the hallway until the end because he knows that as soon as he steps outside the building, he’ll be back to a boring life of routine with masks and social distancing. That dance is the last fantasy he can keep before getting back to reality. But I do want to say that the process of building up the fantasy is just as meaningful as our actual day-to-day life.

Would you talk about the logistics of filming choreography in a supermarket? Were there any challenges that you faced during production, and how did you overcome them?

So, it is a real supermarket and we could only film after it closed. Thus, we had four consecutive nights of shooting. This was a nightmare because the whole crew was really exhausted. And in the morning at 7 a.m., we needed to wrap. But I am so thrilled that I got to film in a supermarket because the whole place gave us so much inspiration. It is the best stage for singing and dancing! Especially for the choreographer, he was thrilled during scouting and came up with more ideas there and then we decided to change some plot points.

You studied at NYU, where you majored in documentary. Here, you’ve made a musical! How did your studies inform your approach to making a musical? Additionally, how did studying film in America inform or change the way you see Chinese stories and issues?

It is an amazing shift, from the most realistic place to the most surreal one. After I graduated, I made many documentaries in China, which I enjoyed a lot. In my documentaries, I always tried to mix some fiction in the story to blur the boundaries of reality. I also made some documentary films related to dance and music and the whole filmmaking process was so eye-opening to me. 

My studies at NYU didn’t really inform my approach to the musical genre, but it gave me a sense of how to tell a riveting story. And the methodology I learned there applied to all genres, no matter if it is a serious social issue documentary, a horror film or a glamorous musical. Studying in America also made me pay attention to the eternal value that I can express through a Chinese story. Maybe it is also because in America I had to pitch to some people who have limited knowledge of China, so I always remind myself that my story needs to break the cultural boundary and deliver something universal in order to touch the deep nature of humans.

The previous presidential administration spurred a very xenophobic narrative about the coronavirus and its origins, so much so that reported hate crimes against Asian people have skyrocketed since 2020. As a Chinese director bringing a Chinese film to American film festivals, is this something you think about? worry about? Does it give you an added urgency to share your stories?

When I was making the film, there weren’t many hate crimes at that time so I didn’t think about it until the post-production. I did have the concern and sadness to see the news of hate crimes, not only for my film, but also because I lived in the U.S. for many years and I love it there so much. But after the film was selected into the Tribeca Film Festival, I got a phone call from the committee and they said they liked the film because it is something we all want for a pandemic story. And then it won the Best Narrative Award which makes me more confident about it. Just like what I said before, I always want to explore a universal value through a story. No matter if you are a delivery man or a billionaire, no matter where you live, we all shared the same fear and loneliness during the pandemic. It was such a strange world and you couldn’t really know what was going to happen next. And I am glad that it is a musical film because dance and music don’t have that boundary. No one resists dance and songs. I really like the saying from Bob Fosse: “The time to sing is when your emotional level is too high to just speak any more, and the time to dance is when your emotions are just too strong to only sing about how you feel.” We all had so many emotions stuck in our bodies during lockdown and it’s important to just let the art help us escape from reality for just a few minutes. This is also why Chloe Zhao inspires me. I feel imperative to tell the universal value of love and loss, beauty and hope through my eyes especially in a time of hatred.

What’s next for you?

After this musical, I became more addicted to musicals and now I am developing my first musical feature-length film Dear Red. Dear Red is a story about my search for my mom, and for myself. Because I have never known who my mother was for 30 years. I was making Girl With a Thermal Gun and at the same time first knew her name and started to write some letters to her. The musical feature is about my fantasy of my mom. This story is also about confronting the trauma brought by our families and childhoods, and our struggle to reconcile with ourselves. The film script was selected by Cinéfondation Residence of Cannes Film Festival and I am living in Paris to finish the script and hopefully you will see this family drama musical film in 2023.

The post A Conversation with ‘Girl With a Thermal Gun’ Filmmaker Rongfei Guo appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

In our email interview below, Esmaili talks about being inspired by the personal stories of those closest to her, her desire to be as non-judgmental as possible during her interviews with 35 year-old Alireza, 14 year-old Asal, and their family members, and her wish for others to see themselves in the film. Indeed, child marriage is an often-overlooked—or perhaps, more correctly, lesser known—issue in countries like Canada, US, and parts of the UK. “It happens around the globe, just with different setups, beliefs, reasons and cultures,” Esmaili says.

The Doll made its world premiere at the Hot Docs International Documentary Festival in Toronto earlier this year, and is currently making the festival rounds. As awards season looms on the horizon, Elahe Esmaili and The Doll are certainly ones to watch out for.

Before we get into The Doll, I wonder if you might tell us about your own filmmaking journey? Where did it all start for you?

I’m Elahe, 30 years old, from Iran. I finished my BA course in directing at Tehran University of Art last year and am now doing my MA course at National Film and Television School in the UK. For me filmmaking is a way to express my thoughts, feelings and moments through my art. Either feelings raised from concerns and issues like child marriage or grateful moments that carry emotions that you enjoy sharing. This desire drew me to filmmaking.

The Doll is a very layered and nuanced film that tackles intersecting issues of child marriage, women’s rights, and harmful patriarchal traditions. Where did the idea for the film come from? How did you find Asal and her story? What inspired you to spotlight Asal?

At some point, I found myself surrounded by these cases. Every couple of years one of the girls among my close relatives gets married very young. In many cases I have seen how many problems they are facing later in their family. My own sister got divorced because of a wrong marriage when she was 17. So It was always an important subject for me to explore and quest. 

I heard Asal’s news through one of my relatives, and I started talking to them and the family members about them and then I found it a good case to make a documentary of, as it let me to explore the subject from different aspects of this issue.

It wasn’t a case that happened in a remote village that some father just because of financial issues is consenting to it. It was happening in a middle class family in a big city. It could prove how close this issue is to us. Some NGO, child activist or people when talking to them just think about child marriage [being] in remote poor areas and only by arranged marriage. Asal’s story shows us this issue is not a simple matter and is close to a wide variety of girls across the country(maybe region and world as well). 

You’ve said previously that while you have your own judgments on the situation, the goal of The Doll is to be as impartial of a lens as possible, laying out the facts and the situation before the audience so that they may make their own judgements themselves. What are you hoping audiences will take away from watching this film? And how important was it for you to have this film made despite potential backlash and censorship?

For me, if the film helps families in a similar situation to ask them if the decision they are making is the best for their child, I have achieved my goal. 

When I started to finally make the film, although I was told there’s a risk of censoring or putting me in trouble, I was truly feeling how much this issue is damaging, and how frequent it is. So I couldn’t be indifferent. Having that in mind and trying to protect myself as a filmmaker, I thought I will make it anyhow.

What’s most interesting to me is how complex Asal’s situation is: her own reasons for wanting to get married are often at odds (and even hidden) from Alireza, who himself has his own reasons as well for consenting to Asal’s marriage. What was it like to work with Asal, Alireza, and their extended family? What was their response to the film?

Well it was definitely a long and hard process for me to get to a point where they speak frankly and be honest and comfortable with my camera. I almost lived with them and they would accept me. The truths we see now on screen, used to be hidden from the other family members. But I talked to everyone individually and tried to provide a peaceful atmosphere for them and not be afraid of revealing.

From the other side, mostly what you see is their beliefs. For an audience out of this society it may seem strange that a father says my girl should not study if her husband says so. But for them it is their beliefs and they feel like they have found a tribune to talk about their beliefs and more interestingly even somehow criticize those who are not taking the same attitude. 

Even though Asal seems excited about the prospect of marriage, news from different parts of the world report tragedies associated with child marriage and patriarchal traditions within Islamic societies. What do you think needs to change in order for these issues to improve?

Well as you mentioned in the film I wanted to be less judgmental and let audiences decide what needs to be changed. My personal opinion out of context of the film and based on my own experience is , first of all I think the issue is the way that we see women’s role in society. I haven’t seen all the Islamic societies in the world, but based on what I have seen and as a person from a religious family, I always find it really painful that women need to belong to a man somehow, otherwise they would be in crisis! This beliefs and dynamics go that far that Asal’s father in my film says “if Asal’s husband doesn’t let her work outside, she has to accept and stay at home.”

But I think child marriage is not only for Islamic societies in particular. It happens around the globe, just with different setups, beliefs, reasons and cultures. For example in the UK still girls can get married at 16 with parental consent and it has led to issues like the Payeez Mahmod campaign in last May in the UK. It’s also mentioned in the film that there is no rule to stop the marriage of Asal in Iran.  Or when we screened in Canada and US correspondents were telling us that there are lots of registered child marriages in Canada and US as well. So there is a legal support that allows it which needs to be resolved. 

Another example I can recall is in Albania, a non-Islamic country in the European union. I was told child marriage is happening there because of similar issues we explored in the film including financial reason and patriarch. Same feedback from audiences in South Africa, another country from another part of the earth.

So we should NOT just narrow it down to Islamic beliefs or only financial issues. 

The Doll has been making its festival rounds and, more significantly, has been widely awarded and applauded. What does it mean for you to have your film receive the recognition it’s seeing so far?

The film is raised from a concern and issue that as a woman I have experienced and am still dealing with. I’m so proud that a lot of people around the world feel connected to it and I could communicate with them through my film. It makes me motivated and more determined to keep going in the direction and talk about all these personal concerns and feelings. 

What’s next for you? And where can our readers follow you and your work?

I’m working on my next short film as a part of my MA course. It’s about one of my other personal feelings as a woman. I’m shooting it next week.

My instagram is the best place to follow myself: @elaheesmaili__

If they would like to follow film they can also follow films instagram page: @thedolldoc or the website of the film https://thedolldoc.com

The post A Conversation with ‘The Doll’ Filmmaker Elahe Esmaili appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Indeed, Black’s own life journey of being down on his luck at times could be seen as an emotional parallel to AMP’s. From dancing for Beyoncé and working with Debbie Allen to scraping by on earnings as a valet driver for The West Hollywood EDITION and, at one point, being unhoused, Black has had his fair share of ups and downs. Perhaps it’s because he knows the struggle and the grind or perhaps it’s a testament to his ability to tap into his wealth of emotion as an actor—perhaps it’s both!—but there’s a notable sensitivity to Black’s performance. He may be one of the quieter characters, but there’s a magnetism to Black’s presence that is undeniable in every scene he’s in.

In our interview below, Black is open and thoughtful as he discusses the last year of his life. “We shot [All the Queen’s Men] in November 2020. I had just come out of poverty.” With Sistas, All the Queen’s Men, and, soon, Lace, the stars are clearly aligning for Black. He’s living proof that anything can happen with a little bit perseverance, gratitude, and faith. Keep an eye out for him!

For our readers who haven’t seen the series yet, how would you describe All the Queen’s Men and who your character is?

Expect the unexpected. I hear the narrative out there that it’s a stripper show [but] it’s really a crime drama with heart. My character is AMP Anthony, the nephew of Madam, who is the leading lady on the show [played by] Eva Marcille. AMP is a kid whose life, because of one mistake, took a drastic turn and caused him to go to prison. He’s coming back into the world trying to adapt and understand this new life [after] all the previous circumstances that have gone on in his life for the last nine years. He’s a good kid, he just wants to get his life back and get his life on track. He’s out for redemption.

There seems to be a parallel, to me, between you and AMP in that you’ve both seen some hard times but now you’ve sort of found yourself with so many new opportunities to progress and express yourself. There’s a sensitivity to your performance as well that I wholly appreciate because, given the nightclub setting, a lot of the characters understandably have a sort of hardened exterior. What were your initial impressions of AMP when you first received the script, and what was it that ultimately drew you to saying yes to playing the character?

I’m glad you saw that. Thank you so much for saying that. We all make mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes can change the trajectory of your life. What drew me to AMP was that he has a will to win by any means necessary, but there’s [also] a moral compass to him. He wants to do the right thing and he takes accountability. He is very adamant about progressing forward. I resonated with that because of my own journey through homelessness. I was raised by my two grandparents, and I never told them that I was homeless because I had the will and the want to make it—and make it as my own man.

What’s incredible about the series is how there are a lot of moving pieces that seem separate at first but gradually connect as the season progresses. What was it like to jump into this world that mixes exotic dancing and romance with a little bit of action and family drama? I can imagine there was never a dull moment on set.

It was never a dull moment. Originally, what a lot of people don’t know is that All the Queen’s Men was eight half-hour episodes. We shot in November of 2020. I had just come out of poverty. Seriously. I was parking cars earlier that year [in March 2020] for $13 an hour at The West Hollywood EDITION in LA. Shortly after, I shot Sistas, and then All the Queen’s Men. We got a call [from the network] after we shot it the first time, saying they wanted to bring us all back to reshoot [to make it] ten hour-long episodes. There were parts from the first day of shooting that were integrated into whole new storylines, so “never a dull moment” is an understatement.

What was beautiful about it was that our scripts were changing every day. So, whatever scripts I had that were sent to me prior to shooting—they were adding and reforming it, and it was this really beautiful and creative moment where you get to a set and you think you know this character but you’re relearning the essence of who he is again. It really pushed me, as a creative, to get up every morning. It was the best experience as far as training and [learning to adapt]. I loved that part about it.

I understand that you’re a trained ballet dancer and that you’ve actually danced with Beyoncé. What was it like to move from those worlds of dance to exotic dancing? Did it help to have that background?

It definitely helped. Ballet is the foundation. I personally believe that—with any art form—if you really apply the classic part of the foundation, you can pretty much branch off into a lot of other art forms more easily.

The thing with male exotic dancing—and, really, hats off to my castmates that really made their living in this art form—is that I think it’s actually a bit harder because you’re in such close proximity to your audience. You have to entertain in such an intimate way. When you’re onstage, you got a good several hundred feet between you and the audience. But when you’re in that arena [of exotic dancing], you have to hold the attention and create this fantasy.

Will there be a season 2 of All the Queen’s Men? If so, without spoiling anything, where would you like to see AMP go?

We hope that there’s a season two! That’s up to the people, so keep streaming, keep watching. It’s interesting because I would love to tell you where I would like to see AMP go, but if I tell you, I’ll spoil the ending. I guess I’ll say this: I’m actually interested to see if he will keep his innocence. Will he feel like, “every time I try, I fail? So, what happens now? Do I succumb to everybody else, or do I keep trying to be this great guy?” I’ll leave it there.

The post A Conversation with ‘All the Queen’s Men’ Lead Actor Skyh Alvester Black appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The seamlessness with which Piñero combines the family drama with the psychological thriller / horror is nothing short of exemplary craftspersonship. His script cuts through, with utmost devastation, to the heart of unresolved grief and the (literally) haunting effects it has on a person. It’s rightfully actors’ gasoline for Yoder, who turns in a fuller-throttled and darker, though no less amazing, performance here than in The Tale of the Daughter. As much as you want to disagree or even dislike her for initially turning her back on her dying mother, Yoder is undeniably magnetic and you can’t help but be drawn into Renee’s world because of her.

What’s most remarkable about Gone, however, is its cinematography. On the one hand, Piñero allows the camera to linger on the shadows, creating hair-raising silences that take hold of your entire being and make you question whether or not there’s something (or someone) in the room with you. And, on the other hand, Piñero isn’t afraid to allow everything to unravel as Renee does. The beach scene towards the end of the film, in fact, offers one of the most visually arresting sequences you’ll see in a short film this year.

In our email interview below, Piñero talks about his deeply personal connection to Gone’s subject matter, how films forged his creative DNA, and the collaborative relationship he holds with Yoder. There’s a warmness and openness to Piñero’s answers that make it instantly clear how much of his heart went into this film. He’s definitely one to watch out for.

Would you take us back to where filmmaking all started for you? How did you first discover that making movies was something you wanted to do?

For as long as I can remember, movies have been embedded into my fabric; my Mom once took me out of school so we could see the first showing of ‘Twister’ for her birthday! My family are big movie buffs so when I was a kid and saw actors on the screen, I assumed they were the ones who made the movies. When I graduated high school, I decided to train as an actor at the NYFA in NYC. While I learned so much valuable knowledge there that I still carry with me as a director, I realized acting wasn’t for me. And then when I had the opportunity to direct a scene for a friend of mine, it was game over. I’ve had the bug ever since.

What I loved and found most interesting about Gone was how you sort of cross-pollinate the domestic/family drama with the psychological thriller, which I think is very poignant considering how grief and loss manifest themselves in myriad and bizarre–and oftentimes dark–ways. Where did the idea for Gone come from? How did you go about approaching the dark psychology of Renee’s experience?

That was important to me from the beginning, to make these A and B storylines which you initially think are separate, come together at the end in a way that feels surprising, yet inevitable. Let me back up a bit: I had no plans to do a short last year, but in the summer of 2020 my grandmother passed away and that changed everything for me. I experienced anticipatory grief for the first time. It’s not something that you hear about a lot, but basically, you begin the mourning/grieving process before the person has actually passed on. My Grandma had been fighting this fight for a long time. As summer approached, I began to see the Grandma I had always known, begin to slip away. Every time I saw her, a piece of her had already gone. I mourned a piece of her every single time I left.  I remember two days before she passed, I went to see her and she was completely unrecognizable to me. I immediately walked out of the room, like Renee does in the film, but after collecting myself in the living room, I went back in to be with her. But I had the thought, what if I didn’t go back into that room with her, what if I kept going out the front door? How would that grieving process look, how would it haunt me?

You’re wearing a lot of creative hats on this one, which actually isn’t a new experience for you. How do you generally go about balancing writing, directing, producing, and editing duties on each of your projects? Having done so on several projects before Gone, did that make this production relatively easier to manage? 

This production was one of the most challenging films I’ve made because of the subject matter. We actually shot at the location where my Grandma passed away. With company moves, a set piece on the beach and only three days to shoot, our producers and crew did a hell of a job.  Throughout pre-production of Gone, I was editing the other short film we did last year, The Tale of the Daughter, which our production company also produced. It was relatively easy to assemble the crew since a lot of them were people I’d worked with in the past or were rollovers from our other film. As far as the editing process for Gone — that was a whole other journey for me. My Father passed away from Covid as I was finishing the first cut. Working on a project based in grief while being served a fresh helping of it, was extremely tough, but I do believe I was forced to confront and live in that pain completely and maybe it was a blessing in some way.

Gone reunites you with many creatives you’ve worked with before. Jazlyn Yoder, in particular, is once again the star of your film, which makes sense because she is amazing. What’s your working / collaborative relationship like? Was there anything new that you learned either from or about each other while making Gone?

With Jazlyn, I don’t make/finish any films without her nod of approval. Aside from being my creative partner, she is also my partner in life, and she’s lived those dark days with me when my Grandma was sick. She knew that pain better than anyone. It’s great working with her, we discuss things a lot during the script phase and rehearsal, so when it comes time to shoot, I don’t really have to say much other than some occasional motivation. I guess what I learned about her on this one is how truly fearless she is. The beach scene was immensely challenging because of how cold it was, and she had to keep getting back in that frigid water while maintaining the emotional tenor of the scene. Better her than me haha.

Gone will be playing at the upcoming Flickers’ Vortex Film Festival, which is dedicated to all things horror, sci-fi, and fantasy. What does it mean for you to have it play here?

I premiered at their main festival, Flickers Rhode Island, in August and it was an honor to be there, just as it is to be selected for Vortex. There are so many other amazing genre films screening here, which you can probably assume, is what I also gravitate towards as an audience member. I am excited to watch as many as I can.

What’s next for you? And where can our readers follow you and your work?

Our production company, Moonshine Pictures, is always in development on our slate of projects, and I’m working on my next feature, Rosemont Forest. It’s a coming-of-age horror thriller, set on Halloween in the mid-nineties. We’re in the process of shopping that around and fingers crossed, we’ll be shooting that next year. And to follow my work, I’m on instagram @clpinero and my Youtube channel @ChristopherPiñero features my past shorts and projects. Thanks for the chat, I appreciate it!

The post Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival: A Conversation with ‘Gone’ Filmmaker Christopher Piñero appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The film is produced by multiple Emmy-winner Baobab Studios and executive produced by actor John Cho. In our interview below, Oh talks about being “inspired by how [Cho] has been making his presence as an Asian/Korean actor in Hollywood” and the “honor” of his joining the Namoo team.

Namoo has been making its festival rounds and, in fact, recently played at this year’s HollyShorts Film Festival. Of the film’s future and his own, Oh says: “I’ll continue challenging myself to become a better artist and filmmaker.” If Namoo is anything to go by, Oh is definitely one to watch out for.

Before we get into Namoo, I wonder if you might tell us about your own filmmaking / artistic journey? Where did it all start for you?

I grew up as a huge animation and cartoon fan. I was that one kid in the classroom who was always drawing and doodling. Then I went to art school and film school where I was able to learn the basics of art and cinema.  Then I got very lucky to get into Pixar and that was how my professional career started. Since then, I never stopped making films to tell my own story and here I am.

One of the most interesting aspects about your film is how it’s fundamentally hand-painted and then brought together digitally. What was the inspiration behind this approach to the film? And what was the creation process like?

Namoo was all about the spiritual journey into yourself.  I wanted something very organic and handmade feeling to support this heartfelt story and message. But at the same time, it had to also carry realistic and 3 dimensional experience, which inspired me to use the medium of VR.  Together, I was able to create something very unique and warm. We used VR animation software Quill, developed by Oculus to achieve the look.

I understand that Namoo was a tribute to your grandfather. I’m sorry for your loss! It feels very personal, and you capture the story of a life-journey so beautifully. Was your grandfather a fan of films as well? What do you think his reaction would have been to Namoo?

The story of Namoo isn’t exactly about my grandfather. It’s a story I wrote based on things he taught me through his own life. He was an educator who dedicated his whole life to make the society and world brighter and his outlook on life has been my guiding star till today. I actually don’t remember him as a movie fan or storyteller. But he was the one who continued encouraging me to follow my dream so I’m very sure that he’ll love every second and minute of Namoo if he was able to watch it…

John Cho has recently signed on as an executive producer for the film–congratulations! What does it mean to you to have John join the Namoo family?

I’ve been his fan since I was very young!  I’ve been especially inspired by how he has been making his presence as an asian/Korean actor in Hollywood. It is a huge honor to have John resonate with this film and for us to get to work together on this. I’m sure that they will be a lot we can share together with the world.

Borrowing your film’s final images: what, in that final moment where you’re sitting atop your tree as it ascends to the stars, would you like to see and/or feel?

Two things I guess.  First, I can see myself mesmerized by the beautiful enchanting view in front

of me. It’s a celebration of life. It would be the moment that you’ll be able to tell yourself that it was a good life after all… Second of all, I also see millions of other stars around me. They are all beautiful and I won’t feel so alone.  

HollyShorts is an incredible platform for short films and filmmakers. What does it mean for you to have Namoo‘s LA premiere here? How will you be celebrating?

LA is definitely my 2nd home in my heart. I grew up in Korea but I first came to LA for my study at UCLA. So having a premiere in LA is already special on a very personal level. It is my huge honor and pleasure to experience it through HollyShorts, one of the best film festivals in California.

What’s next for you? And where can viewers follow you and your work?

I’ll continue challenging myself to become a better artist and filmmaker.  I’m currently working on new projects but all in different mediums. I can’t wait to share soon. Meanwhile, please follow my work via my IG @erickoheart and Facebook Erick Oh.

The post A Conversation with ‘Namoo’ Director Erick Oh appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

What’s foremost significant about the film is how its creative team actually walks the walk when it comes to uplifting marginalized stories and voices. Indeed, the cast and crew of Run Out Groove are made up exclusively by women and non-binary people (most of whom identify as LGBTQIA+). More than that, it’s intentional. While many within the film industry might look at diversity as a quota that needs to be filled, Murray, Fordham, and Henderson see it as the backbone of authentic storytelling. In fact, in our email interview below, the team talks about “normalizing the queer experience” and how “it is just as vital to see queer characters in all aspects of life, as full complete people who are more than how society views them.”

Perhaps this is why Run Out Groove is a powerhouse short film: even though the film deals with the residuals of a break-up, what emanates from the screen above all is love and support. Just as Ginny and Layla loved and supported each other, Murray and Fordham lean on each other in throughout the film, pulling the best performances out of each other. Considering how collaborative the project was, it’s clear, too, that every member of the crew also came together full-bodied and whole-hearted.

For any Hollywood execs reading, Run Out Groove is a prime example of how you empower your team and authenticate your stories—and make kick-ass cinema, too!

Before we get into Run Out Groove, I wonder if you might tell us about your individual / collective filmmaking journeys? Where did it all start for you?

NM: I actually came from working in a dopamine and addiction lab in Seattle. I loved the work but felt a part of me was missing (cliche, I know). I began acting in the Seattle film scene and was hooked upon getting my first job there. I moved down to Los Angeles to pursue acting fully in 2018 and Paige and I started a production company together where we made our first project, Dead Friends. From there, the journey that began with me acting bloomed into a widened perspective on storytelling as an actor, writer, producer and director. My understanding of film has deepened with each new position I’ve tackled and I think developing myself in these different areas has made me love film even more. I recently produced and starred in a comedy-horror feature, Death Perception, and am continuing to work on multiple projects, collaborating in the multi-hyphenate ways that I can.

PH: I grew up doing community theatre and always absolutely adored movies. I think IMDb has been my favorite website since the days of my childhood computer room. I always knew I wanted to be involved in movies, but growing up in small town Washington it didn’t quite feel possible. In college I studied Comparative Literature with a focus in Cinema Studies, and after graduating I traveled the world hoping I could figure out what I wanted to do with my life…but I realized I always knew. After moving to LA and working solely as an actor for a few months Nicole and I started our production company, writing, directing and producing. I think my experience as a Production Designer and an actor has helped me develop my unique perspective as a director, mixing playful visuals with raw vulnerability.

KF: If you would have told me 7 years ago that one day I’d be living in LA as an actor and filmmaker I would have thought you were crazy. Growing up my dream was always to work in the humanitarian sector, and for several years following college I worked for an NGO that partnered with local communities in some of the most volatile regions of east and central Africa to provide protection and educational resources. My move into filmmaking wasn’t an obvious career transition for most, but it makes a lot of sense to me. The NGO I worked for used documentary storytelling to educate and drive advocacy, ultimately passing life-saving legislation and funding sustainable development programs in the region. I had a front row seat to storytelling at its best and after my time with the NGO I was eager to take my lessons into the narrative space. I am floored by film’s ability to act as a catalyst for empathy, understanding and connection, and dream of creating projects that carve out a small sliver of space for others to feel seen, understood and connected.

And how we all came together? Nicole and Paige actually went to the same University, but never met until working on a short film set just a month before moving to LA. “I’m moving to LA in a month”, “I’m moving to LA in a month!” …”let’s be roommates?” So, for the past four years Paige and Nicole have lived in LA, they have done so as roommates. Kelsey came along in Kimberly Jentzen’s acting class. We thought she was super cool and wanted to be her friend, but it was so funny how long it took Kelsey to realize we were friends. For the first few months, she’d be like “we are… friends, right?” She didn’t want to scare us off or something. It’s something we all laugh about now.

Run Out Groove‘s title refers to those final moments when a record keeps spinning but the music is done. You’ve translated that idea into a story about the residual emotions people feel after a break-up. What was the inspiration for the story? For Paige and Nicole, what was the collaborative writing process like?

The inspiration for this story definitely came from past relationships we’ve both had, both romantic and platonic, and relationships we’ve seen our friends in. One of the hardest things is realizing that being with a person you love isn’t working anymore, that not only is the relationship over but it’s taking your spark of life. Like you said, the record is spinning, it was beautiful before, but now there is only silence and someone needs to take the record off.

I think when we were writing it we didn’t even realize how much we were both putting into it and how important and cathartic the writing process was for us. We wanted to write a story about queer love, not queer trauma, and ended up processing so much we needed to.

We were also very inspired by the writings of Milan Kundera, particularly The Unbearable Lightness of Being, in both the way he tells a story, playing with narrative and the movement of time, as well as that idea that love can still be pure and true but not conquer all, and that’s okay.

We have written together before this project so already had a great collaborative dynamic. Also, weirdly being roommates has helped us be better writing partners. You have to be able to be honest with your roommate and say “clean up your dishes you gross human”, and they have to not take it personally for the cleanliness of the house. It’s kind of the same writing together, being honest about our thoughts and opinions all in service of the story. We normally don’t call each other gross humans when we’re writing though.

I loved that you’ve centered queerness in your story (both in front and behind the camera). A lot of the time, when you see a film about a struggling / tortured artist, it’s almost always from a straight man’s perspective and there’s almost always a doting wife / girlfriend who unfairly puts up with his moods. What’s remarkable, to me, about Run Out Groove is how it fundamentally subverts that trope while also exploring a unique and complex relationship between two women. How important was it for you to tell your story with a queer lens? And how important was it for you to further authenticate that lens through the employment and involvement of queer cast and crew?

We got super lucky with having the involvement of an all non-binary and women, majority queer, cast and crew. The “vibes,” if you will, were so amazing on this set. It felt like we had built a small family over a weekend in the desert together. There was this very beautiful supportive energy ruminating and it felt like there was space to just be free.

Something we talk about a lot is normalizing the queer experience. While coming out stories are so important and influential, for us it is just as vital to see queer characters in all aspects of life, as full complete people who are more than how society views them. Layla and Ginny are just like any other couple who don’t listen to each other. We wanted the audience to see their own past relationships in Ginny and Layla’s.

For Nicole and Kelsey: you both turn in such captivating performances, which are both dynamic in completely different ways. Where Nicole’s character is more outwardly emotive, Kelsey’s character is more grounded and desperate for some rationality–which results in a very devastating romance! In such a short amount of time, you take us through your characters’ entire romantic journey. What was it like to work opposite each other, and how did you go about finding your characters’ relationship dynamic?

It was so amazing getting to work all together in this capacity. We knew that in order to bring to life the painful and frayed relationship of Layla and Ginny we needed to first build a relationship full of love and incredible little moments. It was really important to us that our relationship felt tangible, seeped in layers of nuance and history. For that reason we started from the bottom up. We created an entire backstory of first glances, kisses, and dates. We talked through our childhoods and families, and what this relationship meant to each of our characters. Though we realized no one will ever know the details of the lives we created, we hoped they might feel it.

Music is a huge part of Kelsey’s process as an actor and, for her character Layla, was a way to communicate her often suppressed emotions. Kelsey created two playlists: one of songs she imagined Layla would have sent to Ginny at the height of their relationship and romance, and another of music Layla likely consumed herself with as her relationship with Ginny began to fray.

Nicole has expressed how much she’s grown from her prep with Ginny. A beautiful thing about the character is her unhindered outward expression which required Nicole to tap into a more impulsive and audacious side of herself. Nicole even painted a picture of Layla as a part of her process with Ginny, listening to the playlist Layla made for her.

During the rehearsal process Paige introduced us to a section in The Unbearable Lightness of Being that talks about the definition of misunderstood words. Milan Kundera does an incredible job of expressing how a single word can mean completely different things to different people and from that seemingly tiny disconnect of language distance can grow.

This largely impacted our preparation. Together, we went line by line in the script defining what shared understanding we had for each and every word, and where we missed one another time and time again. We were interested in understanding where our miscommunications originated and how they were given oxygen to grow over time.

Paige also worked with us a lot on intimacy and she did such a great job allowing us to explore while providing us a safe space to do so.

HollyShorts is an incredible platform for indie filmmakers, particularly with its blocks of LGBTQ+ and women-focused films. What does it mean for you to have Run Out Groove play here? How will you be celebrating?

HollyShorts was such a wonderful experience. The filmmakers are so talented and you can tell everyone is excited to be there. We already made friends, too! Being part of the LGBTQIA+ block felt like a wonderful culmination of our work as queer creators and it was truly inspiring to see how these other amazing creators told their stories. We saw so many wonderful films throughout the festival as a whole and feel challenged to continue expanding our capabilities as filmmakers.

KF: HollyShorts feels like home to me. As a producer I screened here in 2019 with a queer Indian-American film, Halwa. As a team we also screened the world premiere of my directorial debut Entitled in 2020 (Nicole produced and Paige did Production Design). HollyShorts is such an incredible festival that fosters a creative family of filmmakers and pushes boundaries with the films they gave an elevated platform to. It’s a dream to have had Run Out Groove screen here.

What’s next for you? And where can viewers follow you and your work?

KF: My directorial debut, Entitled is playing virtually at San Diego International Film Festival October 14th – 24th and will screen live at Newport Beach Film Festival on October 24th at 2:45pm. The film highlights the absurdity and dangerous ripple effects of the 24 hr news cycle mixed with cancel culture fuelled by when a woman is thrust into the spotlight as the details of her sexual assault go viral. As her story spreads, lines blur between physical reality and the social media world when a swarm of strangers force their way into her home and frantically rifle through her belongings.

IG: @kelseyfordham

PH: Nicole and I are in post-production on the second season of our web series, Dead Friends. You can watch the first season on YouTube! You can follow along at @sveltedogprod on IG. For my next directorial project I will also be acting, which is a bit scary but very exciting. Definitely looking to Kelsey for advice on that. I’m so grateful to have found such wonderful collaborators in these two as well as so many others in the LA film community and I am excited to continue to develop as an artist with their help and inspiration.

IG: @paigellah

NM: I just finished production on a comedy-horror feature, Death Perception, along with a dramatic short, Them, and Paige and I just finished Season 2 of our web series Dead Friends… so what’s next is a lot of post-production! I also have a horror feature script in the works. I am so ecstatic to be surrounded by the amazing collaborators who are in my life and cannot wait for the next production. We’ve all talked about making a yearly film summer camp, so I am looking forward to creating again with Kelsey and Paige.

IG: @lil_ginga

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In our email interview below, Huang talks about balancing the “severe and intimate” themes of love and grief with making it feel “as realistic and immersive as possible.” Moreover, she touches upon the real-life inspiration behind her film, and her team’s personal connection to the story.

There You Are is sure to be unlike any other animated film you’ve seen before. Minor spoiler: one sequence in particular is a visual explosion of technique and artistry, a testament to Huang’s directorial vision.

Before we get into the film, however, I wanted to ask about your own filmmaking journey? Where did it start for you, and what drew you to animation in particular?

I am an animation director and digital designer. There You Are is my first 3D animation film. Before I started to make films, I mainly focused on creating all kinds of digital design, including concept design, illustrations, motion graphics, projection mapping, etc. I come from a background in the game industry. In my early career, I started as a concept designer. In 2018, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue my master’s degree in animation and digital arts at the University of Southern California. There, I was obsessed with filmmaking. I always had a huge passion for visual design. But now, I am falling in love with storytelling as well. And animation is the best art form for me to show both my interests and strength. It provides me a chance to bring my imagination to life. I love designing unique characters, innovative creatures, or fantasy environments. There are way more possibilities using digital techniques to achieve that. Designers can build a fantasy world in their minds as they want. Another reason I chose animation is that I enjoy the moment of diving into each working stage deeply and having everything in control. It was a hard time to do the film shooting last year. But making animation makes things much more manageable. I can complete many things in front of a computer, from storyboard, pre-vis, animation, rendering, visual effects to comping. That provides me more convenience.

There You Are tells a really touching and intimate story that also has universal appeal. What inspired you to tell this story? Where did the idea come from?

I decided to make a film about unresolved grief in the spring of 2020. My teammate and I all experienced family members who passed away in the past five years. But in our families, adults usually avoid talking about grieving in front of young people. They did it out of kindness. I knew they wanted to protect us from the bitter grieving process. But I felt like I missed a lot in my life. Grief is inevitable in our life circle. I wonder why we could not teach young people to face it properly instead of skipping it? That drove me to make There You Are. The story is about a teenager, Su, who is forced to deal with her unresolved grief after her mother dies. And she feels estranged from her father, who seems to have already moved on. Also, the story is inspired by the experience of my friend. She lost her father at a young age. And I witnessed how her bereavement influenced her mentally and behaviorally. So I decided to tell a story about this theme. Because I hope to address the importance of the grief process for young people, especially children and teens. They are an especially vulnerable group, and how adults lead them to deal with grief influences their whole lives. In the beginning, my teammate and I did all kinds of research about the topic. Three key questions guided us: What is unresolved grief? What helps people move from the grieving process? And how does childhood bereavement change the child mentally and behaviorally? With those questions, we started to make the story.

I absolutely loved the overall production design of the film! The story between Su, her father, and their collective grief is quiet, but, at the same time, it’s set against this maximalist world (the prints, the artwork, the fullness of the house, etc.). Would you take us through your design process? How did you come to settle on the film’s overall look?

Sure. The visual design is one of the essential parts of my film. Considering my theme is severe and intimate, I want to make the film feel as realistic and immersive as possible. So I deliberately mimicked the style of stop motion. With this rough idea, I drew concept designs of the characters, props, and environments. After the visual development settled down, I started to do the modeling and shading. The film was filled with knitted textures, vintage patterns. That is because I want to convey a sweet and nostalgic tone through the fabric and textures. Apart from this, lighting is another vital element that decides the overall look. I painted the color palette first when it came to the lighting. The color palette was designed according to the emotional arc of the story as well as the time change. During that process, I collected many cinematography works from my favorite cinematographers like Bradford Young, Dan Lausten, Edward Lachman, and Laurence Sher. And I assembled relatable references to get ideas for my CG lighting. I thought carefully about how to make it look beautiful, reasonable, and convincing. I really enjoyed tweaking the lighting in CG. It was very satisfying when you saw the world you created to look like a real place step by step.

One of the most moving sequences to me was the flashback/memory montage when Su opens her wardrobe and we’re taken through key moments of her life when her mother was alive. I think, for me, what was poignant was the shift in animation style. Where did the idea of incorporating different animation/art forms into one film come from? More generally, what inspires your own animation style?

When I designed the memory part of the story, I thought I needed to bring something visually different into it. I hope it will not only catch eyes but also bring a surprise to the audience. To be honest, I did not have a good idea of what kind of form I would use until I noticed an old work of mine. It was a paper cut short animation I did two years ago. I made the cutouts and shot them under the camera. I was really into that craft-making process and was satisfied with the final result. That work inspired me to make the cutout animation again, but this time all CG. I wanted to challenge myself and make something better than before. Then I watched some top cutout and silhouette animation directors’ work, including Jamie Caliri, Lotte Reiniger. Their work inspired me a lot. And I combined all my collections, finally to get its artistic direction.

HollyShorts is nothing short of a huge accomplishment for indie filmmakers. What does it mean to you to be able to showcase your work at this festival (and, for that matter, other festivals)? How will you be celebrating this moment?

Being a part of HollyShorts means recognition of my work. I am very honored and excited about the screening. I believe more and more people will see my work. So far, There You Are has won some awards, including Best Animation, Best Short, Best Picture at other festivals worldwide. It is very encouraging for me. Because it brought me more confidence and courage, and I will put all my heart into the next project. I think this is my way to celebrate it.

What’s next for you? And where can viewers follow you and your work?

My teammate and I are working on our game project, There You Are, which has won awards and selections in the game conferences and festivals. It is based on the same story, but it is an exploratory narrative game. In the game experience, the player will role-play the girl, Su, to deal with her father’s relationship to move away from the past and accept the loss of her mom. While many games already touch on this type of topic to a certain extent, There You Are uses both storytelling methods and game design principles to exquisitely craft each story beat and depict an emotional bittersweet story. The game was released on itch.io. But we are still polishing it and hope to have a better version released soon.

Instagram @ruihuang1126, @thereyouareanimation | Twitter @ruihuangdesign | Game

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