Jaik Andino - Interview
Jaik Andino is an alumni of the Second City Acting Conservatory in Chicago. Jaik began pursuing his dreams as an actor, writer, and producer after spending 18 years as a global consultant working with corporate executives. Jaik hopes to use his work in entertainment to highlight experiences growing up as a minority, his pursuit of love, the corporate world and his global travels to tell real stories. Jaik is a first-generation American who can bring his unique perspective to bear on any project he joins. His personal mission is to communicate complex stories about the crossroads of identity through relatable drama and comedy. Jaik wants to tell stories that are equal parts educational and inspiring. Of his work, Jaik has said, “I want to be able to create and bring stories to life that reach into the soul, demand discussion and ultimately bring people from all walks of life together through the woven thread that binds us all, our emotions.”
Do you prefer Comedy or Drama?
Both!
Life imitates Art or Art imitates Life?
Art imitates Life
Which is the best Moment on set?
Being skited (scared and excited)
Did anyone ever tell you weren't good enough?
Yes many times (8th grade basketball coach, corporate america)
How can you stay focused on your goal?
Perseverance
Have you ever had a breakdown because of your Job?
Yes. There were a few panic attacks along the way
Talent is a blessing or a curse?
Blessing!
What would you like to improve about yourself as an actor/screenplayer?
Experience.
What's the worst critic you have received?
One review of the script. It did not come from a place of love but rather of hate. It was rather vulgar which lost its credibility.
If you weren't an actor/screenplayer what would you like to be?
Stand-up Comedian.
If Cinema was a color what would it be?
Blue
A day without a movie is...
Boring.
If someone offered you to play/write a movie that you despise but that for sure will make you rich and famous...would you accept the job?
Definitely. All movies have a place in the world.
What's your greatest ambition?
To write and act in a meaningful story
What's your biggest fear?
Not having the opportunity to finish my film, 2nd Date.
Does music help you to play/direct, write?
Absolutely and there is a lot of music sprinkled throughout the script.
You have the chance to make a Silent movie, what's your message to the audience?
Love.
Share your speech if you should win an Oscar.....
This would be very difficult at this moment. How about the key points. I’d thank my family/friends and everyone who supported or worked on the project. I’d then highlight the meaning of the film and that we all have a choice to choose love over hate. One of the key messages in the film.
Kristina Goztola - Interview
Kristina Goztola was born on July 6, 1985 in the small town of Hungary, near the Austrian border. The "Mediterranen Beauty" speaks fluent English, French, Italian, Hungarian. She studied classical ballet and folk dance for seven years and graduated in High School of Music Arts in Hungary. She began her career as a musical actress in Hungary. After playing a few leading roles in musical performances, (Kiss me Kate! Stowaway, Miss Susy) at the age of 22 she continued her studies in London, in Los Angeles and in New York Film Academy to become Screen actress. She made her debut as a producer in the short movie Les Recherches Continuent 2018. In 2019 at Cannes Film Festival, as actress she represented the beautiful collection of the world famous Israeli fashion designer Michal Negrin.
When did you decide you wanted to be an actress?
When I was 6 years old my parents took me to the theatre. I remember seeing a musical performance and the actors, dancers, the beautiful costumes and the orchestra pit enchanted me. The theatrical world immediately captivated my soul. I went to dance classes, started learning to play the piano. I started my career as a theatrical actress than I was seduced by the world of film. As I learned screen acting in Los Angeles and London it was obvious for me to start my cinema career on international level.
How did your family react?
My parents helped me with everything, they supported my dreams. I'm very grateful to them for that. Nevertheless they feared for me.
Who's your biggest fan?
I think my husband Peter Halmi who is a director. It is a wonderful gift from life that we can work together.
What brings you inspiration the most?
I like to observe people around me. I'm interested in psychology so I read books on this topic. When you want to dig really deep into shaping a role, it is very useful. It is also important to know what makes a good scenario.
Which actor or director would you like to work with?
With good directors.....with good actors, who think and work similarly to me.
Have you ever seen a film that was better than the book?
Vivien Leigh's acting and beautiness fascinated me in the Gone With The Wind. Her play added a lot to Margaret Mitchell's novel.
What's the movie that taught you the most?
I admire the acting of Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Dustin Hoffmann, Robin Williams.
What they represent to me is the cinema in capital letters. I'm talking about the professionalism, not about fame.
About your artistic career, have you ever had the desire to quit everything?
No, it never occured to me to think of giving it up. The other question is that I'm interested in a lot of things. Psychology, law, diplomacy, languages. I've always loved learning, like being among people. That's probably why I'm open to the producer work as well.
On set what excites yuo the most?
As an actress I love the feverish preparation on set. When I being made up....it reassures me. If I'm also the producer of the film, well that's a harder situation. I I have a big responsability, and I'm more worried about everyone else but myself.
And what scares you the most ?
I never scares on set because I'm always fully prepared. As an actress, I only take on a task that I like. It has already happened to me that I refused a role. As a producer, well the shooting preparations are essential. If everyone is professional around you, you have nothing to fear.
What's your next project?
I play the leading role in a french-hungarian co-production „In the Shadow of White” directed by Peter Halmi. My character Lea wants to break into the Parisian fashion world but it is not as simple as she imagines. Moreover, a family secret is also revealed that she has to deal with. The shooting will be in Paris, Budapest and Rome. As a real cosmopolitan, I like working with an international team.
You can steal the career of an artist you really admire, who do you choose?
I wouldn't steal anyone's career or life. I want to make the best of my own life. But if I had to decide, I would choose Audrey Hepburn or Sophia Loren.
An actress life is made of constant struggle. As Marilyn Monroe said „Dreaming about being an actress is more exciting then being one.” It's hard to get success but it's even harder to keep it or surpass it.
For you Cinema is...
Films without Bounderies and a World without Strangers.
Do you think Black and white movies have a powerful impact?
I love Black and White Movies as it is a huge opportunity for artistic expression. Every little vibration on the actor's face gets more emphasis and a real challenge from a lighting technical aspect.
Have you ever dreamed of winning an Oscar?
Everybody wants to make the most of his job. The awards and any kind of recognition are very important to us. The feeling of spiritual satisfaction that comes from completing a job successfully or audience feedback are essential for any artist.
Do you think you're gonna win it?
As Lupita Nyong'O the Oscar-winning Kenyan actress says „ You have to allow the impossible to be possible”.
Kalliope Barlis - Interview
Kalliope is an award winning writer, producer and director of Kalliope’s From Fear to Freedom and bestselling author of Phobia Relief: From Fear to Freedom. As a Licensed Master Trainer, she loves helping people help themselves to get over their fears and bad memories through creative visualization in order for them to gain their freedom. She also gives golfers and other professional athletes the tools to optimize their game. And surprisingly, it all started when she was playing golf professionally. She was born and grew up in New York City. She’s an alumna of Pratt Institute School of Arts and graduated with highest honors.
When did you decide to become a Writer/director and why?
Because I give people the tools to overcome their fears and bad memories, I had an “aha” moment. I said to myself “I have to film this process”. So I started documenting on film, the before, during and after of someone overcoming their fear or bad memory.
Which is your favorite director and why?
For sure, Francis Ford Coppola. Just love his close up shots of Al Pacino in The Godfather.
Which movie was the most inspiring for you?
The Godfather.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in making your films?
The biggest challenge was making sure everyone on set was prepared for just a single take. And they were. The challenge was hoping they were.
Since I help people help themselves in just a matter of minutes, a second take is not possible. Instead, when the tools to overcome are irrational fear are given, the process has to be filmed as its happening for the first and only time, in real time.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
I love documentary because it gives us an open window to witness the real experience of someone’s life or culture or any other special moments in real time. Some documentary films, including Kalliope’s From Fear to Freedom, faces life’s challenges, as they can occur in anyone’s life. What people have loved about From Fear to Freedom is the magic that occurs when the challenges are pursued to end the conflict and gain epic freedom.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
Best in Show because a lot of it was improvisation which is a lot like documentary. It’s having fun and making fun in real time, creatively and comically for others to laugh in agreement. We need more humor and laughs to brighten our everyday life and make us more flexible in what we do daily.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
The living legendary singer, Pink. I would love to learn her aerial skills to incorporate them in what I do. I know it may make some people curious about when or how I would apply aerial acrobats in my work, but that curiosity will be filled when I do it and they see it happening.
Tell us a secret that nobody knows about you.
The secret is that I keep my secrets, not only my own but others too.
The one person who has truly believed in you.
My client who comes to me to help them help themselves.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as a writer/ director?
How to protect the filmed footage.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going?
Neither. My mind is always working and I make sure the motor is always running even when I sleep. I love creating and through words, through moving pictures and with the grace of god, I have nurtured, protected and fueled my brain to remain actively creative.
On set, the most important thing is:
The film crew is in alignment, agreement and cooperating with each other to make the best film production possible.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
Kalliope’s From Fear to Freedom because it has won over a dozen film festival awards internationally. It is equally humbling.
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
Kalliope’s From Fear to Freedom because it was my first.
What are your short term and long term career goals?
Short term goal is to help one person at a time to overcome their bad memory or unreasonable fear. It’s also to help golfers play their best. I use the same skills in reverse to guide someone to play professional golf and other sports optimally. Long term goal is fill up Madison Square Garden during a talk I give for them to get over their past and build a better future.
Your next projects?
To train people internationally to make their brain a friendly place, achieve more of what they want and feel good about it. And do this a lot a lot a lot, always and forever.
Please share with us where people can find you on social media.
https://www.instagram.com/kalliope.nyc/
https://www.facebook.com/KalliopeBuildingYourBest/
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kalliopenyc
Tik Tok
https://twitter.com/KalliopeNYC
Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/c/kalliopenyc
Amazon
Peter Halmi - Interview
Peter Halmi director, producer, screenwriter. He began his career as an actor. He played leading roles in numerous performances in Germany, Japan, Canada and in the United States . He was inveted to Los Angeles in 2012 where he worked as a stage director. He is the Artistic Director of Jona Films Paris later on Jonah Film Entertainment since 2017 when he started his film career. He made his debut as a co-producer in the short movie 'Les Recherches Continuent/Scruple' (2018). The film received the Grand Prix of Bujtor Istvan Film Festival after that the film was presented in West Los Angeles and North Hollywood as well. 'Le Collier/The Necklace' was also shooted in Paris, of which he was the director, co-producer and screenwriter (2020). The film received the Best Cinematography in Sweden, the Best Director Award – the Special Jury Prize in India, Bollywood, and the “Inspiration Woman in a Film” award in Hollywood, Los Angeles (2020). His first feature film 'In the Shadow of White' is b
What's definitely necessary to be a good director?
I think the good director knows when to speak up - or shut up. This is basically an extension of being diplomatic. Sometimes that thing you really want to say, you don’t say. The good director knows this and exercises restraint in what he or she says.
How old you were when you decided you wanted to be a director?
A few years ago...I was an succesful actor, but i never studied directing and I never really thought about doing it, and then I just found myself in that situation and tried it.
For you a Film is...
For me a film is more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what's behind the emotion, the meaning, all that comes later.
What do you feel when you're directing?
What inspires someone to become a film director? Filmmaking requires creativity and passion. Films have the power to create new worlds and generate empathy. But that process of creation takes painstaking efforts. Love for storytelling or sheer passion for filmmaking are reasons enough for someone to take this path.
You can go to the Movies with an actor or actress that you love. What kind of movie do you choose and with who you're gonna watch it?
I'd go with my wife Kristina Goztola and see our first feature film, which she is starring in and which is expected to be released in the summer of 2022. It's called 'In the Shadow of White.' I'm really excited...
Audrey Hepburn used to say “Nothing is Impossible”, what do you think about it?
The human mind is a magical labyrinth. It is a mystical universe within you, where everything eventually materializes. So be careful of what you put in it. For it is only your thoughts that can decide the possible from the impossible.
Can you live just of your passion?
Oh yes! Passion is the energy that keeps us going, that keeps us filled with meaning, and happiness, and excitement, and anticipation. Passion is a powerful force in accomplishing anything you set your mind to, and in experiencing work and life the fullest extent possible.
What's more important talent or luck?
Highly successful people have three things in common: motivation, ability, and opportunity. If we want to succeed, we need a combination of hard work, talent, and luck.
You must go to a desert island but you can bring with you just one movie...
Cast Away - by Robert Zemeckis. Tom Hanks stars in this long movie, carrying much of the journey on his own, along with a volleyball he names Wilson. A captivating watch, viewers see what happens to a work-obsessed man when his plane crashes into the ocean and he washes up on a deserted island on an inflatable life raft, left to live a life of solitude for what ends up being years. I would draw a lot of ideas from it.
Have you ever accepted a movie to direct even if you didn't like the project?
This has never happened before, as we produce our own films. But if I was asked to do it, it would be important for me to love the project, otherwise I wouldn't be able to get the best out of it.
What's the best compliment you have received about your Job?
A prestigious festival described my film Necklace as "magnificent cinematographic value". I am very honoured.
Are you satisfied about your career?
Yes. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.
Do you have a good luck charm?
I don’t carry lucky charms, but I believe in those things.
Which is the worst moment on set?
During the filming of Necklace, traffic in Paris was blocked due to the strike. But my great team solved this problem. Thank you for your work!
How do you feel when a job you've been part of it's ending?
Goodbyes are hard when you grew to love what you're leaving, but every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.
Have you ever lied to get a job?
I don't need it. I live my life without lies, it's a good investment in the long run.
If you should win an Oscar your first taught would go to....
My muse and wife Kristina, without her nothing would have been possible.
David Barros - Interview
David Barros was born in 1992 in Lisbon. Since an early age he developed a strong interest for the moving image specifically in the areas of Directing and Scriptwriting. His most well known works are the short films “Slicer” that won the Best Horror and Best Super Short Film Awards at the Hollywood Gold Awards and “Persistence” that won the Best Micro Film Award at the Golden Nugget International Film Festival and The Best Director Super Short Film Award at the New York Movie Awards. David is currently in pre-production of his next short film and writing his first feature film.
When did you decide you wanted to be a director?
Since a very early age. I love cinema since I can remember. I was about 10 years old when I said I wanted to be a film director.
How did your family react?
For a long time my family wanted me to follow another career. In Portugal making films is sometimes utopic and my family wanted me to have a more stable work. However my love for filmmaking never faded and when I was about 17 years old I made the decision to go to the university to study film and my family accepted it.
Do you have a Muse or a Role Model?
There are many filmmakers that I admire but for me my main role models are Andrei Tarkovsky, Stanley Kubrick and Akira Kurosawa.
Who's your biggest fan?
My family. They are very supportive and they are proud of my work.
What brings you inspiration the most?
Life itself. The experiences you have in life shape the way you see things and create your own unique voice and personality. The job of a filmmaker is to channel all those things to a visual medium and create a fictional subjective work. You need to be very sensitive to everything that surrounds you because inspiration is everywhere.
Which actor or director would you like to work with?
I would love to work with Takeshi Kitano, John Carpenter and James Cameron.
Have you ever seen a film that was better than the book?
There are not many movies that are better than the books. However I would say that Fight Club and Stalker fit the exception.
What's the movie that taught you the most?
Stalker by Andrei Tarkovsky. It’s a sublime film. If I had to pick a favorite film it would be that one. It reached my soul and taught me a lot not only in terms of filmmaking but also in terms of knowing myself has a human being. It’s a one of a kind, inspirational and dreamlike piece of art.
About your artistic career, have you ever had the desire to quit everything?
There were a few times in my career that I felt lost and not moving forward either because of a bad work day or because I spent a lot of time not doing any creative work. However life is dynamic and things will always change for the better. You need to have persistence and work hard so that you can be rewarded in the future.
On set what excites you the most?
The symbioses between all the cast and crew in order to get the perfect take. The perfect union of lighting, sound, production design, directing, acting and camera is movie magic happening.
And what scares you the most?
Time. It’s your worst enemy on set. A big movie production can buy everything but can’t slow down the sunrise or stretch the night hours if you are making a night shoot.
What's your next project?
Right now I am currently in pre-production of my next short film which will be a Sci-Fi Thriller and I am writing my first feature film.
You can steal the career of an artist you really admire, who do you choose?
Stanley Kubrick.
A Director is made of....
Blood, sweat and tears.
For you Cinema is....
A Revolution of the mind. It’s a visual art form that is born in your subconscious and that triggers you as an individual to make a statement to the world.
Do you think Black and white movies have a powerful impact?
Black and white movies are very important for cinephiles and society in general. They are often overlooked nowadays because there are some misconceptions about them. Sometimes we are told that they are unengaging, boring or dated which is far from the truth. There are so many amazing and powerful Black and White movies and they should be seen and preserved. They are part of movie history and they are also mankind’s legacy.
Have you ever dreamed of winning an Oscar?
Yes I have. I think that dreams and goals are very important and winning an Oscar is part of the imagination of almost everyone in Film.
Do you think you're gonna win it?
Dreaming is always possible and winning an Oscar is a palpable thought.
The most important thing is doing what you love and if the awards come along even better.
George Kostopoulos - Interview
George Kostopoulos is a New York based composer with a degree in music received in 1979 from Kean College. His “Prelude & Fugue in Dm for Brass Sextet” and “Fugue in F for Wind Quintet” originated as personal post-college study projects. The Bay Brass performed the sextet in December 2003 at their annual Christmas concert in San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral. George has also composed a significant body of piano music which he makes available in illustrated books sold on the Etsy website at https://www.etsy.com/shop/WhirlyBooks. In 2013-14 George studied filmmaking at the New York Film Academy. More recently he has been producing music videos for his youTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu2JdSsv0aLMKTbdfgvj2ag. George has been happily married to Lenore since 2005.
Tell us about your family background and when did you decide to become a composer?
I grew in New Jersey in a small town not far from New York City.
My parents, John and Carmela, two 1stgeneration Americans, were both artistically inclined, as is my sister, Carolyn.
My mom, the daughter of Italian immigrants from the province of Potenza, was a housewife and a secretary. She loved entertaining friends by singing popular songs. She even composed a couple herself, demonstrating a talent for melody and lyrics. Mom also enjoyed writing poems and editorials, many of which were recited on the radio or printed in local newspapers.
My dad was the son of Greek immigrants from the Peloponnesus. After serving in World War II, he studied drawing and painting at an art school, eventually settling into a career as a draftsman/designer.
Very handy with tools and wood, he designed and built many of the cabinets in the family house. A fine baritone, he sang at church and in choral groups, often as soloist. In his later years Dad spent a lot of his time crafting whirligigs and putting together a booklet on how to make them.
My sister, the founder and owner of Carelli Costumes, had a long and productive career making costumes for Broadway shows as well as for the annual Spoleto Festival held in Charleston, South Carolina.
As for me, I decided to become a composer when I was about 15 years old after having started composing little ditties on the piano that we had in our house. Already playing trumpet in elementary school, I started taking piano lessons and also learned to play guitar. After graduating from high school, I chose to immerse myself deeply in the study of music by majoring in the subject at Kean College. I earned a B.A. degree upon graduating in 1979.
Films that inspired you to become a composer/filmmaker?
I’m an old movie buff. As a teenager I was enchanted by Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers movies such as “Top Hat”, “Swing Time”, “Gay Divorcee” and “Shall We Dance”. Watching the ballet scene in “An American in Paris” for the first time was especially thrilling for me because it exposed me to the music of George Gershwin. In general, I was inspired by many of the old movies of the ‘30s, 40s and ’50, especially the ones starring James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, James Stewart, William Powell, Bette Davis, Myrna Loy, Joan Crawford, and directed by Elia Kazan, Michael Curtiz, William Wyler, Billy Wilder, Hitchcock, and with musical scores composed by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Max
Steiner, Alfred Newman, Miklós Rózsa, Bernard Herrmann, Elmer Bernstein.
Who were your biggest musical influences?
I grew up listening to the popular and rock music of the 60s and early 70s. A few of my heroes were The Beatles, The Who, Yes, Jethro Tull, Emerson Lake & Palmer. In my later teens I discovered and became a big fan of the great American songwriters: Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Richard Rodgers, Cole Porter,
and above all, George Gershwin, whose music I was especially crazy about. As a music major in college I was educated in the music of all the different classical music periods. Bach and Beethoven were just two of my many important classical music idols. In 2000, I went through a big Kurt Weill phase.
The most challenging film project you worked on. And why?
I took courses at the New York Film Academy in 2013 and 2014 where I learned the various aspects of the art of filmmaking including producing, writing, directing, shooting, editing, sound recording, interviewing and working with actors, singers, dancers, etc. I was completely overwhelmed during the
making of my thesis film “Rumi’s Rumba”, sort of a black comedy featuring a music/dance sequence. By far this was the biggest project I’d ever taken on in my life. I wrote the script in February of 2014, then went through the lengthy process of interviewing talent, scouting location, finding a DP, sound person,
choreographer and filling all the other positions I could think of that needed to be filled. We were scheduled to shoot in May, but I just wasn’t ready. Terrified, I pulled the plug on the shoot a few days it was supposed to happen. I regrouped, rescheduled the shoot for August, but still was nowhere near ready with less than a week to go before the shoot date. My wife, a film editor herself and very knowledgeable regarding filmmaking, told me that I must get a producer. She did a quick search for me and selected a producer named Ramfis Myrthil. “Call this guy”, she ordered. “He looks good”. And Ramfis sure was good! In fact, he saved the day! “It will be a walk in the park for me”, he boasted, and he wasn’t
kidding! In less than 48 hours, Ramfis did what I couldn’t do in many months, which was to bring in all the essential people to fill every required position, many of which I was totally unaware. He was like a magician the way he made everything materialize almost overnight. He was so well connected and knew
every little detail that needed to be taken care of. The original lead actor, who had been with me since the onset of the project, clashed with my new producer and thus had to be replaced ASAP. Ramfis brought in Greg Amici. Without having sufficient time to memorize his lines, Greg expertly improvised most of his dialogue during the shoot, in my opinion, greatly improving on my original script. The whole thing came together magically in the mere 3 days of shooting time we were allotted, at the end of which there wasn’t a minute left to spare. It was like a miracle, very surreal for me, like an out-of-body experience. And the
funny thing was, it seemed as if I hardly had to do anything myself during those 3 days of shooting, other than arrive to the set and say ‘action’ and ‘cut’ periodically.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
Lately I’ve been making music videos exclusively. This has become my method of promoting myself as a composer and promoting my musical compositions. I believe that a music video is a powerful way of “showing off” a piece of music, combining it with meaningful imagery to create a story, a context, a mood, a feeling, which can impact the viewer/listener in ways that the music alone cannot.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
I have many favorites. If I had to select just one, I think it would be “The Maltese Falcon”, the 1941 version with Bogart and Mary Astor, directed by John Huston. I’ve seen it many times and am alwaysmesmerized by the ensemble character acting of Peter Lorre, Sidney Greenstreet and everyone else in the movie.
I’m also a big fan of “The Bandwagon”, the musical with Fred Astaire directed by Vincent Minelli and choreographed by Michal Kidd. But there’s really so many other great movies that I also love.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
If I could work with anyone if the filmmaking world, it would be Martin Scorsese or Quentin Tarantino.
But just the thought of it is very intimidating, I admire them both so much.
Tell us something most people don’t know about you.
I’m very into astrology. When I was in my 20s I studied astrology intensively and even wrote my own computer program to do the calculations. I used to give readings frequently to friends, family members and anyone else willing to receive. In addition to astrology, I’ve been involved on and off over the years
in various spiritual and personal development groups and activities: Landmark Education, Buddhism, Kundalini yoga, Justin Sterling Men’s Weekend, TM, EFT, Gurdjieff meditation, to name a few.
I’m also an exercise enthusiast. Always have been since I was young. I once thought of becoming a personal trainer and took a 6-month study course in 2010. The older I’ve become, the more important exercise has become for me. My dad was a good role model. Even into his 90s he maintained his routine
of waking up at 5:30am and doing morning exercises. Vitality and stamina are so crucial when it comes to pursuing and fulfilling one’s dreams and aspirations.
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
My wife, Lenore, has always loved, encouraged, supported and advised me. I haven’t felt alone since I met her on August 1, 2004.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as composer/filmmaker?
Be persistent. Take actions, daily, even if it’s only baby steps. Keep planting seeds. Some are bound to take root and sprout.
What keeps you motivated?
The desire to stay healthy, be productive, make a positive impact in the world, fulfill my destiny, whatever that may ultimately be.
On set, the most important thing is:
Staying present and centered, being a clearing for talent and genius, generating positive contexts.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
I think my most impressive credit to date is a musical work I composed for brass sextet, “Prelude & Fugue in Dm.” The Bay Brass, an elite classical ensemble, performed the piece in December 2003 at their annual Christmas concert in San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral. Fortunately, the performance was recorded and I recently got the idea of producing a music video as a way of showcasing the recording.
Through the Fiverr website I found and connected with a super talented filmmaker/editor named Bruno Taniguchi who did an incredible job selecting and editing stock footage to generate beautiful imagery for my piece, creating a fantastic story and backdrop for the music.
“The Big Apple Grind” is another musical work I composed for brass sextet. I hired Bruno for this one too and he created a brilliant “film noir” styled music video.
I’m also proud of the video I produced for my song “Love Comes Quietly”. I composed the melody of this song in the early ‘70s, setting some words from a children’s book by Joan Walsh Anglund. The rest of the lyrics were written 25 years later by a singer/songwriter named Mardi Jayde who I came to know.
“Love Comes Quietly” is a great wedding song in my opinion! Lenore and I had it sung at our wedding!
I’ve been submitting the above music videos, along with others, to film festivals and am enjoying some successes with these videos getting selected and winning awards. I probably would never have produced
these videos were it not for the new technologies and social media of today.
It’s much easier making movies, videos, recordings in this current day and age than ever before. It’s much easier connecting with talent from all over the world. There are more film festivals than ever before and it’s easy to submit films to them!
Your next projects?
More music videos coming!
Please share with us where people can find you on social media, so our readers could keep track of your career.
The music videos I’ve been producing are on my youTube channel at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu2JdSsv0aLMKTbdfgvj2ag
I’ve also composed a significant body of piano music which I’ve made available in illustrated books sold
on the Etsy website at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/WhirlyBooks
I’m also on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/george.kostopoulos.942
Lindsei Barros - Interview
Lindsei Barros is a creative in advertising during the day and a movie director and screenwriter at night. She's been living this double life for quite some time now in New York City, where she met her best mates and created the female-only collective called Salt Films NYC.
When did you decide you wanted to be a Directorr?
I've always made films ever since I can remember... But after completing "Home" - a short about mental illness, super low budget - I started getting a lot of recognition from the industry and compliments about my narrative style. I love directing and producing, it's something I recharge from, instead of getting drained. I love it.
How did your family react?
"About time, girl" - that's what I heard.
Do you have a Muse or a Role Model?
I think my muse is my collective of friends - I draw inspiration from them every day.
Who's your biggest fan?
My dog!
What brings you inspiration the most?
I read a lot. Go to concerts. Watch everything I can get my eyes on. Exhibits. Travel. But something odd happens to me I gotta say, I often have these downloads of ideas - out of a sudden - whole narratives come to my mind and I see the characters in action, I see the location, and can hear them. Crazy, I know!
Which actor or director would you like to work with?
I'd love to work with Nolan and Timothee Chalamet.
Have you ever seen a film that was better than the book?
That feat nobody will ever top. Books are a project of your imagination, nothing surpasses one's imaginary engine.
What's the movie that taught you the most?
Hard to pinpoint one movie specifically, there are so many for different reasons. I think the movies you go back to and learn something new every time you watch them, it's like discovering hidden pages in a book you read 1000 times. One of my favorite things to do is to watch the movies from my childhood - quite recently I re-watched Never Ending Story and so much of it is so beautifully done that it makes my heart sing. We need to bring kids stories like that again.
About your artistic career, have you ever had the desire to quit everything?
Quit advertising, yeah. That is what I do for a living. But I also love it. So it's a love and hate relationship.
On set what excites you the most?
Talking to everyone, recharging from their ideas, and shooting. When the camera is rolling and you see your vision coming to life, magic happens inside of me. It's direct access to the vortex of well-being.
And what scares you the most?
Global warming, another pandemic.
What's your next project?
I am soon to shoot a horror film upstate New York.
You can steal the career of an artist you really admire, who do you choose?
Dalì.
A director is made of....
Thick skin!
For you Cinema is....
A portal to expanding your vision about something you haven't seen before. Stories have that novelty power within the brain. It's what feeds our imagination, what makes us resonate into a higher vibration, the enthusiasm of learning something new, in an entertaining, immersive way.
Do you think Black and white movies have a powerful impact?
I think when used to serve a purpose yes. Dennis Villeneuve shot a school massacre film in black and white to tone down the goriness of the blood. Use it with an intention and it can be quite impactful.
Have you ever dreamed of winning an Oscar?
Are you kidding me? Every night. (That's why it's called a dream).
Do you think you're gonna win it?
I am going to work for it.
Liaan Ferreira - Interview
Actor, Liaan Ferreira on his recent success with 9 Best Actor in a Leading Role Award wins world wide. Cape Town actor Liaan Ferreira has become one of the most talked about actors in Hollywood and New York this past year. After starring in the hit Indie film original drama “Visor,” the actor went on to secure one of the most coveted awards of the past festival season, starring as Mason in the multi-award-winning film. His notable appearance and dedication to his craft landed him a spot on the film festivals “Actors to Watch for 2021” list.
When did you decide you wanted to be an actor?
At Age 11. Marlon Brando’s Terry Malloy “coulda been a contender” Brando’s performance was superb and it made me feel like “I could be a contender.”
How did your family react?
Very supportive and gave me the freedom to express my love for the Art wholeheartedly.
Do you have a Muse or a Role Model?
To be honest, instead of looking for role models, I try to become one. I don’t think I’ve ever had a role model.
My wifey (Ruwé Jana) is my muse ;)
Who's your biggest fan?
Definitely my Wifey and my Family, for sure.
What brings you inspiration the most?
To master a role and see the reaction on the faces of the audience. Leaving them to believe that you are the character that you embodied.
Which actor or director would you like to work with?
That’s a tricky question.
Each actor/actress brings a unique character and dynamic.
Director: Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Steven Spielberg the list goes on…
Have you ever seen a film that was better than the book?
THE GODFATHER, Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 film adaptation is a damn masterpiece.
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST’ (1975), Jack Nicholson’s powerful performance in the movie adaptation took it to a whole new level.
THE NOTEBOOK (2004), The Electric chemistry.
What's the movie that taught you the most?
The Great Escape. All you need is a bike.
About your artistic career, have you ever had the desire to quit everything?
NEVER!!!
On set what excites you the most?
How long do we have?
There are so many things that excite me on set. The Seconds before the cameras role, the energy and electricity in the air is almost overwhelming. I love that feeling! Everything around me disappears and I’m focused on the performance ahead, it really gets my heart racing. I lose myself in the moment and time stops - I feel in complete control and truly alive!
And what scares you the most?
TIME…
What's your next project?
John Burrows
You can steal the career of an artist you really admire, who do you choose?
Keanu Reeves
An actor is made of....
Jelly beans, creative genes, never say die attitude and an imagination that is unmatched.
For you Cinema is....
An escape from reality and a place where anything is possible.
Do you think Black and white movies have a powerful impact?
Yes, I love the classics! It’s almost all I watched growing up. Charlie Chaplin comes to mind with his mesmerizing performance in “The Kid” 1921, without saying a word…I knew exactly what he felt! He had me in tears. That’s when I truly understood what being an artist meant.
Have you ever dreamed of winning an Oscar?
I’m day dreaming about it right now!
Do you think you're gonna win it?
YESSS - what an honor that would be!
Instagram - @liaanferreira
https://www.instagram.com/Liaanferreira
Twitter - LiaanFerreira23
https://twitter.com/liaanferreira23
FB - Liaan Ferreira
https://www.facebook.com/liaan.ferreira.3
IMDB
Sampath Kandala - Interview
Born and brought up in India – Andhra Pradesh and then moved to the USA in 2002 to pursue graduate studies. Sampath lives in Boston (USA) and is working in the Healthcare industry. Sampath’s first award winning short-film, Aa Roju Asalu Em Jarigindhante (AAJ), was filmed entirely using iPhone in the USA and has received critical acclaim for its technical values (Music/ Cinematography/Story/Dialogue). This was the first Telugu short film to be completely shot using an iPhone. Over the last one year Sampath has made 5 short films: Vaccine, Phone Call, Weekend lo, Gangster-19, The End. These films have combined viewership of > 320,000 with 90+% approval rating. The films were published on YouTube, IGTV, Prime Video and have received critical acclaim from multiple international film festivals.
When did you decide you wanted to be a Director?
It was in mid 2019. I have grown up watching films and over the years I have started watching the interviews of filmmakers. The filmmaking process has always fascinated me. I never thought that I would venture into film making, especially considering that I am a full-time engineer/ manager in a hi-tech company. It was in mid 2019 when my friends and I were planning for a reunion, I thought why don't I make a short film to make the reunion trip even more memorable. That is how it all started !! During that time I learned the technical aspects of zero budget filmmaking.
How did your family react?
Fortunately, all my family are movie lovers and they are very excited to see me making films.
Do you have a Muse or a Role Model?
I definitely have few role models in film making. I would like to mention a few here. In Indian cinema I take a lot of inspiration from 1) Ram Gopal Varma - Considered as one of the key pillars of modern indian cinema. His film Siva is included in CNN-IBN's list of 100 greatest Indian films of all time. In 2004, he was featured in the BBC World series Bollywood Bosses.
2) Jandhyala - He is a South Indian film director known for telling stories dealing with middle-class people. He uses humor as a key storytelling tool and provides great comic relief to the audience.
In Hollywood/ Britain I definitely get inspired by Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, Christopher Nolan and Guy Ritchie
Who's your biggest fan?
Probably family and a few friends :-)
What brings you inspiration the most?
With every short film , I want to explore new stories and new storytelling techniques. Till date, I have published stories of 2 min, 5 min, 10 min, 20 min and 30 min duration in the following genres: Crime/dark comedy, Thriller/ Drama, Sit Com.
Also, I have always been excited to use cinematography and background score as tools and as supporting characters to elevate the performances of the protagonists.
Which actor or director would you like to work with?
I don't want to sound arrogant, but if there is an opportunity in the future I would be humbled and thrilled to work with any of the directors mentioned above (Jandhyala sir passed away unfortunately).
Have you ever seen a film that was better than the book?
Journey to the center of the earth. I read the book when I was very young, but the movie came out in the last 10 years and the technology has helped to bring life to the adventures in the book and was able to transport the viewer into a different world completely.
The other one is Sherlock Holmes.....Robert Downey Jr and Guy Richie nailed it. The motion picture is a lot more fun :-)
What's the movie that taught you the most?
Satya ...A film by Ram Gopal Varma (RGV). In my view this film is a path breaker and has introduced realistic and gritty cinema to Bollywood. Since then the movie making pattern has changed in Bollywood forever. Danny Boyle quoted Satya as an inspiration for his Oscar winning movie's Slumdog Millionaire cinematography. Several of RGVs previous films had a deep influence on me. but Satya tops the list.
Then in Hollywood, certainly the Dark Knight has influenced me the most. The way Christopher Nolan has handled the crime/ thriller/ gangs/ superhero with a deep philosophical and dark tone is brilliant.
About your artistic career, have you ever had the desire to quit everything?
Not yet :-)
On set what excites you the most?
Improvising on the production set and adapting to the situation has a different energy and fun to it. I like to take things to a certain stage in pre-production where everyone is energized and gets comfortable with their role plays, but would like to leave room for adaptation during production.
And what scares you the most?
I want my originality to reflect in my movie's vision and in the final product. I am scared that this gets diluted if the team doesn't completely trust me. Thankfully it hasn't happened yet :-)
What's your next project?
I am exploring a couple of ideas at the moment.
1) Horror genre without a dialogue exploring spirits, superstitions and science.
2) SitCom genre - similar to Seinfeld style, but on topics related to Indian culture.
Both of the above I want to attempt in a web-series format - episodes of under 10 minutes each.
You can steal the career of an artist you really admire, who do you choose?
Steven Spielberg :-)
A director is made of....
Conviction and passion to tell a story that excites him/her
For you Cinema is....
Glorified Realty
Do you think Black and white movies have a powerful impact?
Interesting question. I think the fundamental connection between the audience and the movie is independent of the color choice. Although I think for a drama movie, B&W can be more powerful as the attention of the audience can be kept more towards the subject instead of distracting them towards the surrounding objects etc., Classic example of this is in Schindler's List - brilliant use of Black & White.
Have you ever dreamed of winning an Oscar?
No...I am a hobbyist at the moment interested in telling stories that excites me and hopefully learn a nugget or two along the way.
Do you think you're gonna win it?
Laughs
Croix Belgard - Interview
I am a student filmmaker and “Driving B” is my first of 3 short films premiering this year. I currently study at Rider University after transferring from Mercer County Community College. Directing and making films is a huge passion of mine and I am excited to make it into a career one day.
When did you decide you wanted to be a director?
I decided I wanted to be involved in film my second (full) year at Mercer Community College, after I changed my major from Business Administration.
How did your family react?
My family was and continues to be very supportive of me and my goals.
Do you have a Muse or a Role Model?
My role model and mentor is my professor Barry Levy at MCCC. He has taught me everything I know and I owe all my future success to him.
Who's your biggest fan?
My biggest fan is my girlfriend, Jessi. She has been there through thick and thin of every production I have been a part of.
What brings you inspiration the most?
My inspiration is to be better than everyone else and to make the best film possible.
Which actor or director would you like to work with?
I would love to work on a Christopher Nolan film because everything he shoots is almost annoyingly perfect and beautiful.
Have you ever seen a film that was better than the book?
One film that is better than the book is Shawshank Redemption. Even Steven King sold it for $1 because he knew it would be great.
What's the movie that taught you the most?
The Godfather has taught me the most about story elements and character arcs which are the core of any film.
About your artistic career, have you ever had the desire to quit everything?
I have never had the desire to quit, I only want to get better.
On set what excites you the most?
On set, that feeling when you film the take that you are 100% going to use in the final cut, excites me the most.
And what scares you the most?
What scares me the most is non-compliant actors who are difficult to work with.
What's your next project?
My next project I am producing, re-writing, and co-directing another short film titled Uncle Pete.
You can steal the career of an artist you really admire, who do you choose?
If I could steal the career of one director it would be Kubrik. He got to make films the way he wanted with amazing budgets and all the time in the world. Those films are perfect because he is so meticulous. On the other hand I would also love to have every Scorsese film in my portfolio.
A director is made of....
A director is made of steel because they endure the most intense pressure on set. We get it from all angles.
For you Cinema is....
For me cinema is an extremely personal and creative form of storytelling.
Do you think Black and white movies have a powerful impact?
B&W movies have an immense impact because they did not have the technology to be able to trick the audience's emotions by using certain colors or lighting. The lighting used in black and white film is genius.
Have you ever dreamed of winning an Oscar?
No, I have never dreamed of winning an Oscar. I dream of making great films.
Do you think you're gonna win it?
No, I do not think I am going to win it.
Madeline Kelley - Interview
Madeline Kelley is an award-winning producer and writer. Her most recent and first film as a producer and writer is called The Disparity, which has screened and won awards at numerous Film Festivals, like the Paris Play Film Festival, Paris Film Festival, Indie Eye Film Festival, Prague International Monthly Film Festival and World Film Carnival- Singapore. The documentary is about Covid-19 disparities. Madeline is also helping to feed communities through her nonprofit organization called Angels Haven Charity Corp. Madeline is empowering youth and adults to grow their own produce through hydroponic machines which are better, healthier, faster options of growing and eating food. Madeline is a mother and PhD student in Criminal Justice.
When did you decide you wanted to be a scriptwriter/movie producer?
I knew I wanted to be a scriptwriter and movie producer when I noticed the news media was not telling the whole story, they were only reporting one sided news. That's when I took it upon myself to report both sides of the story.
How did your family react?
My family and friends were so excited for me and my crew when they found out about the documentary "The Disparity".
Do you have a Muse or a Role Model?
My role models are my true, close friends and family.
Who's your biggest fan?
My close friends & family members are my biggest fans.
What brings you inspiration the most?
My close friends bring me inspiration, they know who they are, I keep my circle very small.
Which actor or director would you like to work with?
I would love to work with Actor Reuben D'Silva from the documentary "The Disparity" again, he's so down to earth and a great communicator. I would love to work with the Film director Kasey Flynn from the documentary "The Disparity" again, Kasey understands my vision.
What's the movie that taught you the most?
The Stoning of Soraya M: A True Story by Freidoune Sahebjam, the movie is about the lack of women's rights in Sudan.
On set what excites you the most?
The camera's rolling excites me.
What's your next project?
My next project will be on true story, crime docuseries for the murdered and or missing.
Do you think Black and white movies have a powerful impact?
Yes, Black and White films definitely have an impact on all of us, from film directors, to scriptwriters, actors and movie lovers.
Have you ever dreamed of winning an Oscar?
Yes, I have dreamt of winning an Oscar one day.
Do you think you're gonna win it?
We will see, yes, one day I see myself winning an Oscar.
Samuel Nkwume - Interview
Samuel Nkwume is a Nigerian filmmaker working and living in Los Angeles, California. He worked as an accountant before deciding on moving to LA , to chase his film producing dream. He has gone on to produce and also direct a number of award-winning short films and presently in pre-production as a co-producer in his second thriller feature, slated for 2022 release.
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a filmmaker
Growing up, I’ve always been intrigued by behind the scene videos and the making of films which usually aired on cable TV. I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria obtaining an accounting bachelors degree, as there weren’t a lot of filmmaking school opportunities. I started a review website/blog back in college, focusing on film and TV. I wrote a bunch of scripts even though I had no idea what I was doing. After college, I eventually decided to take a big step by going after my dream. I wanted to be a film producer, so I moved from Lagos to Los Angeles for film school, where my journey began. From there it’s been quite a ride.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
I’ve been always passionate about thrillers. Hands down my favorite genre. Thrillers engage the intellect. I find it so fun to build characters/story around a crime or a problem, leaving clues which the audience pick up while the story advances.
Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker
After watching “The Shining”, one of my favorite movies, that was the moment I knew I had a thing for thriller movies. Don’t get me wrong, I am still a fan of other genres, but that was definitely the drive that pushed me into filmmaking.
Who is your biggest influence?
My biggest influence at the moment is Jordan peele. I find it intriguing how a director/writer who is fantastic at voice animation, makes a switch into the thriller and horror genre and still exceeds, becoming a horror movie mastermind. He stated that even though he enjoyed horror while growing up, he had always been terrified of them, so he decided to make them to get over his fear. I personally had problems with watching thrillers growing up, but fast forward years later, that’s most of all I want to make.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
Challenges is a major part of the business. I faced a lot of challenges including getting committed actors, location issues and issues arising from post production. When I first started making shorts, I always neglected post-production until I was done with principal photography, rather than plan and budget for post-production right from the start of pre-production.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
Although I am crazy in love with thrillers, my favorite movie of all time is actually a fantasy. Harry Potter and the goblet of fire. It tells a very beautiful story while building up the characters emotions and chemistry. It was one of those movies that the characters were so perfectly fleshed out including the new characters introduced.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
If I could work with anyone in the world, it would be Daniel Kaluuya, the star of Judas and the black messiah and Jordan peele’s Oscar winning “Get out”.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
I worked as an accountant/Audit associate in one of the big 4 accounting firms before deciding to chase my filmmaking dream.
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
Not just one person, but both my Mom and Dad have truly believed in me and my career. Even when I decided to leave accounting behind, they were in full support till this very moment. I greatly appreciate having supportive parents by my side.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as filmmaker?
Learning from your mistakes is key. Every project you embark on, you learn something from it that will make you better at your next project. If you are not learning from your mistakes then you’re doing it wrong.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
I think it is way harder to keep going. A lot of people start and eventually give up. I know tons of people who gave up and decided to do something else. I had to conquer self-doubt and build believe and trust in my craft. As far as you put in the work, there will be light at the end of the tunnel. This isn’t an easy business.
What keeps you motivated?
Knowing that putting my maximum effort and working really hard will get me to my goals and ambition. This makes me want to stay motivated. As they always say, hard work beats talent. For my talent to pay off, I have to put in the work.
On set, the most important thing is:
For me the most important thing is communication and respect. Communication is key, for getting the job done, whether it is the pre-production stage, production or post. Adequate communication is needed at all levels. Respect is something I do not joke with. On my sets I am very respectful regardless of the pressure I face and I also hope that people around me are equally respectful to each other.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
The project I’m most proud of is my last short titled “The Decision”, winning tons of awards and nominations at the festival circus. It was a crazy ride filming it with a lot of ups and downs.
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
The Decision is is also my most challenging project. No matter how you plan, unavoidable situations happen. You as a filmmaker need to deal with it and solve the problem. I learnt that from this project.
What are your short term and long term career goals?
My short term goal is to get my feature film green lit by fall. A story based on my award-winning short film. Long term goal is to have 3 features directed by me and picked up for distribution in the space of the next 5 years.
Your next projects?
Presently Co-producing a thriller feature, ‘The Sweepers” to be directed by the award winning Michael Matteo Rossi, slated to begin principal photography in October. Also in development is my directing feature debut titled “The Decision”.
Equally producing a dance feature titled “Dear, Origin” slated for principal photography Winter 2021.
Please share with us where people can find you on social media, so our readers could keep track of your career
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/samuel_nk/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/samuel_nk_
Linked in - https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-nkwume-44b5a4147/
Eva Lanska - Interview
Award-winning director, Eva Lanska has been garnering critical and popular acclaim with her hauntingly evocative films. After graduating from the London Film Academy in 2017 where she studied Cinematography, Eva shot her first film Ok, Mum. The film was selected by the Cannes Film Festival in the Short Conner and the Russian Pavilion programs in Cannes Film Festival. The power of her films is the strength of her intuition and deep faith in the positive message of her works. It is the authenticity of the characters and their conflicts and the richness of her film’s atmosphere that make her work distinctive.
What brings you inspiration the most?
I am very inspired by the manifestation of human talents, Human genius. When fate gives a chance to meet a talented person, it will leave a long and deep imprint in my memory, but unfortunately, we do not meet geniuses often. I am inspired by the moment of the birth of art, not every playing on a musical instrument, even a very good one, gives birth to a true masterpiece. I am also a big fan of ballet, it was the subject of my first documentary film produced in London.
Which actor or director would you like to work with?
Al Pacino says that his best movie role is in the movie The God Father. I would like to mention his unforgettable work in the film Smell of a Woman. It would be interesting for me to work with him. I would like to meet and chat with producer Jerry Bruckheimer. I have watched a lot of his interviews and in many ways, his thoughts on filmmaking are very similar to mine. He once said I don’t want to make a show that I wouldn’t watch. This line says a lot about the process of creating a movie. I think I could learn a lot from Jerry, and it would be interesting to work with him. Every artist wants his or her works to have a place in history and I belong to people who share this approach.
When did you decide you wanted to be a director?
"The director must have the soul of a poet and the will of a warrior ".
Since childhood, I dreamed of dedicating my professional activity to the cinema. I graduated from the faculty of journalism and worked in television as a TV presenter. All these coins went to the piggy bank of my art experience. I was a singer in Paris, worked as a screenwriter, already having in mind that this knowledge would be useful to me on the way to the main job I dreamed about. When my first film "Okay, Mum" was selected and presented at the Russian Pavilion during the Cannes Film Festival, I realized that the time had finally come. By the way, to the great joy of our team, this film was also selected by the Cannes Film Festival as part of its annual Short Film Corner. This film also received a Best Female Director nomination by the European Cinematography Awards (ECA) and was a finalist at the Los Angeles Film Awards and at the New York Movie Awards. I was nominated for the 30 most promising filmmakers you should follow, and nominated for Best Director by Top Shorts Film Festival, Canada Shorts Film Festival, and others.
Do you have a Muse or a Role Model?
I would name three completely different women who all possess qualities that inspire to preserve inner dignity, fortitude in any situation, and the belief that women can really change the world. They are former U.K. Prime Minister, Baroness Margaret Thatcher, fourth Prime Minister of Israel Golda Meir, and Princess Diana.
Have you ever seen a film that was better than the book?
The book is a priority for me. I grew up reading books, the culture of reading is the foundation on which I build my directing projects. Perhaps I will be able to find the answer to this question while filming one of my projects.
What's the movie that taught you the most?
- Nothing stronger than the " The Godfather" trilogy has yet been made. In terms of drama, acting, and archetypes. This is a reference book for a filmmaker.
About your artistic career, have you ever had the desire to quit everything?
This is a normal stage in any creative path. Every artist faced this.
On set what excites you the most?
Discipline.
And what scares you the most?
Doubts.
What's your next project?
Drama Film - "I'm not an actress". This is a story that, among other things, reveals the talents and strength of the character of Brigitte Bardot. She is mostly known in the world as a film actress, but this star has done much more than we know. Her commitment to animal welfare is tremendous.
You can steal the career of an artist you really admire, who do you choose?
- I think everyone should be themselves. It is in the originality that the main strength of the artist is.
A director is made of ....
Talent, passion for art, admiration for beauty, the experience of suffering.
For you Cinema is ....
Passion - Art - Love.
Do you think Black and white movies have a powerful impact?
This is undoubtedly so, it is difficult to shoot black-and-white films, but when you succeed, then this is a real victory. Remember the great Cold War (Polish Zimna wojna) directed by Pavel Pawlikowski, this is a masterpiece.
Have you ever dreamed of winning an Oscar?
Every director dreams of winning an Oscar.
Do you think you're gonna win it?
I heard that sincere dreams come true.
Sophia Romma - Interview
Screenwriter/Playwright/Theatre and Film Director, Dr. Sophia Romma is the screenwriter and producer of the Garnet Grand Prix Award-Winning international art-house motion-picture, Poor Liza, starring Emmy Award-Winning and three-time Golden Globe winning actor, Ben Gazzara and Obie, two-time Emmy and Academy Award-Winning actress, Lee Grant. Poor Liza, directed by the émigré cult director of Liquid Sky, won honorable mention for best original drama phantasma at the Cairo Film Festival, took second prize for revival of surrealism and mysticism in film, won first prize at the 21st Moscow International Film Festival for the Bunuel Film Series Tribute and was awarded the Garnet Grand Prix Bracelet from the St. Petersburg Literature in Film Festival, which is equivalent to receiving the coveted Oscar.
Tell us about your background and when did you decided to become a filmmakek?
I arrived on American shores as a six-year-old child and had witnessed my mother face the gruesome challenging fate brought on by immigration, the dislocation of the émigré soul and the eventual rather heart-wrenching assimilation which is the fate of the émigré who stands obliged to blend into a society that is not often welcoming and in fact quite frankly unapologetically judgmental of differing cultures and customs. I am a child of the Cold War and having fled Soviet Russia due to religious and ethnic persecution, as most fledging immigrants; I found immense and infinite escapism in fantasy with the unfolding of slow seductively intricate and sublime images on the screen at the very moment that I had set foot in the Film Form in Bohemian Greenwich Village, New York. I was captivated and enthralled by the sheer elegance of these mystical alluring 24 frames per second captured for an eternity on celluloid and mesmerized by that sin in soft focus unraveled by the motion-pictures. Film, in my humble opinion, is a creative medium in which much like crooning the blues or playing jazz notes, the soul of humanity is exposed frame by frame before the lens of the human eye. Hence, one is immersed in that cinematic thrilling whirlpool as the human condition in unveiled, hopefully resonating with a global multitude. I cannot righteously admit to instantaneously deciding to become a filmmaker like Poof! Rather, I decided to write for film, to be a screenwriter which is a special beast, and to paint in stark images, employing descriptive words to sing the songs of life, light, death, pain, pathos, drama, love, lust and the eternal suffering of the human condition by depicting lives spun in tales via the craft of film. The first film I had seen at the Film Forum was a Knife in the Water by Roman Polanski. It was anything but a film shot taking into account an impressionable youth’s sensibility. However, this uncanny psychological thriller was a wet and wild drama and being so young it had ignited my spirit to explore that delicate volatile dynamic between intense intimate uncomfortable spaces occupied by gripping spirits entangled in the septic verse of the vespers encroaching upon solipsistic minds. Since the epistemological position reveals that solipsism entails that knowledge of any aspect of life outside of one’s own mind is a grave uncertainty—I have felt the longing desire to explore the internal and external world of the mind which cannot be truly known and which does not really exist outside of the mind of the beholder. I wanted to make films so that I could probe into the epistemic theories of truth. In portraying verisimilitude—I attempt to treat film as a lyrical composition which is an excursion into the principles of truth-like-ness. After all, cinema often mirrors our lives to the point of precise excruciation thrust upon us by the very act of living which is an artform in itself.
Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker?
The cinema of the former Czechoslovakia, as well as the current Czech Republic and Slovakia, is indisputably some of the most richly visual cinema ever made in the history of the motion-picture industry. I was definitely inspired by masterpieces such as The Shop on Main Street, Pacho, the Brigand of Hybe, The Feather Fairy, Let the Princess Stay with Us, Closely Watched Trains, Ragtime, Man on the Moon, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. I have also been greatly inspired by Au Hasard De Balthazar, The Nun (1966), The Diary of a Chambermaid, Summer of Sam, Mean Streets, The Piano, Agnes of God, Fanny and Alexander, Virgin Spring, Cries and Whispers, When Harry Met Sally, Cleo from 5 to 7, The Bicycle Thieves, Pierrot Le Fou, and Pickpocket, merely to name a few masterpieces of cinematic integrity wrapped in coils of fantasy. I would be remiss if I failed to mention the films of Martin Scorsese in particular, as he taught film at my Alma Mater, Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. I am fan of his films, Casino and Goodfellas. I also greatly admire Spike Lee’s films, especially Jungle Fever, Crooklyn and Malcolm X. I have been immeasurably impressed by the films of Ingmar Bergman such as the ingenious Persona, Wild Strawberries, and The Seventh Seal. This is most definitely not an exhaustive list of films that have egged me on to become a filmmaker and a screenwriter. I fawn over Andrei Tarkovsky’ metaphysically dark films such as Mirror and Stalker. I cannot fail to mention Akira Kurosawa’s brilliant films such as Throne of Blood, Drunken Angel and Stray Dog. Mr. Kurosawa innovatively utilized the Axial Cut and the Cut on Motion shots, which I admire. In terms of acting, I like to appear in cameo roles, preferably in black and white as I am not terribly photogenic and the camera simply does not love me. However, acting in my own films, is challenging and somewhat cryptic. I appear as the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock did, in some phantom scene as a backdrop so that the audience may acknowledge and hence emphatically exclaim at some point in time: “Look, there’s the director, Sophia Romma!”
Who is your biggest influence?
Robert Bresson. Robert Bresson is the epitome of ecclesiastical cinema bordering on a manic adherence to the concept of God’s existence and the toll that human suffering takes on those who expatiate for their earthly sins. As one of my other film icons stated about the cinematic craft of Mr. Bresson; I too feel as does the artful ground-breaking Jean-Luc Goddard: “Bresson is the French Cinema, as Fyodor Dostoevsky is the Russian novel and Mozart is German music.” Bresson’s films are imbued with the presence of Deity underscoring a baffling mysticism and a celestial lyricism. Hence for me, Bresson is the essence of film as he skillfully mines the touchstones of humanity and reaches the epicenter of the heart and soul of a singular cinematic frame elevating the medium to a cathartic opera before a weeping in sync audience. I also deeply admire Otto Preminger who directed more than thirty-five feature films in a five-decade career after leaving the theatre, simply because I hail from Off-Broadway and Off-off Broadway where I had commenced by writing and directing career. I am a fan of Mr. Preminger’s film noire mysteries such as Laura and Fallen Angel. I found his film, Anatomy of A Murder simply brilliant, especially for those who had graduated from Law School, as I have. I found his movie, Advice and Consent, an American political drama, to be most moving.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
I would have to say that the most challenging film I had worked on was my most recent labor of love, Used and Borrowed Time. We were shooting on a very tight budget. We were obliged to shoot in the dead of winter with snowfalls and raging whiplashing winds. Our post-production Estonian team was riddled with the dilemma of working during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic where the entire world was paralyzed by looming death, an economic crisis and a medical calamity which taxed healthcare systems to the maximum and altered the lives of each member of society on a multi-faceted level. This film was indeed a labor of love during the time of cholera called Covid. I found my film, Poor Liza, to be quite torturous in shooting as well, since it was the first film to be shot on location with breathtaking scenes in the center of the Red Square in Moscow (back in 1998), in the former Soviet Union, and our producers had to obtain special permission from the Kremlin to shoot those scenes by Saint Basil’s Cathedral, which was no small feat, obviously. Furthermore, my esteemed actor, the Academy Award Nominee, Ben Gazzara, an icon in Hollywood, had indulged in a bit too much vodka since it was frigid and in shooting one of our main scenes in which Mr. Gazzara was lifted sky high against a blue screen with some markers, engaged in the act of a flying narrator named Karamzin, Ben kept hollering at the crew as he was hoisted: “Be careful of my balls, they are precious!” The rest of the cast, including the fabulously talented Lee Grant, burst out in boisterous laughter and had some great fun, however the filming was riddled with chaos from military incursions to curfew impositions. We were all so thrilled to return to the United States when the shooting of the film had culminated that we cried tears of pure joy.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
I like to work in the genre of sentimentalism, allegorical symbolism, mystic fantasy, surrealism, absurdism, and expressionism. I am a steadfast disciple of the La Nouvelle Vague, German Expressionism and Italian Neo-Realism. The Golden Age of Italian Cinema has insidiously inspired me in that oldies but goodies mannerism with stories set amongst the poor and the working class, filmed on location, often employing the talents of non-professional actors to bring forth that authentic quality shamelessly portraying the concept of our tormented human nature while by the same token our propensity of unspeakable atrocities as people against others who are less fortunate. Themes of everyday life, including poverty, oppression, injustice, and desperation are all too familiar to me as an émigré and as the daughter of refugees. However, in order for the audience to swallow the harsh pills of reality; I attempt to add the water of baptisms so that universally speaking—unbearable reality is laced with the hope of surrealism, escapism and a false sense of spiritual heroism—a recipe for a tolerable yet engaging cinematic experience without having to wallow in the pain of others to the extent of desiring the death of one’s own persona in the face of human misery without the prospects of certain redemption and resurrection. German Expressionism entices my abstract sense as a filmmaker. Film ought to express itself in shadowy, enigmatic landscapes of mystery to convey nightmares of the heart, longings of the passionate and the obsessions of the haunted screen where actors play out the lives of their living counterparts—those who actually watch films reveal their own social circumstances behind veiled scrims as the camera roams wild through decrepit purple stocking slums, evoking images of pimps smoking cigars, femme fatales swinging off monkey bars and brute deceptive cads playing poker in the dingy cobblestoned alleyways. I admire the French New Wave genre and those respective directors for their unconventional cinematic language which broke the barriers of French Cinema. Revered directors such as Claude Chabral, Jean-Luc Godard, Jacques Rivette, Eric Rohmer and Francois Truffaut were my greatest influences in film. I also work with repetitive dialogue, jump cuts and time lapse to hammer in the auteur’s distinctive and discriminate point of view and to deliver the plot in a staccato manner. Low budget, location shot films, free style editing, loosely constructed narratives, spontaneity and non-politicized cinema has fascinated me from the onset of my film career. I accept the dilemma of taking unpopular stances but shun away from appearing as a stooge dictating on the edge of a soapbox, perched at the pinnacle of pretentious pompousness. Cinema is art and art should not preach—it should move and shake, capture and overtake, consume and exhume. I do not mean to sound crass but as corpses may be exhumed from the ground so may stale emotional states that have long been put to rest. Film allows for the blooming of intense sentiments so that a holocaust of lost souls can be reclaimed in the form of embers from flickering motion-pictures.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
Stanley Kubrick’s Doctor Strangelove Or How I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, is perhaps the greatest film of all time. I take a keen and a sort of depraved pleasure in watching this film’s unique cynicism burgeon on film and overtake the most unsuspecting and naïve spectators with its prophetic commentary on war, the burden which nations carry in a race towards unattainable exceptionalism while nursing the psychosis of competitive warfare among ambitious actor states willing to subdue and crush the temperament of their own citizens solely to rule the world stage. This dark comedy satirizes the Cold War panic of a nuclear conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States. This film is a comedic tragic triumph over the perversity and dementia of power-tripping. Kubrick’s sardonic heavy-handed direction is no subtle attempt to socially and astutely comment on the absurdity of space wars and on the detrimental pain that war creates, scarring and disfiguring future generations both mentally and physically.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
I have admired Spike Lee for decades. He was also my professor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. The screenplay for Mr. Lee’s iconic film, Do the Right Thing, was my screenwriting bible. It was a perfectly tailored film in which Brooklyn, New York’s simmering racist culture was brutally exposed on a hot summer day. I admire filmmakers who set the tone—the ambiance of a socially significant motion-picture while steadfastly keeping to a plastered season and are exquisitely able to spin a lamentable tale within the confines of the stifling beaming sun, ferreting out those rat racists of Brooklyn equipped with undertones of such sadness brought to the forefront in bitter sweet notes of comedy. Mr. Lee is a master of this fading genre.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
Most people who do not know me well, or those who attain merely a faint glimpse of my character do not have an inkling that I suffer from debilitating anxiety. I have battled this fear of apprehension regarding the future, excessive nervousness and worry about not being accepted by my colleagues or my friends and family ever since I began to express this hounding angst as a child of ten, whence I commenced upon my poetical escapades and decided to become a poet or a lady of verse. I presume that those who come across this interview now know that I am an anxious being, so it is no longer my secret.
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career?
My mother is the one person who truly believed in my work throughout my career by supporting me through the harshest of financial times and the trying meanderings of an artist’s youthful follies to succeed in this most challenging industry riddled with hurdles at each turn. My Mama and might I add, my grandmother, have held this burning torch of faith in my artistry and in my cinematic craft which I so deeply appreciate. I am a mother myself and have come to the realization of how pivotal it is to support your children’s dreams whatever they may be. While my aunt always called me touched in the head and mad, my mother and her mother in turn, recognized that I had a spark of talent. I admire my Mama so much for believing in me and supporting me in my sincere and unfaltering desire to make movies. I would never have had the courage to make Used and Borrowed Time, had it not been for the support of my beloved Mama.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as a filmmaker?
Films are the most sacred form of artistic expression, but a director must not make a film out of revenge or hatred. I learned that filmmaking is an art of love and not an art of the battle-axe. While I do not necessary believe that a director ought to shoot a film as a therapeutic experience—making a film, recounting a sad true story or conceptualizing a fairytale means that you must be married to your craft and that translates to never having to settle for mediocrity or insincerity but to shoot the film that you wish to make while keeping your artistic integrity in tact through the passion and admiration that you possess for this unique craft. In other words, directors warrant a committed relationship to their film projects, to their cast, crew and to their producers—there can be no mistresses involved, that’s sacrilegious to the art form and desecrates a film project from its conception with a dishonest approach. For an actor, I believe it is most important to believe in your character’s existence and to fancy yourself as that character. If the actor strays from the poignancy of the specific character trait that he or she must portray—the truth in that specific portrayal is lost and that is a grievance to the nature of the actor. For screenwriters, I feel that the profession calls for a preponderance of stamina in creative but structured writing—it’s a craft and one that beckons a blue print outline with a definitive theme, plot points and solid drama. The screenwriter needs discipline—if a writer procrastinates it may consume the project and send the artist into a drinking stupor—at least that is my personal experience with that particular inadequacy.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
I firmly believe that it is much harder to begin. There you are, staring at a series of blank pages, mortified to commence the creative journey. You are not certain where the ebbing paths shall take you and where your artistic choices will lead. The debris—thick with heaviness way upon your soul and the obstacles mount against your hide with each blank hill of a page. In order to conquer that debilitating fear in the pursuit of screenwriting, I have to clear my mind, find the inspiration and let my fingers do the talking. Then my heart will pour itself onto those taunting pages and I find that I can sustain this fighting feeling for as long as I need to finish the screenplay. With filmmaking, I feel that once on set, the sustenance of continuing to shoot for lengthy periods of time in different turbulent locations is fatiguing and so one must call upon the muses to harness stamina in order to keep inspired and motivated. A director is the master of his own ship but there are pirates on deck to watch out for lest they hijack your entire film production and you are left with a grip devoid of an artist’s dream.
What keeps you motivated?
Writing and shooting a compelling story keeps me motivated. Memories from the heart are like souvenirs to share with the audience. Film graces you with the favor to hold an audience captive while unleashing a story of a human struggle, a tender desire, or a wanton ill which shackles and stifles society. If I can move a soul to ponder over humanity’s plight; that serves as my sincere motivation. Naturally, I aim to entertain, above all, but I do not wish to reel an audience hook line and sinker with frivolity. There exists a plethora of mundane works of art that circulate in the sphere of cinema and that’s a pity because it diminishes the beauty of capturing that sacred art form on celluloid or during these progressive days, on digital. I wish to tantalize a spectator’s mind or to touch the soul of a viewer through submerging the audience in Dante’s Inferno and seeing if the audience can forgive me for the gratification of presenting life as I see that life, entangled in the webs of its virtue or entrapped by the horrors of its vice.
How has your style evolved?
My passion for film shall never dissipate and while I have been writing plays for the theatre for nearly twenty-five years, when I commenced my writing career, I dabbled with themes of sentimentalism, deep romanticism and drama phantasma for the screen. After attending Fordham University Law School and majoring in International Human Rights Law, I have seen my writing gain a socially conscious purview. I seek to make movies which call for social change, an adherence to the rule of law, and a plea for equality and tolerance. I am distinctly aware of the injustices, racism, bigotry and biases which dog our contemporary society and it is my goal to shed light on these inequities while refraining from preaching like a charlatan, pastor upon a soap box. I am not a politician nor a talk show host. I want to show and recount the truth which we face as marginalized folk, as those working on the periphery of time and slaving against the grain of what is expected, even if it is ruthless in cinematic presentation. Even if a spectator cannot fathom swallowing their meatloaf after what I have shown on the silver screen—and if that’s the effect of my work, I’ve moved a spirit to quit eating and start thinking with a cause for change settled in the crevices of the mind. My favorite author, James Baldwin, did not shy away from dragging the will and shrieking sound of defiance to the forefront to take swords up against discrimination and intolerance. My style has evolved to face the music but not to simply listen to the sound but to hear the words echoing in the halls of the heart, screaming for societal change and equitable justice.
On set, the most important thing is:
On set, the most important aspect is to be cool, calm and collected. As a director, I seek to unleash effective convincing performances from my cast. I must be endearing and leisurely while at the same time I must be ready to crack a certain whip so that momentum is not lost. A director should be versatile, sensitive yet bold, a commander in chief but not a fool and eager to listen to suggestions—open to ideas. I believe a director should learn from the cast and crew by using soft words when needed, gentle persuasion where expected and brash domineering force when required, especially when seeking a momentous performance or when imprinting for cinematic posterity that once in a life time Gone with the Wind Love Scene shot atop of the emerald hill overlooking a field of chaos whist still awaiting paradise to march in and salvage that day for night shot on the set, before the director shouts: “Cut!”
The project(s) you’re most proud of…
I am most profoundly proud of my film, Poor Liza, which starred Academy Award Nominee Ben Gazzara and Academy Award Winner, Lee Grant. Although the sentimental tale revolves around a young peasant girl who is romanced and then deplorably abandoned by a callous nobleman in the 18th Century—it is a lamentable tale of how class struggles within the constraints of society conscript a true act of love to utter and insufferable futility. I was very proud that this film had won the Grand Prix Garnet Bracelet for Best Motion-Picture at the Gatchina Literature and Film Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia and that I was able to gift my beloved mother with this coveted film award at such an early stage in my film career. I am also significantly proud of my three stage-plays which were produced while I was under contract at La MaMa Experimental Theatre in New York. “Love in the Eyes of Hope, Dies Last,” was an auto-biographical play which dealt with the hardships of immigration and assimilation. “Coyote, Take Me There!” was a folkloric biblical musical which also revolved around the dislocation of refugees from Eastern Europe and the impoverished wise asylum seekers from Mexico and Latin American countries. “Defenses of Prague” was an Obie Nominated mystical play in verse which was about the legendary Golem of Prague coming face to face with the Roma of Prague set against the backdrop of the brutal invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviets in 1968.
What are your short term and long-term career goals?
To be perfectly candid, I do not hold long-term career goals. My late sister who passed at the tender age of eighteen and to whom I have dedicated practically all of my work in the theatre, had written in her diary that she was going to eat the most delicious Granny Smith apple on Saturday afternoon but she had passed on Friday. I’ve learned not to make plans lest God holds other plans for me and for those around me. Perhaps God even snickers at my plans so I am resolved to adhere to short term career goals. I would like to make another socially conscious change seeking film within the next two years, should I live so long. It would also be lovely to work with some actors whom I thoroughly admire, such as Adrian Brody and Marisa Tomei.
What are your upcoming projects?
At New York University, I had a professor who had taught a class on Vladimir Nabokov and the students were assigned to read practically each of his novels. I was a young lady who was touched by the story of Mashenka which in my opinion served as a prelude to Nabokov’s infamous banned novel Lolita. In Mashenka, a young man, recuperates from typhoid fever, clenched in the clutches of boredom and thus conjures up his ideal love—a girl whom he actually meets a month later. Mashenka is the love of his life. Nabokov describes the lass: “a girl with chestnut scythe in a black bow, burning eyes, a swath face and a rolling carted voice.” Once the protagonist, Ganin, catches a glimpse of this girl, he is instantly smitten with her much like the lewd character of Humbert Humbert was possessed and consumed by Lolita’s underage visage and licentious aura. Mashenka and Lolita are primary examples of young girls who are victims of solipsism. The two young girls exist only in the sole minds of Ganin and Humbert Humbert as they appear as clip-on identities and not as real youthful ladies imbued with distinct individual characteristics. In a sense, these unfortunate girls are victims of a contrived perverse imagination. I am currently engaged in writing a screenplay revolving around Lolita’s perspective regarding Humbert Humbert in which I depict her every reaction to his haughty elicit sexual advances towards such a young girl. I believe that as a woman I am equipped to ascertain and portray Lolita’s version of Humbert Humbert’s infatuation with a twelve-year old Dolores Haze and to express Lolita’s vision of this rather sick seduction of a pubescent girl. While the term “Lolita” has been sadly assimilated into our popular culture as a description of a young girl who is “precociously seduced….sans the wicked connotations of victimization,” I aim to prove on the contrary (drawing from a similarly situated experience) that Dolores Haze is indeed a victim and not a seductress, at least not a conscience one due to her obvious inexperience, fickle pre-teen posture, youth and fleeting innocence which is prone to serve as sensual prey of worldly educated men like Humbert Humbert. I feel that a film based on Lolita’s response to Humbert Humbert’s despicable physical and emotional advances may be timely in the era of meaningful social change movements seeking female empowerment while holding guilty men accountable for their horrendous acts against women, such as the #metoo movement demonstrates. I would also very much like to shoot an adaptation of my play, which premiered at the 13th Street Repertory Theatre, entitled, “The Blacklist,” which is a quirky yet prophetically poignant political satire about an afterlife party hosted by the Grim Reaper during our flamboyantly tumultuous, politically divisive times.
Luis Marciliano - Interview
Luis Marciliano is a 31 years old Brazilian filmmaker currently working and living in New York City. While being a lawyer in Brazil, Luis created a photograph workshop in his home town which he held for 2 years and wrote and directed his first short films. Determined to change career, he moved to NYC in 2016 to attend a filmmaking program at New York Film Academy. After completing the program, he taught a film class at an after school program alongside art directing and editing. Luis wrote, directed and designed 4 shorts films, and is currently working on a 3 episode series and his first feature film.
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a filmmaker?
I’m from Brazil and my passion for films and storytelling goes back to when I was a child but only by the age of 25, after being a lawyer, that I realized that I really wanted to be a filmmaker and make that a career.
Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker?
As an adult I have my favorite directors and films but what most inspired me to become a filmmaker was actually a genre. Horror. 80’s and 90’s movies such as The shining, Videodrome, Hellraiser, poltergeist, Halloween H20, Scream and so many others
Who is your biggest influence?
People. I like to observe cut outs of real life and how people react to conflicts. And places and objects. Also being a Production designer and Art director myself my surroundings always inspire me to think about characters at these places and which narrative they would create.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
In order to make ends meet living in NY I still work as a production designer and art director, which I also love doing. But being on set requests a lot of time. So I would say time is a challenge.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
Nowadays I’ve been exploring sci-fi dramas. I can’t say I have a favorite. It depends on my inspirations. But you will always find a touch of surrealism in my films. If we have the tool of making literally anything that comes to our minds out of the life that we are used to, why not explore the unknown and have fun with it?!
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
I would say The Holy Mountain by Alejandro Jodorowsky. I try to watch at least once a year. It’s a big inspiration as a director and production designer because the magnitude of it it’s beyond human. The colors, the shapes, the actors and actresses on it. The story. Is a blast for the eyes and the soul.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
Probably Wong Kar-wai. I would love to observe his process and the way he directs actors and actresses. His movies speak to all our layers as humans and that’s fascinating.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
I used to be a lawyer in Brazil until I was 25 years old. I still have my license.
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
My cousin Ana Laura. Since we were young she would encourage me to keep taking pictures, writing stories, creating visuals.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as a filmmaker/actor/screenwriter?
You always need to put your crew in first place. We are all passionate about filmmaking and everyone wants to create something magical and unique but we can’t do that at the cost of people that we are collaborating with. We need to think about their well-being first of all.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
I’m still working to keep going. I love writing and directing and I’m still doing it but my main source of income is as a production designer and art director with movies I worked on in many international film festivals and streaming platforms, music videos for famous artists and commercials for big brands.
What keeps you motivated?
My passion for narrative. The possibility of creating different universes. Being able to write and direct and also do my own production design makes me be inspired all the time and that brings me joy.
How has your style evolved?
I like to explore and work with different styles. I don’t think I’ll ever get stuck with only one because it would make me bored.
On set, the most important thing is:
Respect
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
Fractal
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
Fractal was a challenging work. Besides writing and directing I did the production design for it and to do all of that in a tight budget and time it’s even harder. But I had an amazing team that helped me to accomplish my vision.
What are your short term and long term career goals?
Short term is to keep writing and directing and also doing production design and art direction. To keep creating. My long term is to be able to write and direct one feature film a year and create a film school back in my hometown in Brazil to give the youth there the opportunity to go places and discover the magical world of film that I’m having the chance to experience.
Your next projects?
My next project is a short sci-fi that I want to transform into a 3 episode series where the main theme is the individual x society and also a feature film about a teenager trying to fit in a hyper modern society without losing his beliefs.
Please share with us where people can find you on social media, so our readers could keep track of your career
My Instagram is @luismarciliano and my website is www.luismarciliano.com
Maria Yoon - Interview
Maria Yoon is a Korean-American film producer, director, and performance artist. As the self-proclaimed voice of unmarried Asian-American women, her previous feature-length documentary, entitled Maria the Korean Bride (2013) explored the meaning of marriage in America, spontaneously coordinating weddings in all fifty states. For her sequel, Maria the Korean Bride: Ghost Wedding (2020), she investigates the possibility of marriage after death. Her work often challenges the expectations and interrogates the traditions of first and second-generation Americans with the aim of empowerment and hope for a better cultural understanding.
Why did you decide to become a filmmaker?
I have discovered using film to communicate gives me endless possibilities.
Which movie was the most inspiring for you?
All About Eve, 1950. This movie has it all; powerful women actors, confronting jealousy, and envy!
Which director or actor influenced you the most in your life?
Bette Davis and Isabella Rossellini.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
Working with a limited budget.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
Docudrama and Historical. Life stories fascinate me. A decision you make today could alter your life tomorrow.
What’s your all-time favorite film and why?
Life is Beautiful, 1997. Life is Beautiful has so many symbols/meanings for me. I know I am not alone when I say this. Human dignity is a major theme.
I love a film that makes us laugh and cry.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
Isabella Rossellini.
Isabella was my go-to during the 1980s, but with her experimental films, I have been even more inspired. I want to explore different thoughts and ideas on her interpretation of a feminist collective.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
Besides being married fifty times I love a good smoky scotch.
The one person who has truly believed in you.
My Mother!
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as filmmaker?
Learning to be flexible and embracing the process.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
For us, it was challenging to keep it going. This particular production took place in a foreign land (China) with a language barrier. But, with persistence, we were able to overcome our obstacles.
On set, the most important thing is:
Participants will and team support!
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
Maria the Korean Bride (2013) Documentary. It took me nine years to complete - almost a decade.
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
Maria the Korean Bride (2013) Documentary. It took me nine years to complete. Driving alone, seducing, and documenting - being a one-woman show was not easy.
What are your short term and long term career goals?
Short and long terms are the same for me: Make ART always!
Your next projects?
The next documentary will be on how Covid19 has changed women’s lives, especially for those in the Arts.
Please share with us where people can find you on social media, so our readers could keep track of your career
https://www.instagram.com/mariakoreanbride/
https://www.facebook.com/ghostmarriages
Peter Boiadzhieff - Interview
Peter Boiadzhieff a.k.a "Krassimir Nikov" is an American film maker of Bulgarian origin. He directed several short films and created several rafting videos. His film project "The Secret Project 53" has been officially selected more than 15 times and he won the award of one the festival for First Time Director.
Why did you decide to become a filmmakek?
I wanted to be a filmmaker from early age when my grandmother bought me a “Smena Symbol” photo camera. I am still remembering while I was sitting next to the fireplace in the old house and watching through the window outside, the moon was shining and the snow was covering everything outside, all around became white, it was a magical winter night. This could be a great story for my next movie, a childhood dream that became alive. At this time, I have no idea how film making works but my dream become a reality a decade ago when I bought a MiniDV video camera and slowly shifted to a career.
I do not feel that I am an actor, but as indie film maker you must learn and understand the different types of acting, took few acting classes on how to develop you acting style, did a standup comedy, lots of public speaking at Buckhead Toastmasters. I really love to play roles as a bad guy, a villain characters, gangster, or just performing comedy.
When I wrote my first scripts, I did not know that there is a difference between scriptwriting and screenwriting, I actually was doing the screenwriting on the fly while filming it was a creative process in my brain. However, when I gain more practical experience, I pay more attention on screenwriting, how to open the scene, where the actor will be, lightening and etc.
I was born in capital city Sofia in Bulgaria, I grew up in a small city called Petrich which is border between Macedonia and Greece. In old days it was fun no cell phones, we are playing outside, going to the mountains, rivers. There was no internet, if you need to learn something you buy a book or you go to the library. We had a black and white TV with just two channels on it. I am coming with software development that helped me in film editing. Later, I moved to USA in Atlanta Georgia. I joined the Fork Shop film making group where I have a chance to practice making short films. My name is Krassimir Nikov, but I am using a stage name Peter Boidazhieff.
I love film making, the whole process, from writing the script, casting the actors, filming, editing, and distributing you cut on internet, dvd, or theatre.
Which movie was the most inspiring for you?
There are many films that inspired me over the years for example like ‘After the Sunset’ 2004 with Pierce Brosnan, Salma Hayek, Woody Harrelson.
“Obvilion” 2013 where Tom Cruise plays Jack Harper he need to finish his mission, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko as Julia and I am seeing lots of similarity of where today’s world is going.
“Stargate Atlantis” the series with Joe Flanigan, Jason Momoa, Torri Higginson but most interesting is “John Carter” – 2012 by Walt Disney. I really love the story telling, the acting, the effects, and how they are able to go back and forward in order to support the story.
Also one of the short experimental film that I did a year ago called The Secret Project 53 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnUQZYWGprA
which I directed.
Which director or actor influenced you the most in your life?
My biggest influence is one of the local film makers, director, and writer his name is Stephen Blackmon, he is the founder of the Fork Shop film making group. He is able to get people together and showed the practical aspects of film making. You do not need to have expensive gear; you just need to have an idea then get motivated crew and the movie is born, the rest is history!
I could say big names like famous actors that influenced my film creations process. I was very fortune to have one of the greatest actors like Paul Black and Ruby Singleton. Their hard work, professionalism, and positive attitude gave live to my crazy film projects that I am so grateful.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
There were many challenges that I faced; one is finding the right actors who will be able to commit to the role. Another is finding the right locations, or building the set in the studio. The most important is the audio, many times I did the filming and when I got to the editing part found out the audio is not very good and I need to go back and asked the actors to re-record the audio.
In other words with any project there are challenges and this is part of being an indie film maker, I need to be able to adapt and overcome any obstacles and keep filming, do not stop because something is preventing you of finishing you film project.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
One of my favorite genres is Comedy, but I really love Science Fiction and Fantasy. To make funny story and make something with unexpected ending to make audience guessing what it is going to happen next.
You should be able to laugh at any situations, even the difficult ones.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
One of my favorite movies is “Lucifer” and it is TV series where Lucifer Morningstar is the actual devil and helping the detective Chloe Decker solving crimes. I love the acting, the chemistry between then and how their characters are developed during the series. The idea that the devil is actually a person who helps people and every day is a party, drinking, smoking, and the concept of hell, when you die if you are going in hell. The hell is actually torturing you performing the same task over and over for eternity, like never ending dream. Great drama, and lovely love story and romance between them and the rest of the characters are amazing, too like Detective Daniel "Dan" Espinoza, Mazikeen, Amenadiel, Dr. Linda Martin.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
I would love to work with Pierce Brosnan one of my favorite actors, Michael Bay the best director, one of his movies The Island, Margaret Lawson she played in the series Psych, and Daniella Alonso.
Or, just scratch all of these people above I love to work with Conan O'Brien the late-night host on TBS.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
I was in the army where I was a radio telegraphist on R-140 (SSSR radiostanice). Also, I am enjoying rafting in Ocoee Tennessee in Ocoee River, which is one the best rafting location in USA. In 2018 I was part of the rafting race in Ocoee River Championships in Olympic Section of the river
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
I have many people that do not believe in me and lots of haters, in most of my life they told that I can’t and I won’t be. The same thing happened when I began making films got lots of jokes and laughs.
However, I proved them wrong, most important that I proved for myself that anything is possible you just need the courage to do it. I consider myself a dreamer that is living the dream of making short crazy films.
The person who believed was one of my co-worker David, he always encouraged me and helped me to make my dream as film maker becoming a reality.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as filmmaker?
I have leaned many lessons, but the most important one is do not get discourage from you mistakes. For example, you have an idea in your mind how to film a particular scene but when you are fuming it, looks totally different. The most important lesson is practicing the scene before you actually filming it, what this mean, brake down the scene in small segments and think how you are going to film it, from which angle, lights, what do you want the actor to say, react. I believe this will save you lots of time while filming it and then will be easy to edit the scene later.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
For me it is harder to start, but once I started the film project it is easy to keep going. For example, sometimes I am going in a “hole” stuck with the script, cannot find the actors, locations, and I am experiencing the moment that I call a “hole” not doing anything and going into a loop doing nothing for day or months for one or another reason, they called a “hell” like in “Lucifer” TV series, in other words doing the same thing over and over for eternity and beyond.
Once I get out of the “hole” I can keep going and nothing can stop me.
How to conquer the “hole”, because it sucking me down like I am sinking in the water and the best way on the surface is just relaxing you brain and focus on another subject for a moment. Sometimes is just going rafting for the weekend, or just watching a motivation speech.
On set, the most important thing is:
One of the most important things on the set is timing, I have been in several films where people are coming late, then the filming runs more than expected.
In other words, time all of your scenes and organize the actors to come when their scene is ready to film. For example, if the actor had just few sentences, he or she does not need to be all day on the set. Another thing explains to all crew that timing is very important and when you are saying filming at 9 AM, everyone should be ready and camera is rolling at 9 AM.
Again, timing and timing is the most important on the set even in most scenarios the time won’t be enough and you always run out of the time, but at least you are going to have a better experience if you plan your timing in advance.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
I am proud of few projects that I was able to finish last year. One of them is “Comedy Sketches” https://vimeo.com/ondemand/peterboiadzhieff which is one of my dream to be able to perform comedy stand up. Another one is “The Secret Project 53” https://www.thesecretproject53.com/ where I was inspired by a true story and make it as science fiction, and finally “The Reporter from Ocoee with Love” https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thereporter.
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
The most challenging project was a music video that we filmed last year for one of the rappers in Atlanta. It is called “Quarters”. I was part of the video playing as Homeless Man on Park Bench. We filmed in a small studio where we build the sets, like church, jail, office, and etc. The biggest challenge was that we need to take the all scenes in one take. Not sure if the right word for this one is Blocking.
However, we rehearsed several times and start moving from one set to another until we get it right, I think we did the whole thing more than 50 times, but yes we are able to do it and if anyone tell it is not possible I would say anything is possible with practice and film crew that is not afraid to try something new.
This is link to the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEYGIfrzZSE
What are your short term and long term career goals?
The short terms goals are to finish my short film projects, have lots of rafting videos, few older films, and make one documentary video about the nature.
The long-term goals are to make a feature film and able to distribute to the Theatres and make a tv series like Money Heist distributed on Netflix.
Your next projects?
I have few short films to finish, make a new version of The Secret Project 53, complete the Braaking Newz next episode, and I love to create a new web series about the detective and his buddy that are going to solve crimes, at least 5 episodes up to 40 minutes and hope to finished in 3 months.
Social media and web sites
https://www.facebook.com/krassimir.nikov
https://www.instagram.com/knvideostudio
https://imdb.me/PeterBoiadzhieff
https://www.peterboiadzhieff.com
Claudia Corrieri - Interview
Miss Corrieri recently collaborated with Obie award-winner, pianist and composer, Jonathan Hart Makwaia. As well as crafting the lyrics and melody to the original, 'Chiara The Musical', she also performed as lead actress. The musical was entirely recorded with Nick Miller, (Sound Engineer, 'The Lion King', Disney Theatrical Productions).
Tell us about your background and when did you decide to become a filmmaker/actor/screenwriter?
I have always wanted to be a performer. I don’t think I knew as a child that what I loved to do was called, “acting”. Once I was in my mid-twenties I felt it was time to commit to training, at a Grad program in New York City.
Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker/actor/screenwriter?
As a very young child I watched Grease and fell in love with that magical, exciting world. I also loved action and adventure movies. I watched all of the Indiana Jones, Bond and and Star Wars films. I also remember adoring Karate Kid. But I knew, at a young age - that actually, I wanted to be a female lead in those films. I wanted to be the one doing the stunts; running and jumping. And over the years, different films have left impressions depending on certain moments in my life. I was very moved by Juliette Binoche’s performance in Three Colours Blue. Then, whilst I was in art school I discovered Steve McQueen, Aronofsky, Paul Thomas Anderson and Wes Anderson. I could go on!
Who is your biggest influence?
Funnily enough, I believe it to be Valentino. I was privileged enough to meet him on the street whilst out in Soho. I have so much respect for a man who has dedicated his life to art, creativity, and imagination. As I get older, I also respect deeply those who manage to craft a career over the course of a lifetime.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
In this particular instance, the writing of Chiara itself was the biggest challenge. The combination of not just script but also that in connection with melody. Also perhaps, the shifts between moments of speaking (script) and moments of singing (song). So in that regard it was a technical aspect and detail of the work that was most challenging.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
Not really. I think it is fair to say that the reason I particularly love working on musicals is that I can enjoy singing, movement and acting in equal measure. I find it powerful to bring singing to acting and vice versa. Chiara was also an opportunity for me to explore something dark in various tones as well as something lighter in various tones.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
Cinema Paradiso. The music itself is absolutely beautiful. I was deeply saddened and moved that Ennio Morricone passed away this year (2020). He crafted the soundtrack to the film with his son. Which is another beautiful part to the soundtrack, itself. That the creation of the soundtrack mirrors some of the love between the characters in the film. As a young person I would watch the film and always cry. It always moved me. I remember it very vividly. I think given that I am half Italian, the very essence of the film felt familiar.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
That is such a tricky question. Valentino, again. Purely for love.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
Laughs. The things that people don’t know - are the things I like them not to know.
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
Oh, I have been so blessed to have so many very committed and generous art teachers - as practitioners to study with. Every one of them has left an impression.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as filmmaker/actor/screenwriter?
The most important lesson. Well, my feelings on that change depending on what is happening in the work, and where I am in the moment in time. I would say, perhaps understanding shifts between different beats. That’s a big one. Perhaps also how to bring “fire” to a character - to have “aggressive” moments and still to feel at ease and entirely embodied and present.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
For me, it was getting started. I had to work through a lot in order to “clear the way” for me to get started. Once I was in it; I never wanted to stop. I only ever wanted to keep exploring all of the corners that this work has to offer.
What keeps you motivated?
New challenges. The beauty of being an actor is that there is just so much material to try out against: film, television, theatre, musicals. Various characters. Various genres. Old material or more contemporary. The journey is unforeseen.
How has your style evolved?
I think as I have gotten older I am being sent characters to work on that embody more “power". I think perhaps it has something to do with the shift in depiction of female characters generally, in material. Which is a great thing.
On set, the most important thing is:
On set, the most important thing is trust amongst all of the people helping to create something together.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
The one I am currently working on. The reason being is that I am trying to take many of the lessons that I have learnt from, Chiara and to apply them and then stretch myself by including various new elements: variety of characters, movement, and other instruments.
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
Most certainly, Chiara. This was owing to the fact that I was the writer of the script, the writer of the melody and lyrics and the lead performer. I was also the Creative Director for the show and film. And so there were many details to the project to be considered at various stages of development.
What are your short term and long term career goals?
Short term and long term: I would like to continue working on my second show whilst I am also self-taping for parts. If I can somehow manage to balance both of these ambitions, I will feel really happy.
Your next projects?
Luna - musical show.
Please share with us where people can find you on social media, so our readers could keep track of your career
I have only just started a brand new IG account: @__claudia_corrieri (x2 underscores at the beginning).
Andrew Ramirez - Interview
Writer, producer, director, author Andrew Ramirez, born near Detroit MI 1986, began his film career in advertising producing TV broadcast spots for local small businesses via his agency business, RezSocial. Andrew has produced countless video adverts for many clients across the US in several states. Ramirez enjoys creating entertaining content for viewers and providing a working platform for other local creatives to thrive. ALICE is Andrew Ramirez's first short film venture.
Films that inspired you to become a filmmaker/actor/screenwriter?
The fifth element, There will be blood, back to the future (series), Reservoir Dogs, The Cube, Get Out. I really enjoy an interesting sci-fi film.
Who is your biggest influence?
Jordan Peele
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
The pandemic shut down was difficult. I wanted to provide a creative outlet for my friends and myself in a safe environment.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
Sci-fi. I like that you can create unique worlds and realities, or creatures but still maintain human characteristics. When a good sci-fi pulls me in, I feel like my admission ticket was worth it.
What’s your all-time favorite movie and why?
Back To The Future. I know some may scoff at it but I've loved this film series since I was a child. The creativity, FX, storybuilding, characters, and actors to me have always been interesting. It was cool to think that someone dreamt of this and then put it on film.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
Shia labeouf. He's an extremely interesting person and I feel he is underrated.
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
I used to be a dating coach.
The one person who has truly believed in you throughout your career.
My aunts Diane and Sue. They have always been there to support me and provide counsel. Sorry I couldn't pick just one of them.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as
filmmaker/screenwriter?
Filmmaking is about team building. Not about ego or control. As a director I feel I had to let that go and instead focus on finding the best people to work with. Once I did that, my commercial work and films processed much quicker and easier. I see endless opportunity with this mindset and collaboration.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular
thing that you had to conquer to do either?
Stay going for sure. I have many friends who start things. Getting "shiny object" syndrome and derailing their focus. It leads to failure to complete anything. To me, filmmaking is married to resourcefulness and discipline. Building a realistic timeline, budget, and team that can work with contratints. Everyone has a vision of 100 million dollar movie. Once we get started we realize how far money really doesn't go in the film world. Then we learn to get resourceful and friendly.
What keeps you motivated?
I want to win. I want to win at moving an audience, mastering new skills, and working with the given set of constraints.
How has your style evolved?
I'm learning to focus more on my characters rather than creating the perfect story. Stories are generally commodities, everything has been done. I think what people what to see is a different mouse trap that reignites a feeling they had. I'm exploring that with my next two films that are coming out this year.
On set, the most important thing is:
Trust. Everything should be worked out efficiently in pre-pro. Then I have to trust my hired professionals to execute. From there I can focus on performance and stage.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
Alice is by far the once I am most proud of. It was my first short film and I met so many amazing people as a result during a very difficult time in society.
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
The Mentor, my second short film. This project drew a lot emotionally from me and I wanted to get it right. I obsessed about it. It's a subject I experienced personally many times. It's about a personal development speaker who sells a get rich quick scheme to an impressionable young man. The young man needs this work and invests all he has but loses more than just his money, he loses his morals.
What are your short term and long term career goals?
Short term, film my third short film this year. Long term, Have a feature on netflix. Not for the money, for the viewership. I want to share my stories with as many people as possible on the platform and keep them wanting more.
Your next projects?
1) The Mentor
2) Lethe
Follow him on instagram to stay in touch with Andrew!
www.instagram.com/andrewrezsocial
https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm11385275?ref_=nm_nv_mp_profile
Instagram.com/andrewrezsocial
Julia Lima Rosengren - Interview
Why did you decide to become an actress and producer?
My name is Julia Lima Rosengren, I live in East Texas where I moved from Europe 6 years ago.
Originally I am from a tiny, very poor town in Brazil. It was a town where the people do not have too many options to better their lives or the lives of their family. I was determined to get out and find that better life for myself and help provide one for my family.
At sixteen, I begged my father to give me permission to move to Sao Paolo to seek modeling work. From there my new career took me to Miami and around the world. In Los Angeles I had my first encounter with the movie world when I was hired to be the body double for Teri Hatcher in a TNT movie called 'Running Mates'. Then I was hired to do the same for Kate Beckinsale in the blockbuster 'Pearl Harbor'.
Then, in something of a career switch, I became a spokesperson for a vodka brand. I have been fortunate with some of the opportunities that have come my way but I worked very hard on them. Nothing has made me prouder than being able to provide for my family back in Brazil.
Eventually I moved to France to take a Chef's course and became very interested in philanthropy and giving back to people in need. Then I became more concerned with not just giving to someone else's cause but creating my own.
That's really my life's work now. I oversee more than a dozen major philanthropic projects including one particularly close to my heart. I am a founder-member of a Brazilian team of activists and artists that have formed UNIAO GAIA, a collective that concentrates on issues affecting the planet.
I believe the short films can be a great part of that. One where we can support and nourish the love of the planet through the building of shared awareness. Once I had the idea for the film during the early stage of the pandemic lock-down, I had to learn fast about all aspects of film-making. It has been both daunting and thrilling. Particularly when I found myself playing all five characters!
Which movie was the most inspiring for you?
There are many great movies that have inspired me, but the biggest surprise inspiration to me was The Godfather. I didn't see it until many years after it came out as I didn't think it would be my kind of film at all but it really spoke to me. Not just the obvious story but the casting seemed so perfect, the lighting, the script, the way the characters evolved.....it really had a big impact on me
Which director or actor influenced you the most in your life?
Angelina Jolie, and Leonard de Caprio. And Selton Mello a Director and Actor from Brazil.
What were some of the challenges you had to face in making your films?
The biggest challenge on BEFORE SUNRISE was of course trying to make it during the quarantine lockdown. I filmed it in Texas with an iPhone and had only one person, Jessica, my entire 'crew', to help hold the phone for me. I played all five characters and was remotely directed from Brasil. Those were full days! Another challenge also was languages. The Director, Rogerio Takashi and the screenwriter, Helena do not speak English, and Jessica doesn’t speaks Portuguese. I was constantly translating.
Do you have a favorite genre to work in? Why is it your favorite?
I love to work with movies and stories that have a positive message. I don’t like to work with Horror movies or anything that is about cruelty.
What’s your all-time favorite film and why?
Probably my favorite is one from Brazil “ O AUTO DA COMPADECIDA’. Literally 'The Compassionate Woman's play. It's a comedy but has a lot to say about religion and many other topics.
It really focuses on the realities of Brazilian life in the 1950s. The film drifts in and out of realism but it is so well done, with such great performances. If I am sad, I can watch it and it cheers me up. If I am happy, it enjoys life with me.
If you could work with anyone in the world, who would that person be?
Angelina Jolie, and Leonard de Caprio. And Selton Mello a Director and Actor from Brazil
Tell us something most people don't know about you.
I love extreme sports like, Skydiving, Race car driving, Zip lines, Bungee jumping.
I also speak 8 idioms.
The one person who has truly believed in you.
My Family, my husband, my Friends. But if my Father were alive, he would be the number one.
What was the most important lesson you had to learn as actress and producer?
I am still learning, but the challenge to switch characters, as I did for BEFORE SUNRISE, playing all five parts, that did make me want to dig down more and more into an acting side I didn't even know I had!
As a Filmmaker, I think it was realizing how much power the sound and lighting have in telling a story. But I love every part of it.
Is it harder to get started or to keep going? What was the particular thing that you had to conquer to do either?
I think it is harder to get started, because it is all about discovering and learning and preparing. Once you have started you have to keep going.
Well, with BEFORE SUNRISE, it was the filming here in the US and being directed remotely from Brazil. I don't know how many films have been made that way but that was quite a challenge.
On set, the most important thing is:
Concentration, and being true to the character and the project as a whole.
The project(s) you’re most proud of:
I am proud of many of the philanthropic projects I have been able to be a part of in my life but I think this film, BEFORE SUNRISE, I might be the most proud of. I created it, and it was done with all my heart.
The most challenging project you worked on. And why?
Well certainly BEFORE SUNRISE for the reasons I mentioned above. I did love working on CULT CARTEL, a feature film coming up early next year. It is a story about trafficking, but I was playing a Mexican cartel leader. That was fun!
What are your short term and long term career goals? Your next projects?
I am not really thinking in career terms. Maybe short films for the next couple of years and then I would like to do a feature.
Please share with us where people can find you on social media, so our readers could keep track of your career.
www.instagram.com/julialrosengren