Presenting the 5th part of our continuing series of short interviews with feature and short filmmakers from the upcoming NewFest 2007: The 19th NY LGBT Film Festival - May 31-June 10. Visit newfest.org for more information, including full program, schedule, and ticketing details.
FILM TITLE: Castrato Di Matteo's Audition
DIRECTOR: Laura Terruso
SCREENING: Sunday, June 3 & Sunday, June 10 (in shorts program: Women on the Verge)
Please introduce yourself: Your name, occupation if not a full-time filmmaker, and where you are based.
My name is Laura Terruso and I am a writer, filmmaker and performer based in New York City. I also work as the program coordinator of NYU's Center for Media, Culture and History and the Center for Religion and Media.
What initially attracted you to filmmaking? How many films have you made?
For me, filmmaking is about self-expression and activism. It allows you to reach so many people and this is something I find very exciting. I work in comedy and what I love about the genre is that it empowers the filmmaker to take something painful or upsetting and turn it into something interesting, creative and hopefully hilarious. I've made three films thus far-- all comedies. I first wrote and produced the short "His Name is Cosmo." Since then I've directed a music video for a song called "Lesbians" written and performed by Clay Drinko. And most recently, I wrote, performed and directed a short called "Castrato Di Matteo's Audition Tape."
Did you go to film school? If so, where?
I went to school for journalism at NYU and studied documentary. I wrote "His Name is Cosmo" while working as a news writer for a local TV station in Long Island. I made the film with two very talented NYU film school grads: Nicole Opper, the director and Jacob Okada, the cinematographer. I learned so much about narrative filmmaking from being on the set with them. Making the film provided a huge creative outlet for me and I was hooked.
Please describe your film in 1-2 short sentences.
"Castrato Di Matteo's Audition Tape" is a queer take on an Italian family seen through the audition tape of young Castrato Di Matteo, aspiring opera star.
Where did the idea for your film come from?
The film is completely based on personal experiences I had growing up queer and Italian in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in making your film?
I had to wait for my parents to leave town so that I could shoot it in their house. No set decorator could have ever done that.
The first film I have memories of watching as a child was:
Mary Poppins.
My top three all-time favorite films are:
Annie Hall, Being John Malkovitch and Nights of Cabiria
The one LGBT film that has had the biggest impact on me is:
But I'm a Cheerleader
FILM TITLE: The Face of God
FILM TITLE: Dream of an Ex-Girlfriend
DIRECTOR: Peter Pizzi
SCREENING: Dream of an Ex-Girlfriend - Sunday, June 3 & Sunday, June 10 (in shorts program: Women on the Verge) & The Face of God – Sunday, June 10 (in shorts program: Out There)
Please introduce yourself: Your name, occupation if not a full-time filmmaker, and where you are based.
My name is Peter Pizzi. I live in East Boston, MA. I am also from East Boston. To pay the bills I work in the legal department of an investment company. Needless to say it is a vastly different environment from my artistic life. But it does financially support my film career. However I would love to be able to quit my day job : ) Along with being an Independent Filmmaker, I am also a photographer and installation artist and teacher.
What initially attracted you to filmmaking? How many films have you made?
Film/Video serves as a vehicle for me to tell stories and I've always been a story teller. My parents bought a video camera in the late 80's. My friends and I would make short films, in fact these films would be used for a demo reel for my admission to The School of Visual Arts, NYC. This process of working with friends, having screening parties, being creative was/is awesome. I have made about 20 films since the late 80's. My first film (a short) was called Death Rock camping disaster.
Did you go to film school? If so, where?
I attended The School of Visual Arts in New York City as a film major for 2 years. However, I graduated from The New College of California in San Francisco with a BA in Humanities, Arts and Social Change.
Please describe your film in 1-2 short sentences.
The Face of God - one tranny (played by Ben McCoy) asks if the hot trade he finds in alley is his sexy savior or just an afternoon quickie.
Dream of an ex-girlfriend - Is it dream or reality - or both as the film's star (Michelle Tea) encounters a dead Angie Dickenson and a squad of Arizona cops.
Where did the idea for your film come from?
Both of my films were written by their stars. I have worked with both Michelle Tea & Ben McCoy previously in my films. I was eager to work with both of them again. They are mega talented, fierce and fun to collaborate with.
Who or what are some of the creative influences that have had the biggest impact on you?
Nan Golden, Andy Warhol, Madonna, Robert Cormier, Barbara Hammer, Robert Altman and Buster Keaton to name a few... I love their art and their persona's.
The first film I have memories of watching as a child was:
Frankenstein. I was terrified and enamored.
The first LGBT film I ever saw was:
Parting Glances, I remember the film opened with 2 male characters going for a jog and then having sex. I remember wondering is this what gay life is like? -jogging around Central Park, having a fit boyfriend, having problems communicating and being afraid of HIV...- for some. I did enjoy the film and still do. It is smartly told and not heavy on sentiment. Steve Buscemi is great.
The one LGBT film that has had the biggest impact on me is:
Another tough question but I think... The Life and Times of Harvey Milk.
FILM TITLE: Jinx!
DIRECTOR: Adam Baran
SCREENING: Sunday, June 3 & Sunday, June 10 (in shorts program: Women on the Verge)
Please introduce yourself: Your name, occupation if not a full-time filmmaker, and where you are based.
My name is Adam Baran, and I wrote and directed "Jinx!", a hilarious short screening in the "Women on the Verge" program at NewFest. I currently live in New York City where I work as an assistant, and I'm also a staff writer for BUTT Magazine.
What initially attracted you to filmmaking? How many films have you made?
The first moment I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker was when I was home sick one day when I was about eleven years old. My mom rented Strangers On A Train by Alfred Hitchcock. I couldn't stop thinking about the merry-go-round sequence at the end. I knew I wanted to be a filmmaker after that.
I've made two shorts so far. My first short "Love and Deaf" screened at NewFest in 2004 and was released on DVD compilations in North America, France, Germany and Switzerland. It premiered on Here! TV in the US and Pink TV in France in 2006.
Did you go to film school? If so, where?
I went to film school as an undergrad at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, but that's not to say I'd recommend it to anyone. I remember one of my writing teachers telling me I would be limiting myself if I wrote about gay characters and themes. I thought about her when I was introducing "Love and Deaf" in front of 1,500 people at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco, during the Frameline Festival.
Please describe your film in 1-2 short sentences.
When Eleanor, a mousey second grader finds herself "jinxed" by a bully named Rachel, she's unable to speak until someone says her name. Eleanor sets off on a madcap quest to free herself from Rachel's curse before the 3:00 school bell rings, seeking help from a crazy math teacher, a deranged abstract artist, and a clueless father - with disastrous results.
Where did the idea for your film come from?
I was always the arty gay boy who was more into playing hand-clapping games and making lanyard bracelets with the girls than playing sports with the boys. I wanted to try and explore and exaggerate some of the more absurd aspects of my own childhood. Plus my friends still "jinx" me when we both speak at the same time, and so one of them did it one day and I instantly had the idea for the film.
What was the most satisfying aspect in making your film?
Having the chance to work with the incredibly talented young actors, especially the two leads Cassie Blair and Spenser Carrion Leigh who were hilarious and totally on-point throughout the production. I had been really nervous about the challenge of working with kids, but it couldn't have turned out any better than it did.
The first LGBT film I ever saw was:
Does Mannequin count? Come on, Meshach Taylor? That's gotta count.
My top three all-time favorite films are:
Videodrome, Desperate Living, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
The one LGBT film that has had the biggest impact on me is:
Shortbus. It really affected me like no other film ever has. I was really emotional for about a week or so after.
FILM TITLE: The Omphalites
DIRECTOR: Bartholomew Sammut
SCREENING: Sunday, June 3 & Sunday, June 10 (in shorts program: Women on the Verge)
Please introduce yourself: Your name, occupation if not a full-time filmmaker, and where you are based.
My name is Bartholomew Sammut, I am a full time filmmaker/ production assistant/ curator for a queer short film festival in Berlin.
What initially attracted you to filmmaking? How many films have you made?
I grew up in a small cane farming town in North Queensland where we were isolated from the other 3000 people in town, so I had a lot of time to amuse myself and began telling myself stories and creating stories to play out with my other cousins on the farm. That is when I realised I needed to be able to do this for a living as it is all I really knew how to do and all I liked. I have made over 10 short films, worked on 5 television shows as a PA and 3 documentaries, as director, producer and PA and recently completed work on my first full length film as a production assistant.
Did you go to film school? If so, where?
No.
Please describe your film in 1-2 short sentences.
The film is about finding your family, not your blood family, but the family that will be with you forever through everything.
Where did the idea for your film come from?
The idea grew from an obsession a friend and I had for doing jegermeister shots from peoples belly buttons and we were called 'omphalites' by some guys, and we assumed that was what people called other people who were obsessed by the belly button. My friend became my family through this part of my life and is pretty much like my twin today.
Who or what are some of the creative influences that have had the biggest impact on you?
The Dance troupe - Dorky Park. they do amazing film/ dance theatre work and it always inspires me to create every project I do differently.
The first film I have memories of watching as a child was:
Flash Gordon.
The first LGBT film I ever saw was:
Edge of 17, I think, I saw a lot of LGBT short films before seeing a full length.
My top three all-time favorite films are:
Hard Question - Run Lola Run, But I'm a Cheerleader & Girls Just want to Have Fun
FILM TITLE: Spinning
DIRECTOR: Heidi Arnesen
SCREENING: Sunday, June 3 & Sunday, June 10 (in shorts program: Women on the Verge)
Please introduce yourself: Your name, occupation if not a full-time filmmaker, and where you are based.
My name is Heidi and I live in Norway where I work as a TV director doing shows like Peking Express (Scandinavian version of the "Amazing race") and other reality shows. I also direct night time drama on TV. And once in a while I get to do a short. :-)
What initially attracted you to filmmaking? How many films have you made?
I have so many stories to tell and the need to visualize them attracted me to film. I made a feature in 1998 "Some Prefer Cake", and before that several shorts.
Did you go to film school? If so, where?
I attended California College of Arts and Crafts - film studies.
Please describe your film in 1-2 short sentences.
A shower is wet and intimate and veeeery private. But all this changes when the lights go out. Boundaries shift and 3 women no longer feel so naked in the dark.
Where did the idea for your film come from?
It was in a bar with a friend. After many beers we decided to make a story on women and intimacy and voila, I give you "Spinning". :-)
Are you working on a new film yet? If so, give us a brief description. If not, is there a genre or subject you are interested in exploring in your next project?
I am working on another feature about two girls who are die-hard Star Wars fans in 1983.
The first film I have memories of watching as a child was:
Peter Pan
My top three all-time favorite films are:
The Empire Strikes Back, Withnail, and The Hunger
The last DVD I watched was:
Star Trek "Enterprise" :-)
FILM TITLE: What Hot Guy?
DIRECTOR: Mary Thompson
SCREENING: Sunday, June 3 & Sunday, June 10 (in shorts program: Women on the Verge)
Please introduce yourself: Your name, occupation if not a full-time filmmaker, and where you are based.
Mary Thompson, filmmaker - executive producer@ Camelot Artists -Los Angeles
What initially attracted you to filmmaking? How many films have you made?
I have made three short films and I am in the process of writing a feature. I was initially attracted to filmmaking at an early age while making home movies. I did a little bit of acting in between but discovered that I really prefer to be behind the camera.
Did you go to film school? If so, where?
No, I never went to film school. But I have been studying acting and directing at the Beverly Hills Playhouse for over 20 years.
Please describe your film in 1-2 short sentences.
Susan wakes up from a night of partying and discovers she has a taste for something other than beer.
Where did the idea for your film come from?
It's loosely based on a true story. A girl has too much to drink and can't remember what happened the night before...
What was the biggest challenge you faced in making your film?
I shot the film myself. On the day of the shoot my back went out. But the show must go on...so I shot the entire film hunched over.
The first film I have memories of watching as a child was:
The Wizard of Oz
My top three all-time favorite films are:
Chungking Express, The Graduate, Brokeback Mountain
The one LGBT film that has had the biggest impact on me is:
Bound
FILM TITLE: Front
DIRECTOR: Justin Kelly
SCREENING: Sunday, June 3 & Monday, June 4 (in shorts program: Schoolboys)
Please introduce yourself: Your name, occupation if not a full-time filmmaker, and where you are based.
My name is Justin Kelly, I'm based in San Francisco and I work as an editor when not directing films.
What initially attracted you to filmmaking? How many films have you made?
I've been interested in filmmaking as long as I can remember. My siblings and I used to make weird videos, like creating our own CourtTV episodes, birthing puppets in the entryway, making our animals talk, that sorta thing.
Did you go to film school? If so, where?
Sort of. I prefer to say I went to school and studied film. When I think "film school" I think of a dedicated 4 year course where you're immersed in filmmaking, whereas I jumped around a few different schools and took breaks to work on films. Point being, yes, I have a cinema degree from San Francisco State University.
Please describe your film in 1-2 short sentences.
My film, "Front," is about the unlikely relationship between two boys on summer break, trying to pass the time in their suburban-desert town.
I grew up in a suburban-desert town and was often left to my own devices over summer break at a fairly young age. And, I was always searching for those unlikely friendships. I figured I'd make a film based on what I know.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in making your film?
Insisting to shoot on film even though we didn't have enough money. Working with six kids aged 10-12. Working in the heat of the L.A. desert.
The first LGBT film I ever saw was:
Pink Flamingos.
The most recent film I saw in a theatre was:
Brand Upon the Brain
The last DVD I watched was:
Wicker Man
FILM TITLE: Stray
DIRECTOR: Craig Boreham
SCREENING: Sunday, June 3 & Monday, June 4 (in shorts program: Schoolboys)
Please introduce yourself: Your name, occupation if not a full-time filmmaker, and where you are based.
Craig Boreham, I am a filmmaker based in Sydney, Australia and I work as The Coordinator of Channel Free - the youth production unit of Metro Screen a Sydney based production and training organisation.
What initially attracted you to filmmaking? How many films have you made?
A desire to tell queer stories on the big screen attracted me to filmmaking. I have made 9 short films.
Did you go to film school? If so, where?
I attended film school at the University of Technology Sydney.
Please describe your film in 1-2 short sentences.
A retelling of the classic tale of the City Mouse and the Country Mouse, Stray follows the story of Mouse, a teenager who leaves his home in the country in search of his place in the world.
Where did the idea for your film come from?
Myself and co-director Dean Francis worked with disenfranchised queer young people from Twenty10 Gay and Lesbian Youth Support in Sydney. The film was written through a process of workshops with the young people and is based around their collective experiences of being young and gay in Sydney. The young people both become the cast and the crew of the production.
What was the most satisfying aspect in making your film?
When we screened at the MardiGras Film Festival and the kids saw themselves on screen for the first time!
The first film I have memories of watching as a child was:
Star Wars
The first LGBT film I ever saw was:
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
The most recent film I saw in a theatre was:
Spider Man 3 - saw it in Madrid in Spanish and couldn't understand a word, but it looked great!
FILM TITLE: Black Men and Me
DIRECTOR: Michele Clarke
SCREENING: Sunday, June 3 (preceding FtF: Female to Femme)
Please introduce yourself: Your name, occupation if not a full-time filmmaker, and where you are based.
My name is Michele Clarke. I was born in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and I was 19 when I came to Canada in 1992. I live in Toronto and, I work as the health promoter for the LGBT Program at Sherbourne Health Centre.
What initially attracted you to filmmaking? How many films have you made?
I got interested in film/video making because of my longtime volunteer involvement with the Inside Out Toronto Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival. Being on the screening committee was my first real exposure to short films and videos and in a way, it was like my film school. Seeing great work and bad work and being able to talk about it with a group of people was really inspiring. And being able to meet so many filmmakers and video makers over the years has been really encouraging as well. It gave me access to the process and ultimately the confidence to try it myself. I have made one short film and this is my first video.
Did you go to film school? If so, where?
No.
Please describe your film in 1-2 short sentences.
In Black Men and Me, a woman explores her position as a Trinidadian dyke and her complex relationship with black men. Shot in a barbershop, a traditional gathering place for black men, she has her head shaved while she reflects on her black masculinity.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in making your film?
I think probably getting comfortable with the idea of being exposed and vulnerable on camera. The video is very personal and I had to deal with trying to achieve enough distance from the material that I could make the artistic decisions that I needed to.
Are you working on a new film yet?
I will definitely be making more films and videos. I have a number of ideas that I'm playing with and I'm also really drawn to documentary, so we'll see. I have a little project based on my supposed resemblance to Tiger Woods that I'm hoping to shoot this summer.
The first film I have memories of watching as a child was:
Jaws
The most recent film I saw in a theatre was:
300
The last DVD I watched was:
Manufactured Landscapes
FILM TITLE: 5 Telephone Conversations
DIRECTOR: Travis Cook
SCREENING: Sunday, June 3 & Saturday, June 9 (in shorts program: Dirty Love)
Please introduce yourself: Your name, occupation if not a full-time filmmaker, and where you are based.
Hello everyone. My name is Travis Cook, and I currently live in Culver City, California where I have balance my time between my day job and freelance narrative and documentary projects.
What initially attracted you to filmmaking? How many films have you made?
Filmmaking is such an immersive storytelling method. I love the ability to share stories using this medium. 5 Telephone Conversations is my second short film.
Did you go to film school? If so, where?
I completed film school at Loyola Marymount University in May of 2006.
Please describe your film in 1-2 short sentences.
Meeting through an internet dating website, John and Korey find a unique connection through a series of telephone conversations. Despite never meeting face to face, each person affects change in the other in an unconventional yet touching love story about finding your counterpart in a technologically isolated world.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in making your film?
The biggest challenge during production and post-production was learning and becoming accustomed to the split screen style I used for the film. Since both sides of each conversation were shot separately, extra attention had to be paid to maintain the timing, continuity, and the emotional levels of each scene.
Are you working on a new film yet?
I am currently finishing up post-production on a documentary called Next Exit, Main Street , which is a cross-country exploration of American Identity set against the backdrop of increased social and political polarization. More information for this project can be found at http://www.nextexitmovie.com.
The first film I have memories of watching as a child was:
I must have seen The Goonies over a hundred times growing up. I would fantasize about going on crazy adventures hunting for treasure with my friends.
My top three all-time favorite films are:
Counting down from number three, my three favorite films are: (3) Rear Window, (2) Magnolia, and (1) Network.
The one LGBT film that has had the biggest impact on me is:
I still find myself haunted by the story of Brokeback Mountain. The scope of their love story is truly epic.
FILM TITLE: My Boyfriend Is a Hustler
DIRECTOR: Lufe Steffen
SCREENING: Sunday, June 3 & Saturday, June 9 (in shorts program: Dirty Love)
Please introduce yourself: Your name, occupation if not a full-time filmmaker, and where you are based.
I'm Lufe Steffen, Brazilian filmmaker. I work making videos for internet, and producing and directing my short movies. I live in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
What initially attracted you to filmmaking? How many films have you made?
I can't remember that, I only know that since I was around 6 years old, I already had the desire to become a filmmaker. My first short video, I did it when I was 15 years old. Since then, I made a lot of them, of course the most part is very experimental and with no founds. Almost everything is available in YouTube.
Did you go to film school? If so, where?
I studied in a university in Sao Paulo, in a communication class. The focus was Radio & Television, but some of the classes had a lot in common with cinema.
Please describe your film in 1-2 short sentences.
A small love story in the actual days.
Where did the idea for your film come from?
It was a fantasy about the universe of the hustlers and their personal lives.
Who or what are some of the creative influences that have had the biggest impact on you?
The biggest influence in this film was Andy Warhol's movies, and Paul Morrissey's movies.
The first film I have memories of watching as a child was:
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937, the Disney cartoon).
The first LGBT film I ever saw was:
Totally Fucked Up, directed by Gregg Araki.
My top three all-time favorite films are:
Difficult! Only three? Ok, I will try:
The Last Picture Show - Peter Bogdanovich
Cabaret - Bob Fosse
La Mala Educación - Pedro Almodóvar
FILM TITLE: Serene Hunter
DIRECTOR: Jason Bushman
SCREENING: Sunday, June 3 & Saturday, June 9 (in shorts program: Dirty Love)
Please introduce yourself: Your name, occupation if not a full-time filmmaker, and where you are based.
My name is Jason Bushman. I am a full-time filmmaker and artist. Though I'm from West Texas and still have my name on a lease in Los Angeles, I am based in Paris, France.
What initially attracted you to filmmaking? How many films have you made?
I've been acting since I was a child, so filmmaking was a natural extension of that. 'Serene Hunter' is my debut film as a writer/director.
Did you go to film school? If so, where?
No. I went to theater school though - at UCLA.
Please describe your film in 1-2 short sentences.
A randy Parisian moves in with his new boyfriend - just as an old flame from Los Angeles comes back into town.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in making your film?
Well, I'd never made a film before - so there was that. Also, I do speak French; but directing non-English-speaking actors (both my two leads) was at times a hurdle...
What was the most satisfying aspect in making your film?
Manifesting it. I've been wanting to do something like this for a LONG time.
The first film I have memories of watching as a child was:
E.T.
The first LGBT film I ever saw was:
The Crying Game - does that count?
The one LGBT film that has had the biggest impact on me is:
Hard Pill. I was in it, as an actor, but it completely changed the way I think about filmmaking.
FILM TITLE: Sunshine
DIRECTOR: Jake Yuzna
SCREENING: Sunday, June 3 & Saturday, June 9 (in shorts program: Dirty Love)
Please introduce yourself: Your name, occupation if not a full-time filmmaker, and where you are based.
Jake Yuzna, director, New York City / Minneapolis, MN
What initially attracted you to filmmaking? How many films have you made?
Life-long obsession. 4 films.
Did you go to film school? If so, where?
Yes, Minneapolis College of Art + Design
Where did the idea for your film come from?
Chatting with the actor + sitting down and writing it.
What was the most satisfying aspect in making your film?
Working with the cast + crew, plus the thrill of capturing the natural wonder of a man urinating into another man’s mouth on celluloid.
Who or what are some of the creative influences that have had the biggest impact on you?
Too many to name in under 50 words, but for Sunshine the biggest influence was my growing fear of digital socializing mixed with the atmosphere of films made in former soviet bloc countries.
The one LGBT film that has had the biggest impact on me is:
Not sure on the biggest impact, but the one I’ve been most infatuated with in recent years is Wild Side by Sebastien Lifshitz.
The most recent film I saw in a theatre was:
Red Road
The last DVD I watched was:
Fur
