What led you to become a
filmmaker?
I always had interest in all aspects
of the arts. I practiced drawing and
painting, fiction writing and music.
Thinking practically about my
career, I went to study animation at
the Rhode Island School of Design
where I was exposed to the world
of film and video. It was love at first
sight. Film is the only medium I’ve
found which combines all my other
passions in such an organic way.
What was the inspiration for
this film?
The film is loosely based on the
famous 1997 match world chess
champion Gary Kasparov and
IBM’s computer Deep Blue. It was
the first time in history a computer
beat the brilliant human mind.
Following the match, there were a
slew of conspiracy theories regarding
what really happened behind
the scenes. I used that as a starting
point and let my imagination take
me into the realm of fiction.
What distinguishes you as a
filmmaker? What elements/
themes may be a signature of your
films?
I believe my other artistic passions
show in my films. I carefully
storyboard my movies and often try
for my frames to look like painting
canvasses and comic books. I also
have a musical knack for editing in
a rhythmic way, to create a certain
feeling and not only a narrative.
Finally, my training in animation
has translated into the ability to
create Visual Effects in movies. I
always aspire to show extraordinary
things in my films and leave
a more realistic approach to other
filmmakers.
SANDAL
A poor girl struggles to buy a pair
of trendy sandals
QA with Presenter Lindo Habie
What led you to become a
filmmaker?
It started when I was thinking
about becoming a thinker. My mind
began questioning anything I saw,
questioning life itself, details which
don’t even matter. Sometimes, I got
anxious of answers that never came
to light. That’s when I decided to pour
all my perceptions/viewpoints into the
art of film.
What was the inspiration for
this film?
I was inspired by my dad who
told me about a sandal without
its partner, lying just like that on
a highway.
What distinguishes you as a
filmmaker?
Maybe, while all filmmakers
are so concerned with expensive
equipment and tools, I don’t
really care about that at all.
What elements/themes may be a
signature of your films?
Films I’ve created over the years seem
to differ from each other thematically,
but I really like plot twists in my films.
CRICK IN THE HOLLER
During West Virginia’s 2014 Elk
River chemical spill, a first-generation
college student, charged with
the care of her rebellious younger
sister, instead becomes consumed
by an issue with their water supply.
QA with Director Ursula Kay
Ellis
What led you to become a
filmmaker?
For as long as I can remember,
storytelling has been a part of
my DNA. My grandparents and
parents were all oral storytellers
in the Appalachian tradition, and
my mother specifically became
interested in writing short stories
and screenplays when I was child,
exposing me to the potential of
filmmaking as a career. We moved
frequently due to my father’s Army
career, and movies were something
that grounded us as a family. When
my father deployed to Iraq in 2003,
my mother and I went to the movies
just to take our minds off the
emotionally and mentally taxing
ordeal of having a loved one at war.
I came to understand the profound
communal experience film can give
people of all walks of life, dealing
with all manner of hardship.
What was the inspiration for
this film?
While I grew up all over the US
and abroad, West Virginia has
remained a constant home base.
With the 2016 presidential election
looming, I found myself preoccupied
with negative representations
of Appalachia and the South which,
while often not wholly wrong, I felt
lacked a nuanced understanding
and basic compassion towards
these regions and their diverse
constituencies. Coupled with recent
human rights disasters in other
parts of the country, like the horrific
Flint, Michigan, water crisis, I
recalled the 2014 Elk River spill and
its barely discussed ramifications
for over 300,000 West Virginians,
including many of my own family
members.
What distinguishes you as a
filmmaker? What elements/
themes may be a signature of your
films?
I’ve been referred to by many
actors as an “actor’s director.” To
me, this means someone who really
gets inside of their characters and
creates a world for actors to live
within, assisting them on their journey
to have a real, authentic experience,
both on set and throughout
the rehearsal process, ensuring a
safe space for the actors to do their
work, so we can capture their best
moments.
Thematically, I’m interested in
stories about specific worlds not
seen often on-camera, inhabited
by strong female characters who
lack representation. Most notably,
the American South, Appalachia,
and music subcultures are of great
interest to me, as they are personal
to my own experiences
UNLEAVENED BREAD
Vanessa is in love with Rémi. Rémi
is in love with Vanessa. Only one
problem: his "bread" won’t rise...
QA with Filmmaker Wilfried
Méance
What led you to become a
filmmaker?
Since I was a child, I have wanted
to be a director. I took some acting
lessons at school and I always
preferred directing my classmates
rather than being on stage.
What was the inspiration for
this film?
I was inspired by my own mother.
The rest is pure fiction
What distinguishes you as a
filmmaker? What elements/
themes may be a signature of your
films?
I always make comedy short
dealing with family relationships
and social interactions.
October 2017 ¢ NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER 17