Interview with Filmmaker Stuart Everitt (BURIED)

BURIED was the winner of BEST MUSIC at the European FEEDBACK Film Festival in June 2018.

Matthew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film?

Stuart Everitt: As I was growing up my Dad introduced me to collecting. He’s a big collector of militaria. He was born right at the end of the World War Two and the beginning of his life would have been very influenced by its aftermath. By the time I was born thirty years later war felt like an exciting thing that once happened, due to the Hollywood films that glorified heroism and war. That generational perspective shift really interested me. Now of course we’re much more aware of the effects of war and the threat of conflict looms over us. The innocence of youth has gone.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this short?

I started writing in October and I submitted it the following October, so a year.

3. How would you describe your short film in two words!?

Unwelcome reminder

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Casting Grandad. There are not a fantastic number of older male actors willing to work on budget films.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

Really lovely to hear strangers views. Of course the film has been shown to cast and crew on a private screening, but it was great to hear what people made of the script and took from the film. There were some surprising comments.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

6. How did you come up with the idea for this short film?

I’ve had this idea knocking around in my head for a while, but I wrote it over a number of sessions over about five weeks.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Possibly Jaws.

8. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway, what are you feelings of the submission platform from a filmmaker’s perspective?

It’s good. It simplifies the process, but it does illustrate to me just how many festivals there are. If I submitted to all the festivals I wanted to i’d be broke!

9. What song have you listened to the most times in your life?

Foreigner – I Wanna Know What Love Is

Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 20-50 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every single month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto, and Los Angeles at least 3 times a month. Go to http://www.wildsoundfestival.com for more information and to submit your work to the festival.