Interview with Filmmaker Anders Teig (RUBBISH ROBBERS)

RUBBISH ROBBERS was the winner of BEST FILM at the May 2020 Comedy Festival.

Matthew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film?

Anders Teig: I wanted to give myself a challenge. Make a film that is fun, full of action and holds the audience attention. And to do it in just one location.

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

It took quite a few years. After a couple of years I read through my computer and looked at all my unproduced scripts and I found I had forgotten much of it, and thought it was quite funny. So I hooked up with the producing company DUOfilm, and they jumped on board straight away. We finished it in may 2019, and that was seven years after the first draft. Getting lost in the hard drive took two years, and the rest was getting it fully funded.

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

Bloody crazy

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

Apart from getting enough money to be able to pay everyone it was to get the haze from the hole through the floor and exhaust pipe. We had one smoke machine, and it worked perfectly every day until it was supposed to be used in the production. We had to create much of it in post. Luckily, the guy who trained the fly for our film is also a great VFX guy. Who would have thought?

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

I wanted to reach out through the screen and give them all a bear hug.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

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

I am a big fan of Calle, our main protagonist, who is Norways premier comedian. As soon as I had figured out the setting, I imagined him being part of a gang of robbers, and how that would turn out. I always hoped he would take the part if we were going to shoot it, and we were really lucky to have him.

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

Groundhog Day.

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Groundhog Day.

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Groundhog Day.

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

I think this is by far the best way for sure, although it has some shortcomings. To find festivals that have comedy categories is hard work, but finding comedy themed festivals is easy. Also the submissions are not very personal, it all becomes much more personal as soon as the festivals get in contact. I am also missing a feature where I can see which festivals has seen the screening copy. But all in all, a good way to get a film to festivals.

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

Penny Lane by the Beatles

10. What is next for you? A new film?

I have a lot in the pipeline, but the first things I am doing is directing two shorts. One is a part of a mentorship workshop where teenagers who are either in film education or who are into filmmaking gets to be part of a professional film shoot. There will be up and coming actors in front of the camera, and the script is written by a young screenwriter. Im thrilled to be asked to be a director on this, its such a great project, and the film will be sent around to film festivals when we finish.

And later in the summer I am shooting a 25 minute period short, that has been eight years in the making. I wrote it in 2012, and in march 2020 we got the final funding for it. So I’m very excited to finally getting behind the camera on that project.