THE CLIMBING PERCH was the winner of BEST THRILLER FILM at the March 2021 Crime/Thriller Festival.
1- What motivated you to make this film?
The overwhelming urge to make another film after a 4 year hiatus. I gathered the usual suspects and pitched them the idea of taking it upon ourselves to make a film by the end of the year. After a couple of days, our write friend Christian Moldes came back with The Climbing Perch. The script was the biggest motivator. We absolutely loved it. After a couple of rounds of notes, we adjusted it to make it work within our limitations and locations and we were off to the races. We shot the film later that year. Another big motivator was the opportunity to work on a film that we would usually shoot in a day, over a weekend. Being able to take the time with the actors and let the actors get to where they needed to be without rushing anything was a luxury and an absolute joy.
2- From the idea to finished product, how long did it take for you to make this short?
Idea to Shoot- 4 months. It took 11 months for post (Thanks Covid). so… 1 year 3 months approximately.
3- How would you describe your short film in two words?
Intense, Visceral.
4 – What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Covid. Covid really got in the way of post production. Obviously people had other priorities in life so this took the back seat for a while. But we pushed through and I’m so proud to be able to finish a film during these UNPRECEDENTED times.
5 – What were you initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
My initial reaction was “OH NO”. It’s a scary thing to hear people dissect your work. But was thrilling and a big relief when I started to hear all the positive notes. It really warmed my heart. So thank you to everyone who took the time.
Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video:
6- When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
Thanks to “behind the scenes” videos en DVD’s. When I realized everything that went down behind the scenes to make a film, there’s nothing I wanted to do more in life. That was it. Particularly watching the behind the scenes of “Requiem for a Dream” out of all films hahah.
7- What film have you seen the most in your life?
This is a tough one because I have a handful of films on repeat. But… I think its a tie between No Country for Old Men, Drive, Matrix and Seven.
8- You Submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway, what are you feelings of the submission platform from a filmmakers perspective?
As a filmmaker you have to be careful. You have to know what you are submitting you film into. FilmFreeway is an amazing way to find out about festivals all over the world, and I’m really grateful with what they’ve done for my film. But it’s also very dangerous and it can be a bit of a money pit with the over saturation of “Pay to Play” online festivals and monthly awards and how they “entice” you to join their “prestigious” festivals… BEWARE!
9 – What is your favorite meal?
Al Pastor Tacos
10- What is next for you? a new film?
– A couple actually. I’ll be diving into the cinematographer role for an upcoming film shooting later this month. Prepping another film that I’ll be directing in September all while continuing to develop a feature that is very much in the world of The Climbing Perch that I’m really really excited about and can’t wait to make it happen.
Matthew Toffolo's Summary 