Interview with Filmmaker Daniel John Harris (NOW AND NOT YET)

NOW AND NOT YET was the winner of BEST FILM at the November 2019 Chicago FEEDBACK Film Festival. Matthew Toffolo: WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO MAKE THIS FILM? Daniel John Harris: When thinking about what to do for my next short film, there were a lot of ideas swirling around my head. A lot of non-starters,… Continue reading Interview with Filmmaker Daniel John Harris (NOW AND NOT YET)

Interview with Filmmaker Melissa Lane (SEX + ICE CREAM)

SEX + ICE CREAM played to rave reviews at the February 2020 Chicago Feedback Film Festival. Matthew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film? Melissa Lane: I’ve always loved making short documentaries. So I knew I wanted to find a really interesting person to profile for my next project. I found Nicole on Instagram… Continue reading Interview with Filmmaker Melissa Lane (SEX + ICE CREAM)

Interview with Filmmaker Frank Schlichting (Undermine Beneath Canada’s Ghost Towns)

Undermine Beneath Canada’s Ghost Towns was the winner of BEST DOC CHARACTER at the March 2020 Documentary Film Festival in Toronto. Matthew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film? Frank Schlichting: It was made to promote what I was doing to get on TV 2. From the idea to the finished product, how long… Continue reading Interview with Filmmaker Frank Schlichting (Undermine Beneath Canada’s Ghost Towns)

Interview with Filmmaker Kev L. Smith (Taobh Le Taobh)

Taobh Le Taobh played to rave reviews at the February 2020 DOCUMENTARY Short Film Festival in Toronto. Matthew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film? Kev L. Smith: My next door neighbor, is the artist you see in this film & I really wanted to show what inspired him to create his artworks. 2.… Continue reading Interview with Filmmaker Kev L. Smith (Taobh Le Taobh)

Interview with Filmmaker Steve Buckwalter (OMA & OPA)

OMA & OPA was the winner of BEST DOC CHARACTERS at the February 2020 DOCUMENTARY Festival in Toronto. Matthew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film? Steve Buckwalter: Oma and Opa are the grandparents of one of my coworkers, and we had used their house as a location for a different film that we… Continue reading Interview with Filmmaker Steve Buckwalter (OMA & OPA)

Interview with Filmmakers Karla Caraballo-Torres & Lorin Eleni Gill (SCHOOL CROSSING)

SCHOOL CROSSING was the winner of BEST FILM at the February 2020 Documentary Film Festival in Toronto. Matthew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film? Karla Caraballo-Torres & Lorin Eleni Gill: We were inspired to make this film because my family (Karla) is originally from Venezuela and I had been hearing many stories from… Continue reading Interview with Filmmakers Karla Caraballo-Torres & Lorin Eleni Gill (SCHOOL CROSSING)

Interview with Filmmaker Jan Johnson (SHOOTER)

SHOOTER was the winner of BEST MUSIC at the January 2020 LA Feedback Film Festival. Matthew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film? Jan Johnson: I was concerned about the rise in gang violence in Chicago (my hometown) and specifically the rise in girl gang violence. According to the DOJ “one in 4 new… Continue reading Interview with Filmmaker Jan Johnson (SHOOTER)

Interview with Filmmaker Lucas Longacre (FOOD CART)

FOOD CART played to rave reviews at the Thriller Festival in March 2020. Matthew Toffolo: What motivated you to make this film? Lucas Longacre: After working in verite documentary for over a decade, I was hungry to play in the scripted narrative genre. I missed working with actors, storyboarding, and collaborating with a Director of… Continue reading Interview with Filmmaker Lucas Longacre (FOOD CART)

Interview with Screenwriter Jason Harley (Pandora’s Adversaries)

Matthew Toffolo: What is your screenplay about? Jason Harley: Pandora’s Adversaries is set in the not-too-distant future. It’s about an irrational, rabidly anti-feminist cult committed to the eradication of women. Pandora’s Adversaries believe that the prominence of women within the establishment and professional classes is the root of all evil, and that women constitute a… Continue reading Interview with Screenwriter Jason Harley (Pandora’s Adversaries)

Interview with Screenwriter Hoyt Richards (AWAY WITH MY HEART)

Matthew Toffolo: What is your screenplay about? Hoyt Richards: Away With My Heart is about a washed up, womanizing, alcoholic country singer is forced to reevaluate his life when he discovers not only is he dying of cancer, but he also has a twenty-year old daughter that he never knew he had. AWMH is about… Continue reading Interview with Screenwriter Hoyt Richards (AWAY WITH MY HEART)