Is the idea of life and death something that you have tackled in other films?

I love that scene in WHEN HARRY MET SALLY where Harry talks about how much he thinks about death. I think about death non stop. I am a very anxious person who thinks death is around every corner. I have a feature about how death impacts an interfaith romance that I’d love to get off the ground in the next few years and my next feature, my third one, is a horror comedy in which everyone dies. My dad died in June and it has impacted me in the biggest way, [as] I had never had someone close pass [before]. The permanence of it is really hard for me to comprehend. I’d like to stay in horror (or at least horror comedy) for the next few years and noodle on that. I also am looking into volunteering at hospice organizations and funeral homes. I’d like to be closer to death so that it doesn’t shock me as much as it did with my dad.  

Even though you have commercial success/work professionally in film, your heart still seems to be in indie film. What draws you to the world of independent filmmaking?

What a lovely thing to say. I don’t have much commercial success, haha! My heart is 100% in indie film. My son is 4 turning 5, and I’m loving trying to foster him as an artist. Once his babysitter presented me with some chaotic coloring and told me that [my son] implied that the art expressed how mad he was. Amazing. When I see him dance without censoring himself, fully free and goofy - it makes me so happy. I want to support art that is instinctual, art that comes out of us and we don't always understand why - and art that pokes at and provokes. I’m very anti-censorship and very pro-pushing boundaries. Those types of work tend to be in the independent space. 

Could you tell us about your involvement with Film Independent?

When I worked at Sundance, you get a lot of invitations to speak, consult, be a part of other film non-profits. It was then I started up a relationship with various staff members at Film Independent, and since then, I’ve been invited to speak, moderate and even got to teach a weekend masterclass in distribution - which was a thrill. I’ll say yes to anything Film Independent asks me to do. I love them. 

What is something that you would like audiences to understand about independent filmmaking? 

I was a critic, and I [believe] constructive criticism is really important. I’m not asking for too much grace for my work from audiences. However, I do want them to know that almost all of us make no money from our art. So many people find out I work in film and think I’m Ms. Moneybags. Or many people contact me wanting to pursue a second career in the arts and they think making movies is easy, and something to easily transition into. So, I just want people to think about how hard it is to do what we do. To coordinate schedules - to project manage - a creative endeavor? It’s incredibly challenging… [Especially] with no real funding opportunities for shorts or for non-studio/larger budgeted films/films outside of the impact space. And revenue is diddly squat for us microbudget creators, unless you really tap into a niche audience. [Do] you want to make a multi-hybrid art house film with no names? Good luck. I want audiences to know that movies are made through determination, and that it’s never a lark. That we do it because we feel called to do it. [Films are] made through incredible perseverance. The good stuff is, at least. That being said, that should never factor in a review or a response to a film.