14 // AMY LANDECKER

Do you believe in a higher power? (Love, God, Universe, Grace, Spirit, whatever) Why? Why not?

I believe in a higher power but not a traditional god. I think when I was pregnant and saw what my body was doing with no effort on my part, I surrendered to the fact that there is definitely a power greater than me out there.

Organized religion has always scared me. I would read about the crusades in school or read The Scarlet Letter and The Salem Witch Trials and think that religion was cruel and used to divide and conquer. My Grandfather was jewish and escaped Nazi Germany and I grew up knowing that terrible people could use God as a cover for hate. They still do.

But I could never deny the deep sense of connection or a higher power that I felt when I was in nature or holding a baby or sleeping with a dog or cat. Or the butterflies migrating out my window these days. There is so much magic and love and connectivity that is so much bigger than me.

Why must you make films/tv?

I really don’t know to be honest with you. I have just followed my instincts and my impulses and they keep leading me to creating some sort of content. I am very new to it all, but it has come out of a combination of my own curiosity and others encouragement. It sounds stupid, but I feel like I’m being sort of led there. I’m actually really scared to do it. Like all the best things I’ve done in my life. I also feel like I have a voice and something to say because I have really been through the wringer and come out the other side to some profound happiness, and as an almost 50-year-old woman, I want to share that journey and give people hope.

If you were at a dinner party and had to pick one of these topics for the group to discuss (sex, politics, money, religion, death, food, reincarnation) -- what would it be and why?

Politics, out of a process of elimination. Too shy to talk about sex. Too sad to talk about death. Not that interested in food. Don’t believe in reincarnation. SO that leaves me with politics and I’d say the vast majority of people I have dinner with are on the same side as me so we could just bathe ourselves in righteous indignation. I’m also just very passionate about the subject so I enjoy talking about it.

Make up a question for me to ask the next director I photograph. You can ask ANYTHING — just please be respectful.

What ending of what movie do you wish you could change and to what?

Question from previous director Kaz Phillips: If you could remake any movie, which one would you remake, why, and what would you do differently?

That’s funny. I must have had this unconsciously in my head when I wrote my question. Let me know if they are too similar. I would remake Sixteen Candles  because I loved it so much as a kid and now I see those types of movies through a modern lens and see how there are just some terrible messages in there that I would love to rework through a feminist perspective. Like giving a girl in a black out as a gift to a boy. So wrong it’s disturbing. So I’d like to reframe literally a fond childhood memory.

The last time you had deja vu? What does deja vu mean to you?

I don’t think I have deja vu. I have more a hit of something I know is going to have meaning to me in the future. It happens to me a lot. The most recent one was my kid saying there’s a new Twilight Zone that Jordan Peele is producing and me getting a sort of weird hit in my brain and then I got an offer later in the day to do an episode. Very weird.

What made you laugh last? When was the last time you cried? Why?

I laugh all day because I’m hanging out with my fiancé Bradley Whitford and he is one of the funniest people I know. I also cry all the time. I think that the last time was a few days ago which is a record for me. It was about worrying about my kid. I do a lot of that. Parenting ain’t no joke!

Lastly, tell the people about your next project and where they can see your work. Thank you for your time and sharing your thoughts!

I directed a series of talk shows with Tig Notaro for Funny or Die called, Under A Rock with Tig Notaro that will be airing soon. I also have a short film available to watch on Vimeo called Tired and a short mockumentary there as well called Emotional Stuntman. And as an actor I am in the upcoming season of Twilight Zone and Sneaky Pete and the series finale of Transparent.

13 // KAZ PHILLIPS SAFER

Q: Do you believe in a higher power? (Love, God, Universe, Grace, Spirit, whatever) Why? Why not?

A: Nope. Which isn’t to say I don’t think there are some big mysteries out there, but I do think they’re all ultimately explainable (though perhaps not to brains as primitive as ours.)  Lots of things seemed inexplicable and were attributed to supernatural or divine sources in the past, and bit by bit we figured out the actual real-world reasons for them.  To think that NOW we understand everything and anything left that we don’t understand (non-local effects!  synchronicity!  psychic phenomena!) must therefore be the result of a higher power/ magic/ spirit energy/ things outside the realm of scientific inquiry, or whatever, has always struck me as a little short sighted.  But, for example, when I first encountered Nick Bostrom’s Computer Simulation Hypothesis, it clicked and made sense to me in the way that I imagine religion does for many people.  But the difference is I don’t have faith it in.  It’s a fucking cool, thought-provoking idea and it aligns with my experience of reality, but I’m also totally open to it being disproven and I wouldn’t be like “Sorry, this is what I’ve chosen to believe and nothing can change my mind.”  Which is, I feel, the fundamental difference between believing in an utterly crazy scientific reason behind something, and believing in higher powers/ God, etc.  

Q: Why must you make films? (I mean, let's be honest, only a crazy person would choose to do it) 

A: It’s just the medium that’s most effective for me at getting whats inside my head outside of it.  I used to want to be a visual artist, and was constantly frustrated because i could not make the thing on the paper or the canvas look like what it looked like in my head, where as I feel like I’m pretty good at making the thing on the screen look like the thing on my head.  I guess it’s not making films per se that’s the critical thing, it’s expressing these things/ ideas/ worlds/ landscapes inside me to other people, and film is just the way I’ve found that allows me to do that the best.  If I could do it better with paint on canvas, or ballet, or playing the tuba, I’d do that instead.  

Q: If you were at a dinner party and had to pick one of these topics for the group to discuss (sex, politics, money, religion, death, food, reincarnation) -- what would it be and why? 

A: Probably a combo of death and reincarnation, because I feel like those two ideas segue into lots of fascinating concepts like near death experiences, astral projection, temporality and non-locality, consciousness and what the hell it is (there are some fascinating theories in fringe physics right now that deal with the possibly quantum nature of consciousness, which, see my answer to question 1.)  

Q: Make up a question for me to ask the next director I photograph. You can ask ANYTHING —  just please be respectful.

A: If you could remake any movie, which one would you remake, why, and what would you do differently?  

Q: Question from Lauren Iungerich: “Have you ever made a film as a love letter to a person or a time of life or to bring closure from an experience in your past?  If so, explain. ” 

A: I guess my AFI short MEGAFAUNA was a bit of a love letter (hate mail?) to a past shitty relationship.  It was kind of a distillation, into 14 minutes, of the conclusion it took me almost 5 years to come to, in terms of moving on and leaving that person and his poison behind.  Ironically, my now-husband proposed to me 6 days before I started at AFI so while I was developing this sad anti-love story, I was also the happiest and most in love I had ever been.  Much to the confusion of many of my classmates.  

Q: The last time you had deja vu? What does deja vu mean to you?

A: I have deja vu fairly regularly, though I can’t remember the last time specifically.  But there are LOTS of really fascinating theories as to what it is.  One kind of boring but likely one is that it’s just a neurological glitch where experiential data coming in through your optic nerve is accidentally routed through your memory before it goes into your conscious mind, creating the illusion of having experienced it already.  Another way more fun one is that it’s somehow an intersection point between your universe and a very similar but not quite identical parallel one.  And of course, being a Bostrom fangirl, I love the idea that it’s a “glitch in the matrix,” like the teenage girl 700 years from now who’s running the sim sequence that is your entire existence just spilled her Fanta on her keyboard or something.  

Q: What made you laugh last? When was the last time you cried? Why? 

A: Oh man, I cried this morning watching one of those videos online about the therapy dogs who help PTSD sufferers.  So well done, and just drives home a) the hugely damaging effects of war and trauma on the human psyche and b) how fucking awesome animals are.   In terms of laughing, I’m lucky that I get to laugh a lot.  Because I am a hilarious person.  Just kidding.  The last time I really belly laughed was the other night when my husband showed me the tattoo he’d impulsively gotten on his pinky, of the word “class,” so from now he does everything with a touch of class.   True story.  

Q: Lastly, tell the people about your next project and where they can see your work. Thank you! 

A: Lots of fun stuff in the works right now!  Two feature scripts of mine are currently under option and are both looking to shoot later this year with companies that I am super excited to be working with.  BAD SUMMER is at General Population and POSTPARTUM is at Intrepid Pictures.  I also just came on board to write and direct a segment of Radio Silence’s new anthology film SOCIAL ANIMAL, which weaves together five distinct stories about social media having unexpected effects and consequences on people’s lives.  Also looking to shoot later this year.  Past work— short films, a handful of music videos, and lots of my video art stuff (in my other life I design multi media and projections for live theater, dance, and other spectacles) can be found at my website www.kazps.com  

12 // LAUREN IUNGERICH

Q: Do you believe in a higher power? (Love, God, Universe, Grace, Spirit, whatever) Why? Why not?

A: I do believe in a higher power.  God, universe – I don’t know if they are separate of one another or the same thing but I feel like I experience the work of something “other” in both the good times and bad of my life.  Perhaps a higher power is just a sense of comfort that many humans need to help us connect to our own inner strength but for whatever reason, I feel like there is a something that embodies all the inexplicable energy that enables us to live, love and create. 

Q: Why must you make films? (I mean, let's be honest, only a crazy person would choose to do it) 

A: For me, it’s a calling.  And my calling was to be a storyteller at a very young age.  Being a storyteller has taken on numerous shapes and evolutions over my life and career.   There is something incredibly powerful about being able to live other lives through stories.  And as a storyteller, I’m able to share my journey with others through a common experience—which is the film itself.  I feel like making films and television enables me to connect in a greater way with other people. 

Q: If you were at a dinner party and had to pick one of these topics for the group to discuss (sex, politics, money, religion, death, food, reincarnation) -- what would it be and why? 

A: Food. I’m always interested in what is tasty, healthy, happening or transcendent by way of the kitchen.  I also attribute so many of my best memories to the enjoyment and sharing of food.  Food is fascinating. 

Q: Make up a question for me to ask the next director I photograph. You can ask ANYTHING —  just please be respectful.

A: “Have you ever made a film as a love letter to a person or a time of life or to bring closure from an experience in your past?  If so, explain. ” 

Q: Question from Tawnia Mckiernan: If you could only name one aspect of directing. What is your favorite part of the directing process?

A: The collaboration.  For me, the director is the general of ideas and her greatest task is leading and shepherding a group of artists (in front of and behind the camera) to create a unified vision.  The idea that I, as an artist, can inspire other artists to contribute their own experience and expertise to a common goal is truly what makes the experience of directing the best job in the world.

Q: The last time you had deja vu? What does deja vu mean to you?

A: I have had it and know it’s a phenomena but I can’t remember the last time it happened.  Sometimes I think it’s our conscience and subconscious intersecting. 

Q: What made you laugh last? When was the last time you cried? Why? 

A: My two-year old daughter gave me a big laugh today when she put her hands on her hips and said “I don’t think so”.  And I cry a lot.  Almost on the daily. I cry at everything.  I even cry talking about crying.  Last time I cried was a few days ago hearing someone tell me how they became quadriplegic.  The woman was a gymnast performing in a show to an audience of thousands and landed a stunt on her neck.  It happened before youtube and iPhones were a thing and as she told me that one of her greatest fears was having that video of her life-changing accident out in the world to be commented on—I pondered how profound that fear was.  Because the documentation of that moment would literally embody how her life changed in a moment.  And if it ever made it online-- the good and the bad would not be hers to process alone—it would be something other people could judge.   I was moved to tears.  

Q: Lastly, tell the people about your next project and where they can see your work. Thank you! 

A: I am currently developing a series for Netflix and have a few other projects in the process of being sold or dying.  My other work can be seen on Amazon.  There’s a little show called “Awkward” that I created and ran for the first three seasons.  I directed numerous episodes and then left the show after I wrote my opus – the season 3 finale.  (And my series finale)

11 // TAWNIE MCKIERNAN

Q: Do you believe in a higher power? (Love, God, Universe, Grace, Spirit, whatever) Why? Why not?

A: Yes I believe in a higher power. I’m not sure if I believe in God, but I do know that there is a certain order to things. That everything in life happens for a reason. When I look back at my life I can see the events that have molded who I am today. I believe in an afterlife.

Q: Why must you make films? (I mean, let's be honest, only a crazy person would choose to do it)

A: I grew up in the TV business, so I have been around storytelling my entire life. I love that each story takes the audience on a journey. To tell a story that makes people think, cry, laugh: Who wouldn’t want to do that? I also love working with all the creative people in- volved in telling a story. From the writer to the PA(production assistant) When a project is a true collaboration it can exceed every- ones expectations. We lift each other and the project benafits. That can be addicting. The act of drawing an audience in and having them laugh, cry, and feel is an amazing thing

Q: If you were at a dinner party and had to pick one of these topics for the group to discuss (sex, politics, money, religion, death, food, reincarnation) -- what would it be and why?

A: I think I would pick reincarnation. I lost my older brother when I was 13 and I like to believe that I would see him again. I read somewhere that we travel though our many lives with the same souls. In each life those souls take a different role. For instance your mother could be your dog, your dog could be your husband or wife. It always gave me comfort to be- lieve that the people we loose will still be with us in some way.

Q: Make up a question for me to ask the next director I photograph. You can ask ANYTHING — just please be respectful.  

A: If you could only name one aspect of directing. What is your favorite part of the directing process?

Question from Shaz Bennetti: Which artist - filmmaker or any artist - has influenced you the most and why?

A: I would have to say my Father. Stephen J. Cannell. I grew up with him pitching his stories to my brother and I in the car. He taught me so much. He could capture your attention with his stories and transport you to the worlds he would create. He helped change the television industry and made it what is today. He created more hours of television than anyone in the industry. Creating or co- creating over 52 series. He helped an entire industry of people live their dream. I’m extremely proud when I run into people who worked with my dad. What a legacy he left behind. I could only hope to do the same thing.

Q: The last time you had deja vu? What does deja vu mean to you?

A: I just had Deja vu last weekend when I went to see a friend of mine in a play. I could swear that I had a dream of that play. What I saw was the same as in the dream. Something seems so familar about it, almost like I could tell you what was going to happen next. But I can never remember what happens next. Maybe dreams are little windows into the fu- ture. Sounds like a pitch for a series, doesn’t it.

Q: What made you laugh last? When was the last time you cried? Why?

A: It is hard to remember what made me laugh last because I laugh a lot. Every time I work I laugh all day long. I’m a goof and love when people have fun. My kids make me laugh especially when we play games together. The last time I cried is a hard one to answer. Recently My husband had a Heart Transplant. He had never had any medical problems before and never been in the hospital. Facing loosing the love of your life can be very hard and create a few tears. But I be- lieve that all the hardships I’ve gone through make me a better storyteller.

Q: Lastly, tell the people about your next project and where they can see your work. Thank you!

A: Being and episodic director I’m working on many different shows all the time. The best way to see what I’m up to is to check my website tawniamckiernan.com. My upcoming episodes are listed there. As for what I’m up to next, I want to move into writing and follow in my father’s footsteps. I have a pilot I’m working on as well as rebooting some of the old shows from the 80’s.

10 // ARIANA DELAWARI

Q: Do you believe in a higher power? (Love, God, Universe, Grace, Spirit, whatever) Why? Why not?

A: Yes I believe in God. Sometimes I say "the universe", but I mean God. Indigenous Americans say "great spirit". I also believe we have guides whether you want to call them Angels, ancestors, spirits, I feel them too. I usually pray to all of the above. I was raised in a very spiritual family. Not a very religious family. My parents are Muslim, but both sides of my family are mixed with almost every culture and religion out there, so my perspective is a very inclusive one. I myself am a sort of pan theologist. I practice and study many different spiritual beliefs. I see religion and spirituality as poetry. Different languages to express the same thing.  

Q: Why must you make films? (I mean, let's be honest, only a crazy person would choose to do it) 

A: I grew up watching all of the classic films. My mother is a cineaste. I watched all of the old Hollywood black and white films, all of the woody Allen films, Scorsese films, and lots of international cinema. I was an actress as well, and my sister was too. I started acting in theatre when I was 4. And my mother and sisters all worked in the film industry on the business side of things at the studios, so I was raised in it. I ended up in film school by fate. It wasn't my idea. I was at USC studying literature with a minor in photography. I just wanted to write poems all day. My cousin was married to David Wolper's son, and David became a sort of mentor. He wrote me a recommendation for the film school. Im sure that's why I got in. He produced Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, so I always say "he gave me my golden ticket." Even once I got in, I didn't want to go. My family and my photography professor Robert Flick told me I had to take the opportunity. So I did. Then I loved it and became obsessed. I focused mostly on cinematography at USC as I wanted to learn the most technical thing possible, as I knew that knowledge would be an ace in my pocket as a female director. Just before my last year of film school, I wanted to take a semester off to focus solely on my acting career.  I went on a trip to europe with my cousin the summer before that semester, and a moroccan man in a bazaar in the south of france changed my mind.  He was a seer and he predicted many things that happened later.  He said to me “you’re traveling, maybe you’ll write a book”. I was thinking to myself “A traveling book ? yeah right man”. Then he said “No, you’re going to make a film”.  I looked up at him and he smiled.  He said all kinds of things, and minutes later I was crying to him as he looked into my soul and saw all of me.  9/11 happened one month later and I knew it was all meant to be. That last year of film school was vital, it’s when I learned the most and grew the most. My parents moved back to Afghanistan that year to help re build the country. I got on a plane to Afghanistan the next year right after graduation and I finally knew why I was a filmmaker. I knew why I had been handed that education. I was meant to tell the story of my people. So I did, and I will continue to do so.  But even musically, David Lynch came to my very first show as a musician and wanted to produce my music. His wife Emily brought him to my show. He became a very important mentor in my life as well, so I've been really blessed with guides and mentors. I couldn't have planned it. These were gifts that I could never have planned. I feel very blessed and grateful. I think I've always known that this was my path, but I resisted it many times. I wanted to be silly and have fun as an actress and in a band. Those crafts are equally as challenging, but there's less responsibility. I knew that directing is like being the parent. You have to be in charge of everyone. It's a huge responsibility and takes up all of your life force. Now I feel excited about it. And I feel dedicated to telling stories that reach people’s hearts and souls. 

Q: If you were at a dinner party and had to pick one of these topics for the group to discuss (sex, politics, money, religion, death, food, reincarnation) -- what would it be and why? 

A: Hmm... Reincarnation. Because I do believe we are all working things out in this life. There are infinite possibilities of which path we take, but we only get one shot in this lifetime. So I like the idea of discussing which road we are each on and why. And if we had another shot at it all, what would we choose next ? Maybe we have no idea, but it raises the stakes. I think about it a lot. I think about living this life to its fullest and becoming all that I am meant to be. I check in with God and my soul for realignments all the time.  It's easy to fall off the wagon. We have to have our own process of return and rebirth. 

Q: Make up a question for me to ask the next director I photograph. You can ask ANYTHING —  just please be respectful.

A: Which artist - filmmaker or any artist - has influenced you the most and why?

Q from Tawnie McKiernan: What’s the one type of film you’re dying to get hired to direct and why?

A: I really want to direct a fantasy film. Like those lord of the ring epics. I grew up obsessed with horror films, psychological thrillers, and fantasy films. I make pretty serious films now. My short I just made is a hybrid narrative. It has both documentary and surreal musical aspects to it, so it's more of an art film than my documentary, but I like the idea of getting to make a big fantasy epic someday. That would be a dream. It's how my mind works daily anyway ;)

Q: The last time you had deja vu? What does deja vu mean to you?

A: I don't remember the last time, but I have it all the time. I think it's a memory of before we are born when our soul is shown our life ahead. I believe we see what we are getting into before we enter. Then most of it is forgotten as we come into human form, but Deja vu experiences are the glimpses we remember. I believe it's a sign that we are on our path. 

Q: What made you laugh last? When was the last time you cried? Why? 

A: I'm in big sur right now and I saw a bunch of elephant seals yesterday. I was laughing last night while watching a video I took of one of them barking. I cried a bit last night. I just went through a break up, so just letting that go. I cry all the time. I'm open and all kinds of things move me. Beauty moves me to tears a lot too. So does gratitude. 

Q: Lastly, tell the people about your next project and where they can see your work. Thank you! 

A: I just directed a short film called Entelechy which will premiere at a festival next month. The film goes with my new album by the same name. Both will be released online soon too. I made a documentary about Afghanistan called We Came Home. That will be released soon as well. It already did the festival circuit and most recently just screened at the International Film Festival of Rajasthan in India. It won the jury prize there. 

I'm not sure which project is next. I have a tv idea and a film idea. We'll see which one comes first. I'm in big sur connecting with nature for some guidance. I only want to do this if it's guided. I like to channel things that want to come through. That's how I see it. Otherwise it's a waste of everyone's time and just perpetuates or stagnates what we already have going on as humans. We need to move things forward and shape this experience into something more beautiful. That's what I wanna do and be a part of. Birthing a new time of peace, love, and unity.

09 // SHAZ BENNETT

Q: Do you believe in a higher power? (Love, God, Universe, Grace, Spirit, whatever) Why? Why not?

A: Sometimes. I want to believe – for me it’s more of a force and the awe of the mystery and where does this energy in us go after we die? My mother died when I was pretty young and I miss her everyday, I can’t quite comprehend that she just ended so I want to believe more.  I spent a lot of time when I was a kid and teen in the national parks in Utah. Zion, Canyonlands, Arches, and the Salt Flats -- when you’re out in the middle of nowhere and the stars are that bright and you’re so small. It’s hard not to believe in something – the universe is so awesome and overwhelming, I can’t believe that this here on earth is all there is in heaven and earth… Even in the deepest parts of science, it all starts to get very mysterious and “godlike” so I like to believe that means something.

Q: Why must you make films? (I mean, let's be honest, only a crazy person would choose to do it)

A: I don’t know what else I would do. I have very few other marketable skills beyond storytelling. Movies and television changed my whole life and trajectory, my first job was taking tickets at Sundance when I was a teenager, before that I didn’t know what I wanted to do and after it’s all I ever dreamed about doing. 

Q: If you were at a dinner party and had to pick one of these topics for the group to discuss (sex, politics, money, religion, death, food, reincarnation) -- what would it be and why?

A: There are no taboo subjects to me, I love a great conversation – which is why I love adults. I mean, I like kids, but they aren’t on whole great conversationalists and I live for long deep conversation. I seek them out. Of those, right now I think I’d go with sex – as it would generally lead to all of the others on some level – that way, I’d get to talk about all of them.

Q: Make up a question for me to ask the next director I photograph. You can ask ANYTHING — just please be respectful.

A: What’s the one type of film you’re dying to get hired to direct and why?

Q from Lisanne Sartor: How do you handle those moments of despair when you doubt yourself and your choices and wonder how the hell you ended up doing what you’re doing with your life?

A: Wow, that's so apropos for me just now.  I'm not sure I do handle those moments of despair well but I think all you can do is go through them and try to remember there's always more clarity on the other side. When you’re in the middle of that self doubt and pain, you can’t imagine you’ll ever be on the other side but you will and you have to remember that. And then just get back to work. Start a new project. You know how mothers talk about childbirth like it hurt and it was awful but they don’t think about that once the baby is there. I don’t have kids but I think it’s a good metaphor — you have to get through the pain to get the baby at the end sometimes.

I remember a teacher of mine told me to practice noting and remembering the good times in your life so you can call on them when you’re in the bad times. So, I try to make note of good days and moments that really matter to me every day to store up for when I’m in the shit. There’s the big days like the day I got married and then smaller moments too — the way the light is hitting a friend’s eyes or when someone is telling me a great story, I make a mental note to remember these moments — to call on too. And one might spark an idea that leads to a new project — just get back to work. Above my computer I have the lyrics from a Lou Reed song about Andy Warhol —

No matter what I did it never seemed enough

He said I was lazy, I said I was young

He said, "How many songs did you write"

I'd written zero, I'd lied and said, "Ten"

You won't be young forever

You should have written fifteen

It's work

Just work, that’s what I do.

Q: The last time you had deja vu? What does deja vu mean to you?

A: It comes in waves for me. My mom used to tell me it was the universe telling you – you’re on the right path. When I have them, I generally try to take note and when they happen I always feel like it’s a good sign. It’s interesting because I just had a pretty gnarly one a week or so ago and it was quite disorienting almost – it’s interesting because it’s been a rough couple of months -- it’s hard to believe this is the path I’m meant to be on but perhaps it is -- and on the other side, I’ll look backwith more clarity.

Q: What made you laugh last? When was the last time you cried? Why?

A: Last laugh… I generally laugh a little bit everyday, I can’t remember the last laugh where I fell over in a fit but I gotta work on that! I need more of those in my everyday. Crying that’s a whole other thing – I cry out of joy and sadness equally – you know I’m a filmmaker right? Ha! Sometimes they go hand in hand.

Q: Lastly, tell the people about your next project and where they can see your work. 

A: I’m finishing my feature film ALASKA IS A DRAG – it’s shot and it’s incredible and working on making that whole. I work on UnREAL which is it’s second season and it’s so amazingand then I have a couple of scripts and other projects that are in the mix but I don’t want to jinx them til they’re a little further down the line.

Thanks for including me in the Directors Collective – love you lady!

08 // LISANNE SARTOR

Q: Do you believe in a higher power? (Love, God, Universe, Grace, Spirit, whatever) Why? Why not?

A: Yes but as a teen, I wasn’t so sure, since what God would let me, a hungover Catholic schoolgirl, teach Sunday school to kindergarteners without sending a bolt of lightning my way? My beliefs changed in my twenties, when my sculpture teacher, Nino died of congestive heart failure. He was a crotchety old man who had alienated his adult daughters but amused the hell out of me with his wild stories about his landlady who gave happy ending massages, his battles with his five wives (he never divorced his first so technically he was a polygamist), his raucous partying in Pietrasanta, where he sculpted marble from Michelangelo’s quarry. I became his surrogate daughter, he my cherished friend. When he got sick, I visited him often in the hospital but never told him what he meant to me because he was so vibrant that I thought he’d outlive us all. His death shocked me. His son gave me Nino’s rubber mallet to remember him. One day soon after, I picked up the mallet and felt a rush of energy whoosh through me. A vivid image of a healthy, happy Nino appeared in my mind. He beamed at me and I beamed back. Then the energy was gone and so was Nino. For the first time, I truly believed in a higher power, one that enables our energy to exist after our bodies give out and enables beloved friends to say goodbye. 

Q: Why must you make films? (I mean, let's be honest, only a crazy person would choose to do it) 

I make films because nothing I’ve ever done – sculptor, photographer, singer, actor, legislative aide, assistant director –  has ever made me feel as whole and alive as filmmaking does. When I’m directing, I feel like all my synapses are firing in synch, even when things go wrong – as they inevitably do. I have a clarity of vision and sense of calm I rarely have anywhere else. Of course, everything leading up to actually being on set often makes me question my sanity, but once I make it to set, I’m home. 

Q: If you were at a dinner party and had to pick one of these topics for the group to discuss (sex, politics, money, religion, death, food, reincarnation) -- what would it be and why? 

A: Food because to me, so much of life – sex, death, religion, politics - revolves around the food we eat, how we make it, how we eat it, when we eat it, why we eat it. Maybe it’s my Italian heritage, but to me, food is an expression of self. 

Q: Make up a question for me to ask the next director I photograph. You can ask ANYTHING —  just please be respectful.

A: How do you handle those moments of despair when you doubt yourself and your choices and wonder how the hell you ended up doing what you’re doing with your life?

Question from Lulu Wang: Do you remember the first story you told and what was it?

A: I can’t remember the true first story I told because my sister Colette and I, who are identical twins, told each other stories from the beginning, probably in utero. I do remember that as kids, before we’d go to bed each night, we’d discuss what we were going to dream about and we wanted to wear and do in each other’s dreams. So I guess that’s how we began collaborating. Now she’s a fiction writer and I’m a writer/director and we’re each other’s first readers. We’ve worked on projects together, but not in a long time, so we’re overdue. 

It makes sense then that the first story I vividly remember telling is one that I told with Colette. We were six or seven and our younger brother, John was two or three. John was an active kid, to say the least, and on this particular night, was refusing to go to bed. Colette and I decided to tell him a bedtime story about Pinocchio, the part where Pinocchio grows ears and a tail and turns into a donkey. When we reached the end, we told John that if he didn’t stop being a bad boy and go to bed right away, he was going to turn into a donkey, just like Pinocchio and all the other bad boys Pinocchio hung out with. We then crept from John’s room, certain he’d be asleep in seconds. Instead, we heard him wailing, telling our mom that he could feel his tail and ears growing and she had to make it stop. We giggled until Mom figured out just where he got those crazy ideas. Nobody got much sleep that night.

Q: The last time you had deja vu? What does deja vu mean to you?

A: I don’t remember the last time I had déjà vu but when it happens, it’s so crystal clear that I can’t believe it’s not real. When I was younger, my déjà vu moments often were about offbeat incidents with my identical twin sister but now that I have kids, they have to do with offbeat incidents with my boys. Makes me wonder if déjà vu is our minds’ way of reinforcing bonds with people we love. 

Q: What made you laugh last? When was the last time you cried? Why? 

A: The last time I laughed: Tonight, when one of my boys pissed me off and I dove for a glass of wine, prompting him to ask, “Mom, am I driving you to drink?” Thank god they’re funny kids. Parenthood is hard enough but without laughter it would feel like a jail sentence.

The last time I cried: Probably an hour ago, when I wrote about my friend Nino for this interview. I cry a lot. When a character I love in a book or movie dies. Or I see a sappy commercial or hear sad song. Little things and big things make me cry. But I’m a stealth crier. I cry when I’m alone or when no one is paying attention. About four years ago, one of my boys told me that he’d never seen me cry. That surprised me and made me notice that they didn’t cry much either but none of us has any problem being angry. Which made me realize maybe part of all that anger was unexpressed sadness. I decided then and there to cry more freely around them and in general so that my kids learn it’s okay to be openly sad. We’re still working on it. 

Q: Lastly, tell the people about your next project and where they can see your work. 

A: I’m working on financing my first feature, SIX LETTER WORD, which is based on my short film about autism, SIX LETTER WORD, that I wrote and directed through the AFI Directing Workshop for Women. You can download that short on the AFI Conservatory Online Theater at http://www.afi.com/conservatory/online_theater/films/six_letter_word.aspx. My short film PRICK is making the festival circuit rounds now. I’m directing another short I wrote, based on M.C. Moore’s short story, HEIMLICH (it’s great – go read it here: http://www.wordriot.org/archives/6766) in the spring and writing a TV pilot about gonorrhea (my dad is so proud of me). 

Thank you for your time and sharing your thoughts! 

07 // JEN MCGOWEN

Q: Do you believe in a higher power? (Love, God, Universe, Grace, Spirit, whatever) Why? Why not?

A: Nope. I was always the kid in Catholic school asking too many questions about how this or that didn’t add up and ultimately I always ended up being made to sit in the corner by some grumpy nun. I never bought it. Never needed it. I’m an irrelevanist. The answer to “is there a higher power” really makes no difference to me either way so I’m not worried about it. 

Q: Why must you make films? (I mean, let's be honest, only a crazy person would choose to  do it) 

It’s what I enjoy most and I’m good at it. I get bored really easily and when I get bored I get dark. Directing keeps me challenged, busy, excited, learning, focused. I love the all consuming nature of it. Definitely never boring. 

Q: If you were at a dinner party and had to pick one of these topics for the group to discuss (sex, politics, money, religion, death, food, reincarnation) -- what would it be and why? 

A: Politics probably but I t would really depend on that my guest were interested in. I love to talk about anything. I love science. If science were on this list of options I’d choose that. 

Q: Make up a question for me to ask the next director I photograph. You can ask ANYTHING —  just please be respectful.

A: Do you remember the first story you told and what was it? 

Question from director Lulu Wang: What job could you see yourself doing if you weren't a director? 

A: If I weren’t a director I think I would be a scientist of some sort.  Probably something to do with genetics, neuroscience or animal psychology.  

Q: The last time you had deja vu? What does deja vu mean to you?

I don’t remember the last time. I have it occasionally. I suspect it has something to do with out mind’s perception of space and time so that its sort of like a brain shiver. Or maybe something super crazy like a glimpse into an alternate universe. Who knows.

Q: What made you laugh last? When was the last time you cried? Why? 

I laugh every day. I have two dogs and a very funny husband. Plus I see humor in just about everything so I have a lot of laughter.  

I’ve had a few stupid cries here and there because I saw a scene in a film that moved me or when I was sick with that horrible plague death cold thing that went around LA this year and I couldn’t get out of bed for three days I was super piste about it — I had a little pathetic whimper. But the last I really cried? Probably not for a year or two. I’m not a big crier. I yell and curse before I cry. 

Q: Lastly, tell the people about your next project and where they can see your work. Thank you for your time and sharing your thoughts! 

I’ve got a few things I’m really excited about. But I don’t really like to go into specifics until things are done or close to done. As for my past work, right now people can see my feature, KELLY & CAL on iTunes, Amazon and Showtime. Two of my shorts, TOUCH and CONFESSIONS OF A LATE BLOOMER, are available in various places online. 

06 // LULU WANG

Q: Do you believe in a higher power? (Love, God, Universe, Grace, Spirit, whatever) Why? Why not?

A: I do. I believe in energies and forces that work in ways we can’t comprehend. It’s a general feeling, but there have also been events and relationships that have forced me to consider the multitude of layers to this life that’s beyond the our immediate grasp. 

Q: Why must you make films? (I mean, let's be honest, only a crazy person would choose to  do it) 

A: I’ve always been a storyteller, I’ve always written. My mother is a writer, my father was a diplomat when he was young. I also studied classical piano growing up. When I found my way to film, it felt like a natural convergence of all my interests and skills. To me, filmmaking is like life - with every project there’s a different process, and that process is dependent on so many things: the environment, the timing, your personal life at the moment, luck, etc. To go through it each and every time requires a tricky balance of force and yield that I’m still trying to figure out, and I’m sure it’s something I’ll always struggle with. When to fight, when to be patient, when to let go and when to have faith in the ‘higher powers’. Of course, I believe in the stories I have to share, but I make films because I love it and like with any great love, the act and process of loving makes me a better person. 

Q: If you were at a dinner party and had to pick one of these topics for the group to discuss (sex, politics, money, religion, death, food, reincarnation) -- what would it be and why? 

A: I would talk about all of those things! Sex is always fun, because it immediately forces a certain intimacy, but I think right now, I’d have to choose food. There are a few obvious reasons: food is a huge part of my cultural upbringing, food has a significant impact on the environment so topics of discussion can range from pleasure to responsibility. Food (like sex and film) is life! Right now I’m really fascinated with the idea of appetite - the food culture has really blown up in America - leave it to America to turn something so basic to every other culture into pop culture. Having an appetite for food can be the sign of an appetite for life…but what happens when appetite gets distorted? Where does it get distorted, and how? China has a beautiful history of an appetite for life that’s deeply rooted in its food, but when I go there now, that beauty has been distorted into an excess that’s grotesque. There are examples of that in this country too of course, and I’m fascinated by the psychology and sociology behind such extremes and disparity in our world today. 

Q: Make up a question for me to ask the next director I photograph. You can ask ANYTHING —  just please be respectful.

A: What job could you see yourself doing if you weren't a director? 

Q from Christina Choe: Which sense would you rather lose if you had to? Sight, Sound, Taste, Sound, Touch.

Q: I would say sound, even though music is a huge part of my life. Maybe the quiet would allow me to sharpen my other senses, experience "sounds" through vibrations and less noise pollution would allow me to listen more closely to my inner voice? Maybe? I don't know, I'm reaching here...honestly, losing any sense seems pretty awful, but I like to think I'd make the best of it. 

Q: The last time you had deja vu? What does deja vu mean to you?

A: I can’t remember. It comes and then it just goes…I think it has something to do with time. The fact that time isn’t linear, even though we experience it that way, and sometimes we experience a moment that happened in the future, in another life or another dimension. Even though it’s perplexing, I enjoy the feeling - it’s a slight reminder that what we see isn’t all that’s here. 

Q: What made you laugh last? When was the last time you cried? Why? 

A: My mother makes me laugh. And she makes me cry. We’re working on a script together right now so there are a lot of emotions. I cried yesterday because it felt cathartic - it’s the end of the year, which brings up a lot of reflection, and sometimes it feels like so much has happened and yet nothing has happened. You are still you, and well, everything is a process. It’s a bittersweet medley of gratitude and desire. 

Q: Lastly, tell the people about your next project and where they can see your work. Thank you for your time and sharing your thoughts! 

My next project is a crime drama from the perspective of a translator. It’s a story about being in between. My first feature film, “Posthumous” will be released Stateside in 2016. My short film “Touch” is now available on Hulu through NBCU http://www.hulu.com/watch/876701 

You can follow me on most social media @thumbelulu and my website is www.thumbelulu.com

05 // CHRISTINA CHOE

Q: Do you believe in a higher power? (Love, God, Universe, Grace, Spirit, whatever.) Why? Why not?

A: Yes I believe the spirit and the universe sends us special people and signs and art to let us know they exist. 

Q: Why must you make films? (I mean, let's be honest, only a crazy person would choose to  do it) 

A: I must make films because I feel the most alive when I am spilling my inner soul and guts into a film. But it can feel naked and ugly. Sometimes I don’t even understand how I am connected to it until after its made. It can feel like you are Sisyphus though pushing a boulder up a hill for eternity. Wait. Why am I doing this???? Honestly I actually don’t even know. I just keep doing it. It’s all I know. 

Q: If you were at a dinner party and had to pick one of these topics for the group to discuss (sex, politics, money, religion, death, food, reincarnation) -- what would it be and why? 

A: If I were at a dinner party, my topic of choice is probably politics. I’ve always been interested in studying systems of oppression, race, socio-economics. Either that or zombies. 

Q: Make up a question for me to ask the next director I photograph. You can ask ANYTHING —  just please be respectful.

A: Which sense would you rather lose if you had to? Sight, Sound, Taste, Sound, Touch.

Q: What’s the best advice you've received from a mentor regarding life, and/or career (must be advice that's had some material impact on your life)?  Mine was happiness takes courage. I can't tell you how that saves me everyday. 

 A: "write what breaks your heart, because what breaks your heart will mend your heart". (turns out my teacher was a fraud but still the best advice). 

Q: The last time you had deja vu? What does deja vu mean to you?

A: Pretty much every other day i have deja vu. Either it means either we're all connected to each other's brains and past lives, or our brain neurons are having a massive glitchy fart. 

Q: What made you laugh last? When was the last time you cried? Why? 

Last night I laughed and cried until my tear ducts broke watching a documentary film about Steve Gleason. 

Q: Lastly, tell the people about your next project and where they can see your work. Thank you! 

A: I am prepping to shoot my first feature, NANCY, a psychological drama about a female imposter who tells elaborate lies to get close to people emotionally. I also have a dystopian sci fi TV pilot about an epic food crisis, GMO’s and a teenage girl who must save the world.

04 // PHILLANE PHANG

Q: Do you believe in a higher power? (Love, God, Universe, Grace, Spirit, whatever.) Why? Why not?

A: I 100% believe in a high power.  I need to believe in something greater than myself, than humanity.  This belief forces me to demand the very best of myself.  

Q: Why must you make films? (I mean, let's be honest, only a crazy person would choose to  do it) 

A: I tried another career.  I am a recovering attorney. I felt like the walking metaphor for a Raisin in the Sun.  My passions and dreams did not dry up but festered like a sore.  Living that life, literally suffocated me.   I think that once I became spiritually centered, I was able to take that leap of faith and follow what I believe is my purpose in life which is telling stories about those who live on the fringes of society.  I guess there’s some connection between that and my wanting to be an attorney. 

Q: If you were at a dinner party and had to pick one of these topics for the group to discuss (sex, politics, money, religion, death, food, reincarnation) -- what would it be and why? 

God really, do I have to choose just one?! I want to talk about them all.  But since there’s a gun to my head, I would choose religion.  I find the history of religion truly fascinating.  I think that outside of Shakespeare, the Bible is one of the greatest books every written!  

Q from Sian Heder: If you had a time machine and could visit any time in history (or in your life) when + where would you go?

A: I wish I could go back about three years to see my grandmother prior to her passing..   I wish I had been a more loving and attentive granddaughter.  I wish that I had been there with her when she took her last breath.  To tell her goodbye and that I loved her.  I didn’t say it often enough. It’s one of my deepest regrets.  

Q: Make up a question for me to ask the next director I photograph. You can ask ANYTHING —  just please be respectful.

A: What's the best advice you've received from a mentor regarding life, and/or career (must be advice that's had some material impact on your life)?  Mine was happiness takes courage. I can't tell you how that saves me everyday.  

Q: The last time I had Déjà vu?  What does Déjà vu mean to you? 

A: Seriously, this is a tough question. Who really logs their deja vu? I can barely remember what happened an hour ago. But I can answer what Déjà vu means to me.  It’s this visceral feeling; sometimes an out of body experience, that this experience occurring now, in this very moment, happened to me before…. 

Q: What made you laugh last?  When is the last time you cried? Why?

A: The last time that I can remember laughing was at Thanksgiving with my family.  They crack me up!  They’re Jamaican, enough said!

The last time I cried was last night.  I’m doing research on ALS for a project. I started watching a bunch of videos on YouTube last night and it led me to Lou Gehrig’s ‘luckiest man in the world’ speech. It was my first time watching it.  I was in awe of his positivity after his ALS diagnosis and being forced to retire from baseball.  He knew the debilitating outcome of his diagnosis and yet he stood before thousands and said he was the luckiest man alive. It left me in tears.  What a beautiful spirit.

Q: Lastly, tell the people about your next project and where they can see your work. Thank you! 

A: I’m finishing up my AFI Directing Workshop for Women short film, Blood Is Upon Them.  It’s tackles the issue of corrective rape.   I’ll keep you posted on where you can see the film!

03 // SIAN HEDER

Q: Do you believe in a higher power? (Love, God, Universe, Grace, Spirit, whatever.) Why? Why not?

A: I do believe in a force greater than us but I don’t think that force necessarily cares about us. When you start exploring the science of it all — space time continuum, the big bang, there’s always a point where the science gets mystical. There’s a lot that we can’t explain and I’m going to chalk that up to magic or universe or god or whatever you want to call it. 

Q: Why must you make films? (I mean, let's be honest, only a crazy person would choose to  do it) 

A: I don’t know if I must make films but I must make are and film seems to be the medium I’m best suited for. If I were a brilliant painter I would probably be painting or if I could sing my ass off, I’d probably be doing that. But I do think that film is an art form that reaches a lot of people. Stories are universal. 

Q: If you were at a dinner party and had to pick one of these topics for the group to discuss (sex, politics, money, religion, death, food, reincarnation) -- what would it be and why? 

A: I’d pick death. It’s so taboo but everyone has an amazing story related to dying — helping someone die, beliefs around death — it would be a pretty intense dinner convo but I’d like to be at that table. 

Q: Make up a question for me to ask the next director I photograph. You can ask ANYTHING —  just please be respectful.

A: If you had a time machine and could visit any time in history (or in your own life) when + where would you go? 

Q from Anna McRoberts: If you could have made one movie that you loved as a child, what would it be and why? 

A: ET. Because how fucking good is ET? 

Q: The last time you had deja vu? What does deja vu mean to you?

A: With two kids under two, every day is pretty much deja vu.  Wake, play, dinner, bath, books, bed.  It’s groundhog day over here in Eagle Rock.  

Q: When was the last time you laughed? What caused it? When was the last time you cried? Why?

Last time I cried - Christmas eve when I realized I’d been so busy finishing post my movie I didn’t have any presents for anybody - called my husband hysterical from the car and sobbed “You’re not getting anything!”.  He laughed and I think his response was, “I don’t give two shits".  Last time I laughed - every day my toddler comes up with something new that makes me howl with laughter.  The  other day I found her putting one of my tampons to bed with a blankie and a story.

Q: Lastly, tell the people about your next project and where they can see your work. Thank you! 

A: Feature film TALLULAH feature with Elliot Page and Allison Janney. It’s premiering at the Sundance Film Festival January 2016. 

Side note from Sylvia: Sian failed to mention that she is also a writer on ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK (who doesn’t love that show?!) 

02 // ANNA MCROBERTS

Q: Do you believe in a higher power? (Love, God, Universe, Grace, Spirit, whatever.) Why? Why not?

A: Yes I believe in a higher power and I believe that higher power is inside us all. That is if we truly listen, if we are truly still, we are in tune with it, with that higher knowing and it guides us in all we do.

Q: Why must you make films? (I mean, let's be honest, only a crazy person would choose to  do it) 

A: Since I was a little girl, the place I felt the most alive, the most covered in goosebumps repeatedly was inside a theater. It’s my life mission to affect people the way I was, the way I still am every time the popcorn sits on my lap as the lights fade. For me, that is church.

Q: If you were at a dinner party and had to pick one of these topics for the group to discuss (sex, politics, money, religion, death, food, reincarnation) -- what would it be and why? 

A: It would depend on the group. If it were a group of female filmmakers, I would choose sex, because I love hearing about the passion of passionate women. If it were a group of male republicans, then I would likely choose politics or money, to attempt to understand different points of view. 

Q: Make up a question for me to ask the next director I photograph. You can ask ANYTHING —  just please be respectful.

A: If you could have made one movie that you loved as a child, what would it be and why?

Q: What’s your favorite movie (i.e. one you’ve watched more than once) and like to go back to — and why? 

A: My favorite movie is a tie between ET and The Breakfast Club. These are the two movies that first turned me on and changed my life and made me know instantly what I wanted to also do. I still feel those same butterflies in my belly now as I felt when I was 12.

Q: The last time you had deja vu? What does deja vu mean to you?

A: I just had the most insanely powerful deja vu but now I can’t remember what it was, which is so funny because it actually stopped me in my tracks. To me it means the moment is one that your soul has known before or has been searching for on its journey. It’s an important life altering moment in some shape or form.

Q: When was the last time you laughed? What caused it? When was the last time you cried? Why?

A: I both laugh and cry on almost a daily basis. Life is hard and beautiful and I’m grateful for both.

Q: Lastly, tell the people about your next project and where they can see your work. Thank you! 

A: I’m the President of Air Bud Entertainment where we focus on the creation and distribution of entertainment for kids and families and where I co-created the 'Air Buddies' franchise for Disney which I also wrote and produced. I'm currently fulfilling a six-picture deal with Netflix and am releasing the second of these all-new family movies later this month and have just wrapped production on the third which will release this summer.

To date, the focus of my career has been the creation of high-quality imaginative content for children and I am writing my directorial debut in that same genre which I hope to shoot in 2017. I believe children should be served with content that acknowledges their creativity and helps nurture that. They are our most imaginative audience and serving them is a great privilege and honor.

Last year, I also completed my first street art project 'Hearts Heal' and am currently working on the next one, 'The Street Texter.' Most of the eighteen features I have written and produced are available on Netflix, my street mural is on West Adams in Los Angeles and currently my short 'The Wind Fishermen' can be seen on Vimeo. A full list of my credits and sneak peaks of all this work will be up soon at annamcroberts.com.

01 // MAGGIE KILEY

Q: Do you believe in a higher power? (Love, God, Universe, Grace, Spirit, whatever.) Why? Why not?

A: I do. I have to put my faith in something outside of me. I think it may be an energy thing — if I put it out with my whole heart and trust that things will evolve as they are meant to — then they do. 

Q: Why must you make films? (I mean, let's be honest, only a crazy person would choose to  do it) 

A: I feel the most alive when I am making movies. I came to it later in my life and when it revealed itself to me as my destiny everything finally locked into place. Directing is about your own unique way of seeing things and I love expressing my vision. 

Q: If you were at a dinner party and had to pick one of these topics for the group to discuss (sex, politics, money, religion, death, food, reincarnation) -- what would it be and why? 

A: Probably sex! But only because how we relate to one another fascinates me so much. 

Q: If you could do anything for a living IN THE WORLD (besides a filmmaker) what would it be? ANYTHING. 

A: Hmmmm I’d like to do good. Give back. I think teaching — something I’m passionate about. 

Q: Make up a question for me to ask the next director I photograph. You can ask ANYTHING —  just please be respectful.

A: What’s your favorite movie (i.e. one you’ve watched more than once) and like to go back to — and why? 

Q: The last time you had deja vu? What does deja vu mean to you?

Hmmm.... I haven't had deja vu in a while but I love it when it happens.  It affirms to me that this life is one of many and what is now may also one day be what once was  and repeat again.

Q: When was the last time you laughed? What caused it? When was the last time you cried? Why?

A: My son was showing us a video and he kept saying 'oh shit' when things got crazy.  He is 4 and not at all conscious of what he is 'really' saying.  He was so proud to show us the 'fights' in the video and we all sat at the table and watched with him- while he narrated along, throwing in an 'oh shit' here and there.  Oddly enough this was the last time I cried as well.  At first it was a full belly laugh, silly giggle and then when I looked around at all of our (my little family's) faces the laughter turned to turns.  Bittersweet, thankful, letting go of time tears.

Q: Lastly, tell the people about your next project and where they can see your work. Thank you! 

A: Upcoming: Skin Deep (feature in development) Cricket (feature in development)  Past feature Films: Brightest Star, Dial A Prayer. Both streaming on Netflix/iTunes.  Showreel at www.maggiekiley.com