In the interview, I take the opportunity to show off some random LPs I pulled out of my personal collection, then Kevin and Christopher discuss how they split their directorial responsibilities on this projects. We also talk about a favorite question of mine: “When was their eureka moment making the film?”
The films couldn’t be farther apart on the storytelling spectrum from one another, but they both share the accomplishment of either gutting you with the emotional crisis of potentially denying your identity and betraying someone to “save” yourself (HONOR), or landing you smack dab into the emotional psychology of your teen youth and overcoming the immense crises in our heads that all of us likely faced during that time in our lives (SEANCE-ING). And they effectively achieve that within short run times.
In the interview, Xuan Liu talks about his efforts to create a specific gentle tone in the film including the influence of Ingmar Bergman’s work, specifically WILD STRAWBERRIES on him. He also discusses the personal nature of the story and how closely it hews to his life, how the pandemic influenced the journey of the film to audiences, and how he handled directing a child on camera.
In the interview, we talk about the challenges faced in making a documentary when you have a relationship with the subject (Jen is married to Franco), delving into the topic of representation, and the evolution of the acceptance of the word “lesbian” within the story of Curve and Franco. We also discuss the desire by Jen and Rivkah to make sure the film was forward thinking as opposed to just approaching the film a s a history lesson.
San Luis Obispo Film Festival Director Skye McLennan said, “The intent of this program is to continue to be a platform for diverse voices in our community of San Luis Obispo. The murder of George Floyd last year and the increase in the Black Lives Matter protests that followed only amplified the need for more diversity within the arts and how crucially important representation can be. We designed this program to be free and accessible to all and an opportunity for all audiences to fall in love with film festivals and power of the cinema. This collection of films and panels aims to inspire, stimulate and engage our community and others to participate in creating change. Through the grant received by the City of SLO we are able to pay the filmmakers, programmers and panelists and this is something we hope to continue to expand and grow and be able to offer more opportunities in the future.”
San Luis Obispo Film Festival Director Skye McLennan said, “Following last year’s whirlwind experience to shift our film festival to an online presentation seemingly overnight due to the onset of the pandemic, it’s a gift to know that the same dedication we put into selecting our films is matched by the SLO Film Fest audience’s anticipation to see them – virtually or in-person. But safety is still the priority, so while we will all go to the drive-in for Surf Nite, the rest of the time, we will once again be coming into our film faithful’s homes to deliver the best movies we could find.”
Skye: Our virtual festival was just a webpage we designed very quickly. At the point of our cancellation we had very little time and funds to use a proper platform and there was not a lot out there that fit our model. I was surprised by the level of support and feedback from our audience who were just so appreciative for the opportunity to still see the films. It was a reminder that our organization is an important staple of our community and something patrons were really going to miss.
Wendy Eidson, SLO Film Fest Artistic Director, announced the dates for next year’s edition of
“I am so thrilled to announce Skye’s promotion and look forward to continue to work with her. She brings a wealth of festival experience, new ideas and a youthful perspective to our organization as we continue to add to the reputation we have earned across the country as an important regional festival,” said Eidson. “We all recognize how important it is to bring in people with enthusiasm and innovation to keep an organization fresh and relevant and she brings all of that and so much more to the table.”
“Online artistic platforms such as this one is such a constructive way to not only highlight a geographic region where the festival is being ‘held’ via a virtual tour of its programming but give people hope and agency to keep planning and moving forward in their lives. It’s great that Wendy was not fazed by what couldn’t take place but focused on what the possibilities could be: a broader audience base and a mental relief for those seeking out artistic comfort.”
