We are moving stories

“Ever since directing my short film Lean on Him in 2015, in which a woman experiences a crisis of faith when her mother begins to develop dementia, I’ve devoted myself to exploring Christian faith on film in a challenging way and to depicting complex women of color on screen. I applied those same ideas to my newest film, Saturday Grace. I also wanted to explore how a single encounter can transform into a real, life-saving (or at least life-affirming) connection. I had to tell this story.”

“Thank you! Making the film was a personal journey into my own Alevi ancestry. The Alevi are a religious/cultural minority with roots in Anatolia, modern day Turkey. It was a transcendent experience to connect with my Alevi heritage and community, similar to the main character’s journey in the film.”

“I think the target audience of this film is everyone around the world. Even as we speak different languages, have different cultures, we still have the same problems and the same love. I hope everyone can taste the different flavor of this story.”

“I think that after witnessing strangers cry during the film, I knew Shannon’s story had true emotion. During production, I questioned whether strangers would experience the same emotions I felt while creating the film, since for me it was such a personal story, having known Shannon so well. It’s been strange, but I feel it’s important to tell these types of challenging stories; it helps create empathy for others.”

“With a modern “Aerotropolis” project promised by the Taiwanese government as the story backdrop, this film depicts the emptiness and mental tortures of modern life. A middle-class man living in the suburbs suffers from a meaningless life and meltdown resulted from his repressed desires. Taiwanese government tried to transform Taoyuan City, one of its major urban areas, into an International traffic hub for air/marine transportation. Unfortunately the so-called “Aerotropolis” project was a fiasco.”

“I was a missionary for my church a few years ago, knocking on doors, teaching people about Jesus Christ, and passing out the Book of Mormon. And as a missionary, I was obsessed with the mission handbook, to the point where I would piss off some of my mission companions. I often prioritized the rules over loving the people, so my wife (who also went on a mission) and I wanted to make a movie poking fun at my mission experience.”

“By some weird kink of the Universe, the story became very personal when two people very close to me and a much-loved family pet passed away, under similar circumstances to the story, all during the making of the film. It was a rough time, and though it was completely coincidental it definitely made me think more deeply about the story’s thematic heart.”

“I want this film to open desperately needed dialogue between Christians and Muslims and people of all faiths. We are in a very dangerous time when almost every week, there are shootings at synagogues, mosques and churches. We need discussions about what we have in common. Our lives depend on finding that common ground and celebrating it.”

“Well, as someone who grew up practicing Muslim in the Middle-East I’ve never seen a female imam before. So, when I did see a woman on TV who runs an organization called “Muslim for Progressive Values” and leads co-ed prayers and officiates interfaith marriages, I was fascinated and curious to know more. So, that’s when I approached Ani, the female imam to tell her story.”

“Same Love is about the gravity of the choices that manifest when you combine relationships and religion. It deals with the universality of love, something that I feel everyone can relate to. I made this film because I know the story reaches so many different people.”

“I always try and include high emotions and day to day life problems that anyone can identify with. Aberration is about a young girl who has fallen in love with someone her father doesn’t approve of. I think this has happened to most people and certainly an issue most parents and twenty somethings can relate to.”

“In addition to loss, grief and reconciliation from that pain, The Bridge is a story about family and culture. I incorporated Hawaiian culture and their beliefs and practices around their ancestors, however, although I am a longtime resident of Hawaii, I am not Hawaiian. We invited a cultural advisor to view an early cut of the film and she immediately was interested in coming on board.”

“The film touches on themes of sisterhood, community, disaffection and love. It begins like any other day but ends with a longing for something different.”

“The film is a responsibility. A responsibility towards the faith but also towards myself. I grew up with this group and with my mother’s understanding of our place in the world. The group is prioritized over your family. I made this film to question her. To question the things, she taught me.”

“I was absolutely astonished and overwhelmed by the positive feedback I received and in many ways felt very much supported. This gave me hope that people really do want peace and unity between the 2 sects.”

“I myself have a brother who is incarcerated and converted to Islam. The change I see in him now is one that I wish I saw when he was home. When my brother is released, we will both be in our 60’s and I’ll be the only home he has to come to. At that time, regardless of his crimes, I will have to forgive—much like Malcolm’s mother in our story. I’ll have to decide if the person he has become deserves a second chance; that the debt our society demands through the prison industrial complex has been “paid.” We are not often forgiving to our friends and family attempting to rebuild.”

“It’s a story with warmth, humor, drama and heart, about a subject that’s very relevant today. Different ideas about faith and God are opposite each other, but how different are they really?”

“I felt it was important to share a very intimate story that brings to light a universal sense of love, compassion and tradition that is empowered by strength in family, faith and cultural identity, despite hardships. I find that in addressing a story like this, it is usually only the lack of shared experiences that create a disconnect and a sense of ‘otherness’ between individuals/communities.”

“I was researching another project and stumbled across the footage on YouTube of a woman and her partner being stoned to death. Seeing the video affected me on a visceral level and I knew I had to tell her story.”

“I made this film after two powerful events in my life: a crisis of religious faith, and the end of a long-term relationship. I grew up in a very religious environment, but as a young adult, I lost my faith and experienced a challenging transition of religious beliefs. My worldview had to be rebuilt from the ground up. This effected my relationships with my family and with my then-girlfriend. I wanted to tell a story that spoke to the questions and struggles I felt at the time.”

“Our film was loosely based off of the spiritual aesthetic of certain pockets of Los Angeles. While we both consider ourselves seekers in some capacity, definitely philosophical and open-minded, there was a certain kind of spirituality that felt more self-serving, especially among ‘enlightened men’ which we found particularly absurd and comical.”

“It’s a prompt for folks to consider how others, especially those in positions of power, use cult tactics to separate and divide us with fear.”

“I began writing this short film because I kept asking myself what was the difference between having faith vs. following a religion.”