Big Apple Film Festival - The Suit
The most powerful man in America is missing. Connor Douglas is in hiding when he's unexpectedly visited by his estranged wife, Sarah, who's come to talk him out of turning his back on his country and inciting a global crisis.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Dave Conte
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you! I suppose I had two itches that needed scratching. My last two films were very light on dialogue, so I wanted to try and flex my dialogue muscle a bit. It made me think about how I approached each sequence much differently than my other work, and was an enlightening exercise.
Second, I've always been fascinated with genre, and how we ascribe certain rules to define and catalog films. My last two films deconstructed the zombie movie and the stoner comedy, taking a few elements of each and doing my own thing with them. The Suit follows this trend in similar fashion, but I like to describe it as a "political neo-noir."
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
My hope is that you'll want to see a fresh take on a played out genre, be intrigued by the premise, and curious to find out who these characters really are and what truly compels them beyond the veil of what they're telling each other on screen.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Power and responsibility are the primary themes I work within The Suit, specifically having too much of both but not wanting any of either. The main character, Connor (played by David M. Farrington), is the most powerful man in America, and the stability of the world rests on him and him alone, which causes him to go into hiding. He's also a bit of a misanthropic asshole, which doesn't help matters.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?
Hugely! I've never made a film that evolved so much over the course of its production.
I originally wrote it three years ago, but shelved it for a year because I was unhappy with the Sarah character. I had come to the realization that a lot of my female characters were Bechdel test-failing caricatures instead of fully fleshed out people, and that was especially true with early versions of Sarah in The Suit. I put the script away for a while, and after distancing myself from it I was able to see it with fresh eyes and re-work the story and her character to become what I think is one of my strongest yet, thanks in large part to Crawford M. Collins' terrific performance.
You never know when, where, and how your work will evolve. I had a very tight game plan leading up to our shoot weekend, and before we started rehearsing on location, I walked in on David and Crawford reading the lines in an entirely different way than I had spent years picturing. I immediately stopped what I was doing and watched them carry out the whole script, and afterward we changed all of our blocking to cater to their take on the material. Everything worked out beautifully, and it gave me some insight into how I write, and how the right actor can humanize your work in unexpected ways.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We've only had two screenings but each one has had a pretty warm reception. People I've spoken to really responded to how the story unfolded, the performances, and my DP Joe Heck's beautiful cinematography.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I keep the identity of the characters in the dark for most of the film, and it's been fun hearing who people thought they were when they were watching it.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
The more eyes that are on my film, the better! I want my work to be seen by as many people as possible, and solicit as much feedback as possible to help grow as an artist.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I've envisioned The Suit as a small piece of a larger narrative, whether it's a series or a feature, so I'm really hoping to get in touch with producers and agents to help me bring not just The Suit to life, but future projects as well.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
My hope is that people watch The Suit and think "huh, now that's a fresh take on that type of film," and see what I have to offer as a storyteller.
Would you like to add anything else?
Please feel free to check out dconte.com for more info about me and my other work!
What are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I've had a very busy few years, so I'm taking some time to do some writing. I'm currently working on a few new scripts, but the one I'm currently focusing on is what I like to consider a "gentleman's horror film".
Interview: November 2016
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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series and music video. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
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The Suit
The most powerful man in America is missing. Connor Douglas is in hiding when he's unexpectedly visited by his estranged wife, Sarah, who's come to talk him out of turning his back on his country and inciting a global crisis.
Length: 14min
Director: Dave Conte
Producer: Dave Conte
Writer: Dave Conte
About the writer, director and producer: Dave Conte is a New Hampshire-born, New York-based filmmaker. He enjoys long takes, genre deconstruction, and talking about himself in the third person.
Key cast: David M. Farrington, Crawford M. Collins, David Gibson
Looking for: Producers, agents, festival directors, journalists
Funders: Self-financed
Where can I see it in the next month?
We have one more screening on Wednesday, November 9th as a part of the New York Short Film Festival. We're screening at 9PM at Cinema Village. You can also reach out to me directly and I'll be happy to share a private link.