CANNES SHORT FILM CORNER - Walk The Earth
Logline: An angel and a demon fight over more than a young man's soul.
Length: 5 mins
Director: Holly Hargreaves
Producer: Holly Hargreaves
Cast: Holly Hargreaves, Jackson Tozer & Isaac Still
About the director/ producer: Holly Hargreaves is an award winning Melbourne based actor, writer & director who writes, produces, directs and acts in her own short films and web series. ‘Walk the Earth’ is her 6th short film.
Looking for: Representation, film festival directors, distribution
Congratulations! Why did you make this film?
‘Walk the Earth’ is the first film I have directed that I didn’t write. A New York screenwriter named Ben Grund wrote it & he and I met through a New York screenwriting comp where we both placed in the top 15. I read this & fell in love with it – it’s a quirky love story about a demon and an angel who fight over the same soul.
This is a type of film I would want to watch. It’s short, snappy, funny and cute. Plus Jackson Tozer- who plays the angel - is hilarious.
How do personal & universal themes work in your film?
Love is very universal. So is comedy. And demons and angles!
How have the script & development evolved?
Well, the script was originally set at night in a grave yard and I changed it to day time on an old rail road in Healesville- Number 1 because it’s easier to shoot during the day and number 2 because the Healesville location is STUNNING and I knew it would look great in the film. Also, the demon and angel weren’t originally ex lovers but I thought it would add a new layer to it so I made them ex boyfriend & ex girlfriend. But Ben wrote a tight, solid script from the get go so we didn’t need to change much.
What type of feedback have you gotten so far?
I watched it with a festival audience for the first time a few weeks ago & it played really well. It got laughs where it should & I was really happy with the way it played. You just never know how an audience will take your film- I’m always really nervous before a screening because they don’t know you, they are not your friends and family so they don’t have to be polite and say they liked it if they didn’t. The film is also being accepted into a fair few Comedy festivals around the globe so that’s awesome too. It’s almost a relief, like –‘Oh you get it. Great’
Has the feedback surprised you?
Yes, I’m always surprised and relieved when one of my films is received well, just because by the time you finish it you are so close to it that you’re not sure if it’s good or not, so when it gets accepted into festivals and gets a good reaction, it’s an awesome feeling and spurs you on to make the next film.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film on here?
I’d love to get it into a few more festivals, possibly find representation & just get the word out there- it’s a fun, cute film.
Who do you need to come on board?
Film festivals.
What type of reception would you like this film to have?
That woman can direct comedy. The lack of woman in film is an issue - a real one and I think it’s ridiculous that we don’t get the same opportunities as men. It’s not 1945, after all. Women are just as, if not, more talented than men and it’s about time we got a fair go. I feel like the dialogue is opening up a bit more around woman in film and that’s a great thing. It’s baby steps, but at least steps are being made.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate about this film?
When an angel and a demon get to a soul at the same time- who gets to take it?
What are the key creative developing or working on?
I have a comedy web series out on the circuit now called ‘For Actors’. It’s a sketch comedy about the struggles of acting, using random things as metaphors. It just won an award at an LA festival. I’m also in post production with another comedy web series about tinder fails called ‘Real Tinder Convos’ that will be released at the end of May 2016. And I’m writing a feature.