Rhode Island International Film Festival / Sidewalk Film Festival 2019 – Miller & Son
A transwoman mechanic lives between running her family’s auto shop during the day and expressing her femininity at night, until an unforeseen event threatens the balance of her compartmentalized life.
Interview with Writer/Director Asher Jelinsky
Watch Miller & Son here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
As a genderqueer person, I have an interest in seeing authentic, dimensional portrayals of trans and gender-nonconforming characters on screen. The story of Miller & Son centers around the journey of a transwoman mechanic whose skillset in mechanics is just as much a part of her identity as her transfeminine identity. I was more interested in tracking the main character’s emotional journey rather than explicitly stating her identity or creating a teaching moment out of her experience. Whether or not you identify as transgender, everyone has a desire to belong in the world and has their own stories about masking feelings in order to fit in, move ahead, or protect themselves. I wanted to explore this feeling of compartmentalization, and the compromises that people are confronted with on the path toward authenticity.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
From the production design of the auto shop to the realism of the cinematography, our team worked to create an authentic world that the audience can really dive into. Our lead Jesse James Keitel also delivers an incredible performance and brought such depth to the character.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Miller & Son takes place in the specific setting of a rural American auto shop but deals with universal themes of family and belonging. An intimate drama and visual character-piece, the film looks at the dilemma between social acceptance and authenticity.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The film is set in a family-owned auto shop, and I knew very little about mechanics prior to writing the story. I had to educate myself around auto mechanics, and the script evolved as I learned more. I watched a ton of YouTube videos on oil changes and visited auto shops in rural America. The script continued to evolve once we chose the garage location and decided how to block the scenes. Our location owner was amazing and also worked as our mechanic consultant on set. We rehearsed on location, and she helped us infuse authenticity into the world of mechanics.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We’ve received great feedback overall. We had our world premiere at the Clermont-Ferrand ISFF where we were nominated for the Grand Prix, and the film has continued to screen at a variety of international film festivals. Miller & Son won the BAFTA Student Film Award, won Gold at the Young Director Award at Cannes Lions, and won both the jury and audience awards for Best Narrative Short at the Ashland Independent Film Festival. We receive consistent feedback from people who love the performances and cinematography.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I’m always moved when people come up to me after a screening and express how the film affected them. The range of people who have connected to the story has been surprising; I’m glad that both queer and more heteronormative viewers are moved by the protagonist’s emotional journey.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
It’s always great to share the film with a wider audience, and I’m grateful to wearemovingstories.com for championing new voices in film.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
After the festival run, we will be looking for buyers and distributors, so we’d love to connect with people who are passionate about the film’s potential.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Miller & Son has had a great festival run so far, and we are excited to continue screening at festivals and reaching a wider audience in the United States and abroad.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What do we risk when we express our authentic selves, and what do we gain?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am currently developing my first feature and a TV series.
Interview: August 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. 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
Miller & Son
A transwoman mechanic lives between running her family’s auto shop during the day and expressing her femininity at night, until an unforeseen event threatens the balance of her compartmentalized life.
Length: 21:28
Director: Asher Jelinsky
Producer: Kate Chamuris
Writer: Asher Jelinsky
About the writer, director and producer:
ASHER JELINSKY is a Los Angeles based writer-director originally from the Bay Area. Asher earned their MFA in Directing at the world-renowned AFI Conservatory. They enjoy telling character-driven stories that explore nuanced relationships and outsider perspectives. Asher’s latest short film Miller & Son won a BAFTA Student Film Award, won the Young Director Award at Cannes Lions, was nominated for the Grand Prix at the Clermont-Ferrand, and won Best Narrative Short at Ashland.
Originally from Pennsylvania, KATE CHAMURIS is a Puerto Rican/American producer, writer-director and actor, based in LA. Her recent producing work includes AFI thesis films Miller & Son, If This Is Wrong and Baloon. She produced the AFI Directing Workshop for Women short, Unspeakable, which premiered at SXSW. Kate’s upcoming projects include directing the short film, A Sari For Pallavi, and developing the feature adaptation of Danielle Sepulveres’s memoir, Losing It…The Semi Scandalous Story of an Ex Virgin.
Key cast: Jesse James Keitel (Ryan Miller), Ryan Cutrona (Al Miller), Travis Hammer (Grant), Alexandra Grey (Lucy)
Facebook: Miller & Son
Twitter: @millersonfilm
Instagram: @millerandsonfilm
Hashtags used: #millerandsonfilm
Website: www.millerandsonfilm.com
Other: IMDb
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival/Providence and Newport, Rhode Island - August 6-11; La Guarimba/Calabria, Italy - August 7-11; North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival/Durham, North Carolina - August 15-18; Sidewalk Film Festival/Birmingham, Alabama - August 19-25; aGLIFF/Austin, Texas - August 22-25