Setting Sun Film Festival 2019 – Miss Guided
A young straight filmmaker confronts his anxieties by getting to know the local drag scene and overcomes them by flaunting what he got.
Interview with Director Hugo Vadasz
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Miss Guided was created around our producer Alan Jones, who is a part of the LGBTQ community. We had many doco ideas we wanted to explore through Alan's connections, but we had to find a way that was respectful and engaging at the same time.
We thought the Louis Theroux approach would be the best because I really did not know much before the doco and want to create a genuine experience for the viewer. So when I learn something about the community, I hope they learn too.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
This film is highly engaging, there are things about the community in there that are surprising for everyone and not just cis people. If you want to get to know three amazing drag queens in Melbourne and what it is like to be LGBTQ in our modern day society you should give this a watch.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Well, this is a pretty personal film for me, I am literally stripped down and have to go through a transformation in front of a camera. It was very intense. I was in a small room with about six people including the camera pointing at me. I had a tough time getting to that point to were I was on stage. It is all then trying to translate that into the universal theme that art is hard and people lay themselves out on the line for it special when theirs is a very public thing.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Well, the script and film were almost as we imagined it at the start, we were just fortunate to have such amazing interviewees. The Beastie Girls were only the most engaging and energetic people that we could have hoped for.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
People have loved the realness of this film. How it is down to earth and honest.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The film is still in its early days, Setting Sun Film Festival will be it is first. So we have not received anything yet that as challenged our points of view on this film but looking for some.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We are all very emerging filmmakers, we are very appreciative of people taking notice of the work that we made. We are all looking to make more films in the future and hopefully having our film here can show that we are serious about our craft.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We are looking for film festivals directors to come on board to help this film give its life that it deserves and spread the message about these three fantastic queens.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Well, I am just hoping it educates people, helps them update their vocabulary as I know that was one of the hardest things I found when I was interviewing the girls. Making sure I was using the right words. I did not even know cis was a thing before this.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I hope people ask themselves would I do that?
Would you like to add anything else?
I just like to repeat a big thanks to Lazy Susan, Zelda Moon and Benign Girl for letting us film your life.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am currently in developing a doco idea about a homeless Argentinean man that wants to redesign the Aboriginal flag into an all-inclusive flag.
Alan has finished producing a short experimental film called Frankie Teardrop.
Interview: April 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
Miss Guided
A young straight filmmaker confronts his anxieties by getting to know the local drag scene and overcomes them by flaunting what he got.
Length: 12:33
Director: Hugo Vadasz
Producer: Alan Jones
Writer: Hugo Vadasz
About the writer, director and producer:
HUGO VADASZ is a young filmmaker who wants to drive and explore what it would look like if our world became a utopia through cinema.
ALAN JONES is a queer producer, studying film at SAE. Working to produce queer content and bring some much needed queer representation to the forefront of the media
Key cast: Alan Jones (Producer) Tim Hienrich (DOP)
Looking for: distributors, buyers
Instagram: @hugssy, @cissy.with.a.cee
Hashtags used: #drag #cis #melbourne #smithst
Website: www.hugovadasz.com
Made in association with: SAE