GIRLS NIGHT IN
Girls Night In is a satirical horror short that was created based on the Bechdel test. The test examines works of fiction to see whether there are interactions between female characters that don't involve discussing a man. Which of course begs the question, where is the most ridiculous place these two women could be fighting over some dude?
Interview with Writer Landon LaRue and Director Alison Roberto
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I’ve had “Girls Night In” written for years but it sat in a drawer. I came up with the idea when I was on the dating apps and my first question was “are you a serial killer” in conversations but realized it may have not been a complete deal breaker. It was a dark time in my dating life.
Ali and I were offered a fully-funded feature (she would direct and I would do a rewrite) but the financiers and we had radically different ideas about how women were represented in the script so we decided to make a movie we could feel proud to show.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
If you like dark humor and genre-bending, this is a fun ride that pokes fun of the stereotypical movie tropes.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I learned about the Bechdel Test when I first became interested in film as a pre-teen and bought a film textbook from a secondhand bookstore. Ever since then, it became a reflex to gauge a show or movie I was watching and I realized I really liked horror films because they usually passed the Bechdel Test. Of course, no one is really talking about their love lives when they are fleeing from danger so I thought it would be funny if that happened.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Since this script was years ago, some of the jokes needed a slight upgrade and after casting, I did a small rewrite to better fit the actors' voices and mannerisms.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
So far, it's been great! Being accepted into Tribeca Film Festival has been the ultimate compliment for us.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The feedback honestly surprised us as this was self-funded and shot in one night; we did this as a passion project and not for recognition.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I'm really hoping to get more people to watch this short and then be able to view other films with a more critical eye towards gender roles?
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
The goal would be to garner interest in investing in a feature version of this short.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Definitely a positive one!
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
A key question that could spark a lively conversation is how can we make fun of the tropes without falling into the trap of playing it out. Some could argue that "Girls Night In" is anti-feminist by showing two women fighting over a man but we wanted to show how ridiculous it would be.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am currently working on a script for the feature version of Girls Night In as well as penning a young adult novel.
Interview: May 2022
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
GIRLS NIGHT IN
Length:
9:46
Writer
LANDON LARUE attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with a focus on screenwriting while working at the Directors Guild of America. She's received a Gold Clio for her work on Darren Aronofsky’s mother! – her win led to her being recruited at Annapurna Pictures. Currently, she’s a global director for theatrical digital marketing creating short form content and activations at Warner Bros. Pictures and recently received a Grand Clio for Theatrical: Innovation for The Matrix: Resurrections.
Director
ALISON ROBERTO focuses on original short form content, social campaigns, commercials, music videos and narrative work. Like her recent work for Netflix’s Glow, which won multiple Promax & Clio awards (including the GOLD for ‘Best Comedy’) and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina which received 2.5B interactions on TiK ToK in the first week of release.
Producer
Landon LaRue and Alison Roberto
Key cast:
Jess Adams (Becca), Skylar Benton (Delaney), Dark Figure (Brian Henderson), 911 Operator (Tolliver)
Looking for:
distributors, producers, buyers, film festival directors, journalists, sales agents
Landon LaRue
https://twitter.com/landonlarue
Instagram:
Landon LaRue
https://instagram.com/landonlarue
Alison Roberto
https://instagram.com/aliroberto
Screens:
Tribeca