An ex-con restores furniture and works to repair his own life.

Interview with Director Ashley Seering

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Renewed was made for the 2015 Fusion Documentary Challenge which is hosted by the Audience Awards. Anew Nature had been on our radar for a few years and our assigned genre happened to work with the idea so we went with it.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

Renewed is a story of hope but also a reminder of the work that still needs to be done in this country regarding work opportunities for ex-cons. We hope that Guy’s (our film’s subject) story inspires audiences to get involved.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Hope is a universal theme and message that resonates with everyone in some way. That’s the part of Guy’s story we really wanted to get across. He’s been through many hardships but he’s been given a chance to turn his life around. He took that opportunity and has made the most of it.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development and production?

We only had five days to complete the film, from idea to final delivery, so we didn’t have much time to really develop it. Fortunately, Anew Nature was so great to work with that the story really kind of wrote itself.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The film premiered at the 2016 Slamdance Film Festival and so far we have received very positive feedback. Guy and the others at Anew Nature love the film and we are so glad that Guy feels like his story was told properly.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

No, the feedback has been positive and we’ve had audiences tell us that they’ve been inspired by Guy. That’s what we were hoping for.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

Hopefully having the trailer on We Are Moving Stories will encourage people to attend film festivals and check out our film.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

The route we’ve taken with getting the film out there is film festivals. We’re still waiting to hear back from a number of festivals so hopefully the film will get a few more opportunities to screen at locations around the country.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

As I mentioned before, Guy’s story is one of hope and second chances. We believe those are universal ideas that will hopefully resonate with any audience.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

What can be done to give ex-cons better opportunities to create a productive life after prison?

Would you like to add anything else?

Thanks to We Are Moving Stories for helping to promote Renewed!

What are the key creatives developing or working on now?

We are getting ready to compete in the 2016 Fusion Documentary Challenge that starts on November 10. Wish us luck!

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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Renewed

An ex-con restores furniture and works to repair his own life.

Length:

8 minutes.

Director:
Ashley Seering & Cory Byers

Producer:
Night Owl Productions

About the writer, director and producer:

Ashley Seering is the owner of Night Owl Productions in Edwardsville, IL.

Cory Byers is a Mass Communications Instructor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Key cast:

Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): All of them!

Funders: Self-funded

Release date:

Premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival in January 2016