The Escape Hatch
A woman walks into a bar dressed as Wonder Woman and orders a
beer...A feel good film about love and courage
Interview with Writer/Producer Gina Lambropoulos
Watch The Escape Hatch here:
CONGRATULATIONS! WHY DID YOU MAKE YOUR FILM?
GINA: In 2015, the retiring Melbourne Queer Film Festival director
expressed the following:
"Special mention here to lesbian films. In my 16 years in the job the
themes have changed little; lesbians still die often, break up more and
cry pretty much all the time".
It was this sentiment that inspired The Escape Hatch. My challenge as
the writer was to create the exact opposite. A film that would make the
audience smile, laugh and look forward to falling in love. The Escape
Hatch's intention was always to be a sweet and uplifting film.
IMAGINE I'M A MEMBER OF THE AUDIENCE. WHY SHOULD I WATCH THIS FILM?
GINA: If you are tired of the 'dead lesbian syndrome' in film & TV then
watch The Escape Hatch. We promise, no lesbians were harmed in the
making of this film!
HOW DO PERSONAL AND UNIVERSAL THEMES WORK IN YOUR FILM?
GINA: I hooked up with my partner together 18 years ago, before the
internet and mobile phones. If you like someone back then, you had to
take a risk, build the courage, usually face-to-face to ask them out and
tell them you like them.
So many of my friends now are hooking up after meeting people online or
on apps and I thought they had it easy. But the same insecurities of
rejection are there - gay or straight - when it comes to the crunch and
uttering those three little words, 'I like you'.
HOW HAVE THE SCRIPT AND FILM EVOLVED OVER THE COURSE OF THEIR
DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION?
GINA: The last scene when the protagonist needs to take off her mask and
be her true self. In the original draft, the protagonist was too passive
and letting everyone else lead the action. It was her moment of fight or
flight, and no one wants to watch flight.
WHAT TYPE OF FEEDBACK HAVE YOU RECEIVED SO FAR?
GINA: Great feedback - exactly what we set out to do, make our audience
laugh and feel hopeful about falling in love.
At a screening for cast, crew and friends, after the film I was quite
touched by the people who reached out to me - two were young people that
had been struggling with coming out. They had both said that a lot of
what they had seen online was political and a little depressing. They
loved that the film left them feeling hopeful and looking forward to
falling in love.
We joke that it's the film that makes people come out - I've had four
people come out to me after seeing the film.
HAS THE FEEDBACK SURPRISED OR CHALLENGED YOUR POINT OF VIEW?
GINA: I was warned not to make a feel-good film - we wouldn't get into
festivals with it, "don't waste your money or time".
And yes, some festivals don't screen our 'type' of film. And that's fine
by me. But with thirty festivals selections worldwide and counting, and
most of those festival invites coming after selectors have seen us
elsewhere - I'm thinking, I might stick to what I've been doing.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING TO ACHIEVE BY HAVING YOUR FILM MORE VISIBLE
ONÂ WWW.WEAREMOVINGSTORIES.COM
GINA: an opportunity to showcase the wonderful team, cast and crew.
WHO DO YOU NEED TO COME ON BOARD (PRODUCERS, SALES AGENTS, BUYERS,
DISTRIBUTORS, FILM FESTIVAL DIRECTORS, JOURNALISTS) TO AMPLIFY THIS
FILM'S MESSAGE?
The film is doing really well at film festivals so a sales
agent/distributor for TV and non festival screenings would be great as
well as additional press coverage on the films success and forthcoming
screenings.
WHAT'S A KEY QUESTION THAT WILL HELP SPARK A DEBATE OR BEGIN A
CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS FILM?
How do you find the courage to love?
WHAT ARE THE KEY CREATIVES DEVELOPING OR WORKING ON NOW?
GINA: I'm working on expanding my practical knowledge in the area of
producing in order to enhance my prospects of developing a 'paid' career
in this area (insert laugh track).
I'm currently producing & presenting a live weekly broadcast on radio
show called Family Matters (a lighthearted rainbow parenting program) on
Joy 94.9. I'm also redrafting a feature script (feel-good comedy of
course) and researching for an upcoming documentary project.
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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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The Escape Hatch
A woman walks into a bar dressed as Wonder Woman and orders a
beer...A feel good film about love and courage
Length: 9 minutes
Director: David Willing
Producer: Gina Lambropoulos
Writer: Gina Lambropoulos
About the writer, director and producer:
GINA: Writer/producer of queer short film The Escape Hatch -
Screenwriter - on air presenter, podcaster & Producer Family Matters on
Joy 94.9
David Willing: The Escape Hatch director. A writer/director short films
and documentaries have screened at over 40 national and international
film festivals and on Australian TV. He's written 6 feature films, one
developed by Film Victoria www.davidwilling.com.au
Key cast:
Director: David Willing
Writer/Producer: Gina Lambropoulos
Cinematographer: Darrell Martin
Editor: Trevor Holcombe
Production Designer: Naomi Michaels
Sound Designer: Michael Slater
Composers: Brenton Broadstock & Peter Sullivan
Cast
Super Girl: Amy Hedger
Hostess: Alison Martin
Head Waiter: Jess Kenneally
Friend: Ellie Patton
Date: Marga Larraga
Waiter: Andrew Leung
Looking for: Sales agent and journalism about the past and forth coming
film festival screenings
Festival release date: March 2016