Big Apple Film Festival - Tinder is the Night
Eddie and her three best friends are looking for love, sex, and companionship, but a string of bizarre internet meetups make them question the sanity of dating.
Interview with Writer/Director Misha Calvert
Watch Tinder is the Night here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I created the web series Tinder is the Night as a way to talk about sex, love, and dating from a comedic perspective that, at the time, wasn't represented in the media. We are only just now starting to really showcase female sexuality and the female gaze in film and television in a raw and authentic way, and Tinder is the Night is uncompromising in its usage of the female gaze...as is all of my work because, duh, I'm female. I was tired of shows about women's lives being bad or trite or grossly inaccurate. It's also the first screenplay I ever wrote, so for me it was just about practicing the art of comedic screenwriting. Also I really wanted an acting agent and no one was casting me.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
If you are a female and enjoy comedy then I think it's a good bet you will enjoy this. Although men laugh too when they watch it. Louder than the women most of the time, but maybe that's just because they have more boomier voices.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I am bad at writing from perspectives that are not mine, unless it's satire, which for some creepy reason comes really easily to me. So in that sense, all themes in my work are personal. I usually do the first draft around a deeply personal and important theme or incident, and then think about it pretty hard to pull out the universal themes, aka the "audience draft". There's always a universal theme in every personal theme, because if you have felt something then 100% someone else has felt it too, but the "audience draft" allows a writer to identify what's going on in a script and carve it out in a bit more detail--make it more clear for the viewer.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The story for Tinder is the Night's pilot was pretty clear to me from the beginning, in terms of the sequence of actual plot events. The jokes I tuned up over the course of a few months. I tweaked them after we cast the pilot as well, since not all jokes land with all actors. Pee Sitting Down (Episode 2) was based on a date I had in my early New York years. Needless to say, it left an impression.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
It's funny, but most people have strong feelings towards both the episodes. Usually a person absolutely loves one and is mildly perturbed by the other. Tinder is the Night has a very silly, camp sense of humor, and Pee Sitting Down is darker, more uncomfortable humor, so it really comes down to people's comedic sensibilities. I am my own harshest critic, so whenever someone comments on sound or image quality I'm like, "YES I KNOW." That being said most festivals who've accepted it have said that it's pretty damn good for a web series, both picture and acting-wise.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Yes, because I really wasn't expecting to win any awards with this show. We took home the 2017 Emerging Voices Award at the Brooklyn Web Festival a few weeks ago and have been nominated for all sorts of things before and since. The biggest surprise has been getting nominated for Best Actress twice so far. Comedy isn't acting! Just kidding.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I'm just trying to grow my fan base, make your community laugh, and to spread a message of sympathy and humor around the subject of online dating and the metropolitan female experience. Barring that, I would like a TV development deal.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I would love to either sell these specific episodes and get them distributed somewhere online, or sell the entire concept and develop it as a half-hour comedy. So I'm looking to connect with agents, distributors and producers who can make that happen. And if any journalists want to review the show, fantastic! There's a press kit on the website.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would love to bring a little bit of solace to all the well-meaning nerd girls who have ever been stood up for a date. It's happened to me more times than I can admit to publicly without crying. Barring that, I would like a TV development deal.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Why does technology that is meant to cultivate intimacy instead have the opposite effect?
Would you like to add anything else?
I'm still single and just joined Tinder yesterday. For real.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Co-director Zach Carver is shooting a bunch of stuff in LA, and Producer Sonja O'Hara is developing a new show after a successful festival run with her first show Doomsday. I just saw Connie Saltzman (who plays Lolly) at a film festival and she's promoting her show Project: Girl. I'll be staying with my friend Louise Donegan (who plays Porsche) in LA this week who is doing really well with her visual art career. I'll see Sebastian Quinn this week as well, he's signed with some great reps recently and is very talented.
Interview: November 2017
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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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Tinder is the Night
Eddie and her three best friends are looking for love, sex, and companionship, but a string of bizarre internet meetups make them question the sanity of dating.
Length: 10:42
Director: Misha Calvert, Zach Carver
Producer: Sonja O’Hara
Writer: Misha Calvert
About the writer, director and producer:
Misha Calvert is an award-winning filmmaker and actor in New York City and two-time Sundance lab finalist.
Zach Carver is an award-winning writer/director and DP from Seattle, WA who earned an MFA in film directing from Columbia, 2012.
Sonja O'Hara is an actor and filmmaker whose show Doomsday was recently nominated for a Streamy Award after winning at iTV Festival and NYTVF.
Key cast: Misha Calvert, Sonja O’Hara, Evan Hoyt, David Fierro, Connie Saltzman, Louise Donegan
Looking for producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, journalists
Facebook: facebook.com/tinderisthenight
Twitter: @mishacalvert
Instagram: @mishacalvert
Other: www.tinderisthenight.show
Award:
Chicago International REEL Shorts Festival, one of the “Best of Fest”Screenings
Studio City Film Festival, LA, Mon Nov 6 9:30pm, Laemmle Theater
Chicago REEL Festival, Chicago, Fri Nov 10, Chicago Filmmakers Theater
NYC Web Fest, NY, Sat Nov 11, The PIT Theater
Austin Comedy Short Film Festival, Austin, Wed, Nov 15, Alamo Draft House
New York screening November 17th at the Chelsea Fashion and Film Festival
New Zealand Web Festival, Nov 18
Dublin Web Fest, Nov 25, Generator Hostel