Erie International Film Festival - Knowing Nothing Cold
Knowing Nothing Cold follows a group of teenagers living in the American Midwest of the 1970s as they attempt the impossibility of a graceful entrance into adulthood.
Interview with Writer/Director Jeff Kao
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I’d been carrying around this body of memories from my adolescence from the 1970s, and they just wouldn’t leave me alone. I grew up a minority in the Midwest and so I think all the insecurities of growing up were amplified for me and made me acutely aware of social politics and the power dynamics of youth. My daughter, Emmalee (Tina in the film) was going through the contemporary version of this and this probably ignited my memories even more and so I figured it must be the time to try to capture something about it on film.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
The performances by the mostly untrained cast are outstanding, heartfelt and genuine. Somehow we got these kids in the zone, and they let it rip.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I think I need to have a very personal connection to the subject matter to even attempt a project. The great majority of my movies are based on my memories. I don’t think I trust my ability to write something from scratch that would ring with any truth. That said, I work on shaping the vignettes of my own memories to try and give them a progression that people can relate to.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
At this level of film making money always comes into play. There were scenes that I really wanted to shoot that we just couldn’t, but also, having efficiency and economy in the back of your mind at all times sometimes pays off creatively. It’s the definition of ingenuity.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
I think a lot of audiences don’t know what to do with the pacing and ambiguity of the movie. I grew up and love 70s American cinema and so my sense of time is probably ruined for this day and age, but there are always a handful of people that are moved by the film and tell me that I somehow captured their own childhood.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
It’s compelled me to try and edit tighter and to not overestimate an audience’s attention span, but I will always strive to make somewhat challenging films just because I think people need to work a little harder in order to get a bigger pay off from what they’re watching. I think cinema is an interactive medium and the audience needs to put something on the line as well-which is time.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I would love more people to see the film. I’m especially proud of the actors’ performances and think they deserve to be seen.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
All of the above.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would hope that the film could reach an audience that has the patience for something more atmospheric and a little slower and less story-driven. I think we’re all so addicted to the cliff-hanger TV episodic that we’re losing the ability to contemplate and wonder about the “un-closed”.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Why do kids feel so lonely nowadays, even though they’re constantly connected?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I’m part of a group of filmmakers in the bay area that are constantly working on 2 or 3 projects. I’m trying to get a chamber drama off the ground about a punk circus couple who are between tours, at home testing each others limits. I’m billing it as “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf with clowns”.
Interview: December 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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Knowing Nothing Cold
Knowing Nothing Cold follows a group of teenagers living in the American Midwest of the 1970s as they attempt the impossibility of a graceful entrance into adulthood.
Length: 93 minutes
Director: Jeff Kao
Producer: Ali Hanson
Writer: Jeff Kao
About the writer, director and producer:
Writer/Director Jeff Kao has been making films for well over a decade. His work pits his most vivid memories against his conscious will to shape a story. Educated in fine arts, his films often communicate in a non-verbal, non-linear language to narrate an experience that eludes intellectual description.
Key cast:
Jasmine Stade - Kelley
Gabe Bennett - Dean
Emmalee Johnson-Kao - Tina
Tyler Bohon - Stevie
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):
Social media handles:
Facebook: Knowing Nothing Cold
Twitter: jeffkaofilmmaker
Instagram:jeffkaofilmmaker
Funders: private
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? It’s still touring the festival circuit. It will screen at Frostbite International Film Festival in Colorado Springs-date to be announced.