A psychologist engages a dangerous, young genius in a battle of wits -- unaware of the supernatural power the girl possesses, or that her life hangs in the balance.

Interview with Director/Producer Alex Haughey

Watch Prodigy on Vudu, Prime Video and Beamafilm

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Brian and I had worked together for over a decade on countless writing and short projects. We both wanted to venture into the world of features, and knew that we would be better off attacking such a daunting task together. We believed we could make something compelling and resonant on a shoestring budget, and I believe we have succeeded.

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

Prodigy is a rousing Science Fiction film that seamlessly combines the intimacy of a personal drama with the excitement and mystery of a psychological thriller. The tension rises in every scene before boiling over into a thrilling, action-packed finale.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

The film is really about how nothing is ever as it seems, which is especially true about people. We put up extraordinarily high walls to hide who we are at times, and our movie examines how hard it is to break those walls down when someone is committed to hiding who they really are.

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

The biggest change to the script we encountered was in the casting process. We had originally written our lead role for a young boy, but weren't getting what we needed in our auditions. We opened the role up to girls as well, and got a submission from our fabulous star (Savannah Liles) on day one. It hurt our pride, as boys, to admit how much better the girls were than the boys, but it made the decision to change the script very easy.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The response to the movie has been overwhelmingly positive from the seven festival audiences we've played for thus far. People really love the Twilight Zone-esq vibe we baked into the narrative, and rave about the performance of our two leads.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

The feedback has been incredibly satisfying to us, especially when it comes to the response to the young lead. From the get-go, we thought we could subvert peoples expectations, and hook them by putting such a little person in such a dangerous role. It is this element that carries the film, and has been received with universal acclaim.

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

We hope to raise awareness about the film, its upcoming screening this Sunday at the Other Worlds Austin festival, and its digital release in March.

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

Interested viewers like you!

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

We tried to execute a thinking person's Science Fiction story that would appeal to a broad audience. Our movie relies more on the depth of its characters and story structure, than on crazy special effects (although we were able to squeeze in a bit of that too!).

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

Ellie is the 9-year-old, redheaded, super-powered, sociopathic genius at the heart of our movie -- but is she really the monster everyone believes she is?

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

Brian Vidal recently got a job working as an assistant editor at Pixar. Alex Haughey is taking another script out to potential actors, seeking an attachment to jumpstart his next feature.

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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Prodigy

A psychologist engages a dangerous, young genius in a battle of wits -- unaware of the supernatural power the girl possesses, or that her life hangs in the balance.

Length: 80 minutes

Director: Alex Haughey & Brian Vidal

Producer: Alex Haughey

Writer: Alex Haughey & Brian Vidal

About the writer, director and producer:

Alex & Brian’s story is a classic "director meets director" tale. They met at USC 10 years ago, where they discovered a mutual passion for filmmaking, mirth-making & sandwich-making. After a decade of friendship and collaboration, they decided to take their relationship to the next level... embarking on their first feature film together. Prodigy is that film.

Key cast: Richard Neil, Savannah Liles, Jolene Andersen

Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): Viewers

Social media handles:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProdigyMovie/

Where will the film screen in the next month?

Other Worlds Austin Festival -- Sunday, Dec. 10 at 8pm (Flix Brewhouse)