A relationship is tested when two intoxicated friends struggle to find their car after a night out.

Interview with Writer/Director Dana Simon and Producer Nikki Richardson

Main photo: It's Cold At Night - Madeleine Stewart as 'Blake' and Sophia Petridis as 'Adelaide'.

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Dana: I made the film to explore relationships and our communication within them. I wanted to focus on the idea that when we keep things bottled up from each other, they tend to unintentionally come out in the wrong way.

The films title It’s Cold At Night expresses that we can be harsh when we’re in testing situations. It’s not necessarily a reflection of who we are at all times and what we think of someone else, but rather us struggling to be coherent in expressing these thoughts.

I wanted to make a light-hearted film that was a moment in time of a friendship because I feel that there aren’t enough short films delivering these types of stories.

Nikki: I wanted to produce Dana’s film because I believed in the simplicity of the script, the focus on the dynamic between the protagonists and the way the story doesn’t try and do too much. Often short films attempt to explore big ideas that are more suited to feature films; It’s Cold At Night tells a moment in a friendship in a simple and relatable way.

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

Dana: The film is hopefully relatable to most of the audience. You should watch this film if you love watching short films about relationships between characters and getting to know more about their lives, even if it’s just a snippet. It’s a light hearted film that is meant to make us think back to our own relationships and possibly reminisce on similar situations that we’ve been in.

Nikki: You should watch this film if you like stories that explore human relationships, or if you think you’d like to see the undeniably ‘Melbourne’ streets of Balaclava on the big screen.

*It's Cold At Night* - Madeleine Stewart as 'Blake' and Sophia Petridis as 'Adelaide'.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Dana: I feel as though many people would relate to the themes surrounding friendship in the film. We’ve all had moments where we’ve wanted to express certain thoughts to our friends but know it would cause conflict. Universally, I feel we’ve all taken these ‘leaps’ to try and be more honest in a relationship and sometimes even stand up for ourselves.

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

Dana: At the beginning, I set out to write a story about a power play between two friends. It was focused more on how we sometimes want the upper hand in a relationship, particularly those that are less established. The characters were competing for this control over each other but it ended up shifting into a story about communication in friendship. We keep things from each other, things that are probably best communicated, which can cause the relationship to slowly break down rather than strengthen.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

Dana: Many who have seen the film have shared how much they relate to the story, which is how we’d hoped people would respond. They’ve also commended the performances in making the film believable, relatable and enjoyable to watch.

Nikki: I think the simplicity of the story has been refreshing for our audiences. We’ve also had positive feedback on the cinematography, and how great Carlisle Street looks on the big screen – we have our awesome director of photography Justin Yong to thank for this!

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

Dana: We’ve been lucky in that the feedback has been what we’d hoped for but it’s also made us realise how many people actually relate to the story. I wrote the script thinking that it wouldn’t be for everyone, but I’ve been surprised to find that a lot of people enjoyed the lighthearted and relatable nature of it.

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

Dana: We're hoping that people see the style of our film and make/see more films like it. Films that are snapshots and insights into our everyday lives which can still be interesting to many.

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

Dana: We’d love for more people to see the film and enjoy it and feel that at this stage, festivals are the best way for that to happen.

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

Dana: We made the film because we like telling stories and we hope that many people are reminded that a lot of the time simple stories can still be interesting. We want people to support more of these types of short films because we really enjoy watching them. We hope to be able to make more shorts like It’s Cold At Night that will hopefully reach a larger audience.

*It's Cold At Night* - Writer/Director Dana Simon.

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

Dana: We want to focus on storytelling and how we don't see as many short films about small happenings within our lives. Our issues may be simple but they can be interesting and also help other people learn more about themselves.

Would you like to add anything else?

If you’d like to keep up to date with what we’re doing: Dana is currently using her Instagram @dana_simon to share news and her work (website coming soon) and Nikki has her website nikkimakesthings.net

What are the key creatives developing or working on now?

Dana: I’m currently in the early stages of writing another short. I’m hoping for it to be of a similar style and about a small moment in a relationship, but exploring a different theme.

Nikki: I’m almost finished post production on a short I wrote and directed about a high school friendship that changes when one of the girls tells her virgin best friend that she had sex for the first time. I’m looking to develop the idea further and turn it into a six-part web series.

Interview: May 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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It’s Cold At Night

A relationship is tested when two intoxicated friends struggle to find their car after a night out.

Length: 6 minutes, 43 seconds

Director: Dana Simon

Producer: Nikki Richardson

Writer: Dana Simon

About the writer, director and producer:

Dana Simon: Dana has always had a love for emotional expression, be it through film or photography. She’s studied both film and architecture and has a keen interest in human relationships, the way we express ourselves and the reasons we hold back. It’s Cold At Night is Dana’s first film.

Nikki Richardson: Nikki has a background in film theory and fine art from Monash University. Her first short film, We’re Here Now, received awards for screenwriting and audience choice. Nikki hopes to continue to write, direct and produce stories that present an honest reflection of female perspective and experience.

Key cast: Madeleine Stewart, Sophia Petridis

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

Facebook: facebook.com/itscoldatnightshortfilm

Funders: Self funded

Made in association with: The Victorian College of the Arts, School of Film and Television, The University of Melbourne

Where can I see it in the next month?: Like the Facebook page to keep up to date with future screening information.