Sidewalk Film Festival - Naturally Selected
Environmentalist Sam Van Leer fights to save Miami from drowning.
Interview with Director Jimmy Evans
Watch Naturally Selected here:
Main image: Sam talks about the founding of UPG while volunteers work in the background at Vizcaya Village.
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thanks! We actually created the film for a class at the University of Florida called "Imagining the Cinema of Climate Change" taught by professor Lauren DeFilippo which challenged us with creating films that could serve as an emotional response to the overwhelming issue of climate change. Realizing that our home of Florida, especially South Florida, is in a lot of ways in the front lines of the fight against climate change in the United States we went looking for someone who might personify this fight in an inspiring way. We found it in environmentalist Sam Van Leer and his organization the Urban Paradise Guild of South Florida.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
We strongly feel that the film manages to be equal parts entertaining and important; a film that can reach people that otherwise couldn't care less about environmental issues while also ringing true for people who already care very much. We were lucky enough to find an incredibly compelling character in Sam, whose humor and passion can't help but be infectious.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I think in Sam we see how the issues of climate change and environmentalism in general are universal and personal themes. Sam is someone who has dedicated his entire life to something bigger than himself; namely working to preserve the city and people he loves from impending destruction. We see the sacrifices he has to make on a personal level – economic stability, social life, etc. – in order to dedicate himself fully to this mission. Sam really makes the universal "bigger picture" themes personal in a way that the average person can understand and empathize with.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
We went into production thinking the film would focus more on the threats facing Miami, going in depth into topics like the effects sea level rise has on storm surge and the South Florida water table and how it can (and likely will) eventually lead to Miami being uninhabitable. On the first day of shooting with Sam, we were swept away by how perfectly his personality, one of driven, no-nonsense work ethic as well as warmth and humor, perfectly translated into a compelling on-screen character and we decided to shift the focus of the film.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
People seem to love Sam! The feedback at each of our screenings has been quite positive – audience members have told us how the film made them laugh, but also inspired many to get involved with or donate to UPG.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
It's really bolstered our confidence in the film and inspired us to start work on a feature length film about the same subjects.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We want to grow a fan base for the film in order to make a feature length film about the same subjects! We are also currently searching for financial backers and producers for the feature.
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! The film was made as a student project with essentially no money (we drove down from Gainesville to Miami on weekends to film it with a camera we rented from the school). We are trying to build a larger support network for the feature film so that Sam, UPG, and Miami get the coverage they deserve in the feature-length version of the film. Journalists and producers would be most appreciated at this point in the process to help with exposure and fundraising.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
We want the film to help put Sam and UPG on the map as well as to start a conversation in the world at large about the environmental threats facing South Florida.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Anything about sea-level rise and climate change. The state government of Florida has banned the very words "climate change" from being uttered in the capitol, while its largest city is the most threatened in the county when it comes to climate change.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Feature length version of Naturally Selected! (pre-production).
Interview: August 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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Naturally Selected
Environmentalist Sam Van Leer fights to save Miami from drowning.
Length: 9.5 min
Director: Jimmy Evans
Assistant Director: Jack Edmondson
Key cast: Sam Van Leer, Carlos Perez, Phil Chapman - all with Urban Paradise Guild.
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): All of the above. We are trying to use the short film's festival run to get support for a feature length production on the same subjects (Sam and Urban Paradise Guild).
Social media handles:
Facebook: facebook.com/NaturallySelectedFilm
Instagram: @naturallyselectedfilm
Made in association with: University of Florida Dept. of Film and Media Studies
Where can I watch it in the next month?
The next screening of the film will be at the American Conservation Film Festival in Sheperdstown, W.V. on October 15th.