Tony, a young trombone player, spends an adventurous night trying to open an impossible bottle of wine. An unconscious girl, a crooked bookcase and some mold get in his way, turning his world upside down. When the night is over he is forced to commit the ultimate act of courage.

Interview with Director/Producer Marie Dvorakova

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Since I was a kid, I was always fascinated by movies that used film tricks and illusions in order to build a great spectacle for the audience. This film magic was executed the old fashioned way – on set, in camera. There was a great artistry to it. To me it felt real and true. And most of all, it did physically exist, although only for the duration of the filming. I wanted to create a short film piece that would draw from this legacy, especially during these times, when one feels overwhelmed by so much audiovisual content: content that seems to have no lasting value and seems so quickly perishable.

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

If you'd like to get on an adventurous film journey full of unexpected twists and turns, you might enjoy watching this piece.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

My film is a whimsical short tale that plays with visual tricks and illusions. It doesn’t employ personal or universal themes.

Who’s Who in Mycology - Joel Brady as Tony

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

We had to rewrite the story quite a bit, because of financial limitations. But at the end I believe it helped the film.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

I've received great feedback. It’s fascinating to hear all the things that people see and notice in the film and their conclusions.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

Not really. But it was interesting to learn what impact certain scenes and moments had on the audience.

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

I’m grateful and happy that the film has had such a great festival run. I don’t have any expectations or goals connected to having the interview published on your website. But I will be happy if more people will learn about it and possibly will want to see it.

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

At the moment I’m looking for distributors.

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

I hope it will make the audience laugh, dream and enjoy the magical universe that’s presented in this film.

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

Haha… I think the most common question I get is: “How did you make this?"

Would you like to add anything else?

Just some fun facts: For over a year I was collecting 35mm short ends in Europe and the US, because we couldn’t afford to buy new film stock. Although my stock was two years expired, for me shooting on film was essential. Most of the short ends we purchased for a very low price came from Ridley Scott’s production of Child 44 that was shot in Prague some years before. Other short ends were given to me in the US. That meant whoever from my family and friends traveled to NY had to carry an extra suitcase, pick up cans with old film and bring them back to Prague, where the movie was shot. For a year we were filming time lapses of real fungi in Petri dishes. Those were then used in the film covering the walls of the room where the story takes place.

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

I’m a currently developing a feature film comedy, in a similar visual storytelling style to this short film. My producer became a mum. My co-writer is working on a novel set in the 12th century Europe. My DP is busy filming a feature film in the Czech Republic.

Interview: February 2018

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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTIAQ+, scifi, horror, world cinema. 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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Who’s Who in Mycology

Length: 15min

Director: Marie Dvorakova

Producer: Marie Dvorakova, Marta Kuchynkova, Milan Kuchynka, Negativ Film Productions

Writer: Micah Schaffer, Marie Dvorakova, Tony Hendra

Key cast: Joel Brady, Johana Schmidtmajerova

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

Social media handles: @mycologyfilm

Facebook: @mycologyfilm

Twitter: @mycologyfilm

Instagram: @mariedvor

Other: www.mycologyfilm.com

Funders: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Czech Film Fund, Spike Lee Fellowship Fund, Clive J. Davis Foundation, Jerome Foundation

Made in association with: Czech Television, RUR, UPP and Wilma Film

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Annapolis Film Festival, Dam Short Film Festival