A couple, married 23 years, take a four day break from each other.

Interview with Writer/Director Nicole Jones

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Thank you! I was complaining a lot about how frustrated I am with the lack of proper representation of women over 40 on film. It either didn't exist, or it was done in very cliche ways. So rather than continue to annoy everyone around me, I decided to do something about it myself. This story has been told before, however it's usually either from a male perspective, or from the perspective a woman trying to please her husband. I wanted to explore a more complex woman who independently came to a decision and then talked her husband into it.

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

It's the kind of film that provokes conversation. If you go with a mate, you'll find yourself debating it after. Whether you think this couple made a mistake or not, is up to you.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

It's all about the difference between love, and following social norms. Also how does love, loyalty, respect and friendship work together in order to have a healthy relationship? The line I say in the film that pretty much sums it up is, "I'm not in love with my marriage. I'm in love with the man that I married." When I wrote that line I thought that was really what was at the heart of the script.

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

Doing this short gave me the inspiration to write a feature length script based on the premise.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

We have received wonderful feedback from everyone. We've been in 30 film festivals so far and counting. I was surprised it did as well as it did. I thought the subject matter would limit it to very specific festivals. I was thrilled it found a broader audience and so many festivals wanted to include it in their program.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

Not me personally, but I've enjoyed watching other people discuss it. There was an audience that watched it then had a moderated discussion after. Everyone absolutely loved it. But then one young man stated he didn't like it because he was uncomfortable with the premise. He had a very innocent, sweet take on love, and this story kind of rained on his parade a bit. I loved this young man speaking up because in truth, he isn't wrong. I personally can't imagine getting to this point in my marriage either, however I've only been with my husband for 7 years, so who knows? Either way no one was wrong. I loved that it evoked such an interesting conversation.

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

Exposure is the best way to get your work out there. So thank you for the opportunity!

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

At this point we are nearing the end of our festival run. We welcome any and all inquiries as we move forward with the feature length version of this and onto our next projects as well.

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

I'd like it to be part of a movement towards older women being represented on film in more accurate, complex and interesting ways.

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

If you aren't religious, why do you follow the rules of traditional marriage?

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

As mentioned, we want more interesting parts for older women on film. So after the success of Wonder Woman, I wrote another script called "Shrimp" which is about a 62 year old woman who has super powers as a result of being born in The Great Salt Lake to a young polygamist girl. "Shrimp" is currently trending and is on the toplist on The Black List. And it's on The Red List on Coverfly. It also placed in the top 15% of the Nicholl Fellowship which I've been told is very unusual for super hero scripts.

I wrote it with Frances McDormand in mind so we began filming a documentary called, "Makin' Shrimp" where I go with Jeanne Tyson, (the cinematographer who shot Four Day Weekend) on a road trip to find Frances, tackle ageism in Hollywood, and have a great time while doing it. So far it's been a surprisingly easy journey. My script is often compared to "The Shape of Water". So that combined with Ms. McDormand's recent success, we are thrilled with the prospects of getting this project done. With that said, whether it be Frances McDormand, or any of her peers, there are a ton of wonderful actresses in that demographic we don't see enough of so I'm optimistic a script of this nature has a strong possibility of getting made. Fingers crossed!

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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Four Day Weekend

A couple, married 23 years, take a four day break from each other.

Length: 14 minutes

Director: Nicole Jones

Producer: Dan Asma

Writer: Nicole Jones

Key cast: Ben Koldyke

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

Social media handles:

Facebook: facebook.com/fourdayweekendshort

Made in association with: Lornamoon Productions