Setting Sun Film Festival - The House On The Corner
A night jogger makes a harrowing discovery about his neighbours.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Alita Graziano
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I wanted to create something visually stimulating but as a first time filmmaker, I had to use what was accessible to me. The whole thing was filmed in one day. The location was my house, using my friends, their friends and house mates. At the time, I was watching a lot of things like 'Tales from the Crypt' and Italian horrors.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I feel my film is a fun little example of visual storytelling. It's run time is about 3 and a half minutes, there is no dialogue whatsoever and it wraps up with an exciting twist.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I used supernatural themes to create a fable-like story with a lesson in making assumptions.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
The most interesting question for the viewer is 'who is the protagonist and the antagonist'?
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I had shot the middle scene the day before the main shoot but wasn't happy with it visually so we re-shot it at my house at the same time as the rest of it. I also threw in an art print by Sidney Long to accompany the story on the day. The twist ending was also embellished by an idea my house mate suggested the week before shooting which found me frantically searching for the right actors and I found them!
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Honestly, I was surprised at the feedback I got from people congratulating me on my work. I don't think I would've even considered submitting it to a festival without the positive encouragement from teachers and friends. I thought the shoot had gone fine on the day but I made the mistake of not checking the footage on a bigger screen. The next morning I was horrified to find that the night scene was super grainy because of the lack of lighting expertise (on my part). A teacher of mine told me that kind of thing could be over looked because of how creative the story is, so here I am!
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I was ecstatic to be approached by wearemovingstories.com and to feel the support that exists for aspiring filmmakers (especially female). I'm hoping to reach and meet as many like-minded people as I can and being published on this site is a great start.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
This being my first attempt at a short film, I'm not expecting it to achieve any great success on its own. However, it has been a great first learning experience in filmmaking.
As an independent filmmaker, I am determined to learn every aspect required to complete a project. Since 'The House On The Corner', I've been busy producing, writing, directing, shooting and editing a number of other projects.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
The biggest project I have coming up in the near future is the release of my feature length documentary 'Hard Rubbish'. This is a very personal topic as it is the story of my own family.
Pieced together from over 50 hours of archive footage as well as current interviews, it is centred around my eccentric mother Eleonore who raised us kids on food from dumpster bins. That aspect is simply the hook as it delves into the depths of behavioural cycles, eccentricities and emotional relationships. The teaser trailer can be found on my Vimeo and YouTube channel along with ‘The House On The Corner’ and my other projects.
Interview: April 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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The House On The Corner
A night jogger makes a harrowing discovery about his neighbours.
Length: 03:56
Director: Alita Graziano
Producer: Alita Graziano
Writer: Alita Graziano
About the writer, director and producer: Independent filmmaker Alita Graziano, previously a student of visual art, has a love for visual storytelling. With a kinaesthetic approach to the job she managed to produce, write, direct and shoot her first ever film successfully with a budget of $0 and with the assistance from likeminded people.
Key cast: James Bond, Savannah Daoud-Opit, Talia Graziano, Frankie, Alita Graziano, Michele Moore, Janet Walker, Karen Nicholls and Lin Croke.
Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists):
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