Dances With Films 2018 - Are You My Mommy
An action star in mortal danger is rescued by an unlikely saviour with ulterior motives.
Interview with Writer/Producer Paula Jean Hixson
Watch Are You My Mommy here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you! This film was made for a few reasons. As a maturing actress facing dwindling opportunities, the need to diversify within the industry has become unavoidable. I started writing a few years ago. I’d like to direct, but in order to do that, I wanted to learn the ins and outs of getting a film made first, so I went with the baptism-by-fire method of writing and producing Are You My Mommy.
I also wanted to voice my perspectives regarding sexism, ageism, and body shaming in our society, and do it in a way that I felt could open up conversations. Additionally, my husband, Neil Napier, and I wanted to work together on a project. He is also an actor, but we would never be cast as an onscreen duo, and we wanted to tackle that issue as well.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Because it deals with very topical themes in an unexpected, funny, absurd, and accessible way.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Front and center in this film are the personal and universal themes of being a woman, approaching 50, being larger than a size 4, and being de-valued and under-represented in film, television, and media.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
When I started writing the script, I thought it was just going to be a scene, as I was mostly writing out of a desperation to express myself creatively. But then it turned into a short film script. Neil read and loved it, so I sent it to our friends, Gavin Michael Booth (director) and Sarah Booth (actor/producer), who really understood and enjoyed the humour and meta elements.
I asked Gavin if it would be something he’d like to direct. Sarah jumped on to help us produce, and we were able to cast mostly from our own network of colleagues. There were some minor tweaks to the script after our first read-through, and some tightening in the edit. We also break the fourth wall a bit, which adds a whole other layer.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Dances With Films will be our world premiere, so we are very anxious to see how the audience reacts. We have shown it privately to select friends and colleagues, and their feedback has been extremely positive. The consensus has been that it’s funny and well-paced, and that the underlying themes are explored in a way that resonate without being ‘preachy’.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
What has surprised me the most is how many people have commented that it is ‘smart’. I’m not exactly sure what they mean by that, but I think it’s likely a combination of the concepts that are presented and the filmmaking elements Gavin used as director and editor, particularly the ones that work on a more subconscious level.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Well, we’d love for anyone in L.A. on June 12th to come see our premiere! And beyond that, we want to pique people’s interest so that they will want to watch and share it when it’s available online.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We don’t yet have distribution, and with all the new online platforms available, we’re still searching for the best home for Are You My Mommy. We have an amazing score, thanks to our composer Adrian Ellis, which really augments its crowd-pleasing appeal, and I think that would really interest festival directors. Also, although this is a stand-alone piece, a much bigger world is suggested in the film - one that definitely lends itself to a series or possibly a feature. If a producer were to see that potential as well, we’d certainly like to have that discussion.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I think laughter opens people up. That’s why I chose this genre for this story, so I hope people laugh, even (especially?) when the most seemingly outrageous things are being said and done. I’d like people to ask themselves if they subconsciously perpetuate the inequality and double standards presented in the film. I’d love for people to cheer at the end, and keep talking about it afterward.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Given that the character of Heroine demonstrates that she is more than capable of saving the day, what is the basis of Hero’s inability to recognize her true value? How ubiquitous, oppressive, and damaging is this mindset in our society? What is its role in creating the circumstances that are now being brought to light by the #metoo and #timesup movements?
Would you like to add anything else?
Making this film has been an incredible journey, and I’m eternally grateful for the team who taught me so much and were so generous with their time, energy, willingness to help tell this story. I’d like to say to women - particularly those my age and older - that they have so much to offer and I implore them to not to let society’s obsession with youth make them feel or be invisible. It’s important to find a way of being seen and heard so that the girls and women behind us stop believing they only have until 35 to accomplish the best things in their lives.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
My writing partners and I have been developing a series about the female spies, soldiers, and political figures of the American Civil War called Bellum. We are shopping the pilot. I’m also writing a romantic-dramedy feature script.
Gavin is directing a feature called Last Call and a short called Vinder.
Neil starts shooting on an indie feature in Canada at the end of June, and is on the upcoming limited series The Disappearance with Peter Coyote and Aden Young premiering on WGNA July 12. He’s also writing a comedy feature.
Interview: June 2018
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, 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
Are You My Mommy
An action star in mortal danger is rescued by an unlikely saviour with ulterior motives.
Length: 14:30
Director: Gavin Michael Booth
Producer: Paula Jean Hixson
Writer: Paula Jean Hixson
About the writer, director and producer
PAULA JEAN HIXSON has been spent over 20 years acting in film, tv, voice, video games, and theatre. She recently began writing and producing, and has her sights on directing.
GAVIN MICHAEL BOOTH is an award-winning director, writer, and producer. His feature film The Scarehouse is distributed by NBC/Universal.
Key cast: Paula Jean Hixson, Neil Napier, Sarah Booth, Enuka Okuma, Christopher Grove, Ava Penner
Looking for: producers, buyers, distributors, festival directors, journalists
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AYMMShortFilm
Twitter: @AYMMFilm
Instagram: @aymmfilm
Other: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7023246/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_1
Funders: Crowdfunding (Indiegogo) and self-funding
Made in association with: SAG-AFTRA
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Dances with Films 2018