40 Minutes Over Maui is a short comedy about the Hawaiian missile scare that took place on January 13, 2018; when the fate of the world hung in the balance and for Larry and Penny... their Hawaiian vacation became a whole lot more meaningful.

Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Michael Feld

Watch 40 Minutes Over Maui here:

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

When the 2018 false missile alert happened, we looked at it as an opportunity to make a film about what it would be like if you only had a few minutes to live and what you would choose to do with those final moments. We assumed a lot of people would look at a story like this from a dramatic standpoint and we wanted to look at it through humorous lens, showcasing a couple who loved each other, knew each other, but still got on each other's nerves and drove each other crazy even in an intense moment like this.

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

Because it's funny! A situation like the one our film deals with would be so easy to come at from a dramatic standpoint and the fact that we wanted to interject as much humor as possible into this situation makes it something worth seeing. Aren't there enough sad depressing short films out there?

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Personal and universal themes in our films deal with the issues of what would you do if you found out you only had a few minutes left to live. How would you act? What are the things you would do? Would you call family members or would you raid the minibar? We find a lot of audience members come up to us and can relate to the actions of our characters because they would behave in the same way if they were in a similar situation. I know I would make the most of it.

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

The first draft of the script was written by my father Steve who imagined the story being similar to what it would be like if he and my mom were on vacation in Hawaii when something like this happened. As we involved actors, the characters became more fleshed-out and more unique. Also, Josh and I rewrote the script to take out A LOT of Donald Trump jokes. Most of the first draft was Larry blaming and screaming about Trump. One Trump joke was enough and we felt it really landed.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

Feedback from our film has been overwhelmingly positive. People find it to be very relatable very funny and especially love our two main characters. I think people are relieved to see a comedy at film festivals especially. While dramatic films are important, people really want to laugh, especially in times like these when the world seems so bleak. We took an event like the Hawaiian Missile Scare and showed just how absurd the whole thing was, but we didn't make it about the missile scare, we made our film about a couple and their relationship.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

The feedback has not surprised us or challenged our point of views. If anything, it's only made us feel more confident in our decision to make a comedy because we've seen how many people are touched by the humor and heart of our film.

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

We're looking to have more people see our film and enjoy our film. If you're a producer and are interested in hearing about the other things we're working on, hit us up!

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

Our film has just finished our festival run and has secured distribution. At this point, we're looking for people who are interested in hearing what Josh and I have coming up next.

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

It's a comedy, we would like people to be able to laugh and enjoy watching this film even as a distraction from all the horrible things happening in the world right now.

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

If you raid a mini-bar when you think the world is about to end should you still have to pay for it?

Would you like to add anything else?

Aerosmith rules!

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

Right now, Josh and I are working on developing a feature-length film that takes place after an apocalyptic event as opposed to moments before; a theme we can't seem to escape.

Interview: June 2020

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

40 Minutes Over Maui

Length: 13:54

Director: Michael Feld and Josh Covitt

Producer: Brent McHenry and Nick Clifford

Writer: Steve Feld and Michael Feld & Josh Covitt

Key cast: Julie Brister (Penny), Johnny Meeks (Larry)

Looking for: journalists, producers, buyers, film festival directors

Facebook: 40 Minutes Over Maui

Twitter: @40Maui

Instagram: @40minutesovermaui

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Website: www.40minutesovermaui.com

Other: IMDb

Funders: Self-Funded