Queens World Film Festival / Capital City Film Festival 2019 – About A Donkey
An inclusive, ensemble comedy about flawed people stuck in various ruts and the donkey that joins their family to shake things up.
Interview with Director/Producer Christina Raia
Watch About A Donkey on Prime Video
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
The screenplay for About a Donkey was originally written in 2012 after a visit with screenwriter Kelsey Rauber’s dad resulted in him casually mentioning that he would like to own a donkey. That passing comment sparked the quirky and heartfelt idea that led to the film. I was attracted to the screenplay because it made me laugh and it made me feel. It was such a simple story on the surface but had a ton of depth. It effortlessly tackled weighty issues through a comedic lens filled with characters that feel real and show growth as the story progresses. As I got involved, I became excited by the prospect of getting to enhance more of the dramatic subtext under the story and establish an inclusive world that surrounds this family. With the 2016 election ramping up and a lot of hateful comments and actions being tolerated and endorsed across the country, we knew the time to make the film had come. Our film is ultimately an optimistic story about acceptance and growth. We felt like we could spread some much-needed empathy with our film, and use laughter as a way to create bridges of conversation with people who maybe feel like they have nothing in common or nothing to connect over. So we set out to make the film with and through our community at the start of 2017. It gave us a sense of purpose and action during a time of feeling very helpless.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Our mission is to show that love is love, people's lives and desires are relevant no matter their age, and struggling with depression is acceptable and normal. And sometimes just taking an action, even one as random as buying a donkey, is exactly what's needed to get your life going again. I don't think any film can truly be for everyone. But if any of what I said above resonates with you, then this film makes you feel good. And it may even make you feel seen.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The catalyst for the story is quirky and unique, but the main storyline speaks to various struggles of finding one's identity and purpose, which is something I think everyone relates to at some point in their life.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
We made the film on a $20,000 production budget (where everyone got paid something and no one was overworked), which meant we had to make changes to simplify along the way. We knocked on doors in our community to get free locations, donated props and other forms of in-kind support. As we secured our asks along the way, we made adjustments to the script along the way to work with what we had access to. Additionally, I'd say, as the director of a screenplay originally written by someone else, I brought more visual scenes and quiet moments to what was/is a very dialogue-driven script & film.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback has been lovely. The film gets a lot of laughs, and sometimes even happy tears at screenings. Many people come over to us after screenings to comment on the authenticity of the family dynamics, which is the best compliment for what we set out to accomplish.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
It is a talky film. Some people aren't into that, and that's fine. Kelsey and I both grew up watching and still love sitcoms and witty comedy films, so we fully embraced that we were making a talky and that it wouldn't be for everyone. (What movie is?) Also, the film features a romance between two women, which is not something we shy away from marketing, but it's not the main storyline that we market. We've made an effort to screen it in red-leaning cities to try to reach people who wouldn't typically seek out inclusive content and get them to relate to the characters as humans who just happen to be falling in love. For the most part, we've had positive reactions where people finish the film and engage with our Q&A even if they weren't 100% LGBTQ+ friendly when they walked in the door. But we have had a couple of incidents where people walk out when a kiss happens. It's been disappointing to witness, and sometimes a surprise depending on where we are in the country.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We hope to reach more of our audience, as we're gearing up for our VOD release in May.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Journalists! We'd love more reviews or interviews. We know there's a bigger audience for this film. We've had an amazing time screening it for pockets of people around the country, but we're now looking for some online momentum.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
About a Donkey at its core is about compassion and growing towards acceptance. I hope this ensemble piece will bring audiences in and cause them to identify with characters who they may not otherwise.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What's an unexpected action you've taken to spark a bit of change in your life?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Kelsey and I are currently collaborating on a horror-comedy feature screenplay about bringing in-laws together for the holidays. We also have two shorts just beginning festival submissions. Check us out at www.congestedcat.com.
Interview: March 2019
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
About A Donkey
An inclusive, ensemble comedy about flawed people stuck in various ruts and the donkey that joins their family to shake things up.
Length: 1:16:58
Director: Christina Raia
Producer: Christina Raia & Kelsey Rauber
Writer: Kelsey Rauber
About the writer, director and producer:
CHRISTINA RAIA is a New York City-based Writer/Director, the Founder of CongestedCat Productions, and the Head of Education at Seed&Spark. She was named one of the 10 Filmmakers to Watch in 2018 by Independent Magazine, as well as selected for the annual New York Film Festival's prestigious Artist Academy at Lincoln Center. Her first feature film, Summit, won Best Director at the 2015 Flickers: Rhode Island International Film Festival (genre division). She co-created, directed, and produced the comedic web series Kelsey, which premiered on blip.tv in September 2013 to rave reviews and consistent press coverage, including as a Critic’s Pick and named one of the 19 Best Comedy Web Series of 2013 by Indiewire.com. It has over a quarter million views online. She is currently on the festival circuit with her second feature film, About a Donkey, which won Best Produced Screenplay at the 2018 Austin Revolution Film Festival. She has also begun pitching what she hopes to be her third feature, Silent Night, a Quarter Finalist at Slamdance's 2016 Screenwriting Competition. Her other credits as Director, Producer, and Writer include over a dozen narrative short films that have made the official selection at film festivals across the country. In addition to Indiewire, her projects and approach as a filmmaker have been covered by various press outlets, such as BuzzFeed and AfterEllen. Her work can be viewed on Amazon Prime, Vimeo, VHX, and Youtube.
KELSEY RAUBER is a New York-based screenwriter/producer. Kelsey was raised in Aargau, Switzerland in a bilingual household and always had an affinity towards the arts. She moved to New York City in 2008 to pursue music which ignited her love for storytelling. In 2012, Kelsey won first place in the New York City Screenwriting Festival, Comedy division for her feature screenplay About a Donkey. That same screenplay also made the semifinals in the 2013 LA Shorts Comedy Screenplay Competition. Kelsey and her creative partner Christina Raia created the hit web series, Kelsey. It became a critical and viral success leading to a successful crowdfunding campaign for their future collaborative endeavors. As of 2015, Kelsey is co-owner of CongestedCat Productions. Under the CongestedCat umbrella, she went on to write and produce two shorts, a comedy pilot, and feature film About a Donkey, which is currently on the festival circuit. She just wrapped her directorial debut, Revelations, a short beginning festival submissions. www.kelseyrauber.com
Key cast: Christina Shea-Wright, Ben Kaufman, Alexandra Clayton, Katherine Wessling, Peter Jensen, Ricardo Manigat, Elisha Mudly, Sarah Haruko, Ellen Graff
Looking for: journalists
Facebook: About a Donkey, CongestedCat Productions LLC
Twitter: @aboutadonkey, @CongestedCat
Instagram: @congestedcat
Hashtags used: #aboutadonkey
Website: www.congestedcat.com
Funders: Seed&Spark
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Queens World Film Festival, March 24th at 5:30pm in the Bartos Theater at Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, NY; Capital City Film Festival, April 13th at 5pm in Lansing, Michigan (exact location TBD) May 2019 on VOD