Two dysfunctional sisters attempt to bury the body of a cheating husband before being discovered by a Good Samaritan passing by.

Interview with Writer/Producer/Actor Ashley Erin Campbell

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Thank you! It was actually an assignment for an acting class at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. We had eight weeks to make a short and this is what we came up with.

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

There's a fair bit of dark humor and some pretty significant twists.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

This film is all about choices, morality, and hypocrisy. The characters are questioning the choices they and others have made to get to this point. Sometimes we look back and see that what we thought of as a wrong choice was instrumental in making us the person we are today (whether that is what we want or not).

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

Initially, we had a group of three writers, but scheduling proved difficult, and given the time constraint, I decided to just sit down and write it. Holland and I knew we wanted to act as the leads in the film, and the writer we were working with could only see it as a husband and wife story, with the husband's dead lover in the trunk. I wasn't particularly excited to have either Holland or I play a dead body, given this was our project, so I switched the story to two sisters and a dead husband in the trunk and went from there.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

So far it's been great! If people have unkind things to say they've largely been keeping it to themselves. There's one spot in the film where we get a lot of cheers, screams, or yells. It's a lot of fun to experience that moment with people who've never seen it before. I love seeing the looks on people's faces.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

There's one spot where my friends and family have gotten a little upset. They'll look at me with this expression that says....but why? I can't say much more than that without spoiling the film, but I just remind them that it's not real and everything's fine. I guess it's a little endearing to see how concerned they are for me in this completely fictional situation.

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

Our marketing budget is and was $0 divided by hours spent on social media, so we are truly grateful for the exposure. We're proud of this little film that could and can't wait for more people to see it. I'm hoping it might make people take an interest in my other projects - those already finished as well as those in the works.

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

Any and all would be great! We did the festival circuit a couple of years ago, so moving forward any interest in developing this story as a feature, or looking into the television series Holland and I are developing would be fantastic.

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

I like to make people think. I love to put the two most ridiculous contradictions in one moment or character and see what each audience gets out of it. Best case scenario, maybe someone will look at their own behavior and make a choice at some point to be a little less hypocritical about whatever their poison is.

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

What makes a moral person vs a good person? Are those the same thing?

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

Holland and I have a female-driven television series in the works with producer Carol Ann Shine called Political Science. True to form, it's filled with some real morality conundrums, drama with dark humor, and serious twists.

Interview: June 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

Above Jewels

Two dysfunctional sisters attempt to bury the body of a cheating husband before being discovered by a Good Samaritan passing by.

Length: 8:45

Director: Nicholas Rose

Producer: Holland Olmsted

Writer: Ashley Erin Campbell

About the writer, director and producer:

NICHOLAS ROSE is an American filmmaker, screenwriter and playwright, and author. He graduated from the New York Film Academy and currently works as a scheduling coordinator there to fund his filmmaking habit. He lives in Burbank, CA along with his wife and their cats.

ASHLEY ERIN CAMPBELL has written and produced short films, including Above Jewels, for which she won the Alice Guy Blache Female Filmmaker award at the Golden Door International Film Festival in 2016, and Those Lips, which screened at San Diego Comic Con's Independent Film Festival in 2017. She is currently developing a television series.

HOLLAND OLMSTED is an actress and producer based out of Los Angeles, California. She has written and produced short films, and currently has a television series in development.

Key cast: Holland Olmsted (Janie), Ashley Erin Campbell (Emily), Steve Bethers (Good Samaritan), Jay Blair (The Husband)

Facebook: Above Jewels

Instagram: @above_jewels

Hashtags used: #abovejewels #abovejewelsshortfilm

Website: nashbell2.wixsite.com/abovejewels

Other: IMDb

Funders: self-funded