Through her love and care of a human child, an android learns what it means to be truly alive, putting her in grave danger.

Interview with Writer/Director Emily Limyun Dean

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I was at a very interesting juncture in my life when I decided to make Andromeda. I had a stable full-time job in the film industry working on blockbuster animated feature films. I had achieved a dream I'd been working toward for the better part of a decade... and yet somehow I felt creatively incomplete. When my father passed away, that was when I knew I needed to create a piece of work that expressed some deeper thoughts and feelings on meaningful living than I had previously attempted before.

I kept being drawn to the character of an android searching for life within herself. An android who, in her desire to know and become human, experiences the full, beautiful, and complex spectrum of life. For me as its creator, Andromeda is a roaring creative awakening of the artist within, stepping into unknown shores beyond.

Production Still: Kestrel Leah as Andromeda. Cinematography by Logan Triplett, Color Grading by Ayumi Ashley.

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

Andromeda is a passionate, violent, and ambitious expression of the beauty and pain of life, told through the lens of a female-driven science fiction thriller. It will leave you with feelings of love, terror, heartbreak, and hope.

After completing Andromeda, and though it borrows from sci fi filmmaking tradition, I can truly say that it is a unique experience. Some audience members have quietly approached me in tears after seeing the film, saying that it moved them deeply, brought something back from their past, or that it felt like they have been there, in that place, before.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Andromeda deals with themes of motherhood and dreams, toxic masculinity and vengeance, and here is a strong female and male dichotomy in the film. The female energy in the film is reinforced by the blue of the ocean and the male energy is associated with red and fire. The film views the world through a very poetic lens in this way, but not in any reductive sense. More it uses these themes, motifs and visuals to explore the struggle between two powerful forces.

Andromeda also centers idea of becoming 'real'. As a minority woman I've often felt out of place, overstepping or uninvited into spaces, despite presenting myself as part of the group. These are also the feelings of 'the other' that many artists experience. I believe we truly step into ourselves when we shed this fear and embrace our otherness, the outsider in us, and acknowledge that creative people are often hybrid in nature and able to walk between spaces.

Production Still: Aaron Glenane as Mason and Nathan Lee as Lee. Cinematography by Logan Triplett, Color Grading by Ayumi Ashley.

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

Andromeda as a production moved very quickly. The script was written and six weeks later the film was shot in the space of three days. There was an energy, enthusiasm, and passion our small team brought to the project for which I will be forever grateful. In many ways the ambition of the film and the schedule seemed impossible, but along the way people brought their best ideas and it became a wonderfully collaborative experience.

Throughout production I kept a very extensive Production Blog of our process in making the film. If you're a filmmaker, or just someone who loves to see behind the scenes of filmmaking, you can follow the process of script to visual design, from prosthetics and costume to shooting and post production. That's all available here: http://emilydean.net/andromeda/

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The feedback has been wonderful. Many people have been moved by the film and engrossed in the world we created. There have even been questions to expand Andromeda into a feature film.

Production Still: Mai Brunelle as Young Ella. Cinematography by Logan Triplett, Color Grading by Ayumi Ashley.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

Most of the feedback has been positive and encouraging, both of the film and of me as a filmmaker... which is always wonderful to hear! The festival circuit has been challenging because Andromeda isn't the easiest film to program in a lineup.

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

I would love for more people to see the film, and to connect with more filmmakers and people in the film world generally. Specifically, I love that We Are Moving Stories is a place for female, minority, LGBTQ, and underrepresented filmmakers to showcase our work to the world!

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

I would love to talk with more sales agents, distributors, film festival directors and journalists!

Production Still: Aaron Glenane as Mason. Cinematography by Logan Triplett, Color Grading by Ayumi Ashley.

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

I hope that audience members find something in Andromeda that moves them, makes them think deeply, and inspires them.

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

Once you've seen the film, the question I'd like to pose to you is: Did Andromeda finally become human?

Would you like to add anything else?

To see more of my work, please visit http://emilydean.net/.

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

A little too soon to share any details unfortunately! All I can say is that I'm currently working on a couple of unannounced animated and live action feature films that are in script stage, and our Producer Adam Bradshaw developing an independent feature.

Interview: February 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

Andromeda

Through her love and care of a human child, an android learns what it means to be truly alive, putting her in grave danger.

Length: 15:00

Director: Emily Limyun Dean

Producer: Adam Bradshaw

Writer: Emily Limyun Dean

About the writer, director and producer:

EMILY LIMYUN DEAN is an Asian-Australian American writer/director based in Los Angeles. In 2012 Emily's animated short film Forget Me Not was nominated for an Australian Academy Award (AACTA). Emily has worked as a Storyboard Artist and Visual Consultant on animated and live action feature films including The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019), The Lego Batman Movie (2017), and Hotel Artemis (2018). Andromeda is Emily's live action directing debut.

ADAM BRADSHAW is an award-winning independent producer from Kalamazoo, Michigan. Adam’s producing credits include Boy Soldier (48 Hour Film Festival Best Film), Sessions, Other Side (IFS Film Festival Best Short Film), The Broken Gun (College Broadcasters Inc. Best Web Series), King Bachelor’s Pad (Best New Media Series, Burbank International Film Festival). Adam’s production credits include the Netflix series Love, Rizzoli & Isles,and A Million Little Pieces, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson.

Key cast: Kestrel Leah (Andromeda), Aaron Glenane (Mason), Mai Brunelle (Young Ella)

Looking for: distributors

Facebook: Andromeda

Website: http://andromedashortfilm.com

Other: IMDB, emilydean.net

Made in association with: Grade 8 Productions

Funders: Self-funded

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Boston Sci Fi Film Festival / Boston, MA - February 10, 2019; Chicago Feminist Film Festival / Chicago, IL - February 27 - March 1, 2019; DisOrient Asian American Film Festival / Eugene, OR - March 14-17, 2019.