San Jose International Short Film Festival / Paris International Lesbian & Feminist Film Festival 2019 – Brave Little Army
The bold new girl at school inspires three classmates to follow her down a blissful path of self-realization, where they stumble upon a dark truth that forever galvanizes their friendship.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Michelle D'Alessandro Hatt
Watch Brave Little Army on Vucavu
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you. I wanted to explore the power of female friendship. Set in 1984, Brave Little Army is the story of how four girls - Em, K, Lu and Dee - meet at age 12 and become friends forever. It's the first film in a trilogy.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
It will take you on a unique, coming-of-age journey viewed through the lens of 12-year-old girls that flips the script and takes you to unexpected places.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I believe the world needs more stories in which girls and women experience the pure joy of female bonding and draw strength from one another to get through the trials and tribulations of their lives.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The inspiration for the story began five years ago in northern Ontario, while I was driving to my family cabin. The surrounding forest and isolated setting sparked the premise for the final, feature film of the trilogy, in which four lifelong friends in their forties reunite at a cabin for a weekend getaway that turns into the perfect crime. The script for Brave Little Army was developed and written over the course of a year and went to camera with an all-female crew and production team in April 2018. The second short film, set 10 years later when the young women are at college, is at the script stage and I'm currently working on pursuing funding.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Even though it's a trilogy, each film is designed to stand alone. I've had the pleasure of attending a few of our film festival screenings and there have been cheers, laughter and tears from the audience. Some people have expressed how much they love these four characters and can't wait to see what happens next. I think my favourite note has been from parents who have said they can't wait for their daughters to be old enough to watch it.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
No, I would say it's been wonderfully affirming to know that I'm not the only one who wants to see a film like this.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We've been fortunate to have the festival run we've had so far, and I would love for our film to reach an even wider audience, through festivals or other platforms.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We're happy to hear from all of the above, about potential opportunities for Brave Little Army, as well as the rest of the trilogy.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I hope that Brave Little Army can rewrite the narrative about the female coming-of-age experience.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
What would happen if all 12-year-old girls were like Em, K, Lu and Dee?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Cinematographer Gayle Ye just lensed Emmy nominated TV series Odd Squad Season 3.
Editor Sydney Cowper is picture editing the web series Echo Park and assistant editing Brandon Cronenberg's new feature, Possessor.
Costume designer Deanna Sciortino just designed sci-fi action thriller Enhanced, starring Alanna Bale and Elvis Stojko, set to premiere at Toronto After Dark Film Festival on October 18.
Composer Janal Bechthold scored both the horror short, Best Friends Forever (premiering at Salem Horror Fest this week) and the comedy short, Night Shoot, starring Sheila McCarthy and Gordon Pinsent (premiering at the St. John's International Women's Film Festival later this month).
Prosthetics makeup designer Karlee Morse recently worked on TV series Star Trek: Discovery and the award-winning Baroness Von Sketch Show, as well as the action thriller Becky, starring Kevin James, Joel McHale and Lulu Wilson. This past year, Morse also directed her first horror short, The Scritching Hour, on its way to festivals in 2020.
Sound recordist Bridget Tang spent the summer working on the feature Jump, Darling, starring the legendary Cloris Leachman.
Brighid Fry and Pascale Padilla of Moscow Apartment are currently working on their next EP and looking forward to opening for Juke Ross at The Velvet Underground on November 10.
Interview: October 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
Brave Little Army
The bold new girl at school inspires three classmates to follow her down a blissful path of self-realization, where they stumble upon a dark truth that forever galvanizes their friendship.
Length: 5:54
Director: Michelle D'Alessandro Hatt
Producer: Michelle D'Alessandro Hatt
Writer: Michelle D'Alessandro Hatt
About the writer, director and producer:
MICHELLE is a Toronto-based actor, writer and director. She has appeared in numerous independent films that have screened at festivals worldwide and on the Sundance Channel. Brave Little Army, her directorial debut, has been a selection of 21 film festivals thus far, garnering the Best Short Film Award at Voce Spettacolo Film Festival (Matera, Italy), a Special Jury Mention at Courts d’un Soir (Montreal, Canada), and a Jury Award at Lady Filmmakers Festival (Los Angeles, USA).
Key cast: Lyla Elliott (Em), Rosali Annikie (K), Amanda Cheung (Lu), Faith Vanderwerf (Dee), Samuel Matukas (Boy), Steve Kasan (Rek)
Looking for: distributors, film festival directors, buyers, journalists, sales agents, producers
Facebook: Brave Little Army
Twitter: @BlackLabFilmCo
Instagram: @blacklabfilmco
Hashtags used: #bravelittlearmy
Website: blacklabfilmcompany.com
Other: IMDb
Made in association with: Black Lab Film Company
Funders: Self-funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Portland Film Festival/Portland, Oregon - Oct. 18; San Jose International Film Festival/San Jose, California - Oct. 25; Paris International Lesbian & Feminist Film Festival/Paris, France - Nov. 1