Coven Film Festival 2019 – Celia
Celia doesn't know how to be a kid. Until she meets a new friend.
Interview with Writer/Director Clare M. Maceda
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I made my film because it had been a pet project of mine for a very long time (since middle school) and while working for Charming Stranger, I was given the incredible opportunity to do it. It was a chance that could not be passed up and I knew that this script was something I needed to do. Celia as a character is very important to me as I feel that she is the embodiment of what I felt growing up. She is exaggerated in many ways but when I wrote her, she helped me through so much, so I leaped at the chance to make her come to life.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
You should watch this film because it's easy to find a piece of yourself in Celia. I know that's why I love her, and when we were doing table reads, the actors were adamant that they felt she was very much like them. I found that so interesting because I thought she was very personal to me. I think the wonderful thing about this film is that Celia is a frightening character to face, and yet we all relate to her. You should watch this film to uncover why you see bits of yourself in her.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
This film talks about mental illness and childhood development. These are very personal themes to me. As someone who suffers with mental illness, and did not realize it until later in life, this film talks about what it is to be a child who doesn't understand how your mind is functioning and doesn't know how to ask for help.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Well, since pre-production started the film had a very different feeling to it. Originally it was always going to be known that Mister was what he was, but due to budget that would have been far too difficult to pull off, especially with the time frame. So making that a reveal very much changed the script as well as the overall tone of the piece.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I am hoping to get feedback. There's definitely pieces of this film that I wish I had done differently or known more about, but as it was my first time directing on a professional set I had a hard time putting my foot down on what I felt should be done. I learned a lot from this experience but feel that there is still more constructive criticism I can get on it in order to help me grow as a filmmaker.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I hope that it makes people take the mind of children more seriously. Or that it makes them confront the parts of themselves that they try and hide. That's what the film did for me.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am currently working on writing a feature length script by February. I am going to be directing and filming it myself over the next year. I am very excited about this project as it is the first narrative script that I will see through from beginning to end completely on my own, something I have always wanted to do.
Interview: January 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
Celia
Celia doesn't know how to be a kid. Until she meets a new friend.
Length: 12:03
Director: Clare Maceda
Producer: Cameo Wood
Writer: Clare Maceda
About the writer, director and producer:
CLARE MACEDA is a film student at Bennington College with a focus on the experimental. Coming from New York City with a background in acting, she turned to writing and directing film in college, and is currently working on her first feature length film.
CAMEO WOOD is the founder of the women run production company Charming Stranger in San Francisco, CA. She is also the director of Real Artists and co writer of the upcoming feature The Atavist.
Key cast: Rose Lehane, Liz Anderson, Connie Jo Sechrist
Facebook: Let Macedatass
Instagram: @guumbygal
Other: Vimeo
Funders: Charming Stranger Films
Made in association with: Charming Stranger Films
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Coven Film Festival/San Francisco - 2/9/19, Haryana International Film Festival/India