Sherman Oaks Film Festival 2019 – Forget Me Nots
In the wake of their parents' untimely death, twins Lucy and Leo must re-evaluate their relationship, or risk losing one another forever.
Interview with Writer/Producer/Actor Danice Cabanela
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Thank you! Forget Me Nots is a story about family, mental health & how far someone will go to protect their own, particularly in the Filipino community. There's still so much stigma surrounding mental health & we want to do our part to change that.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
"Recent data collected from the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS) found that Asian Americans have a 17.30 percent overall lifetime rate of any psychiatric disorder and a 9.19 percent 12-month rate, yet Asian Americans are three times less likely to seek mental health services than Whites." - American Psychological Association, 'Mental Health Among Asian Americans' Nishi, Koko.
We deserve to see ourselves in these stories of struggle and humanity. The idea of AAPIs being the 'model minority' is damaging and we want to shift the perspective of shame and guilt. To discuss mental health, particularly through the lens of being Filipino Americans is to share our strength in vulnerability. We encourage open conversations within our families and communities and hope that our openness allows others the freedom to do the same.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The story is inspired by true events within my own life, but it's not just a FilAm experience, it's a human experience. There's a lot of complicated layers of intergenerational trauma, universal disagreements about handling matters of mental health (course of action v. denial), but at the heart of it all, it's rooted in love and how our love can manifest in different ways.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
We were originally going to write a comedy. Joke's on us. As we unearthed the story we really wanted to tell, it got more real and scarier, but also more exciting. We went from comedy to psychological thriller and it was a trip to put together. Essentially Rob and I took turns writing scenes, divvying up who'd write what. So I said I'd write the opening, Rob would write the kitchen, I'll write this scene, you write that scene. Somehow our puzzle came together and our amazing team helped us bring it to life. We couldn't have done it without our wonderful director, Daniel Marcha, fantastic DP Brian Nguyen and of course our co-producer and kickass 1st AD, Steph Renaud.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
"Incredibly moving!"
"A fantastic delivery where the power of choice supersedes the circumstances."
"Heartbreaking."
"Powerful."
"Important."
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
We've been quite happy with the feedback we've received so far.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Being a part of a large community of filmmakers that supports female filmmakers and powerful conversations. It's a great way to connect and discover like-minded artists who we can perhaps collaborate with in the future.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We'd love to have exposure to producers and financiers for a potential feature. It'd be great to be seen by other film festival directors as well. We're also interested in options for distribution.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
We want people to think about our film in the days, months and years after they experience it.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How far will we go to protect the ones we love?
Would you like to add anything else?
That's all, thank you!
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
DANICE CABANELA is working on a new comedic mockuseries.
ROBERT SANTI has just co-written his first pilot.
DANIEL MARCHA continues to serve as Lead Editor with YouTubers.
STEPH RENAUD is slated to work with the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce in 2020 for their projects.
Interview: November 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
Forget Me Nots
In the wake of their parents' untimely death, twins Lucy and Leo must re-evaluate their relationship, or risk losing one another forever.
Length: 12:56
Director: Daniel Marcha
Producer: Danice Cabanela, Robert Santi and Stephanie Renaud
Writer: Robert Santi and Danice Cabanela
About the writer, director and producer:
DANIEL MARCHA has been Producing, Writing, and Directing for over a decade. After obtaining a Film Production degree from Cal State Northridge, he started two different production companies- Altermotion Media Entertainment and Cinevent Productions. Through these companies, he produced a web series for Yahoo!, as well as pilots for Fox Digital and E! Entertainment. He is now a Lead Editor for YouTube Creators, and is also the co-host of the podcast 'No More Tokens'.
Forget Me Nots is DANICE CABANELA and ROBERT SANTI's first written project. They are Filipino American actors who believe that representation matters in media and in mental health awareness.
DANICE CABANELA has produced award-winning films, theatre, panels, and other live events surrounding the arts and taking action on issues that matter.
ROBERT SANTI's previous work includes Project Grey and Captain Planet: A Fan-Made Trailer that has garnered 14 million+ views.
STEPHANIE RENAUD is a seasoned producer with multiple awards and is a director and cinematographer. The three are based in Los Angeles, CA.
Key cast: Danice Cabanela (Lucy), Robert Santi (Leo), Adriana Colón (Adriana)
Looking for: distributors, film festival directors, journalists, producers
Facebook: Forget Me Nots
Twitter: @ForgetmenotsLA
Instagram: @forgetmenotsfilm
Hashtags used: #forgetmenotsfilm
Other: IMDb
Made in association with:
Funders: Seed & Spark
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Sherman Oaks Film Festival - Nov 24th at 2pm at the Whitefire Theater in Sherman Oaks, CA