Lady Filmmakers Film Festival 2019 – Guest of Honor
Struck by tragedy, a married couple goes ahead with their anniversary party, when an unusual guest arrives.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer/Actor Lisa Belcher
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
My producing partner, Christian Olteanu, sent me an article about this subject and I was very touched and inspired. The story grew out of that.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Without spoiling the end, this film has some emotional themes and unexpected turns that make an enjoyable audience experience.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Our couple is dealing with a tragedy that pulls hard on their relationship. Marital struggles and dealing with loss are two themes in this film.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I wrote the original script and when I brought Lukas Hassel on board to play the role of Nicolas we began working through the characters and the plot together. Lukas is an accomplished writer and director, so he joined as a writer and the two of us moulded the script into what it is today. He is based in New York, so through the process of discussing the characters over the phone, in a sense were rehearsing at the same time. When he arrived in Austin we were ready to shoot.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
Many audience members after viewing the film have expressed their decision to participate in the charitable community on which the film is based. Most everyone's response has been, "I didn't see that coming."
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I thought of this as a heartfelt fiction story. I never imagined it might have an effect on real lives. A large non-profit has now taken the film on and will use it to further their cause. This is quite amazing to me and a nice reminder as to the power of film.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I find it hard as a woman to market myself as a director. People often assume I am only an actor and producer. I would love to get more coverage for Lisa Belcher the director :))
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 find another channel of distribution other than the mentioned non-profit.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
This film has been on the festival circuit for over a year now and I am shocked at the reception and impact it has had. I hope it continues to be seen and will maybe even change lives.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
It's difficult to answer this without spoiling the film. But one question could be: Do you think Nicolas did the right thing?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Lisa Belcher (director/producer/actor) Christian Olteanu (producer) and Alex Walker (cinematographer) are currently in post-production on a short proof of concept comedy western called Javelina Run. This film will do the festival circuit and then the feature version will be made in 2020.
Interview: September 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
Guest of Honor
Struck by tragedy, a married couple goes ahead with their anniversary party, when an unusual guest arrives.
Length: 11:52
Director: Lisa Belcher
Producer: Lisa Belcher & Christian Olteanu
Writer: Lisa Belcher & Lukas Hassel
About the writer, director and producer:
LISA BELCHER is an award-winning writer, director and actor and has worked both in Hong Kong and the US. She’s the founder of Austin based production company Jump Rock Pictures. Her film Guest of Honor is doing the festival circuit and was recently picked up by a large non-profit in the US. She’s currently in post-production on a short comedy western called Javelina Run and will be directing the feature version in 2020.
LUKAS HASSEL, born and raised in Denmark, studied acting in The Samuel Beckett Theatre School, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. As an actor, Lukas can be seen on Netflix in The Black Room; on VOD Art of the Dead and In Sickness, and on TV in The Blacklist, Elementary, Blue Bloods, Limitless and more. He directed the award-winning short films Into the Dark and The Son, the Father, and is also an award-winning writer.
www.lukashassel.com/lukashassel.com/Home - IMDb
CHRISTIAN OLTEANU entered the world of financial investments after obtaining a BBA in Economics and has been involved in the film industry in different capacities for the past 15 years. He is one of the producing partners of the award-winning film, Guest of Honor and is based out of Austin, Texas.
Key cast: Lisa Belcher (Rebecca), Lukas Hassel (Nicolas)
Looking for: distributors, journalists
Facebook: Guest of Honor
Twitter: @lisabelcher
Instagram: @lisabelcher
Hashtags used: #guestofhonormovie #jumprockpictures
Website: guestofhonormovie.weebly.com
Other: IMDb
Made in association with: Jump Rock Pictures
Funders: Self-funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Hollywood South Film Festival - September 27-29, 2019; Cause Film Festival - October 8, 2019; +TOP TEN FINALISTS: online voting, if we win all the proceeds of the festival go to our chosen charity the AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION (voting open until 10/8); Lonely Seal Film Festival - October 11-13, 2019; The Cutting Room International Short FF - October 19-20, 2019.