One woman’s simple, three-step guide to surviving a night on your own.

Interview with Director Kate Trefry

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I have been writing for about a decade now but never had a chance to direct. I wanted to tell a very personal story.

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

On the surface, How To Be Alone is tonally unlike anything else: it's dark and fast and a little sick and very fun. But it's more than just a genre short, it's about relationships and identity and pregnancy and gender, plus there's a snake and a gimp and a monster, I mean, what more could you want?

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

This film is deeply personal. I was trying my best to honestly spill my guts and tell my secrets, both about my anxieties and the many weird ways I try to cope. But in a larger way, it's about how we all wage war against our worst fears and desires and how we must ultimately learn to live with them.

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

The idea started as a story about relationship anxiety and codependence, but as I wrote the script a lot of pregnancy and baby themes kept sneaking in. By the time we shot the film I was 5 months pregnant and the story had evolved to what it is now.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

It's polarizing -- either people really get it and love it and say I know exactly what this feeling is, or they truly don't know what the hell it's about. But I've had a lot of women especially tell me how they relate not just to the theme in general but to very oddly specific moments: the dressing up, the turning on every light and tv in the house, the line about the nurse being a rock climber, and so on.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

I'm surprised when I have had some people tell me that it's the exact feeling of battling addiction, which I think is fascinating.

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

I want to start a larger conversation about weird, uncool, scary feelings. I'm on a mission to connect strangers with shared trauma because often the worst part is feeling isolated. This film is here to say that no matter how freaky your thoughts get, you are not alone.

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

All of the above!

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

I want people to get hooked by the fun and weirdness of it but be surprised by the underlying themes.

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

Why are we really afraid of being alone?

Would you like to add anything else?

Thank you for being a place for new voices!

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

I am working the script for a feature film to direct about an unhealthy teenage female friendship set in a 1990's suburbia and my incredible DP Caleb Heyman is currently shooting an epic trilogy of horror movies!

Interview: May 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

How To Be Alone

One woman’s simple, three-step guide to surviving a night on your own.

Length: 12:58

Director: Kate Trefry

Producer: David Carrico, John Trefry

Writer: Kate Trefry

About the writer, director and producer:

Born in Anchorage Alaska, KATE TREFRY is a graduate from NYU. Her feature scripts Pure O and Revolver both made their respective year’s annual Black List. She currently writes on the Netflix series Stranger Things. How To Be Alone is her directorial debut.

DAVID CARRICO is the founder of Valparaiso Pictures, a development finance & production company that empowers filmmakers to take creative risks.

JOHN TREFRY leads 4WT Media, an award-winning production company known for creating world-class branded and original content.

Key cast: Maika Monroe (Lucy), Joe Keery (Jack)

Looking for: distributors, journalists

Hashtags used: #HowToBeAlone

Website: www.howtobealone.co

Other: IMDb

Made in association with: 4WT Media, Valparaiso Pictures

Funders: Self-funded

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Sydney Film Festival / Sydney, Australia - June 6th; Palm Springs International ShortFest / Palm Springs, CA - June 20th