When Sarah’s unhealthy and isolating long-term relationship abruptly ends, she reaches out to her messy-but-loveable friend Megan, and together they embark upon the post-breakup Uber trip of a lifetime.

Interview with Director April Moreau

Watch Ride in Progress here:

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Thank you! I've always loved movies that whisk you away on an adventure, so the idea of making a road trip comedy had been a dream of mine for a long time. When Emily and I started writing this script, I was coming out the other side of a tough breakup and was going through this clunky process of reconnecting with a lot of my friends. So we just sort of merged the two ideas and the film was born from there.

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

Because you want to laugh! If you're a fan of female-driven comedies, then this is a film for you.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

On a personal level, the film is about friendship. It's a scary feeling to emerge from the fog of a relationship, look around you, and think, "Oh god, I'm out of touch with ALL my friends." So I hope that our story inspires people to nurture their friendships, regardless of their relationship status. On a universal level, we see the themes of forgiveness and redemption come into play. It becomes clear that friendship can only be rebuilt if both parties meet halfway.

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

In earlier drafts, we spent a lot more time with the ex-boyfriend character. He's a true asshole who we had a lot of fun making fun of, but ultimately, we decided to cut most of his scenes. It's the girls' story, not his.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

We've only shown the film to a small group of people so far, but thankfully everyone seems to be liking it! It'll be an interesting experience watching it with an entire theatre full of people at our premiere.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

I've been a bit surprised by how hard the emotional moments of the film have been hitting people. I thought we were making a silly adventure comedy and here we are making people choke up! I love it.

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

It's so awesome that We Are Moving Stories shines a light on small indie films like ours. I hope that someone stumbles upon this page who would otherwise never have heard of our film.

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 exploring a feature adaptation of the short and would definitely love to connect with any producers who may have an interest in the project.

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

I'd love for people to finish watching it and say, "Wow, that was a really fun way to spend 11 minutes of my life."

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

Are you a Sarah or a Megan?

Would you like to add anything else?

Thank you so much for having me! We had a blast making this film and I hope that people have just as much fun watching it.

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

Emily and I are working on our next short, a comedy that tackles the difficult topic of sexual assault. I'm a member of the AFI Directing Workshop for Women, Class of 2021 and we are fortunate enough to be making the film as a part of that program.

Interview: January 2020

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

Ride in Progress

Length: 11:00

Director: April Moreau

Producer: Emily Hanley, April Moreau, Casey Hanley, & Ted Stevenson

Writer: Emily Hanley & April Moreau

Key cast: Mandie Cheung (Sarah), Emily Hanley (Megan), Eric Myrick (J.R.), Will Westwater (Chris), Natalie Pelletier (Maya), Claire Dellamar (Stripper)

Looking for: film festival directors, producers

Facebook: Ride in Progress

Twitter: @RideInProgress

Instagram: @rideinprogress

Hashtags used: #RideInProgress

Website: rideinprogress.weebly.com

Other: IMDb

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Santa Barbara International Film Festival