Film Invasion LA / NY NewFilmmakers 2020 – Sofa Queen
When a power outage threatens Landry Family Furniture’s final “Going Out of Business” sale, Martha, the matriarch, attempts to reconnect the power and her fractured family.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Jenny Kleiman
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Sofa Queen was originally borne from my longtime fascination with “Mom n’ Pop” stores and their wonderfully, terrible commercials. I’d been thinking about doing a project that started off with a local ad for a few years, but for a long time I couldn’t figure out my access point. Most of my work has some sort of feminist message, but in general, the plot started to come together when I looked to my own family and many of the older women in my life. This piece is truly about the family’s matriarch, Martha. I was inspired to write a character struggling against the aging process– a battle seemingly endless; controlling many women’s entire narrative until it is– inevitably– lost.
When youth, looks, family, and work– EVERYTHING that has previously defined this one woman’s life– come to a grand finale, how does she start over?
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
I think we’re in the heyday of the dark comedy/dramedy, and Sofa Queen I hope – and hear – delivers on that promise. Martha is trying to save a sinking ship– a broken business that’s on their final “Going Out of Business” sale, which she runs alongside her ex-husband and fractured family. Regardless, her work ethic is honest, and her hope relatable. Nikki James, our lead actress, delivers her performance in such a way that the audience roots for her, a crucial ingredient in the casting of this role. The audience had to want her to succeed despite the extent of her denial. While Martha doesn’t get the happy ending she wants at the beginning of the film, through the series of unfortunate events and her own misdeeds, this marginalized woman becomes the star of the show.
I also believe it’s important to have a little razzle-dazzle in a short form, so we’ve got a big dance number and a twist ending. I tried to take the audience through a whole emotional playground in 11 minutes.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I originally didn’t recognize it in the script’s earliest drafts, but the piece has strong ties to my own family and background. Although he’s a far cry from my character of Gene, the “Sofa King,” my dad has nevertheless been an integral part of a three-generation family business, so there’s an obvious parallel with the Landry Family.
And on both a personal and universal note, my mother often jokes she’s like a cat with nine lives – reinventing herself again and again, but I hear this from so many women/women–identifiers. We’re forced to evolve in different ways than men – fulfill more roles at once, whilst trying to claim our space and piece of the pie. This film is about shedding skin and letting go of past selves, so we can step into new ones. And sometimes – hint, hint – you’ve just gotta burn it all down to be able to move on.
Further, across the United States – from Clifton, NJ (where we shot) to Charleston, South Carolina (where I’m originally from) – you are bound to find identical lengths of highway featuring a strip mall, car lot, fast food drive-thru, and – last but not least – a furniture store. Deeply woven into the American identity, these highway stops are largely overlooked but are debatably the epicenter of the suburban and rural cultural fabric. And as many of these stores shutter their doors– unable to compete with big-box stores and digital rivals, the texture of family-run, small businesses may be wholly lost to future generations. I wanted to capture that essence, digging deeper into that version of Americana.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
This film has been such a collaborative effort all the way from conception to release – so many people put in countless hours and days into bringing this story to life. I think I wrote 18 drafts of this script – including in a very first draft where Martha actually murdered Gene (we’re a far cry from that version now). I’m very lucky to have found a network of screenwriters in NYC, who meet weekly to discuss and workshop each other’s material. I honestly feel like although my name is on the project, so many of their ideas brought me to this final script.
I must have saved my karma up because this entire crew was composed of relatively new connections – which could have been a nightmare with three grueling overnights at the furniture store in Clifton, NJ (so many soft surfaces to fall asleep on!), but we all worked together like magic. Our fabulous producers, Jason Leiva, Sinclair Rankin, helped me throughout every step, and our line producer, Isabella Olaguerra, handcrafted together what I think is the best team in the business. Isabella introduced me to our DP – the insanely talented Joshua Echevarria. Josh and I have that rare director-DP relationship where we think of the same movie references – or lighting moments or camera work in the same way at the same time. I wish I could name every single crew member whose stamp is on this project, but it would make for a really long article.
However, last but not least – my post-production team was full of all-stars. I really believe a film is made in post-production; it’s where the film either lives or dies, in many ways. Our VFX Supervisor, Lucien Harriot of Mechanism Digital (who’s resume includes Russian Doll, Hereditary, and Uncut Gems) stepped up to the plate to work on this and helped me attach the wonderful folks at Nice Shoes (color/finishing) and Mixology Post (sound design/ mix and master). My editor, Shaya Mulcahy, had the patience to try so many different edits of this story, and our composer and music licensing team – Blake Crawford and Ethan Converse – literally had mere days to put the music together for the final edit.
I was absolutely gifted with the best crew for this project who really transformed into what I think is a beautiful collaboration and final product.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
In the first few months of applying to festivals, we were having a hard time getting placed. I was really disheartened, but truly it was a learning curve – I was going about the strategy wrong. This is my first festival run, and like every filmmaker with stars in their eyes, I had my hopes set high for some of the top tier festivals.
When we got a wave of rejection emails, I sat down with a fellow filmmaker, Roxy Topowrowych, who had a similar experience early in her career and was kind enough to walk me through some of the festival strategies that worked for her. We started to readjust and spend money toward mid-tier and indie festivals, festivals seeking new directorial talent, festivals pulling directly from submissions. I think the change of strategy has not only allowed us to receive more acceptance, but these fests have embraced Sofa Queen with open arms. I’ve received such wonderful support, so many personal emails from the programmers. It’s been really enlightening after a rocky start.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
The rejection letters will always be disappointing, but ultimately, it has made me more assured; the festivals that choose Sofa Queen as an official selection want us for the right reasons– acceptance is essentially like finding your audience fit and tribe of like-minded filmmakers.
It’s really hard to see the forest through the trees sometimes– as creatives, we’re very good at finding flaws and beating ourselves up. Regardless, I still absolutely love and stand by our film – I think that’s hard to do sometimes. It’s so easy to hate on your own work. But it’s not about me – there are so many beautiful performances in this film from our cast members, so much craft and love put in by the entire team – you have to take your own stuff and separate it from the bigger picture. I hear that where the film is successful is taking the audience on a big emotional journey– and all in 11 minutes. As the writer/director, I feel like that’s a huge success story in and of itself.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
This is actually my first real festival run, and boy, oh boy has it been a strange season. While there are so many angles to COVID-19 the most relevant to this article is how festival audiences aren’t local but online (at least for the moment). With some of the disappointment, there is to moving festivals to the digital realm, there’s also an opportunity to reach new audiences– and we want Sofa Queen seen by as many people as possible! Articles like this help grab and hone their attention, help viewers connect and click. Because at the end of the day, we all universally hate the endless scroll where you can’t figure out what to watch.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
While I think Martha’s story was an important one to tell, I think this piece lives as a short film– her story is complete. So we’re not looking to sell this as a feature or pitch concept – although I’m very interested in taking advantage of some of the newer distribution options for shorts! I’m also very interested in press and festival selections to help share Sofa Queen in as many ways possible.
On the other hand, I think of this film as a calling card for both my writing and directing skills, so the more people who can get eyes on it, the better! I’m developing multiple TV and film projects at the moment, and I’m hoping to both shadow a showrunner and/or get my name in the talent pool of upcoming TV directors.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I think women like Martha are the unsung heroes of this world; their stories deserve to be heard, and they deserve our gratitude. Go thank your mom or aunt or grandma for something they sacrificed – or ask them about their nine lives.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
When life comes to a grand finale, can you start over?
Would you like to add anything else?
Sofa Queen will be screening in a few festivals in the coming months: USA Film Festival, Film Invasion LA, Portland Comedy Festival, New York No Limits, and New York World Film Festival! Hope you can check it out!
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I spent my first two months of quarantine working on a new draft of a dystopian TV pilot called Double Vision. Logline: When an undisciplined party girl is thrust into the center of the border war between a conglomerate-run independent nation and the cartel-run border town on its outskirts, she must pull herself together in order to infiltrate both sides.
I am also in financing for a quirky coming-of-age feature called American Princess– which was the #1 trending script on The Black List for two weeks in 2019 and rated #16 overall on their Top Rated Scripts for the quarter. Additionally, my producing partner at The Royal Wild, Kayla Morrisey, and I recently optioned a feature film called Fleurs to Adrenaline Entertainment – which is in pre-pro.
Always trying to write, direct, stay busy, and keep things moving!
Interview: May 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
Sofa Queen
When a power outage threatens Landry Family Furniture’s final “Going Out of Business” sale, Martha, the matriarch, attempts to reconnect the power and her fractured family.
Length: 11:52
Director: Jenny Kleiman
Producer: Jason Leiva, Sinclair Rankin, Isabella Olaguera, Jenny Kleiman
Writer: Jenny Kleiman
About the writer, director and producer:
JENNY KLEIMAN is a director, producer, and screenwriter. Born in Manhattan and raised in Charleston, SC, Jennifer “Jenny” Kleiman received her BFA in Film Production with a minor in Women and Gender Studies from University of Colorado at Boulder. Her industry experience began with an apprenticeship under Roman Coppola at The Directors Bureau in 2011 until various commercial work took her on the road in 2013. In 2014, Jenny co-founded her production company, The Royal Wild, with childhood friend and collaborator, Kayla Morrisey. Focused on both feature and commercial work, their growing commercial roster includes international brands such as Adidas, BMW, and SEE Eyewear. Further, the company’s first feature project, Kill Ther Fleurs, is currently in pre-production for Spring 2020; a co-production with Adrenaline Entertainment. As a screenwriter, Jenny's first feature script, American Princess, was featured on The Black List as the #1 Trending Script for two weeks in March 2019 and finished #16 overall for the first quarter. She is currently in development on the dystopian YA drama, Bound. Jenny is also the co-founder of the startup, Women's Independent Film Channel, or WIFC TV, a streaming service cultivating exposure for women in film. WIFC TV was selected for the competitive 2017 class of Project Entrepreneur by the Rent the Runway Foundation. Jenny loves living in New York, throwing pottery on a wheel, and her very good boy, Vali, a Border Collie mix.
JASON LEIVA grew up with a camera in hand and photochemical stains on his clothes. Son of a photographer, Jason received his B.S. from Rochester Institute of Technology in Imaging Arts and Science in 2000. In 2013, LEIVA NYC was founded as a collaborative production company. Since founding the company, LEIVA NYC has built an eclectic team of artists and production talent who focus on branded content for clients such as Christian Dior, Loewe, Ferrari, Canon, Google, Reebok, Android, Pepsi, Starbucks, Rose 1845, Justworks, Angry Orchard, Elie Tahari, Timberland, Starry, Spotify, Wampum, Tea Stream, Marvel, Netflix, Carvana, and Resource Magazine.
SINCLAIR RANKIN is a screenwriter, filmmaker, and sports journalist from Brooklyn. His short film, Drown The Clown, is currently playing at film festivals and won Best Dramatic Short at the Coney Island Film Festival.
ISABELLA OLAGUERA is a New Jersey-based Assistant Director and Line Producer who has worked professionally on over 80 feature films, television shows and commercials since 2010. She received her first film credit at the age of 13 for a short her SAG-member brother starred in. She has received AD credits for many notable narrative and commercial projects. In 2017, she was fortunate to have 1st AD'd Oscar-nominated short film My Nephew Emmett, supporting the crew and cast at the DGA awards, Student Academy Awards, and the Academy Awards. In 2018, Isabella began line producing under the stewardship of mentor Scott Rosenfelt (producer of Home Alone, Teen Wolf, Mystic Pizza). In between narrative work, Isabella AD's commercial spots for clients like Equinox, Facebook, Tyson, Walmart, HPE, and Withum.
Key cast: Nikki James (Martha), Tait Ruppert (Gene), Ben Paul Williams (Russ), Paris Peterson (Diamond), Gabrielle Arles (Roxie)
Looking for: film festival directors, distributors
Instagram: @sofaqueenfilm
Hashtags used: #sofaqueenfilm
Website: www.sofaqueenfilm.com
Other: IMDb
Made in association with: The Royal Wild and Leiva LLC
Funders: Self-funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Film Invasion LA (online/ June 8-18), New York World Film Festival (online/ June 3), USA Film Festival (new dates TBA), NY NewFilmmakers (TBA), New York No Limits (Fall 2020), Portland Comedy Festival (October 2020), New Faces New Voices (Fall 2020).