Chandler International Film Festival 2020 – Stood Up
Dialogue free and universal in its story-telling, Stood Up is a short film filled with memories of happily ever afters and love at first sight.
Charming, loyal and perpetually single Ben is tired of always being the best friend and wing-man. After deciding to shake things up, he agrees to a blind date. But, when things go awry, will fate step in and save him from forever being friend-zoned?
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Cjay Boisclair
Watch Stood Up here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I had just lost my grandmother (who had helped raise me) when the Women in the Director's Chair came to Kamloops with a competition for a Micro Short. I needed something lighthearted to lift the cloud of grief that had surrounded my family. In memory of my grandmother, my thoughts wandered back to the classical love stories we watched together when I was a child, stories of happily ever afters and love at first sight. I think in a way this way my final goodbye to her, a gift for all she had done for me.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Stood Up is charming in a way that warms the heart and lingers in your mind. The story is simple and yet complex and speaks to all ages. It is fully sweet and innocent with a surprising twist. You can't help but smile at the nostalgia it triggers. Plus, it's only five minutes!
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The root of Ben's quest is loneliness, something everybody has felt at one time or another and the intense longing for connection and love. Ben brings you into his life with warmth and charm and he leads your feelings throughout the film. You can't help but root for him as he faces life's basic emotions.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
There were very minor changes from beginning to end. The biggest one was removing all the dialogue. When I started writing it was dialogue-free until the peak of the story but I couldn't figure out how to create a certain connection without language. It had maybe five lines and I knew I wanted it silent but it wasn't until one of my WIDC mentors gave me a brilliant suggestion that I was able to pull it off.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback so far has been so positive! Stood Up seems to speak to people of all demographics. Being dialogue-free has removed so many barriers and our casting choices have helped the public feel a piece of themselves in the leads. You really can't help but smile.
So far, Stood Up has premiered at the St. John's International Women's Film Festival and has been selected in 44 film festivals internationally. It has garnered 23 awards or nominations in the four months since its release and it still has almost a year to go.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I think what surprised me the most is how it seems to speak to everybody.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I would love to expand the audience. We create films to inspire and give hope. If Stood Up can make five minutes of your day better I'm happy. Plus, then you know who to look out for in the future, say when our first feature film, The Bench, comes out!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Buyers, distributors, film festivals and journalists can all help Stood Up get seen, and we are open to sharing our success!!
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would love for this film to create a wave of happiness and goodwill, a moment of joy for a sad heart, hope for a broken soul, a reprieve of grief. There is enough sorrow in the world.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Do you believe in fate?
Would you like to add anything else?
Just a thank you for your time in showcasing newer talent like me!
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Currently, we are in development for The Bench, a feature-length drama about a young girl dealing with the ordinary pressures of school, family and adolescence, all while being homeless.
We are looking for funding, just saying!
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
Stood Up
Dialogue free and universal in its story-telling, Stood Up is a short film filled with memories of happily ever afters and love at first sight.
Charming, loyal and perpetually single Ben is tired of always being the best friend and wing-man. After deciding to shake things up, he agrees to a blind date. But, when things go awry, will fate step in and save him from forever being friend-zoned?
Length: 4:41
Director: Cjay Boisclair
Producer: Cjay Boisclair
Writer: Cjay Boisclair
About the writer, director and producer:
CJAY BOISCLAIR is a writer/director/producer from Kamloops BC. Her debut short script, The Bench, garnered 22 awards and nominations in various film festivals internationally. Following this success, Cjay won the Women in the Director's Chair Short Works Award for her next short script, Stood Up, which funded the production of the film. Now almost four months into its festival run, Stood Up is currently selected in 44 film festivals internationally and has won.nominated for 23 awards. Currently, Cjay is in development of her first feature-length film, The Bench, an adaption of her award-winning short screenplay.
Key cast: Jason Burkart (Ben), Rekha Sharma (Mya), Tracey Power (Natasha), Aubrey Fix (Little Girl),
Looking for: film festival directors, producers, distributors, journalists, buyers
Facebook: Cjay Boisclair
Instagram: @cjaybois
Hashtags used: #romcom #femaledirector #stoodup #meetcute #romanticcomedy
Other: IMDb
Made in association with: Women in the Director's Chair (WIDC)
Funders: WIDC
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Flathead Lake International Cinemafest/Polson, Montana, US - Jan 24, 2020; Milton Film Festival/Milton Ontario, Canada - Jan 24, 2020; Cambria Film Festival of Romance, Love and Rom-Coms/Cambria California, US - Feb 06, 2020; Top Indie Film Award/Tokyo, Japan - Feb 07, 2020; Yofi Love Fest/Yonkers NY, US - Feb 14th, 2020; No Words International Short Film Festival/Ptolemaida, Kozanis, Greece - Feb 15, 2020; Simply Indie Film Festival/Edmond Oklahoma, US - Feb 20, 2020; Yountville International Film Festival/Yountville California, US - Feb 20, 2020; Kalaburagi International Short Film Festival/Gulbarga Karnataka, India - Feb 29, 2020; Durango Independent Film Festival/Durango California, US- Mar 04, 2020; World of Women Film Fair Middle East/Dubai, India - Mar 06, 2020; Harrogate Film Festival/Harrogate England, UK - Mar 7, 2020; Oxford Film Festival/Oxford MS, US - Mar 18, 2020. And that only takes us to mid-March!