A troubled girl follows a magical being into the woods where her fears take on fantastic forms.

Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Rebekah Fieschi

Watch Sylphvania Grove on Indieflix and Prime Video

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I love films such as The Never Ending Story and E.T. the Extraterrestrial, I always highly identified with the troubled hero type but rarely (close to never) got to see a fantasy story starring a girl, to this day I'm still waiting to see a movie of that caliber with a girl hero. I got tired of waiting and made my own.

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

It takes you on an adventure! It is fun and inspiring for both adults and children, and it leaves you feeling like you can move mountains, however unlikely of a hero you might be.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

I’m fascinated by the masks most of us wear to protect ourselves from the world and the way this hiding our true selves to fit in can later lead to identity crises. With Sylphvania Grove, I wanted to explore the hardship of not wearing a mask and the journey to self-discovery that comes with it. I chose an introverted, outcast and bookish type of character to illustrate how great this challenge can be and that the most unlikely person can be the most courageous.

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

The first draft of the script was much darker and focused more on criticizing certain aspects of our society. During rewrites, I wanted to learn more about my lead character, as I developed her she grew stronger and brought a sense of hope to the story.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

We've received great feedback so far! Audiences LOVE our lead (Maxine Wanderer) and root for her throughout the movie. Themes of finding your own strength when you are in your darkest moments profoundly affect some of our viewers who have confessed shedding a few tears. I'm so happy the film is resonating with people.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

The feedback confirmed to me that there is an audience craving layered and character-driven fantasy films and that fables are still a powerful way to tell stories.

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

As my previous short film was a dark comedy/horror film, most of the press I've received for Sylphvania Grove was on genre platforms, which is great but I believe various audiences might enjoy this short. I hope that We Are Moving Stories will offer greater visibility to 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?

Distributors, festival directors and journalist would be more than welcome to amplify the film's message and reach a wider audience.

I'm also currently developing my first feature film and I'm actively looking for producers to come on board.

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

I would love for this film to inspire anyone going through a hard time to trust the quiet strength inside of them, whether it's a kid in school or an adult dealing with depression. Like a beacon of hope.

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

What parallels can be drawn between Mycena's home life and the fantasy world she travels through? What forms would your fears take and how would you face them?

Would you like to add anything else?

I hope you will enjoy Sylphvania Grove!

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

I'm currently in pre-production of a new short film The Unvisited, a spooky comedy about a very old couple living alone in an isolated mansion. I'm also developing my first feature film: a psychological drama/creature feature that deals with abuse, trauma, mental health and perseverance.

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

Sylphvania Grove

A troubled girl follows a magical being into the woods where her fears take on fantastic forms.

Length: 18:40

Director: Rebekah Fieschi

Producer: Rebekah Fieschi

Writer: Rebekah Fieschi

About the writer, director and producer:

REBEKAH FIESCHI is an award-winning writer/director from Corsica. Her focus is to bring entertaining, yet layered, character-driven gothic horror and fantasy films to the screen while giving a voice to underrepresented characters. She strives to make low budget films that look like big budget movies while keeping the ecological impact of filmmaking in mind. She is currently developing her first feature film, a psychological drama/creature feature that deals with abuse, mental health and perseverance.

Key cast: Maxine Wanderer (Mycena), Meaghan Bloom Fluitt (Dotoira), Charlie Gillette (Kim)

Looking for: distributors, film festival directors, producers

Facebook: Sylphvania Grove

Twitter: @horromance

Instagram: @horromance

Hashtags used: #SylphvaniaGrove

Website: www.horromance.com

Other: IMDb

Funders: Seed & Spark and self funded

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Colorado Independent Women of Film Festival/Denver, CO - 05/11/19 - 6PM/The Bug Theatre; Con Carolinas Short Film Festival/Charlotte, NC - 06/01/19