A selfie-taker at a party learns just how deadly social media can be.

Interview with Writer/Director/Producer/Actor Joanna DeLane

Watch on IGTV

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Thank you. I made this film because I had something to prove, I set out to make a diverse, inclusive, majority female film, and I did. Proving that it is possible if I can do it, the bigwigs can too. I also wanted to make something that fit within my budget, I could do with my team of friends, and of course, something to have fun with! I have a lot of stories to tell and I needed a project that would be my stepping stone into creating those other projects. Being able to show a sample of what I can do, what I am capable of, what my potential is, and how easy it was to create a female-driven film. It was my hope to share my proof of concept, if you will, to other filmmakers like myself and to find partners to collaborate with for future projects. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit and most of the festivals I got accepted into were either cancelled or now virtual. This put a damper on the networking I planned to do but thankfully, We Are Moving Stories reached out to me and it looks like I'll be able to share my story after all!

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

If you have a literal minute to spare, you should watch this film. It's short and sweet and can make you laugh and think. Also, if you love John Carpenter, you'll love this.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

The universal theme in my one-minute film is the humor and horror of social media. Scrolling through your feed you'll start to notice people trying to all look alike, influencers trying to do the most daring things to get a like, content creators trying to make you laugh for a comment. It's this big virtual, funny world that is also really scary in some aspects and it can feed on your soul, your self-esteem, your humanity. I try to poke fun at that fact but also not try to stuff a lesson down your throat.

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

The evolving I say is all thanks to my Co-Director JP Leigh, she was able to transform what I saw in my head and written on paper into what you see in the film. Her direction gave even more depth into the story behind the story, paying respect to the filmmakers who inspired this film, and finally putting a thriller on the roster of chick-flicks.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

Unexpected, funny, that "wait for it" moment. I'll get comments, DM's, and posts of my lines repeated back to me because it rang true for them. It's like a slap on the back for a job well done.

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

I'm looking for other filmmakers to collaborate with. People who would like to continue my journey of creating diverse, inclusive, female-driven films.

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

I would say I'm in need of all of the above.

Behind the scenes of Village of the Gramned

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

I am hoping it can promote the work of Ladies Above the Line, my filmmaking community and I want more films to follow in my footsteps or take the lead. I fell into producing as a necessity. There was, and still is, a need for content made by women of colour, about women of color, for everyone! I co-created Ladies Above the Line with other lady friends of mine as a filmmaking community whose primary purpose is to create and promote diverse, female-driven content. This project was created by ladies holding positions above the industry line including directors, producers, writers, and actors. This is an example I'd like to set and this is the path I'd like the industry to take.

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

How do we get more women and women of color above the industry line?

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

I just finished production on a short film titled RxR, loosely based on the friendship of my two girlfriends one of which has cancer and the other who's family member OD'd and is recovering. The story is about how these two women become unlikely friends through a cancer support group. This was a Ladies Above the Line Production and we are currently in post. More information can be found on our Facebook page @therxrseries.

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

Village of the Gramned

A selfie-taker at a party learns just how deadly social media can be.

Length: 1:15

Director: JP Leigh and Joanna DeLane

Producer: Joanna DeLane

Writer: Joanna DeLane

About the writer, director and producer:

JP LEIGH is half-Cuban, one-quarter Irish, and one-quarter German, her heritage strongly informs her storytelling. She identifies with the kind of universal stories that illustrate just how similar we all truly are. She currently is a software engineer at Disney Animation and is focusing on writing a script about her life. She is also a co-creator of Ladies Above the Line, a female filmmaking community.

JOANNA DELANE is an actress and filmmaker of Native and Spanish descent. You can see her acting in Seth Rogen's Future Man, George Lopez' Saint George, and the upcoming HBO show Perry Mason. Her productions include short films, features, music videos, and commercials. As another co-creator of Ladies Above the Line her projects aim to create and promote female/diverse driven content while hiring mostly females of color!

Key cast: Joanna DeLane, Alexis C. Martino, Troy Hatt

Looking for: film festival directors, producers

Facebook: Joanna DeLane

Twitter: @JoannaDeLane

Instagram: @joannadelane

Hashtags used: #socialmediakills #votg #tagme

Website: www.joannadelane.com

Other: IMDb

Funders: Self-funded

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Vimeo