Moments in the lives of Austin teenagers during the heat of Texas summer.

Interview with Writer/Director/Editor Katherine Propper

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I wanted to make this film to explore my creative process. My short film before this involved a local community of young people whom I spent time with and worked with to make a film about their world. Birds expands on that approach more deeply. This film is more improvised, more off-the-cuff and observational, blurring the lines of doc and narrative in a way that was new for me. It was also my way of grappling with certain ideas like human fragility in the pursuit of many of life’s greatest endeavors— love, friendship, adventure, etc.

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

I hope that anyone could watch the film and relate to it or find something moving.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

I think the film is specific to teenagers in Austin, Texas, but hopefully feels universal to any person anywhere in the world.

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

Some of the moments in the film are improvised and evolved during production as we were filming. At times, it was documentary filmmaking within planned circumstances.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The feedback has been mixed, but I am so grateful the film has played all over the world now.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

I was surprised by how relatable the film was to so many different people.

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

I'd love for more people to watch Birds and learn about other short films around the world!

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

Producers who are interested in a longer version of this film.

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

For people to consider what experiences lead to life's greatest moments.

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

I'm currently working on a feature length film.

Interview: January 2023

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

Birds

Moments in the lives of Austin teenagers during the heat of Texas summer.

Length: 13:53

Director: Katherine Propper

Producer: Sophia Loffreda

Writer: Katherine Propper

About the writer, director and producer:

KATHERINE PROPPER is an Austin-based filmmaker. Her latest short Birds won the Grand Jury Prize at AFI Fest 2022 and received Special Jury Recognition at SXSW 2022 and Clermont-Ferrand 2022. Birds is currently streaming on The New Yorker and on Short of the Week.

SOPHIA LOFFREDA is an Italian-Canadian writer/director and editor from Montréal, Québec. She holds an MFA in Film and TV Production from the University of Texas at Austin.

Key cast: Payton Washington, Leila Brown, Genesis Mitchell, Bailey Tsang, Steve Brudniak

Instagram: @kpropz

Website: www.katherine-propper.com/birds