Cover
17-year-old Monica is left to take care for her exuberant younger sister, Sarah, for the week. As the girls rush to school one morning, the tornado sirens suddenly wail outside.
Interview with Director Alexa May
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Cover was originally written as part of our film program's final-year thesis project. The original seed that fascinated me was a story on the surface framed around two angsty, bickering sisters. But the more you watch, the more you realize the story is more about Monica's relationship with her absent parent and her muddled relationship with herself. Despite never seeing the parent in the film, only hearing her voice or reading text messages, her presence -- positive in Sarah's, not so positive in Monica's -- is always there.
The film is character-driven, so the tornado aspect offers suspense and slight comic relief for us who spent our tornado alley childhoods hunkering down in bathrooms with pillows over our heads. When writing, I tried to imagine being a kid (scary), home-alone and responsible for another human being (scary), and faced with death (scary). What really interested me was that Monica's first thought isn't about dying or surviving, it's about trying to feel seen, appreciated, and understood by her parent. Or at least trying to get her to call back.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Sometimes you can search for security and connection in one area of your life, only to find it in another. While Monica may work to prove herself to her parent or her sister, the only way she can overcome her circumstances is to trust herself. Cover explores how these relationships can shape our personal identities as women. You should watch this film not only for a relatable coming-of-age story, but if you are interested in the messier gray area of sisterhood.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
Our film taps into themes surrounding family, identity, and the loss of innocence. Most of all, it aims to provide a message of levity and togetherness in an otherwise scary and disheartening scenario. No matter who audience members are, they can relate to the feeling of not being seen, and our goal is that you're left with a feeling of hope at the end of Cover.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
Both the script and the film went through many lives over the past two years! Cover was much more focused on the sister-sister relationship, had a stronger plot-driven background, and even had a different name. Through meetings with advisors and mentors, all the changes that were made in pre-production and production made the film more character-driven and grounded. We also altered details in the text post-casting, as both Sofia (Monica) and Orlaith (Sarah) each brought their own personalities to the roles.
When Shrey (DP) and I sat down to storyboard and mood board for the film, we were on the same page even though it was our first time working together. We watched films like Caroline by Celine Held and Logan George for shot inspiration and color palette (especially the way they depicted Texas), and Esther by Rebecca Halfon for tone.
The biggest changes ended up revealing themselves in the editing and sound-design room. I had been on a big Dardenne brothers kick at the time, and Lynne Ramsay is always a big inspiration -- I would rewatch her "Small Deaths" series over and over during editing. My sound designer, Adrian, and I ended up setting the goal that the edit should feel like a suspense or thriller, despite it being a domestic drama. That was a big breakthrough, and helped me land on our intercutting scenes originally meant to be separate in the second half.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We have gotten really great feedback about our performances. We were so lucky to find Sofia and Orlaith through the casting process. They aren't just great actors, they are great people, and I hope we get to work together again in the future. There has also been positivity about the pacing, how it can be slightly unsettling and unexpected at first, but that it has paid out in the end.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Some people went in expecting the film to be plot-driven and surrounding the tornado, and were surprised that it was much more centered around family dynamics. I'm very thankful our advisors and mentors pushed us towards a character-driven direction from the beginning. The story would have been a very different tone and less-emotionally-charged for the worse if we hadn't stayed true to Monica's story. The smallest moments in someone's life can feel natural disaster/thriller adjacent. It's always been much more a story about the girls to me.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
We are thankful for We Are Moving Stories sharing new voices that challenge stereotypical narratives in the media industry. Through this opportunity, we hope new audience members find their way to our film and have a chance to watch Cover at upcoming screenings. We also love to connect with other filmmakers putting out great work, and We Are Moving Stories has been an incredible resource for finding collaborators with strong artistic visions.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
Connecting with film festival directors, journalists, and distributors interested in our concept would be incredible and welcomed to spread the word about Cover to more audience members, as well as for upcoming projects in the future.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
Our ultimate goal is that a part of Monica's story resonates with a piece of your own. That is my favorite part about filmmaking, and I hope that Cover leaves you asking more questions.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
How much has your identity been shaped by your peaks and your falls in girlhood?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I am currently in pre-production for a narrative short shooting in Spring 2024, still female-driven, but much more focused on obsession and friendship. Our producers, Brittney Hutchison and Alexa Derryberry, are in the festival circuit for upcoming short films. I am excited to see where the next year takes us and look forward to collaborating with them on our next adventure.
Interview: December 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
Cover
17-year-old Monica is left to take care for her exuberant younger sister, Sarah, for the week. As the girls rush to school one morning, the tornado sirens suddenly wail outside.
Length: 11:08
Director: Alexa May
Producer: Brittney Hutchison
Writer: Alexa May
About the writer, director and producer:
ALEXA MAY is a filmmaker and designer based in Texas. She graduated as a Women in Film Scholar from Southern Methodist University, majoring in B.A. Creative Advertising and B.F.A. Film Production with minors in Spanish and Graphic Design. Her films explore the role of sisterhood in complex family structures. Official selections include platforms such as the Oak Cliff Film Festival, Hollywood Shortsfest, DIFF, and PBS. Since 2019, she has been producing the feature film Smile, an Austin Film Society Pioneer Grant selectee, currently on the festival circuit.
BRITTNEY HUTCHISON is a producer based in Los Angeles. She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, where she earned a B.F.A. in Film and Media Arts and a B.A. in English (Creative Writing specialization) with minors in Arts Management and Arts Entrepreneurship. She is drawn to the intersect of social justice and film, the influencing and unifying power of storytelling. Over the past few years, she has been producing an independent feature film called Smile, an Austin Film Society Pioneer Grant selectee, currently on the festival circuit.
Key cast: Sofia Rodríguez (Monica), Orlaith Markey (Sarah), Elizabeth Moore (Mom), Jaimie Krycho (Voicemail Box Woman)
Looking for: film festival directors, distributors, journalisrs
Instagram: @thecoverfilm
Hashtags used: #indiefilm #studentfilm #tornado #comingofage
Website: www.alexamay.com/film/cover
Other: IMDb
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Hollywood Shortsfest - December 2023 - Los Angeles, California
(more updates coming soon!)