Stuck inside, a family struggles to find comfort. Are they going crazy, or is something really going on out there? They're trying to convince themselves as much as they're trying to convince you.

Interview with Writer/Director/Producer/Editor/Animator Libbey Kirchner

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

This was my senior film project for my degree, so in a way, I had no choice, but I wanted to make something that played on all of my strengths as a filmmaker. It's a showcase of everything I can do but also everything I am; this is what I've been working for, all up there on the screen. That's scary, but also breathtaking, which in my mind is what filmmaking is all about.

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

It's unconventional and keeps you on your toes. In the end, you'll know what happened, or you'll think you did, or you'll have lots of questions but overall you'll have a good time.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

The story itself is a dramatic exaggeration of my experience of living with my family during the pandemic, but focuses on the relationship between parent/child sibling/sibling while also inviting topics of existentialism, the absurd, and the Doomsday Clock.

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

The script was always supposed to be something I fell back on. I imagined my actors working mostly improv, but as the script started to take shape it stood on its own and was ultimately the best for us to work from. It also helped when one of my actors got Covid a week before we were about to shoot. I shot my two other actors together and waited a week before shooting my third actor, having script readers fill in the parts to keep the delivery 'on time' with the missing actor(s). This gave me power to control the emotional range of my actors each take while sticking to the rigid form of the script for continuity when editing.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

It has a twist ending that I never know how people will initially react to, but so far everyone has really enjoyed it and wants to talk about it. It's not exactly a crowd-pleaser, but I do know there is something in there for everyone to enjoy, whether they understand the overarching story or not.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

It's great knowing that it's connecting with people and it's something they want to talk about. I wish I was experiencing my film with new eyes so I could watch and be surprised like everyone else, but it's kind of fun knowing where the white rabbit is going before Alice.

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

I really want more people to see my work and what I can do. Not only as a working filmmaker but also as a queer/nonbinary individual. We are in a time where our voices are needed more than ever and I want to be a part of the noise to help raise others up.

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

This film is my creative genius but also a calling card for any job in the industry, so anyone who takes an interest in it and in me should be contacted.

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

Like I said, it's my resume but it's also a project I'm incredibly proud of and I want to share it with anyone who wants it. Film (and the arts) should also be accessible to everyone! It would be cool for my film to impact someone the way others have impacted me.

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

What was the creative process like (preproduction, production, postproduction)?

Would you like to add anything else?

Thank you for reaching out to me!

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

I'm in the writing stages of a short film that will act as a proposal for an eventual feature/episodic series. It takes place during a Northern Wisconsin summer at the lake with a group of children who deal with parental abandonment through supernatural means.

Interview: May 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

100 Seconds To Midnight

Stuck inside, a family struggles to find comfort. Are they going crazy, or is something really going on out there? They're trying to convince themselves as much as they're trying to convince you.

Length: 12:18

Director: Libbey Kirchner

Producer: Libbey Kirchner

Writer: Libbey Kirchner

About the writer, director and producer:

From Manitowoc, Wisconsin, LIBBEY KIRCHNER is a non-binary filmmaker whose works range from experimental multi-media to puppetry animation to screenwriting. This is their second directorial debut to be featured in a festival. Their first, Unholy But Still Divine, was chosen for the 2022 Cactus Club Independent Film Festival 'LGBTQ+ Made' category. This is Libbey's first self-produced film.

Key cast: Mindy Shaw (Mother), Caitlin McGwethy (X), Aven Campau (Billy)

Looking for: producers, film festival directors and journalists

Facebook: Libbey Kirchner

Instagram: @ambiguousamoeba

Hashtags used: #100Seconds, #time4dinner

Other: Vimeo

Funders: Self-funded