1-800-HOT-NITE
When 13-year-old, Tommy, loses his parents to a drug raid he turns to a phone sex operator (his fairy godmother) for help as he embarks on an urban odyssey to escape foster care with his two best friends, Steve and O’Neill.
Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Nick Richey
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
My wife and producing partner and I had finally saved up enough cash for a down payment on a house. It's the middle of the pandemic and we're sick of our one bedroom apartment. Instead, we decided to put every dollar we had into making this film. Our creative lives have always come first for us. This film is a semi-autobiographical exploration of these critical moments from my childhood where I was distinctly thrust from childhood into adulthood at an age that I would consider "too early". So I wrote this coming-of-age tale to broach those subjects that were so personal to me. It has been a cathartic experience.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
As a young man who grew up under some difficult circumstances, I made many mistakes that could have landed me in jail and ruined relationships with family and friends. Instead, many of the people in my life showed me grace and a pathway that allowed me to make changes and become the worst version of myself. I think this film challenges the viewer to look at these children's lives through a non-judgmental lens and will ideally challenge the way a viewer will approach those young people out there making mistakes and who so desperately need a second chance.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The personal themes are very direct in this film due to its autobiographical nature. There's a moment in the film where Tommy (the lead) has to make the decision to be "a man" and a brother and give up on the fantasy of running away from his responsibilities. I always feel like the personal themes are universal. The more personal, the more universal. I think that any viewer will be able to see themselves in these young characters and relate to the mistakes of youth and the way that we are all doing our best to work through a very confusing life.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The first draft of the script was almost the final draft actually. There were very small changes as it developed and a lot of that was through dialogue and a little bit of scene swapping. We were filming a movie in 18 days with minors and every scene takes place at night so we could only shoot from 9pm (sundown) until 12:15AM which meant we had a 3 1/2 hour window per night to shoot 93 pages. It was extremely difficult and required a lot of evolution in the way were shooting the film as we went along. There was a lot of consolidation to ensure that we got through the scenes. Additionally, our editor did a fantastic job with pacing out the film in post to find the moments to give the film a deep breath. It moves pretty quickly otherwise.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback has been really spectacular so far. There have been so many people that have approached us after a screening to say that they related to these characters and that it reminded them of their childhood. That was truly the response we were hoping for so it feels really great to see that connection. Additionally, it's great to hear from the film festival programmers that are champions of the film talk about how they laughed and cried and everything in between. I always wanted the movie to feel like a roller-coaster.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
There are definitely moments where the audience is laughing at a moment that I didn't think was necessarily funny. I love when that happens. otherwise, I feel like the feedback has been pretty spot on to what we were hoping for.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
This independent film-making world is already so difficult to stand out in and it's really all about finding our way to film lovers. We want those people out there that will give an indie film a chance to watch the movie, seek us out and find the project.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
For us, it would be amazing to get a worldwide sales agent and to connect with other journalists.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I want it feel like a modern-day "Stand By Me". I want people to watch it and see that the youth can carry a rated-R drama and actually impact the viewer in a meaningful way. I want it to spark conversation between children and their parents.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Do we think the foster care system can play a hybrid role with parents who are struggling but still clearly love their children and want to be in their lives?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Nick Richey is currently seeking studio partnership/financing for his follow-up feature film, "Jack Ricky". He's also currently in development on a television series, "Section 8"
Interview: June 2022
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
1-800-HOT-NITE
Length:
1:33:00
Writer/Director
Nick Richey is an award-winning independent filmmaker whose latest feature film he wrote and directed titled, Low Low, received critical acclaim from NPR, LA Times and Variety amongst others. He co-wrote Room 203, released theatrically in April 2022 by Vertical Entertainment. His sophomore writing/directing effort, 1-800-HOT-NITE had its world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in 2022. He is now entering pre-production on his third feature film, JACK RICKY.
Producer
Zach Mann is the Co-President of Halfway Crooks Entertainment with business partner Nick Richey. Zach produced the highly acclaimed and certified fresh feature film "Low Low" (2019). "Birthday Boy," a short film he produced was acquired by HBO in 2017. The film was Executive Produced by Oscar nominated and Emmy Award winning director Jean-Marc Valle (Dallas Buyers Club, Big Little Lies.)
Key cast:
Dallas Young (Tommy), Gerrison Machado (O'Neill), Mylen Bradford (Steve), Ali Richey (Ava), DaJuan Johnson (Russ), Brent Bailey (Officer Riden), KImleigh Smith (Patty)
Looking for:
journalists, sales agents
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/1800hotnitefilm/
Hashtags used:
#indiefilm #comingofage
More info:
Where can I watch it?
Film Festival/Woods Hole Film Festival - August 4th, 2022