Two men, Jack and Russell, head out to the desert in search of a mysterious briefcase that they hope will change their lives for the better, only to discover their motives may change the journey for the worse.

Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Emily Potter, Grace Potter

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

I met a really incredible actor (Russell Harvard) on a film in New Orleans and I wanted to make something with him. Russell is deaf and as I was figuring out the story I wanted to tell I felt strongly about not wanting the story we were telling to hinge around him being deaf.

Its important to tell stories about all communities but true expansion of representation means casting individuals from those communities in roles that go beyond their collective experiences.

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

Audiences should watch this film because it is a beautiful crime, noir, thriller set against the breath taking backdrop of West Texas. The story and its characters are compelling and will leave the audience wanting more.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Far West deals with the ubiquitous themes of friendship, hope, betrayal and greed.

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

The script went through many different stages in our development. The first draft that was written was a completely different story about one person in the snow succumbing to the elements. We realized we were not going to be able to shoot it before the snow melted and switched our location to the desert- still with a man fighting for his life against the elements.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

We have received really positive feedback! I think people really connect to the thematic language we created. Another point of conversation is our on screen representation. Both of our actors are deaf but this is not a story about disability I think people are recognizing that and responding positively to our choice of casting two incredible actors.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

The feedback has been really encouraging. I was surprised by the amount of people that have connected to the story and inquired about the past lives of our characters. There were a few moments we included that left room for viewers to wonder and its been exciting to see which scenes people gravitate towards.

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

My hope is that people watch Far West and it sits with them emotionally and makes them digest the characters and the situation they were in and how it relates to peoples own integrity and choices especially when faced at moments of desperation.

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

We need buyers, distributors, film festivals and journalists. We feel like this is a film people should see and talk about. We hope that it lives with everyone for awhile.

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

What do the next steps of representation on screen look like and how do we continue creating stories that have a bigger scope?

Would you like to add anything else?

Russell Harvard and Julian Moiwoi are truly incredible actors and put their heart and soul into their performances. People should cast them for all types of roles because they are spectacular. Emily and I can’t wait to work with them again.

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

We are currently working on the feature script for Far West. We also have a sweet Austin love story we would really like to make in the summer.

Interview: April 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

Far West

Length:

9:00

Writer

GRACE POTTER was a writers assistant on the CBS show Strange Angel, she makes her writing debut with Far West. C. BAILEY WERNER has written feature scripts, pilots, and shorts and is best known for A Perfect Host and The One You’re With.

Director

Grace & Emily Potter are a sibling directing duo from Austin Texas. Far West is their debut narrative short film.

Producer

C. BAILEY WERNER is an Austin based indie producer known for his films A Perfect Host and The One You’re With. He is currently the show runner on Van Go, a reality van building show currently on the Magnolia Network. GRACE POTTER helped produce an upcoming A24 Feature starring Jennifer Lawrence. EMILY POTTER produced the short documentary The Archer Hadley Story which showed at SXSW and The White House Student Film Festival.
Key cast:

Russell Harvard (Russell), Julian S Moiwai (Jack)

Looking for:

journalists, film festival directors, buyers

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/farwestshort/

Hashtags used:

#farwestshort #pottersisters

More info:

https://www.farwestshort.com/

Screeened at SXSW 2022