With just under two weeks left until the 10th deadCENTER extravaganza, we thought it would be a good idea to help you get to know some of our fantastic filmmakers. So, borrowing an idea from LA Weekly’s Karina Longworth (the Bernard Pivot to our James Lipton), we submitted four questions to each filmmaker about and themselves and their films. We’ll be randomly posting as many responses as we can fit in between now and the kick-off.
Next up is Jeremy Berger, writer/director of The Van, which screens in our Comedy Shorts program Thursday, June 10th at 6:00pm and Saturday, June 12th at 3:00pm.
1. Tell us about your movie. Give us the reductive, 25-word or less, “It’s like [pop culture reference a] meets [pop culture reference b]!” pitch, then explain what the quick and dirty sell leaves out.
Moby Dick. With Bike Messengers.
2. Are you a full-time filmmaker? If not, tell us how you get by while raising money for your films.
Full time? Kind of. I am a producer/Shooter with Tallboy Films, producing documentaries and commercials for advertising.
3. Have you been to deadCENTER before? What’s something you look forward to discovering (or re-living) at the festival and/or in Oklahoma City?
Never. But I have been to OkC before, and had a blast. Particularly, I am interested in Cattlemen’s.
4. Every filmmaker has influences and cinematic heroes. Name one of yours, and while you’re at it, tell us one film (or scene) in history that you wish you had directed.
My cinematic heroes have always been the indies in the horror genres. Sam Raimi and his gang of (now web-slinging) miscreants, as well as Peter Jackson (Meet The Feebles = Soul Vomit). I find that these filmmakers found very effective ways to give their lo-budget masterpieces a kinetic-ism that we rarely find even in today’s digitally-driven productions. One film I wish I had directed? Army of Darkness. I could die after that, my work would be complete.
