How long have you been doing movies? How did you decide to start making movies?

I have been making movies for over 10 years. Long story short, I grew up in theater and choir from childhood into my teen years, also writing skits and plays for my church’s youth group and directing them. After going to school to pursue a music degree, everything in life just led me to look into filmmaking. I fell in love it and the rest is history!

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Why did you do this project?

During the pandemic, I decided to apply for Graduate school at my Alma mater, California State University, Fullerton to obtain my Master in Fine Arts degree in Screenwriting. One of our classes was solely based on learning to write a concept/script for every genre and this was my concept for Horror week. Once I wrote it, I sent it to my producer, Keilee Bentley, and said, “we should make this”. That was in October, and by that December, we were filming. None of our crew had filmed since the pandemic hit, so it was a great way to get everyone together and create again. I loved the script so much, we just had to do it!

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(If you can say). How much budget did you have to do this project?

Monumentally low.

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Was it self-funded or did you get budget/producers/investors?

I am very very blessed to know some incredibly generous people who open their homes to us, locations they know of, properties they manage, and so on. We called all of our film buddies and told them we were quickly getting it together, we’d feed them all good food, so who wanted to join in? No one said no. I think they all felt the same way we did, we just wanted to get together and create again.

 

How long did it take from the initial idea to being able to release?

This part took a lot longer than we would’ve liked. It took about 1.5 years from initial idea to completion. The delay was mostly that I went into my last year of Graduate school, which was very grueling, so the film had to be shelved for a little while. Once I graduated, we hit the ground running and now we’re ready to share it with everyone!

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Are you happy with the result?

We are very happy with the result! We cast three amazing and talented teen girls to star in this film, and they did not disappoint! I am extremely proud of them! They gave it their all, and it really shows! And the crew, I just can’t say enough. Without their hard work and dedication to their craft, the film wouldn’t be what it is. I am beyond grateful.

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What phase is this project in right now? Are you in the initial phase of sending it to festivals, middle phase or finishing the circuit?
Yes, we are in our initial phase of sending it out to festivals! I am really excited to see where it goes from here!

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How has your experience been with the festivals so far? Where do you think they should improve?
My last film, “The Dinner Party” did extremely well in its festival run, so I have high hopes for “Cemetery Games”. I haven’t had a bad experience. I think everyone has been wonderful!

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Normally, filmmakers use many references, favorite directors, favorite movies, etc. Were you inspired by any director or film? If so, tell us your references.
I really drew inspiration from John Krasinski and “A Quiet Place”. You almost forget that that movie is a horror film because it’s so much more than that. He creates such a great balance of emotion, a parent’s love for their children, mixed with the horrific way of life they have no choice but to live. I always think about films like that when I’m writing something scary. My point of view is never the fear-factor, it’s wanting to create an emotional connection with the characters so when they do go through something traumatic, you feel for them.

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Your favorite movie?

This is a hard one because there are so many movies among different genres that I love, but I’m going to go with my favorite trilogy which is “Back to the Future”.

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Favorite series?

“The Office”, hands-down.

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Do you see yourself making movies in 5 years? Where do you see yourself?

Absolutely. I always say that making movies is the air I breathe. This is definitely the life for me. In 5 years? With a production company making movies that I love and am passionate about.

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Do you have any other project in mind?

Yes! I am actually in the middle of writing a new script, a psychological thriller, that we will be filming this summer entitled “Shadows Within”.

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What do you ask for the future? (cinematographically speaking)

My hope is to make a wave in the industry making the type of films that I love, not the cookie-cutter films, but something new.

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Your best experience in a movie theater?

I went to the DGA (Director’s Guild) with a friend back in 2017 to watch Sophia Coppola’s “The Beguiled”. I was in awe the entire film. When the lights came up and the curtains were drawn, my friend looked at me and said “that’s you”, as in, that’s me as a writer/director on the screen. That’s exactly how I felt. The feeling I had in that moment still motivates till this day.