I’m a Canadian mum who discovered a love for writing when I was pretty young. I wrote my first feature screenplay at 14 (looking back it was very flawed but I just knew I wanted to write more). It was during Covid that I finally decided to follow my dreams, went to film school and learned how to put my ideas onto a page. I enjoy writing strong female protagonists and exploring each character’s behaviour in detail. My ultimate goal is to direct my own films and watch my visions come to life.
-Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?
I think my passion for writing scripts came first. I have always enjoyed watching movies and television, however, I think my true appreciation for cinema developed after film school. I decided to start taking notes on the films I watched and share my opinions by posting my reviews on social media. The first film that really spoke to me, was Past Lives. It truly made me appreciate the entire composition of a film. The artistry of it is something I hope I can achieve in my own work.
-Tell us about your project “AILENE”.
AILENE is a super short script I developed for a 24 hr script competition held by Filmmakers Connect.
“Iris’s only friend is her AI program, Ailene. However, Iris didn’t take into consideration how protective a best friend can be.”
It’s a brief look into the risk that comes with AI if we aren’t careful.
-Which Director inspires you the most?
The director who inspires me… would be Celine Song. There are so many poetic little moments in Past Lives that make all the difference. Things that a lot of people wouldn’t care about but Celine clearly does; The flickers of pure human response that tend to be easily overlooked. Those things can be the difference between a scene being sad or it being heartbreaking.
-What do you dislike about the world and what would you change?
What do I dislike most about the world? It might sound controversial but humanity. I think people have such profound potential for good and kindness yet so often they choose to live in selfishness and a gross devaluing of others. Luckily, I think art has an innate ability to bring people together, to expose truth and find common ground. So, there is hope.
If I could change anything about the world, it would be getting back to our roots as a species, caring less about the value of a dollar and more about the value of people. Bringing back community and a culture of caring and cooperation. Taking care of the planet we live on, natural foods, focusing on health instead of managing the aftermath. May be a bit naive but maybe someday it will happen.
-How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?
In 100 years I think 3D physical experiences could exist. A world you can walk around in, interact with, potentially touch, smell, feel. I mean look at how far we’ve come already? But I also think that speaks to how important film and the arts is to people. It’s a lifeline.
-What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?
I think having a community like this one is so incredibly important for filmmakers to network but also just to come together and share an appreciation of art and stories. It’s exciting and something I look forward to seeing continue to flourish.
I’m a survivor of emotional abuse who, at the age of 45, found herself at a crossroads and chose to do something bold. I moved halfway across the country to a place where I knew no one and decided to reinvent myself. I was no longer willing to be a victim.
The Revenge Club grew out of real-life experiences—my own abusive marriages, as well as the stories friends trusted me with. Writing became a way to process, to reclaim power, and to tell the truth without shame. The project allowed me to take something deeply painful and reshape it through humor, honesty, and perspective.
Music reopened the door to writing for me. While the songs weren’t written specifically for the screenplay, they helped me find my voice again—and one of them, The Road to Hell, may ultimately live within the film itself.
I always look for the silver linings. My faith keeps me grounded and reminds me that anything is possible—that no matter how difficult life becomes, there is always something to be grateful for.
Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?
I don’t remember one exact moment, but I remember the feeling. When I was a kid, going to the movies was an experience. The theaters where I grew up still had balconies and showed only one film at a time—and if you missed it, you had to wait a long time to see it, and it was never the same experience on a small television as it was on the big screen.
There was something magical about walking into a theater and being completely immersed. Seeing those characters come to life, falling in love with the stories, and getting pulled into each world. Cinema wasn’t just entertainment—it was an emotional experience, and that feeling never left me.
Tell us about your project, The Revenge Club.
The project began with an idea inspired by a real-life experience of my own. As I started talking with friends about their experiences in the dating world, the story kept growing. I realized how many of us were navigating similar situations, yet rarely saw those stories reflected on screen.
I wanted to tell a story centered on strong female characters in their late forties, fifties, and beyond. Too often, women at that age are relegated to supporting roles—playing the mom or the grandmother—rather than being shown as complex, desirable women navigating love, desire, and power. Dating in my late forties opened my eyes to how rich and darkly funny those stories could be.
Working with seniors, and watching my own mother date again after being widowed in her late seventies, expanded that perspective even further. I saw real romance, vulnerability, and courage—and was reminded that women never stop wanting love or deserving to be the heroine of their own story.
Ultimately, writing The Revenge Club became its own form of empowerment. Telling these stories—giving voice to experiences that are often minimized—felt like the most meaningful response I could have. For me, the real victory wasn’t revenge itself, but transforming something painful into something honest, creative, and alive.
Which director inspires you the most?
Alfred Hitchcock has always inspired me for the way he created suspense and took audiences on a thrilling ride. He understood how to build tension slowly, letting unease grow through what was suggested rather than what was shown. I admire how he trusted the audience and used suspense to reveal character and emotion, not just plot. That kind of patience and psychological tension feels increasingly rare, and it continues to influence the way I think about storytelling.
What do you dislike about the world, and what would you change?
What troubles me most is how ageism—especially toward women—still quietly exists, particularly in film and media. There’s so much pressure for women to erase themselves as they age, through Botox, airbrushing, and a kind of sameness that makes so many faces almost unrecognizable. Meanwhile, men are often celebrated as debonair or distinguished as they get older, while older women are rarely allowed the same complexity or reverence.
I would love to see more honest portrayals of women—faces, stories, and lives that reflect real experience and emotional depth. Women deserve to be seen as evolving, powerful, and worthy of being the heroine of their own story at every age.
How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?
I imagine cinema becoming far more immersive—almost like an Aldous Huxley Brave New World–style experience, where stories engage not just sight and sound, but feeling, texture, and emotion. But no matter how advanced the technology becomes, I believe the heart of cinema will remain the same. People will always want stories they can escape into—stories that make them feel something, surprise them, and reflect their own humanity. The tools may evolve, but emotional truth and connection will always be what draws audiences in.
What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?
WILD FILMMAKER feels like a space that values bold, honest storytelling and the individuality of a filmmaker’s voice. I appreciate platforms that honor cinema as an art form while still making room for independent creators who are willing to take risks and explore uncomfortable or unconventional ideas. It feels rooted in a genuine love of film and storytelling, rather than trends or formulas, and that kind of space is important in today’s creative landscape.
I am from a small pineapple village in Wahiawa, Hawaii, my creative journey began long before I stepped onto a stage then ultimately as a writer. Growing up, I was mesmerized by the rhythmic precision of Bon Odori Festivals and the craftsmanship of my uncle, who built custom vintage Volkswagen beetles from the ground up. Watching my relatives transform simple ingredients into extraordinary meals taught me that artistry exists in every medium. These early influences ignited a passion for expression that at age 14 I was exposed to creative writing, speech, and drama classes. In 1997, I brought that island spirit to Seattle, continuing my career as an actor in the Pacific Northwe
st. For over twenty years, I have channeled my observations into plays, screenplays, and poetry, capturing the “random thoughts” that define the human experience.
Nowadays, I am 100% dedicated as a screenwriter. My work spans the breadth of six genres: thriller, spy, sci-fi, horror, drama, and romance. An alumnus of the prestigious NYU Tisch School of the Arts, my background as a former theatre writer and actor infuses his screenplays with a profound understanding of character and dialogue.My work has earned myself significant recognition, with scripts accumulating 28 wins across film festivals in the USA, Europe, and Asia. I have also received over 50 official selections which shocked me!. Outside of my writing, I try to balance his creative pursuits with a life rooted in craftsmanship and adventure, working as a skilled woodworker, exploring the open road as a motorcyclist, or finding companionship with the dogs.
-Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?
My passion for cinema ignited at age eight when I first experienced the Shōgun miniseries. Watching Toshiro Mifune, I was instantly mesmerized by his commanding presence. He epitomized the art of “doing more with less,” delivering an intense, understated performance that has resonated with me throughout my life. This fascination led me to James Clavell’s original novel, which I found equally exceptional. The narrative is a masterclass in political intrigue—essentially Richard III reimagined within the complex social hierarchy of feudal Japan. Mifune’s “badass” portrayal remains the benchmark for cinematic gravity in my eyes.
-Tell us about your project “Wisdom’s Teeth”.
My creative vision was to break from tradition and craft a narrative that unfolds through an unconventional dual perspective, moving beyond a standard script format to immerse the audience in the intimate worldview of each character. The goal was to intricately detail the raw, visceral terror evident in the child’s eyes while simultaneously illuminating her burgeoning courage. This approach allowed for a deeper exploration of the antagonist—a dentist whose every thought, motion, and utterance is meticulously calculated, creating a deliberately unsettling, timeless, and profoundly terrifying presence. The narrative leverages a universally shared aversion to the dental environment, a place of discomfort and fear ingrained in us from childhood and persisting well into adulthood. This personal connection to the setting, this pervasive sense of unease that the mere thought of a dentist evokes, forms the emotional core of the story, making the fear deeply relatable and intensely personal for the audience. The intent was to ensure that the story resonates on a fundamental, human level by tapping into an everyday, yet potent, source of anxiety.
-Which Director inspires you the most?
Lee Tamahori from New Zealand, his intensity whether it’s hate, love, silent communication, or just in the moment has an extreme. Once Were Warriors was an underrated masterpiece in my opinion. Love in many forms, some understood, some frowned upon, but love was the overall throughline in scarred characters maing their way in the world.
-What do you dislike about the world and what would you change?
I believe society has lost its way, trading genuine human connection for an overdependence on technology. While social media has its uses, it is too often treated as scripture, drowning us in detrimental conjecture and hollow trends. We have forgotten how to simply “be.” What I dislike most is this drift away from our baseline humanity. I would change our obsession with the “trending” and replace it with a return to simplicity. In my screenwriting, I focus on characters who exist in a space of raw presence—they aren’t governed by digital noise or binary notions of right and wrong; they just exist. The world needs a “back to basics” revolution. We should embrace the struggle of falling down and picking ourselves up. True satisfaction comes from enduring failure and developing the thick skin required to create something that is authentically yours. While I am open to innovation—whether it’s filming on a phone or exploring the potential of AI—these tools should never replace our fundamental standards. We must maintain a sense of self and a commitment to high-quality storytelling that exists independently of an algorithm. By simplifying our lives and refocusing on the human experience, we can reclaim the satisfaction of a life truly lived and stories truly told.
-What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?
I am very impressed, honored and ultimately flattered that Wisdom’s Teeth was selected! I love how Wild Filmmaker has a global and high standard presence in the filmmaking community providing exposure to a wealth of very talented artists! I am so excited to be a part of this journey and can’t see where this takes me!
I’m a writer, actor, and filmmaker focused on character-driven stories that sit at the intersection of identity, control, and survival. I’m drawn to narratives that feel intimate but carry global stakes—stories for the intelligent viewers that can linger beyond the screen.
Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?
I’ve always loved the arts—singing, dancing, performance. But my connection to cinema truly ignited while working as an extra on Avengers: Endgame. Being on set and witnessing the scale, precision, and collaboration behind the camera made me realize film wasn’t just something to watch—it was something I needed to create.
Tell us about “The Venetian Man”.
The Venetian Man is the first chapter in a four-part film series titled The Obsidian Protocol Saga. It introduces Marco Escher—played by me—a man drawn into a covert world where identity, memory, and control are constantly in question. While the larger saga expands in scope, this first film is intentionally intimate, focused on psychological tension and the personal cost of uncovering the truth.
Which director inspires you the most?
Christopher Nolan. I’m inspired by filmmakers who trust the audience’s intelligence—stories that reward attention and thought. Films that challenge rather than explain, and continue working on the viewer long after they end.
What do you dislike about the world, and what would you change?
The constant noise. We’re surrounded by distraction. I’d like to see more patience—both in storytelling and in how people engage with one another.
How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?
More immersive, but also more restrained. Technology will evolve, but the legendary films that endure will still be rooted in human emotion, conflict, and truth.
What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?
WILD FILMMAKER feels like a platform that values intention over trends—one that supports filmmakers who take risks and treat cinema as an art form, not just content.
How does one define oneself, the essence of their being, in something so mundane and prone to misinterpretation as human symbols?
You see, all language is constructed of symbols. Each letter, each word, each phrase or sentence, each paragraph, chapter, book, series, collection, saga, or epic is composed of root symbols.
“The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao.”
– Opening to the Tao Te Ching (I Ching)
Human society, as a whole, tends to use these symbols tribally, much to my dismay. The beauty of poetry, of cinema, of art is the ability to reach beyond these tribal differentiations by utilizing metaphor, analogy, symbolism, parable, as well as a vast number of other techniques such as visual or auditory symbolism, which, if employed correctly, hold the power to go beyond the surface illusions of the symbols used to generate them and become that “unspeakable Tao” within the essence of those who view the artist(s)’ craft. To become something greater than the sum of its parts, a Truth in the very marrow of our souls, and in doing so, become the embodiment if our very existence; we are, at the core, at the root consciousness level, beings of light and energy – stardust in mortal form – and we, too, are greater than the sum of any individuated aspect of our totality.
We are the Philodopher’s Stone, each of us capable of alchemizing and transmuting energy, negative or positive, with the very fabric of our beings.
-Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?
I have always loved media and storytelling. At less than six months old, I remember watching The Andy Griffith Show and Mr. Ed through the bars on my crib.
However, the real “click” moment for me was at four, at my parents house in the den, sitting on a beige carpet in gentle light in 1985, watching the living room TV display my first Live Action film.
The film?
Just The Empire Strukes Back.
That viewing radically altered the DNA of my conscious self from that point fowards on my journey.
The music: I had never heard anything close! I had been listening to Rafi and others like him my whole existence, when suddenly WHAM! Here comes John Williams like a musical Zeus of ages past striking beyond the tribal symbols and into the very essence of my being. I became a musician, a self taught composer at first, then later the principal cellist of many orchestras, and played professionally in a string quartet, all before turning 18 years old. I met my high school sweetheart through orchestra, the Carolina Youth Symphony to be exact, where i served as principal cellist for several years consecutively.
Yet, that is only a fraction of the experience.
I became the AV expert in my AFJROTC Corps in high school, while simultaneously serving a number of other leadership roles, culminating in my role as Recruitment Officer for the whole Corps, the third ranking member overall as a Major, due to the fact I only was in that Corps for three years. We earned the prestigious Presidebt’s Award for excellence all three years i was a member there.
These opened up fantastic opportunities for me.
I attended the South Carolina Junior Governor’s School for the Arts, studying everything from sculpture to mosaics to various painters, movements, styles, music, and a lot more.
I was invited to, and participated in, war games in Washington D.C. at the National Youth Leadership Conference on Defense and Intelligence, where i was elected President of my Scenario/War Game unanimously, and we collectively decided to work as a harmonic organism: every voice heard, valued, listened to, and incorporated into the tactics and strategies for our group to overcome the various obstacles presented during the scenario.
Finally, the gift that kept giving: a fierce passion for strategy games. I played every collectable card game I could get my hands on for over 20 years, and did so professionally. My favorite was Star Wars CCG by Decipher. I was ranked, back in the early 2000s, above a 2300 ELO, with a world ranking between top 12 in the world and inside the top 8, for years consistently. The friendships I garnered there are still some of my closest, even after being in the community solidly from 1995 through 2025.
All these things derived from that seemingly innocuous viewing of a film in 1985. And all different forms of the same thing: narrative story telling.
-Tell us about your project “The Harmony Saga, MOVEMENT I – DISCIPLE: ACT I OF THE HARMONY SAGA”.
Both projects are near and dear to my heart. The Harmony Saga started in a very curious way.
I was invited to write a brief snippet of script, something I had never been taught or knew anything about, as a way to earn a spot in UCF’s BFA program in 2023. I had to submit the work during the first week of December in 2022.
I wrote the opening pages, to establish the mythical world, and the crux/climax of The Legend Of Ascalon, as my way to earn my spot in the program. This is the final film of the Saga now.
Upon filling out the information for the program, the submit button simply did not work, no matter what I tried, until i swapped from the Screenwriter Program and instead selected the Narrative Production track: Directing/Screenwriting. I had no desire there, as I had never directed anything, and the acceptance was extremely narrow; yet, somehow I was deemed “qualified” for reasons that still elude me.
The Legend Of Acalon is the final film, of six feature-length films contained within the manuscript that is The Harmony Saga. Every individual film has received selection status, or higher, indepebdant of the totality, yet collectively as a cohesive vision have garnered more than 25 awards and selections across every continent we have submitted on.
MOVEMENT I – DISCIPLE: EPISODE I OF THE HARMONY SAGA is a re-envisioning of the opening of the first film of the Saga, using state of the art AI generation and animation. The first Act was completed in early December after less than 7 22 hour days of production, and has been making the festival circuit, independently garnering in its limited run thus far over 15 awards and selections in its own right already, with more juries yet to announce their verdicts. Based on this critical success, I completed Act II in 14 hours for $60.00, then merged them into a cohesive whole alongside a prelude/prologue, which is an epic symphonia setting the tone for liquid laser lightning ballet of light dancing in geometric shapes fluidly, followed by a non-arabic Azaan (spiritual call to become One with the Infinite) layered with a poem and another orchestral piece composed by Analia Lentini, the brilliant Argentinian composer.
-Which Director inspires you the most?
Oh man! There are so so many! The history of cinema is so vast, with so many unique and beautiful voices of all colors, creeds, genders, nationalities, movements and eras that picking one seems impossible!
However, to provide some assistance, there are four key headliners, from recent film hostory, as touchstones for me artistically. And one other, from a distant era of cinema, and i will focus on her last.
First: George Lucas. His work, craft, and creativity were foundational for me personally. His vision, philosophy, and ethos resonate deeply.
Second: Scorsese. Taxi Driver is one of my all time favorites, and I adapted the voice over monologue to many of my own works.
Third: Nolan. The Philosopher-King of cinema himself. I love every film this man has ever made. Every one discusses, philosophically and in differentiated ways, temporal realities, distortions, and their effects on human cognition. His period pieces (Dunkirk, Oppenheimer) do so through their editing. Hats off.
Fourth: Garreth Edwards. This director is a true visionary, a magic myth weaver of light and sound and narrative. His creations, whether refueling a saga as he did with Rogue One, or founding his own as with The Creator, were seminal artistic pieces foundational to who I am as a creative. His stance on the potential of AI and harmony of co-existence is a narrative fiction describing a Truth of our current society that many are only now finally waking up to, or even starting to. Visionary is an understatement. For my film theory class at UCF, in which I got an A+, I roasted some of the most prominent film critics in the industry (Roger) for their incoherent vehemence towards a piece of art that’s only sin was telling the Truth. Yes, there are plot holes at times. Yes, some sequences had errors. Considering Cameron’s Teminator 2 alternated in just one scene between day and night inexplicably yet was hailed in the industry as genre defining, I really hope critics will cut Mr. Edwards some slack. I doubt many of them have made a film besides a home video, let alone an $80M feature length original with a cutting Truth the world is only now beginning to acknowledge. Its very easy for the armchair critics who fundamentally do not practice the craft themselves to wrigh in obscenely. For Pete’s sake, Edwards is bleeding his soul out on a silver screen to try to illuminate Truth. You may not get it, and that’s fine. You don’t have to attempt to implode an honest artist’s career in the process. Period.
Finally (and I’m sorry, truly, for the length) we come to a founder of cinema: my artistic north star and hero: Maya Dernen.
Maya Dernen was an American experimental filmmaker, an avant-garde original. Her Meshes Of The Afternoon helped open the minds of audiences to the possibilities of true, pure artistry in film. It changed perceptions for a great many things in film, including editing. Maya was also a choreographer of dance, a celebrated poet, and so much more than these brief words can ever hope to convey. She was the Renaissance Woman at the fore of avant-garde, and avant-garde, by definition, is at the fore, philosophically, of the entire medium. As an award-winning avant-garde cinematiste myself, I hold a shrine for her and her art in every aspect of every film I have ever composed. Maya, you are not forgotten. Let those with eyes see, let those with ears hear, let those with minds investigate, and let those with hearts remember. Your trials and hardships changed the course of cinema for the better. Thank you.
-What do you dislike about the world and what would you change?
Oh man!
Hierarchy. Commidification of the Soul. The silencing of Truth so that the megalonaniacs can murder innocents in the streets and call it justice. Materialism. Monetization. The collective sale of soul for tge Lie. Take your pick. World hunger. War. Dominance. The Patriarchy. The self-aggrandizement of false prophets. The false idolatry of ego. The lists go on…
-How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?
Honestly: no clue. And to be fair, I love that. Means I’ve got to do my part and continuously reinvent myself and my craft. Predictability is a recipe for boredom, and in my humble opinion, that is, in a nutshell, the very problem we collectively face with 99% of current media. Seriously? The Lion King 5 gets funding but not cutting edge artists? Have not been to a theater at all since binging Oppenheimer. Cannot wait to see the new Odyssey by Nolan. Mr Nolan, thank you for being a true voice cutting through the noise. Cinema desperately needs you and your message and your philosophy for a long time yet.
-What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?
Honestly? Based on my interactions, they seem very chill and friendly. Really appreciate the outreach and solidarity and getting my voice out of the Florida Bubble so everyone has an opportunity to at least weigh my ideas, philosophy, and the ethos behind my vision at face value. That’s a very kind and noble thing for someone in my shoes. Sincerely, thank you!
Rossella Ambrosini is an actress who works with intensity and transformation. She is an eternal dreamer, yet determined and ambitious.
Half Florentine, half Romagnola, Roman by adoption, she moves between cinema, television, and theatre. Alongside her acting work, she is also active as a voice-over artist, dubbing actress, model, and host.
When did you first realize that acting was your path?
From an early age, I was drawn to disguise and change. I loved transforming myself, inventing characters, and inhabiting different identities. Even a box of diapers could become a fashionable hat. My maternal grandfather, joking when I cried over childhood dramas, used to call me “a great actress.” Perhaps those words stayed with me and worked within me toward this goal more than I ever imagined.
As I grew up, I understood that this drive was not a game, but a vocation, a necessity.
What role did theatre play in your personal and artistic growth?
As an adult, I went through a very intense and painful emotional experience. Theatre became a true form of therapy for me, a way to return to life. That is where I realized I could no longer do without it: being on a stage or on a set makes me feel alive.
How would you describe your approach to acting?
Since 2008, I have continued to study and work between Florence and Rome, driven by what I perceive as an inner fire, a great tangle of emotions that I seek to understand and give back through my characters.
For me, acting is a vital act: a hymn to life, a way to be useful, to place myself at the service of the audience, to explore the human being between light and shadow.
What does cinema represent for you?
Cinema is pure magic: living many lives in one, crossing stories, eras, and identities, immersed in a sea of shared emotions.
Your name and identity are deeply connected to cinema history. Can you tell us more about that?
On the back of my neck, hidden beneath my hair, I have my name tattooed in English: Scarlett. Before I was born, my mother said, “I will have a daughter, she will have red hair, and I will call her Rossella,” inspired by Scarlett O’Hara from Via col vento and by the legendary actress Vivien Leigh.
Do you also explore comedy in your work?
My work is rooted in listening and emotional truth, but I also love exploring the comic register, a territory I find extremely complex and stimulating. I believe that comedy, when sincere, is one of the deepest and most powerful ways of portraying the human experience.
Over time, I have received very positive feedback precisely for my ability to combine intensity and lightness, moving seamlessly from drama to irony.
What other artistic disciplines are part of your journey today?
My work also includes singing and dancing, disciplines I consider an integral part of emotional expression. I am currently completing a master’s degree in dubbing at the CSC in Rome. I enjoy improving, learning, and continuously adding new skills.
I am primarily a television screenwriter, an executive producer, and since 2024 also Head of Drama for generalist projects at IIF, one of the oldest film and television production companies in Italy. I began writing professionally in the early 2000s and my name is attached to some of the biggest Italian TV successes, such as Distretto di Polizia, RIS (which had three European remakes), and Romanzo Criminale – The Series. For cinema, I helped launch the careers of directors like Stefano Sollima, writing the script for ACAB, and Edoardo De Angelis with Mozzarella Stories. I was also a comic book writer, which was my very first love, but for now I have put it aside to focus on television work.
Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?
There is a moment I will remember forever, and it was my encounter with the cinema of Steven Spielberg. Raiders of the Lost Ark was the first film I explicitly asked my parents to take me to see. Until then, they chose the movies; that time, I chose. Before that, I wasn’t interested in who made films, I didn’t know directors’ names. From that moment on, everything changed. Spielberg became a reference point, also because that historical period was shaped by the aesthetics of his Amblin and of Lucasfilm. It was a shock to discover, with The Color Purple, that Spielberg didn’t only tell beautiful fairy tales and that cinema could also be something else. Ultimately, I was nurtured and weaned by Spielberg: a talent and an idea of cinema that are probably unrepeatable.
Tell us about your project “TV Man – Te L(e)o Comando”.
TV Man – Te L(e)o Comando is the first fully realized short film I directed back in 1997. It disappeared into nothingness for twenty-eight years and then, out of nowhere, resurfaced in 2025. I had already made short films before, but they were fragments, without real narrative development. With this one, I challenged myself for the first time with a “structured” story: setup, first turning point, second act, midpoint, second turning point, climax… and epilogue. In the 1990s, for a kid from a small town, it was very difficult to find someone willing to produce a short film (especially one like TV Man). But the ’90s were also the era when talents like Robert Rodriguez, Kevin Smith, and Richard Linklater emerged—people who picked up a camera without asking anyone for money and, with a few thousand dollars scraped together personally, produced their debuts. I didn’t have a few thousand euros; I had a few hundred. But I was inspired by the DIY ethic to make my short film. No crew—just me and the actors, who were friends—four locations, all shot on S-VHS, which was the only recording medium I had. Editing and sound design were also DIY: two VCRs and an audio mixer. The result was a small miracle that, twenty-eight years ago, no one saw and that vanished into thin air. Today, thanks to my sheer nerve in sending it around without shame, it has been selected by over 60 festivals, received 10 honorable mentions and 8 awards—and it hasn’t finished its run yet. TV Man is naive, imperfect, innocent, but it has something that reaches the four corners of the globe.
Which director inspires you the most?
Today, I am especially inspired by Eastern directors, particularly Japanese filmmakers, who culturally manage to keep in check the logic that has devoured and killed our sense of wonder, and who are capable of a meditative calm that we no longer seem able to find. That said, my favorite directors are many: from Spielberg to Scorsese, passing through David Lynch, John Woo, Chuck Jones, and Isao Takahata. I don’t have recent reference directors because I find most contemporary cinema derivative. I don’t need to see “a new version” of something I already know—I prefer going back to the source.
What do you dislike about the world, and what would you change?
Hypocrisy, cynicism, fear of others, cruelty. We are dehumanizing ourselves without realizing that the solution is to connect, to build networks. We had arrived at this great dream toward the end of the 1980s, with the fall of the Berlin Wall: the dream of a global world, of a united Europe. That dream was destroyed, while making us believe that there are no alternatives to cruelty and reciprocal violence. That is not true. I wish someone would help people recover faith in a great shared project—something we are missing today. Because only a great common project can allow us to look at the future with hope. Today, they have taken the future away from us. They have taken hope away from us.
How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?
I have to be realistic. New forms of AI push me to think that, in 100 years, movie theaters may no longer exist, and each of us will be able to create our own personal film at home using prompts. This will globally lead to the collapse of traditional production systems. Human originality, however, will still manage to assert itself, because only the most powerful, original works—those with a true voice—will be able to leave living rooms and reach a wider audience. But it will be a self-sufficient genius, who won’t need huge budgets and will generate very high profits. Just think that today an application like Suno can already create music tracks from scratch using prompts and roughly hummed melodies. How long will it take before an artist born with Suno becomes a massive commercial success? Not long, I’m sure. From there to a film produced entirely at home, the step is very short.
What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?
I only know WILD FILMMAKER superficially, but it seems like a dynamic and extremely interesting initiative. I love its philosophy and I am impressed by the visibility results it has achieved. I’m very happy to have taken part in this interview for you.
In the Time of Night and Day, a war between Heaven and Hell rages. Which side will you choose?
Introduction
‘Rise of The Accenniri’ is a supernatural quadrilogy detailing the origin of a 8-year-old girl named Antonina who becomes The Accenniri. A story of religion and faith in a caring Higher Being versus the fear and terror of the evil Human Beings. The story begins in Sicily during the Second Italian War (1499 –1504) and continues through the centuries to our present world. As The Accenniri rises, she becomes the ‘Capo Ombra’ (Shadow Boss) of the ‘Ombré Ma Fí’.
Writer / Director
My name is Charlotte (Charli) Brown, President/CEO of 311Studio Productions, LLC. 311Studio Productions, LLC is an independent production company that creates content for web series, movies, shorts, and videos. As a writer and director, my work varies from multiple genres (horror, thriller, drama), book adaptations and educational productions. My imagination created a concept and I decided to pursue the possibility of writing. It is very important that the true meaning of a story is kept intact and free of formed opinions. Words are powerful and vulnerable at the same time. It depends on how, who and when they are spoken. I am a retired ‘Air Force Brat’. I grew up traveling the world. As a ‘bookworm’, I would get lost in the stories and incorporate a character’s traits into my life. It was fun to see the world from a different perspective and have a new voice to share the experiences. It would be amazing to film all over the world to show that while we are different in race and religion, we share one common trait – the ability to kill. Humanity is a very loose term and hides behind civilized alliances. It would be amazing to explore the mindset of people who justify murder in the name of religion, war or survival. The Amoral Collective was influenced by the expansive imagination of David Bowie. It is amazing that he is able to create a character, write songs as that character, have messages in the lyrics and invite you into his world. He knows you will be able to relate. ‘Diamond Dogs’, ‘Ziggy Stardust’, ‘Space Oddity’, etc. reads like a novel and performs like a movie. After all these years, I get lost in his reality.
I’m a director that loves emotionally resonant characters and visuals. Retro cinema is a huge inspiration behind how I frame everything. I love the style of films from the 1970s and 1980s particularly. It’s really about texture and restraint, rather than “cosplay”.
I actually became interested filmmaking through stop motion work. Using figures to understand blocking and staging was very important in developing my filmmaking style.
Do you remember the exact moment you fell in love with cinema?
There is no one “moment”, I’ve always loved movies. However, when my parents took me to the movies for the first time at 3 years old to see Cars (2006), I was cheering on lightning McQueen as little me stood up in the movie theater chair.
Tell us about your project “After Dark”.
“After Dark” is a short film about a vampire mob boss who hunts down his brother’s killer, all while the rest of the mafia family plots his downfall.
This film is both a thriller and comedy. What makes the film work is both genres complement each other instead of distract. I’m interested in how visuals and music shape identity and I certainly played with this idea throughout the film. Taking characters that could easily be incredibly dislikable and making them likeable was a fun challenge when writing the script. I really let the characters do the talking and try not to interfere with them even though I’m their architect. The reason they could’ve been dislikable is because of their status and nature. A vampire mafia family. Standing above everyone and everything. Instead of making them too distant to connect with, I put them at the heart of the film by following the boss. However, the caveat is that the character, “Ezekiel”, secretly doesn’t want to be in charge of the mafia family and wants to live life on his own terms.
Which Director inspires you the most?
Martin Scorsese inspires me most, but another favorite would be Paul Thomas Anderson. The way Scorsese uses camera movement and editing to emphasize character moments is incredible. The music choices are amazing as well, they’re always motivated and intentional just as every other aspect of Scorsese’s filmmaking.
What do you dislike about the world and what would you change?
I dislike how divided everyone is nowadays. We can disagree but still be kind. Cinema certainly had that power to both unify and divide which is scary, but also quite empowering if the right people are behind and in front of the camera.
How do you imagine cinema in 100 years?
I don’t know but I imagine cinema and the filmmakers that curate it will evolve constantly until then and beyond.
What is your impression of WILD FILMMAKER?
My impression of WILD FILMMAKER is that is a high profile magazine that is useful for indie filmmakers to get their work seen and voice heard.
I’m a narrative non-fiction writer who has so far focused mostly on Stanley Kubrick. After the publication of my first book, Stanley Kubrick and Me: Thirty Years at His Side, in its English translation, I was described by The New York Times as “Italy’s leading Kubrick expert.” I have been studying Kubrick’s life and films for about twenty years and have now written four books and numerous essays on different aspects of his work. I also adapted Stanley Kubrick and Me into the documentary S is for Stanley, which won the David di Donatello Award for Best Documentary Feature.
Tell us about the Kubrick Archive in London, what were the most surprising discoveries you made there?
My work on Kubrick is always based on new, original research. I interview people who worked with and knew Kubrick well, and I visit archives — the largest and most important of which is, of course, the Stanley Kubrick Archive, held at the London College of Communication, University of the Arts London. It contains material donated by Kubrick’s widow Christiane after his death, ranging from film scripts and correspondence with collaborators to research he conducted, behind-the-scenes photographs, and artefacts such as costumes and props. It is a treasure trove of daunting scale and a unique source for understanding, truly and for the first time, how Kubrick worked.
It is difficult to single out one particularly revealing item. I can tell you what surprised me most on my last visit, when I was studying the long and convoluted creative process that culminated in the production of Eyes Wide Shut. I knew that Kubrick wanted to adapt Schnitzler’s Traumnovelle as early as the late 1960s, but I had no idea how extensively he revisited the project in the early 1980s. He corresponded with Schnitzler’s nephew and had Schnitzler’s own adapted screenplay — written in the 1920s for a proposed film by G. W. Pabst — translated into English. Comparing that script to Eyes Wide Shut, it becomes clear that Kubrick incorporated several ideas from Schnitzler’s version. Kubrick even drafted a preliminary production plan to shoot the film in London standing in for New York, with Steve Martin and Meryl Streep as the leads. I can’t wait to understand it all better and write about it in my next book.
A.I. Artificial Intelligence, directed by Steven Spielberg in 2001, was originally a Stanley Kubrick project, an work that stages one of the central debates of our time, namely to what extent AI can be a resource and how to prevent its misuse, potentially even harmful uses. Did you find information in the Kubrick Archive about the original project that differs from what ultimately became the film?
A.I. was always conceived as a fable, and when Kubrick wrote it there was little available information about artificial intelligence as we understand it today. The story revolved around intelligent robots capable of performing specific tasks, reflecting the predominant view of AI at the time. From the drafts and notes Kubrick left, I would say his main concerns involved the evolution of the human species through technology — quite literally as hybrids between organic and mechanical life. The latest drafts are more abstract, as is Spielberg’s completed film.
The film we know is obviously different from what it might have been had Kubrick directed it, but it remains faithful in terms of story and character — at least to Kubrick’s latest drafts. The issue is that Kubrick kept rewriting the project, alone and with another writer, so we simply cannot know where he would ultimately have taken it. It is not just a matter of directing, but of development. Spielberg wrote the screenplay and directed the film based on the second-to-last treatment and the preparatory work Kubrick had done. But Kubrick was still revising the story when he abandoned it in 1995, so the point I tried to make in a chapter of my book Cracking the Kube where I chronicled the development of the film is that we will never know what A.I. by Stanley Kubrick would have been.
I consider 2001: A Space Odyssey to be the Sistine Chapel of the 20th century: just as Michelangelo’s work in the 1400s represented the pinnacle of artistic expression, the same is true of Kubrick’s film. Can you reveal something surprising about this infinite masterpiece that we haven’t already heard?
The surprising fact is that the film as we know it emerged almost at the last minute. 2001: A Space Odyssey is the perfect example of Kubrick’s working method — he kept generating new ideas until the very end, often reshaping the project entirely. As I explain in my book 2001 between Kubrick and Clarke, the film began as a fictional documentary about the early stages of human space exploration; over four years, it gradually evolved into a mythological statement about humanity’s place in the universe.
The most radical change — when Kubrick moved away from Arthur C. Clarke’s more literal and scientific approach — occurred only at the end of their collaboration. In the last five or six months, Kubrick made the decisions that transformed the film’s tone and feel: he eliminated the voice-over narration, which explained much of the action, cut several dialogue scenes, and used music to guide emotional responses. We often imagine a genius filmmaker who executes a perfectly designed plan, but with Kubrick nothing could be further from the truth. He knew what he did not want, and worked tirelessly to discover new and more compelling ways to tell the story he had chosen. Nothing in a Stanley Kubrick film was fixed from the beginning.
WILD FILMMAKER is a global movement created to support independent authors; we aim to be what James B. Harris was for Stanley Kubrick. Without James B. Harris, we certainly wouldn’t be here today talking about the greatest American director in the history of cinema. Do you think our work is useful, and that people who discover and help launch artists with an original vision are missing—or are rare—in today’s contemporary film industry?
My view of the current film industry is too limited for me to speak with any authority. It is true that without his partnership with James B. Harris it is possible — if not likely — that Kubrick would have remained on the margins of American filmmaking. But Harris did not “discover” Kubrick, nor did he nurture him as a patron or mentor.
They were equal partners who wanted to make good films, and they were both satisfied with their roles: Harris as a producer who could also write, and Kubrick as a writer-director who also understood the production side extremely well. Their split happened, in fact, because both wanted as much creative control as possible. Harris and Kubrick were true soul mates in their approach to cinema and to art in general, and Harris’s influence on Kubrick is often underestimated.
Given your intense study devoted to the filmography and biography of Stanley Kubrick, I’d like to ask you a question that touches on your unconscious: have you ever dreamed of him?
I must have, given how much of my daily work revolves around him, but I don’t recall any specific dream. Perhaps I think about his films enough while awake that my subconscious needs a break!
