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-Who is Angelo Donzella?

I am a person who deeply loves film and music, and I have devoted my whole life to these two passions. I began in 1982, playing as a guitarist in various bands then, in 1983, I moved on to cultivate the art of photography and later in 1993, the art of filmmaking. I began as an actor, acting in many feature and short films. This activity gave me many satisfactions. For example, with the 2020 short film ISOLATION – for which in addition to acting as the lead actor I shared my first experience in directing, together with director Roberto Loiacono – I won many awards as Best Actor.

ISOLATION was made during the first lockdown of 2020. I worked at home during the lockdown, with the help of my wife, making the entire first part of the short film. At the end of the lockdown the second part of the short film was made with the help of Director Roberto Loiacono, who was in charge of directing relatively to the final part, editing and production.

After Isolation I continued my activity as an actor. 2022 is the year I made my second work as a director (this time only): it is the short film Jasmine’s Suspicion, a “Spy Movie.”

In January 2023 my wife Maria Rosaria Scicchitano, whom I consider my right-hand man (she is in charge of writing, screenwriting and acting) writes UNEASE, a project that is made in the space of only one month of intense work and is then presented in various International Festivals.

A key role in the realization of UNEASE can be attributed to musician Paolo Cercato, who sent me the soundtrack before I even went to the set. Listening to his music inspired me greatly in researching and creating the atmosphere I wanted to imprint on the short film.

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

Just acting did not give me the feeling of completeness, I felt the need to express my feelings through images and, loving photography, I felt the desire to experience something new. Some directors made me fall in love with cinema, to name just a few, among my favorites I can mention Michael Mann, David Fincher, Christopher Nolan, Jim Jarmusch, Clint Eastwood…. They are a source of continuous admiration for me. I am also a collector of films and of course music CDs. I spend much of my free time watching movies, TV series and listening to music, constantly looking for new inspiration.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

I like to think so, there are movies that left their mark and make you think, although I think fundamentally you need to be endowed with great personal sensitivity.

I remember years ago the movie “In the Name of the Father,” by Jim Sheridan, with a terrific Daniel Day Lewis, made a big impression on me. That story remained etched in my memory. This is just one example; many other movies left their imprint on me.

-What would you change in the world?

A really difficult question to answer. I wish so many things would change in the world, sometimes I have a feeling of helplessness, for not being able to do anything. The first thing that comes to mind is the desire for a world where peace reigns, but as I said I think a lot of things should change. I love nature and animals, and I like to think that sooner or later we can change our attitude toward the creatures that accompany us in this beautiful experience that is life.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

To be honest I am a little bit pessimistic about the quality of cinema in recent years, I see few really interesting products. I am not talking about the technical level: by now with the new film equipment it is “easy” to get films of high technical quality, but I notice that less and less importance is attached to the content, which I often find uninteresting.

In recent years TV series have taken over and in some cases have even surpassed the films in circulation, I am talking about Series like Lost, 24, Breaking Bad, True Detective, Fargo, etc.

I don’t mind this, because I love TV series, the problem, in my opinion is that lately more space is being given to quantity over product quality.

-Who is Tari Kristine Robinson?

I am founder and CEO of T&T Management and Production, where I wear multiple hats as a writer, Director, and Executive Producer.  My love for the art of storytelling has been ingrained in my from a very early age.  Over the past few decades, I have honed my skills writing, directing and producing  numerous award-winning short films that have been well-received in the film festival circuit.  Being a filmmaker requires a lot of hard, sacrifice and a willingness to take risks and push boundaries. I have learned to appreciate and embody these qualities over the years. 

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

Ever since I was a young child, I possessed a passion for storytelling and the desire to express my creative vision with the world. A lot of my inspiration comes from personal experiences and beliefs that I want to share with others. I’m also equally inspired by the works of great storytellers such as Steven Spielberg, James, Cameron, Michael Bay and George Lucas.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

Absolutely.  I believe that cinema can be a powerful tool for social change, promoting empathy, understanding, and awareness of important issues while also providing entertainment and cultural exchange.

-What would you change in the world?

Combat climate change to ensure a sustainable future for our planet.

Inclusivity for women. Creating gender equality through opportunities and empowerment happens only when aligned and united. There needs to be a balance in unity between men and women in the entertainment industry.

Promoting peace. Conflicts of wars have caused immense suffering and loss of life. We need to find ways to promote peaceful resolutions. 

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

With the advancement of technology such as artificial intelligence, I imagine this may have a significant impact on the film industry in the next hundred years.  My hope is that AI doesn’t take over the creative process completely; there by eliminating the human element. 

–Who is Michelle Lynn?

She is a an artist, leader , award winning actress,  and storyteller. Michelle was born to work in the motion picture industry  doing not just acting, but writing, producing and directing. She knew as early as 7 years old she was going to work in filmmaking and acting and credits god for giving her the gift to write, act and produce masterpieces on an award winning level.  She has won over 101 awards in under 3 years spanning primarily her filmmaking, screenwriting, and acting with only 13 awards from her books.

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

I got inspired to be a filmmaker to showcase my talent for my acting, and storytelling. With the launch of The Silver Lights Books Series I felt my talent was not be recognized , and my skillset could really shine in filmmaking and acting.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in society?

Compelling Cinema and films told with an authentic voice and unique story cause change every day in society.

-What would you change in the world?

If I could change one thing in the world it would be the education programs in our schools. It would be making more of a core curriculum in public schools and lower income areas to have more classes accessible in filmmaking, digital marketing, screenwriting, photography, film editing , and high definition cinema in earlier youth . Also, having more classes like yoga as young as kindergarten teaching kids the importance the connection of the mind, body, and spirit and how to be aware of channeling emotions in a healthy way.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

I see the industry taking on so many different faces from younger filmmakers that we see on youtube to more change with the documentary segment in soceity , and those like myself that have worked there way from the bottom to the top to showcase their extraordinary god given talent without necessarily having the formal training or hollywood connections.

-Who is Katherine Schimmel?

Great question. I am someone who has spent her life being completely fascinated by the creative process…in art, music, film, poetry, nature. I see incredible beauty in the natural world and take a profound inspiration from the smallest of things – such as the way moss grows and expands across ancient stones or a drop of rain falls from a leaf; but I am someone who also recognize the tremendous pain and suffering that exists in the world and even though the suffering of others weighs heavily on me, I can still see light in darkness and remain optimistic for the state of humanity.

I am an individual who feels obligated to make the world a better place for both people and animals and I believe strongly, like Leonardo (da Vinci) did, that everything is connected to everything else. I feel in some ways this gives me an advantage because I tend not to see borders or boundaries between things which can be quite freeing. I also believe that we can never truly know ourselves because this would take many lifetimes of learning to achieve but also the ability to remember each one forever. Perhaps this is why I especially like what Rilke once wrote in a poem when he penned:

“… I circle around the ancient tower, as I have circled for a thousand years; and I still don’t know if I am a falcon, a storm, or an endless song.”

-What inspired you to become a screenwriter?

I will answer this question in two parts. First, I am completely new to this but fundamentally, I think my way of looking at the world or processing information, must have had a lot to do with it. From the time I was very little, I seemed to view everything through a particular lens, and so everyday scenes formed a still life or were like something excerpted from a film, a painting, or a stage production; and it was during these times that a dialogue would spontaneously form in my mind to the scenes I found interesting. So, for instance, if I witnessed a couple arguing in the street in the rain, the sound of the rain mixed in with their gestures or movements and would occur in slow motion before me and as though part of a scene from a film I had yet to write. Later, I realized that these dialogues could become scripts or plays. Eventually, I decided to try an experiment and breathe life into some of the voices that kept occurring in my head and this is when Dinner with Dante was born.

There is one thing I’d like to mention, and this is that I remain particularly fascinated by the potential of stories when told through rhythms and sounds that occur in nature. Rain, wind, dripping water – all these and more inspire me on a regular basis. If we close our eyes and imagine for just a moment a horse galloping in a wide-open field there is this wonderful triplet-like rhythm that we hear when the hooves strike the ground: Da-da-da, Da-da, da, Da-da-da. That sound alone would (and does) give me a thousand ideas. When I was younger it inspired me to write a poem called, Morello’s Last Dream, which is a monologue between Lorenzo de Medici and his favourite horse Morello, as they wildly galloped through the Tuscan countryside at dawn and in the hours after Guiliano’s death. In retrospect, I guess the poem is a bit like Dinner with Dante, only this time the monologue comes from the mind of the horse instead of the mind of a woman sitting in a cafe. My point is nature can serve as a powerful tool in creating stories.

The second answer to the question has to do with the concept or idea of freedom. When you write or film something, you are by nature, inherently free. Free to compose, free to reveal, engage, inspire, anything you want and in the way that you creatively envision. As an independent researcher in the arts, I deal with an entire universe of restrictions or parameters. Science is very precise as is archival research and documenting history. There is a certain methodology employed and either something is there, or it is not. It is a crowded mansion composed of many rooms where fiction is not welcome, nor should it be. And although I can’t say enough about the important role science plays in furthering our understand of an artwork and many things in the world in general, the public can sometimes get lost or weighed down by the facts and details and so I believe that films can close that gap by serving as bridges between these worlds.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in society?

I think cinema can and is a tremendous conduit for change through its power to enlighten, inspire, reveal, you name it… but with this comes an enormous responsibility. Cinema invites the filmmaker to make a difference, transcend borders and change the world but in my view the change must always be for the better.

-What would you change in the world?

This is such a big question, especially if we remember that every change we’d make would cause a ripple effect across the world so that changing bad things might change good things too. But I think that if I could change one thing somewhat safely, it would be to remove humankind’s propensity for extreme violence because this would go a long way towards creating continuous world peace. However, I wouldn’t stop there. I’d also increase empathy in the individuals who lack it… and maybe in the end it’s an increase in empathy that would be enough to change the world.

Changing the world becomes easier perhaps if we realize that some things are biologically driven or hard wired, at least for now. If we recall the violent games that occurred in the roman Colosseum during roman times, we can begin to understand that a certain percentage of the human race feeds off violence and violent scenes and that this violence appears to work like any other addiction in that, the more some experience it, the more numbed to it they become and often crave more. I think there are many examples of this in the entertainment world today. For instance, cinematically, we can witness it by the sharp increase in the use of graphic violence being used in many movies and films. And of course, on the internet and in real life we witness this all the time. So, this seems to suggest that this is a very, very old human story and that not much has really changed since the days of the colosseum games, only now the games are being played out on a series of very different stages.

Lastly, If I were to guess about the source of violence, I would say it is left over from some gene or genes that were useful to us thousands of years ago in our fight to survive in the wild. Adrenaline is a great example of this, and we already know it’s addictive. And so for change to occur we would need to evolve past it or past ourselves but of course this takes a very long time from an evolutionary standpoint. Yet I do believe that awareness is the first step in this critical journey if we hope to last as a race and not go extinct.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

It is very hard to say since it is evolving so rapidly and is in part being fueled by the vertical rise in technological advances across multiple platforms. I can imagine though that it could shift more towards the viewer being able to swap places with the protagonist or other characters on the screen and become an active participant in the scenes they are watching. This is already happening in the gaming world and so the world of film could be influenced next by this idea.

I can also imagine a time in which the viewer is given a menu of basic options to choose from (setting, epoch, characters, music, etc.) and then gets to write the dialogue for their character and star in what now becomes, their own movie. They would then be able to share their movie on a large platform and perhaps compete for awards.

However, no matter what the future holds, I can only hope that the true beauty and art of filmmaking prevails, that it doesn’t stray too far away from itself and that it somehow manages to stay true to its fundamental roots long into the future.

-Who is Ami Vitale?

Photographer and filmmaker Ami Vitale has been creating unique stories that amplify the work of communities on the front lines of conservation. She has traveled to more than 100 countries, documenting the heartbreaking realities of war to witnessing the inspiring power of individuals making a difference. Her award-winning work illuminates the unsung heroes and communities working to protect wildlife and finding harmony in our natural world. 

Ami is the 2022 Conservation International Innovators Fellow. In 2022, she was awarded with prestigious prizes from both the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service and the Lucie Humanitarian Award. Instyle magazine named Ami one of fifty Badass Women, a series celebrating women who show up, speak up and get things done. Ami has been named Magazine photographer of the year in the International Photographer of the Year prize, received the Daniel Pearl Award for Outstanding Reporting and is a six-time recipient of World Press Photos.  Ami is also the founder and Executive Director of the women-led non-profit Vital Impacts, which supports humanitarian and conservation efforts around the world.

 

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

I believe there is a universal language between visual imagery and empathy; when we see something, it helps us to connect our brains and hearts. While Science and research is critical to understanding the planet and all the life we coexist with, filmmaking can often reach people in other profound ways. As visual storytellers we have a huge opportunity to inform and influence change.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

I think we could do a better job of explaining why educating the next generation of environmental storytellers and journalists is so important.  The environmental movement has always been too cerebral in my experience, getting caught up in either abstract scientific arguments, focusing on forecasts of catastrophe and so on.  I believe photography inspires wonder, connection and seeing ourselves as part of nature.  

-What would you change in the world?

I would love for humanity to feel how interconnected we all are to all of life on this planet. When we see that these giants are part of a complex world created over millions of years, we see that their survival is intertwined with our own. Without rhinos and elephants and other wildlife, we suffer a loss of imagination, a loss of wonder, a loss of beautiful possibilities. When we see ourselves as part of nature, we understand that saving nature is really about saving ourselves.

–Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years? 

Great question! I do not know but my hope it that we will have a complete revival and go back to our beginnings and rethink the past to guide us forward. 

-Who is Karen Sotolongo Menéndez?

Professional Cuban Film Director, Editor, Art Director, Executive Producer and Actress graduated from the Metrópolis Education Center, the Barcelona’s International Film School (ECIB) and the PLató de Cinema Academy in Spain. Member of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Arts and Industry (ICAIC), the National Union of Writers and Artists in Cuba (UNEAC) and The Barcelona Documentary Club in Spain; she has worked in more than twenty films such as ¨In her hands¨ produced by Netflix, Moon Dogs Films, Chelsea and Hillary Clinton with the Oscar nominated director Marcel Mettelsiefen and Tamana Ayazi, ¨Moto GP Unlimited¨ streaming serie co produced by MediaPro Studios and Amazon Prime Video and her own films, achieving recognition for her work in and outside her native country; as well as the 8 & Halfilm Award,  Austin International Art Festival, Hollywood International Golden Age Festival, San Francisco and London Independent Festival and the most recently award for Best European Film Director at the Sweet Democracy Film Awards. She currently works as a freelance artist in New York advocating mainly for pacifist and humanitarian causes.

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

Dreams. Since I was a child, I climbed trees and looked at the sea from there, or under the water, imagining worlds with my eyes open or closed. Expressing this fiction of my mind and helping with it became my battleground as soon as I learned to fly.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

Of course. The cinema is constantly changing and helps to move societies and their taboos, although it is a very dangerous double-edged tool, if it is done from love and intelligence it can manage to sensitize millions of souls in a few minutes.

-What would you change in the world?

From the world we live in, I would change racism, wars, economic inequality, hunger, paid education and health, animal abuse, the undervaluation of women, child abuse, visas to cross borders, undocumented emigration and, above all, hypocrisy for deal with these issues.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

I see the film industry in a century being more supportive of human beings, able to show new forms of both entertainment and science to eradicate the differences that distance us from the natural peace with which we come to this world. Inspiring new generations with advanced filming mechanisms, even more accessibles to those who are passionate about storytelling from the audiovisual.

-Who is Giovanna Gorassini?

I grew up between Puglia in Italy and Paris. My mother was an antique dealer and my father was a director of photography for cinema in Rome before becoming a journalist. I was very close to my paternal aunt, Annie Gorassini. She had a beautiful career as an actress in Italy and worked with Fellini before devoting herself to her passion for cats. I have always been very sensitive to art in general, painting, classic Italian and French cinema, and aesthetic harmony and light. After studies unrelated to cinema and a few years of modeling that made me realize how much I loved staging, I started photography as a self-taught person. I worked a few years as a photographer and, more rarely, as a lighting assistant before becoming a film director. I worked on short formats and enjoyed the teamwork and I am currently developing my first feature film, a project close to my heart. My other passion is interior decorating. I also take care of a small hotel in Normandy.

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

My father has been showing me great movies since childhood, and many directors have always inspired me. I like authentic and humorous Italian comedies as much as other more sophisticated films or darker films. My favorite directors, if I have to name them, are Fellini, Antonioni, Pasolini, Rossellini, Tarkovskij, Alberto Sordi, Lina Wertmüller,  Alain Resnais, Louis Malle, Jacques Tati… I love many others.

The films that made the biggest impression on me are The Postman by Michael Radford, Le Feu Follet by Louis Malle, Paris Texas by Wim Wenders, Accattone by Pasolini, Playtime by Jacques Tati, Bagdad Café by Percy Adlon, 8½ by Federico Fellini…

I especially like bittersweet films that are at the same time melancholic and poetic, but my first source of inspiration to make films is my need to express my feelings through moving pictures.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

Yes, for sure. Some films play an awareness-raising role and propose real awareness. They influence society by conveying a message, values to be defended, or political positions in a sensory and federative way. Another style of cinema is also necessary that allows us to dream and hope. It’s also important to stimulate pleasure. Personally, I would love to see more films made by children, their vision is necessary.

-What would you change in the world?

What I am about to say is banal and obvious, but I am sincere. Injustice makes me sick and I admit to being rather misanthropic except when it is possible to share creativity. Peace is the absence of war. Facing the global threats that shake us, I believe that dialogue between people is the only solution to overcome conflicts in a sustainable way. I would love to see animals treated as sentient beings and their pain reduced under specific contexts; I would love to see an end to human rights violations and any form of injustice all over the world; I would love to see the birth of a government of hope, which is not reduced to an opposition between parties; in my opinion, democracy has not been achieved and remains an ideal to be reached where the strength of arguments, fraternity and common sense would reign.

According to the most optimistic studies, the human species could survive another billion years on our blue planet and I am reassured to see the new generations committed to a better future.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

The health crisis has encouraged a change in consumption patterns favoring streaming platforms, but I remain optimistic. Fortunately, this sector cannot be reduced to financial aims, and I believe that movie theaters will not disappear. Television has no power to make them disappear, but it must adapt to the competition and people’s needs. AI technology will revolutionize the film industry. Despite my preference for the classical tradition, I think modernity can be fascinating when it is also inspired by the past to create timeless works. The important thing is to stimulate all types of films.

-Who is Nina McNeely?

Nina McNeely is a storyteller, provocateur, and a creator. She is a choreographer, visual artist, director, creative director, and animator. Nina is madly in love with people, and finds no greater pleasure than studying the human condition. In her experience, the human form in motion is both poignant and poetic, capable of expressing concepts and feelings that words simply cannot. She sees the connection and chemistry between people as an immeasurable force, containing pure electricity. Nina’s work is visceral, rebellious, rowdy – and at once introspective, delicate, and alluring. She strives to be an unknowing vessel that channels artistic expression, and a guide that may lead any willing artist towards their own truth. As an avid believer in Magick, Nina has a keen eye for those who contain it. She prides herself in her preparedness, attention to detail, and work ethic – she never shies from a challenge. Throughout her career, Nina has been fortunate to work with Björk, Gaspar Noé, The Weeknd, Rihanna, Foo Fighters, Sam Smith, Alicia Keys and black midi to name a few – all legends in their own right.

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

As a young dancer and choreographer I’d only expressed my visions through live performance, where the audience perspective was limited to looking at a stage.  I knew that I could break,  shift and twist that perspective through the art of film, so I started not only experimenting with it myself but immersing myself into films. I began watching the works of the masters and also researching those who broke all the rules. I’m still in that state of discovery and research and hope to remain there always. 

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

Absolutely, but only the brave and the fearless can achieve that change by taking risks and by challenging society to look in the mirror.  

-What would you change in the world?

I want true freedom of expression for every human.  

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

I see the pendulum swinging back and forth over and over. For example,  I think we’ll see great accomplishments through the use of AI then a great rebellion against it bringing us back to our roots.

-Who is Kami Shefer?

I am a 26-year-old designer and filmmaker from Tel Aviv-Jaffa, Israel. In 2022, I finished my Bachelor’s degree in visual communication design at the Holon Institute of Technology. Over the last few years, I have been working in the field of animation, advertising and creative, while also trying to develop myself in the field of film and storytelling. Throughout my life, I have managed to travel to many different places around the world, and I feel that every new place I visit helps me enrich my aspirations and personal style. I believe that the best sources for our stories come from the small things that surround us in our everyday lives, as they have the strongest impact on our surroundings. Besides the film and design industries, I also love music, food, and the ocean, and I try to use them in my creations.

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

The field of cinema, and the animation field in particular, has always interested me. I am stunned every time by how, even in a few minutes of a movie, you can create a whole new world, reinvent the reality we are living in, and change the way we think. My father is an artist, and I grew up in a house surrounded by art and design. My love for animation comes from him; ever since I was a little girl, he used to sit me down to watch animation movies from festivals all over the world, and this is where I fell in love with the art of motion. Our ability to tell stories to the world and convey ideas and important messages through them is one of the biggest gifts we have. I grew up in a household that encouraged me to pursue my dreams and enrich my creativity and thinking in any way I can, and I hope to continue developing myself in these areas and use them to make the world a better place.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

The field of film is one of the best platforms to convey an idea and a story in the most touching and precise way. I believe that through films, we have an amazing ability to make people feel different emotions and learn about themselves and the world around them. This way, we can encourage a dialogue that can definitely change the way we look at things and open a platform that gives us the opportunity to relate to more difficult and sensitive things in our lives.

–What would you change in the world?

If I could put all the people in the world in one place for a day and make them engage in civil dialogue with each other, I would. Especially with everything that’s going on in the political field of Israel right now, it feels like our ability to create a conversation and listen to one another is decreasing every day. It feels like the dialogue has turned into a game of who has more power and who can speak the loudest. I hope we will eventually gain the ability to live in this world peacefully and equally.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

Honestly, I have no idea. The whole art world is changing so much right now because every day we have new possibilities for creation that arise. On the one hand, I feel like there is a trend of returning to the more classic world, but on the other hand, all the interactive and technology worlds are starting to seep into the film world. I imagine that the next phase would be to bring in the wonders of technology that are advancing as we speak into the film world to help increase the experience and connection to the creation in front of us.

-Who is Gabriel Womack?

An actor & writer born and raised on a horse ranch near Missoula, Montana.  My father used to play for the Kansas City Chiefs, then was a preacher and high school history teacher for forty years, married to my amazing mother.  I grew up learning the true definition of hard work, hauling hay, chopping wood, the middle of two siblings.  Grounded in God, country, and a family integrated with a sense of humor that binds.  Growing up a cowboy on a ranch, my older sister wanted to do local plays, and I got dragged along landing my first lead as a child.  In high school I focused on excelling in sports like state champion Pole Vaulter, football, and academics.  But ended up shining most with acting scholarships, accepting one to New York School for Film and Television, two year full time, on camera, Meisner technique.  When I graduated, I booked my first audition for Law and Order SVU. After five years in NYC I ended up in Los Angeles on Days of Our Lives, and starring in Syfy Channel movies, getting to film in Bulgaria a couple times. In Los Angeles doing movies and guest spots on TV shows, I kept my acting coaching at Lesly Kahn’s for a few years, and have had the pleasure of working with many talented people along the way. Then I’m 2016 I became I’ll and injured. I have had to learn to walk again, and fight through chemo for a few years. 

-What inspired you to become a screenwriter and actor?

The first time I connected with being an actor was accidentally getting to watch Silence of the Lambs when I was 8 or 9. I remember watching Anthony Hopkins close up monologue towards the end, and feeling that connection. When I got older I felt theater was more performing, and that film was more acting. The fraction of the people on the planet that are able to achieve the goal of succeeding in making it on television or in movies, get to inspire the people they know to take chances.  Movies live on forever, and a good one can imprint on a person. After 15 years of acting I was diagnosed with a rare deadly form of Crohn’s disease, and found unresponsive in L.A.  I was taken home to Montana, having lost over 101 pounds, given two weeks to live. When I didn’t die, I was sent home, and shattered all five lower vertebrae when I fell trying to walk up my front porch.  Bedridden for three years on chemotherapy, Covid hit when I finally started to learn to walk again.  I started writing because I was desperate to be a part of movies again.  With enough school and work on professional sets, I knew how to make a movie, and how to write one. 14 months later I had written my first movie, a modern day western called “Brothers of Babylon.”

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

I think cinema brings some change, both good and bad, by picking up on trends early on and enforcing it by 1000 fold, because of the amount of content we have now. Especially since cinema now is so integrated with the music industry, fashion industry,  and commercial industry.   The movie isn’t just a movie anymore. It’s a hit song, the new car, the new drink, the new phone, there is so much on the theater screen today. But real change doesn’t come from people abusing cinema to push an agenda, or try to make movies that just try to keep the freak show going with whatever the latest formula is.  Change comes from leaders in cinema who inspire greatness. I think there will always be times when there are films that make people dream, touch our hearts, or inspire a nation. 

–What would you change in the world?

I would just like to see everyone treat each other the way they want to be treated, and start being better examples for our children.  Lots of people want to impose their beliefs on the rest of the world, thinking it will make it a better place, but in the process they become intolerant of the rest of those who don’t agree with them.  It feels like we have lost a sense of morality, and the world is numbing itself to a new normal of chaos. But we need a reset, just teach our children the golden rule, before we teach them to be activists.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

The possibilities of 100 years is mind bending looking back at where we came from.  With A.I. on the horizon, and the amount of devices and content that’s out there, the industry can get so overloaded. But I think after we settle we will find our way with a better way to film, and we will find out that so much of what people are watching is just going in and out of their head. We will start going back to movies and shows that you watch over and over again. We used to make movies that you used to watch at least once a year, or shows that you would binge on every now and again. Now we are just throwing stuff out there to fill up time, but we are catching up and will adapt. I think Hollywood will always be the empire, but over the next hundred years the rest of the world will be participating a lot more than they have been. Camera technology, and special effects are going to take leaps and bounds, but the story and acting will never fool anyone. I bet in 100 years some of the top 100 films will still be on the top 100 list because of the basics. Come on, will The Godfather ever get knocked off the list?