–Who is Lance Hensley?

I, Lance Hensley, am a passionate musician, composer, and artist turned filmmaker. As a Writer, Director, and Producer I aim to tell dramatic, emotional stories through a blending of genres and styles while maintaining an elevated visual identity. I also want to write and create self motivated female characters as I grew up around powerful, interesting, self-engaged, complicated, intelligent, emotional, women in my real life. Female characters that don’t simply react or reply to male characters, but create their own impetus.

–What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

I have written novels and poetry as well as composed music so screenwriting was my step into bring a story to the camera. My 6th grade English teacher, Mrs. Stockinger, was from Oxford University and moved to my home town and taught in our elementary school. I learned classical writing from her and have never stopped writing since.

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

I think cinema absolutely changes society but I think the subversive things it teaches are far more wide reaching than overt actions. Again, speaking about female characters, it’s subtextual language and actions that influence ingrained prejudices like misogyny into viewers and this teaches boys and men how to act poorly in real life. I want to use subtext and subconscious cues to change and challenge societal norms.

–What would you change in the world?

I would change people’s inability to leave each other alone, in peace. All human prejudice would end if people could worry about themselves and their own lives and just treat everyone else with basic human decency. Not simply tolerance, but true acceptance of people’s differences without imposing wars and hate and rules. But this is merely a dream; a dream we filmmakers can help support and drive forward in our stories and characters.

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

I see film becoming more experimental and broader. I think “Fine Art” films will move away from the common “entertainment industry” films and there will be a greater divide and maybe more shades of grey in that since, or at least I hope it will. I think film is still highly reserved now, compared to the future.