July – 2014 – The Emerging Filmmakers Project

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Meet the Filmmaker: Sydney Thomas, “The Story of Harriet”

Posted on July 16, 2014 by efpdenver

The Story of Harriet – Sydney Thomas

EA: Why did you become a filmmaker?

ST: I’ve wanted to act in films since before I can remember, like really really young. And as I approached college I thought about how I can expand my love for film and directing just seemed like a right option. I then started the film and television BFA program at University of Colorado- Denver where I realized that there aren’t nearly enough women filmmakers in the business and I ought to make a difference too, dagnammit!

EA: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?

ST: The Story of Harriet, which is my second short film I’ve made. It has also screened at my school’s film awards, Cinefest.

EA: What else are you working on?

ST: I’m currently writing a really cheesy/kind-of-perfect murder mystery that takes place in a haunted mansion, all in the POV of the murderer (who is adorable, I might add).

EA: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?

ST: The first thing that comes to mind is that I always act as one of the leads in my films, and my good friend Steve usually always plays my opposite (because he’s the only one of my friends I can get to act) while my fiancé Bryce is always behind the camera working as the cinematographer. It’s like this weird Tim Burton/Helena Bonham Carter/ Johnny Depp thing going on.

EA: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?

ST: Here’s my Facebook url:

https://www.facebook.com/sydney.thomas.963

And my Vimeo url:

https://vimeo.com/user17177033

EA: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?

ST: Yes! I think this project is a fantastic way for filmmakers to not only have their work viewed and discussed, but an even better way to network and find other passionate cinephiles in the area to connect with and possibly collaborate with as well.

The Story of Harriet will be screening at the July Emerging Filmmakers Project!

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Meet the Filmmaker: Karen Morris, “Sham Cooke”

Posted on July 16, 2014 by efpdenver

Sham Cooke – Karen Morris

EA: Why did you become a filmmaker?

KM: First, because I am a movie buff. Second, in order to make movies that I wanted to watch but weren’t being made. Motion Pictures could represent so many more experiences than we’ve been conditioned to expect of them.

EA: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?

KM: “Sham Cooke” has not screened anywhere else. It is part of a larger project of four non-sequitur shorts that are all interviews, the first was a dinner date called “Dinner at Hate”, and “Sham Cooke” is the second piece, an interview between a barkeep and a customer. They are both heavily processed in their look.

EA: What else are you working on?

KM: I just finished a short story called “The Summer of Love”.

EA: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?

KM: Well, the movies themselves are a bit weird. I was going for a Glamor Shots Saloon from outer space sort of look with “Sham Cooke”. I felt “Sham Cooke” and “Dinner at Hate” should look like melted VHS postcards recovered from the trunk of someone’s brain.

EA: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?

KM: Vimeo, Youtube, Facebook and Linked In.

EA: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?

KM: I’m very grateful that you’ve included me! I hope to see more people get involved with local film production and events like The Emerging Filmmakers Project are a big step forward in achieving that. I’d like to see local movies achieve parity with the local music scene in terms of levels of involvement and awareness.

Sham Cooke will be screening at the July Emerging Filmmakers Project!

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Meet the Filmmaker: Tom Khazoyan, “The Enemy God” Trailer

Posted on July 16, 2014 by efpdenver

The Enemy God – www.10XProductions.org

EA: Why did you become a filmmaker?

TK: I was always interested in the arts in general and was a musician, training to be a recording engineer, when I started college. But I had also made a few Super8 movies with my dad when I was a kid. I decided I didn’t want to spend my life recording punk bands in a garage, so I stayed in school and got a degree in tv/film production. I love to be able to tell stories through multiple mediums and I liked the connection of art and technology that filmmaking offered. What gets me excited these days is working cross-culturally to create visual stories and mentoring young filmmakers in other cultures. Been doing it 30+ years now (“emerging”!)

EA: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?

TK: My film is the trailer for a dramatic feature I produced a few years ago. It’s the true story of a Yanomamo shaman in the rainforest of Venezuela and the spiritual battle for the survival of his people. We did screen it in a number of festivals, the Denver Film Society gave it a weekend at the StarzFilmCenter, and it has had some kind of release in 12 foreign territories, but little in the US. Our distribution deal recently expired so we’ve decided to put some effort into a very soft re-launch on our own. Coming soon to VOD. Just sent deliverables to Spain for a broadcast release in Spanish. (AND, you can buy the DVD on our web site: www.TheEnemyGod.com)

EA: What else are you working on?

TK: I’m currently polishing two feature screenplays. My team is working on eight short films for internet release in other languages. And I teach filmmaking and screenwriting online to high school students.

EA: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?

TK: Most of the films I’ve made in the last 15 years have been in languages I don’t speak.

EA: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?

TK: This film’s web site is www.TheEnemyGod.com and we have a Facebook page you can easily find. My team’s site is www.10XProductions.org. We’re a non-profit film production team.

EA: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?

TK: I love EFP because it is a time for people to show their work to the public that’s just about encouraging the work. It’s about the journey of filmmaking, not about the hype. I think that’s an incredibly valuable contribution to the filmmaking community here in Denver.

The Enemy God Trailer will be screening at the July Emerging Filmmakers Project!