The Hanging | www.ericafellion.com
Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
EF: I have always been passionate about photography and storytelling. My sisters and I grew up going to the movie theatre, seeing off-Broadway plays and making our own short films on my dad’s camcorder.
In college, I majored in art and quickly switched after I realized that film/video could convey a message much stronger and clearer than any other medium.
I then began volunteering to help with EVERY student/independent film project I could find and was immediately hooked on the absurdity, chaos, unpredictability and adventure that came with the production process.
I guess I have always been a different sort of adrenaline junkie and I get easily bored with the ordinary. Making films/videos seemed like a great way to avoid being bored.
Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
EF: The Hanging is a post civil-war period, western twist on the short story, “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce. In this version, a woman tries to reconcile with her past as she awaits her sentence of death by hanging.
This short was as my senior thesis film for The University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and it was re-finished in 2013. It has not yet been released or publicly screened.
My friends in the film/theatre community encouraged me to screen it at the EFP and I finally decided to go for it. If everything goes well and this piece is well received, I might also submit it to a few festivals.
Q: What else are you working on?
EF: I am working on a re-write for a “hero’s journey” type comedy and also doing research for a documentary that I might pursue.
Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
EF: Oddly enough, all the costumes and most of the props in The Hanging were destroyed in the Black Forest Fire, both locations used in the film were threatened by wildfires and the original edit files were also destroyed. I am thinking this is a pretty clear sign that I shouldn’t re-edit this film or have a sequel…
Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
EF: The Hanging has a facebook page at www.facebook.com/thehanging and you can find more information about my work on my website at www.ericafellion.com.
Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about the Emerging Filmmakers Project?
EF: I have heard so much about the Emerging Filmmakers Project and how much it has done to help local filmmakers. I am so thankful to be a part of this year’s screenings and I am excited to see the Colorado film community continue to thrive.
The Hanging will screen April 16th at The Emerging Filmmakers Project.