Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
JW: To help me learn to cope with rejection…no honestly I’ve always loved working with cameras and am awed by the power of a good story to shake the norm out of you. After walking out of a good film, everything looks, feels and sounds different—it’s a complete reset.
Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
JW: “On your Left” The story of one man on a bike trying to correct disorderly pedestrian behavior. It was the audience choice at the Nederland Int’l Film Festival and the “Bike Shorts Film Fest” in Virginia. It also won awards at Longmont Public Media and at the Boulder Adventure Film Fest at Vision Quest Brewing
Q: What else are you working on?
JW: I’ve been chased by moose three times and am planning a short doc about these menacing stompers. I’ve a few other silly shorts I’m working on
Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
JW: When we were filming “On Your Left”, we had three instances of bystanders trying to intervene during filming. Though the cameras, tripods and mics on booms should have made it obvious that it wasn’t real, these do gooders jumped into the fray. I’m still kicking myself for not letting the cameras run to catch it all.
Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
JW: They will have to contact me—john@fishmountain.net
Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
JW: I love the EFP. My film GNUMS screened here last summer and I signed up to pour the beer and pop the corn at this monthly party. Tip generously!
On Your Left will screen during The Emerging Filmmakers Project on Thursday, April 20th, 2023 at The Bug Theatre.