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Meet the Filmmaker: Alan Wartes, “The Edge”

1396668_242881279203711_910622417_nMeet Alan Wartes.  Alan is a longtime friend of the Emerging Filmmakers Project, having screened several films over the years, including his short comedy Fast Food Romeo.  He’ll be back for the November EFP with his latest film The Edge.

EA: Why did you become a filmmaker?

AQ: I wanted to go to film school way back in the dim time when I graduated high school in 1978. But life doesn’t always cooperate, and I had to wait until the digital revolution democratized the art. I spent some years producing and directing live theater–and honing the art and craft of scriptwriting. But nothing beats the power of telling stories on screen.

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

AW: The Edge is a thoughtful drama which asks the questions, “What constitutes violence in modern society? Why do we deplore some forms of it and reward others? Can we really expect to escape the consequences?”

The film is just beginning to make its way into the national festival circuit. Aside from a cast and crew screening, the EFP is the first chance the public has had to see the film.

EA: What else are you working on?

AW: I have a script that has been burning a hole in my file cabinet for years called “Blood on the Barn Floor” about a boy forced to choose between his mother’s needs in a troubled marriage and his own.

I am also fascinated with the storytelling potential of animation (using Illustrator and After Effects) and am working on a fun animated video to go with my song “97 Bazillion Books”: https://soundcloud.com/search?q=97%20bazillion%20books

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

AW: Well I think you have to be kind of bent to want to be a no-budget indie filmmaker in the first place. It is a crazy-making and masochistic thing to do. But then it’s also weird how much we love it!

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

AW: You can see my writing, music and films at www.alanraywartes.com.

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

AW: Big fan. I love the party vibe which reinforces the idea that we are all in this together as artists. It’s not about who is prettiest. The EFP celebrates the very act of getting off your butt and making some art to share.

The Edge will screen November 21st at The Emerging Filmmakers Project.