EFP Filmmaker Interview with Peter Simon
Kerouac’s Denver
Q: Why did you become a filmmaker?
PS: I decided to get into video & film production about 14 years ago after reading Ralph Rosenblum’s book: “When the Shooting Stops, The Cutting Begins”. He was the editor for most of Woody Allen’s early films. I thought I wanted to be an editor because of the control they have over how the story is told. After attending technical college, I realized that I was interested in many other aspects of filmmaking, especially photography.
Q: What are we going to see at the EFP? Has it screened elsewhere and what are your plans for it?
PS: “Kerouac’s Denver” is inspired by the portion of Kerouac’s novel, “On the Road”, that took place in Denver. It’s an autobiographical tale of young guys getting out in the world and experiencing life to its fullest. The film is going to premier at the Trinidad Independent Film Festival on Saturday, September 14th. I’ve also entered the short in the Denver Film Festival & am in the process of scheduling a screening at the Deer Pile Event Space, above City O’ City on 13th & Sherman.
Q: What else are you working on?
PS: As far as filmmaking goes, I’m mainly focused on distributing “Kerouac’s Denver” at the moment. My friend Eddie Portoghese and I are in the early stages of conceptualizing a joint project but it’s very early days.
Q: Tell us one weird thing about you and/or your movies?
PS: I don’t know how weird this is but I gained most of my experience in this industry working in New York. Like most people in this industry, I started out working as a PA on a variety of projects before becoming a camera assistant.
Q: Where can people go to find out more about you and your work?
PS: I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that I don’t have much of a web presence. The best place to see my work is on my Vimeo page: https://vimeo.com/user1455109/videos
Q: Is there anything you’d like to say about The Emerging Filmmakers Project?
PS: With regards to the EFP, more than anything else, I’d like to say thank you. I think it’s vital for a filmmaking community to have a resource like the EFP so that we have somewhere to go with our projects. While it’s great to post our films on the internet, being able to screen them in front of an audience is really special. In my opinion, the immediate response from viewers to our films is more telling than the most glowing comment on the web.
Kerouac’s Denver will screen September 19th at The Emerging Filmmakers Project.
