I work for Film Freeway and we are where people submit their short films or long-form films. The films are this thing that they've created that they're passionate about and they can share it with the world. And what goes into a movie are people who aren't just actors and aren't just directors. They are writers, editors, lighting, makeup, costume and everything that goes into a movie. Usually it's just a handful of people who don’t specialize in one discipline. They're multi-disciplinary people. I would love to see people collaborate and make movies together, so that we can keep it going. The world can have movies. We went through a worldwide pandemic and what would that pandemic have been like without artists making things, you know? 

 

A platform that brings people together – of course that's something that someone like you was drawn to. So you are working with Film Freeway. What inspires you to work with a company like that?

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Film Freeway has given so many people so many opportunities. They work with major film festivals and  small film festivals. I was a film major at UNLV, but I wasn't necessarily like, ‘ I want to be a director’ or ‘I want to be an actor’. I was in theater and I was a film major, but I was still trying to figure out if this is what I was drawn to and if this is what I wanted to study. I was like, I don't know that I want to make movies. I appreciate them and now realize, later on in life, oh – I like writing. That was the aspect I love about it. 

 

Film Freeway has script competitions, in addition to film competitions that people can join and submit their films to. There used to be a website prior to them that would overcharge people and it was a real David and Goliath story because before Film Freeway became Film Freeway, they had websites which helped with the film festival submission process but exorbitant fees went into it. Some of the filmmakers felt like they were being taken advantage of because it was so exorbitant. Freeway was created to make a more accessible, affordable version of that. It is free to join, have a profile and have it up there for these film festivals.

 

That's so fantastic. I was taking a look at it. It's so great what you offer. I'm curious, do you have any dream projects that you have up your sleeve? Because you say you like to write.

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Yeah, a 48 hour film festival and I'm in the process of writing my first children's book. We just got the illustrations done. It's been 2 years in the making and hopefully that will be ready soon. The 48 hour film festival is very much like a short-form thing. You only have 48 hours to make the film. You get a line, you get a prop you have to use, and you have 48 hours to shoot, edit, and film. So it's a challenge for us. We love creative projects like that. The book is actually more of a personal dream project of mine.

 

So beautiful. I'm excited to read it one day.

 

What sort of parting words do you have for emerging artists? You work with a lot of people who are making it in the industry. What sort of parting words do you have for them?  

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My parting word for artists would be – don't get stifled by rejection and don't let yourself become too inflated with winning either. It's the same. They're one and the same – rejection and winning. You just have to keep making your art and don't feel like ‘I made it to win something’ and don't feel like ‘I'm nothing if I get rejected and I don't win something’. You know? 

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The purpose of art is to make something from inside you that you love. You want to share it with the world. Don't let the resistance win. Fame and money are a byproduct of work. Be productive. You make something and if fame and money is what you're chasing… you might get that if you get there, but if you're an artist just do the work. Do the work. The rest will come whenever it’s supposed to.