Authors — Filmmaker Staff
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“The Story was Unfolding in Real Time”: Editor Emelie Mahdavian on Heightened Scrutiny
Heightened Scrutiny documents ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio as he fights of transgender rights in the courtroom, as well as the battles waged outside the courtroom by those advocating for their rights. The film is director Sam Feder’s follow-up to 2020’s Disclosure and screens as part of the Sundance Premieres section. Emelie Mahdavian, whose previous credits include Midnight Traveler and Singing in the Wilderness, served as the film’s editor. Below, Mahdavian talks about the challenges of editing a film whose story is unfolding outside the editing room in real time. See all responses to our annual Sundance editor interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2025 -
“This Shoot Collapsed That Separation Completely” | Reid Davenport, Life After
Films are made over many days, but some days are more memorable, and important, than others. Imagine yourself in ten years looking back on this production. What day from your film’s development, production or post do you think you’ll view as the most significant and why? For me, the most significant day in the course of making this film was the very last day of production. We had planned a simple pick-up shoot to grab some b-roll of me doing research in my apartment in my role as filmmaker-investigator. Almost at the last minute, I decided I wanted to film […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2025 -
“Balancing the Cultural Context with the Story’s Essence”: DP Mohammadreza Eyni on Cutting Through Rocks
Sara Shahverdi was the first elected Iranian councilwoman in her village, Cutting Through Rocks documents how she uses her power and resources to empower and protect women and girls. The film is the debut feature documentary of co-directors Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni. Eyni also served as the World Documentary Competition entry’s director of photography. Below, explains how he earned the trust of his subjects and, alongside Khaki, was able to shoot in women-only spaces. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2025 -
“The Feeling of Triumph was Palpable”: DP Martin DiCicco on Heightened Scrutiny
Director Sam Feder’s first film, Disclosure, tackled the influence of Hollywood on the perception of transgender people. Now, Heightened Scrutiny follows ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio as he fights for trans rights in the courtroom. Cinematographer Martin DiCicco (Union) also worked on the Sundance Premieres section entry. Below, DiCicco talks about creating the perfect look for the film’s interviews and shooting a contentious rally outside the Supreme Court on a cold day. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were the factors and attributes […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2025 -
“The Enormity of This Historical Moment wasn’t Lost on Me” | Sam Feder, Heightened Scrutiny
Films are made over many days, but some days are more memorable, and important, than others. Imagine yourself in ten years looking back on this production. What day from your film’s development, production or post do you think you’ll view as the most significant and why? On December 4, 2024, with three cameras our crew arrived outside the Supreme Court to film before, during, and after the case United States v. Skrmetti while attorney Chase Strangio was arguing inside. Starting at 9:00 AM, a rally of queer and trans children, adults and allies huddled together in the cold, giving speeches, […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2025 -
“It Was All There, in One Afternoon” | Rachel Fleit, Sugar Babies
Films are made over many days, but some days are more memorable, and important, than others. Imagine yourself in ten years looking back on this production. What day from your film’s development, production or post do you think you’ll view as the most significant and why? I could tell Autumn, the main subject of the film, was a little nervous when we met on the first day of filming. It was understandable—we’d only met through a Zoom call, and now we were there, cameras in hand. But by the second day, we found our rhythm. Autumn invited us to her […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2025 -
“Snapshots of a Memory of Our Character”: DP Mia Cioffi Henry on Sorry, Baby
In Eva Victor’s debut feature, a professor, played by Victor herself works to come to terms with her past trauma over a five-year period, which unfolds nonlinearly. The film screens as part of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s U.S. Dramatic Competition. Mia Cioffi Henry, best known for The Surrogate and herself a professor, served as the film’s cinematographer. She explicates the challenges of shooting a scene when the director is in front of the camera and how she captured her protagonist’s isolation below. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2025 -
“I Couldn’t Shake the Crew’s Faces” | Mark Anthony Green, Opus
Films are made over many days, but some days are more memorable, and important, than others. Imagine yourself in ten years looking back on this production. What day from your film’s development, production or post do you think you’ll view as the most significant and why? I had this idea for a shot… I’ll spare you the details, but it was cool and complicated. Well, possibly cool. But DEFINITELY complicated. Plus it required like 10 people to move furniture and props mid-shot. We rehearsed the shot days before. My AD—who was my protector and guardian angel during production—saved it for […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2025 -
“I Don’t Want to Worry About Camera Settings”: DP Diego Tenorio on The Virgin of the Quarry Lake
The Virgin of the Quarry Lake takes place in Buenos Aires, 2001, when three teenage girls all for the same guy. Laura Casabé (The Returned) directs the tense, socioeconomically attuned coming-of-age story from a Benjamin Naishtat (Rojo) script. The film screens as part of the World Dramatic Competition Below, Cinematographer Diego Tenorio (Tótem) talks about the detailed tests and planning that contributed to The Virgin of the Quarry Lake‘s look and adjusting to a shorter workday. See all responses to our annual Sundance cinematographer interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the cinematographer of your film? What were […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2025 -
“I’d Waited My Whole Career for a Director To Ask Me To Do That”: Editor Shawn Paper, Love, Brooklyn
Rachael Holder, who has directed several episodes from shows including Dickinson and Everything’s Gonna be Okay, makes the jump to filmmaking with Love, Brooklyn. The film is an observational portrait of three Brooklynites navigating love, loss and life. The U.S. Dramatic Competition Sundance entry was edited by Shawn Paper (That Awkward Moment). Read on to hear about Steven Soderbergh pitch-perfect advice to Paper, as well as the difficulty of—and solutions to—editing the film’s beginning. See all responses to our annual Sundance editor interviews here. Filmmaker: How and why did you wind up being the editor of your film? What were the factors and attributes that led […]
by Filmmaker Staff on Jan 27, 2025
