5Q's w/Emily Sandifer "Salton" Director
#1: Can you describe your movie and why somebody should see it?
Uptight Maxwell inherits his grandfather's property in Salton Sea but when he meets a local woman, he discovers the sea's biggest mystery.
#2: What do you want the Borrego Springs Film Festival audience to know about your film that isn’t obvious from its title?
The Salton Sea area has a complex history of folklore, myths, failure, oddities, and yet potential that was never fully realized. It's a place of quiet isolation where anyone who doesn't want to be found could easily become lost forever. The film was inspired by a lot of different things I read about and experienced during my first several trips out to Salton, before I ever thought of making a film there. It's quirky, and it was filmed with minimal crew and money, back in the winter of 2011-2012.
#3: What is your movie making background? Tell us about yourself.
I've been making low budget DIY films since 2009. It came from necessity for my acting, and not wanting to wait for the phone to ring, or email to ping. I wasn't happy with the roles and auditions my agents were sending me out on, so making films has always given me control over what I want to create for myself and the people I want to work with. I'm a photographer, and have always loved writing since I was a little kid, so filmmaking seemed like a natural progression. I use the resources I have to keep things easy on the pocket book, but this isn't the end goal. The idea is to move up the ladder and increase the production value as we go. TJ and I recently shot a feature length film in Scotland together, and we're still raising money to finish post-production.
#4: What was the biggest lesson learned in getting your film made?
Invest in better sound equipment. Don't expect your cast and crew to love your filming location like you do. And, when it's done, you will always cringe watching your own films. There are always compromises and delays. Do it anyway, have follow through no matter the end product, and move on to the next story. I'd given up on this film for awhile, but here we are years later, and it's still finding its niche audience. Really a nice surprise, and extremely happy about it.
#5: What does the future hold for your film and you?
Salton has had its lime light. We appreciate the nostalgia. We've moved on to other films since then. I would love to make the feature length Salton film (the original idea I had before filming the short), but I need time and money. Anyone interested in investing, reach out. Otherwise, we're finishing our Scotland film and we'll see what's next after that! I miss the Salton area and would love to be back filming something soon. It holds a dear place in my heart and psyche.
