A couple struggles to see eye to eye when a mysterious red orb appears in their new home. Having its Texas Premiere in the Midnight Shorts section, we spoke with filmmaker Quinn George on SIGNIFICANT OTHER.
How did you first hear about SxSW and wishing to send your project into the festival?
Honestly, I can’t even remember the first time I heard about SxSW. Ever since I got interested in film when my mom made the bizarre yet inspired choice of showing me ERASERHEAD at 13. It has been a sort of beacon for me. As someone who grew up in Cleveland, OH, far outside the industry, it really put a spotlight on independent film and the possibility of breaking through one day. It’s a true dream getting to be a part of it this year.
Tell me about the idea behind SIGNIFICANT OTHER and getting it made!
My creative partners and I kept tossing around ideas that centered around some sort of intruder, and what it feels like to not fully understand or trust the space and people around you. Beyond the concept though, we really just wanted to make a short that proved to ourselves that we could put something out there that looked and sounded just as good as the films that inspired us.
Who are some of your creative inspirations?
David Lynch will forever be my biggest creative inspiration. Not that myself or anyone can ever recreate what he’s been able to do on film.
How did you put this together from a technical viewpoint? Any challenges in the design of SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
Filmmaking is a group effort, and we were incredibly fortunate to have the help of an amazing cast and crew, especially on such a shoestring budget. Our producer, Josh Russell, really pulled it all together and has my eternal gratitude!
Being all virtual this year, what do you hope to get out of the virtual SxSW experience? And where is your project going next?
I’m really just excited to sit down and watch everything there is to offer. I think virtually showcasing all the films is a great way to reach an even larger audience, so I’m thrilled for the opportunity to show Significant Other to people around the world, but I’m also just excited to be an audience member. As far as the future of the project goes, we have a feature length script set in the same universe that we’re hoping to get made.
What would you suggest to film festivals as a way to show more short films or make them more accessible to audiences across the country?
It feels weird to say this after a year of not being able to go to movie theaters (and desperately wanting to), but the option of putting on a virtual festival where shorts can stream across the globe is a really fantastic way to get them out there. I feel very fortunate to be a part of it, and hope that in the future there can be hybrid festivals.
If you had one piece of advice to offer someone to get their start as a creator or filmmaker in the industry, what would you suggest?
Never stop creating things, but be excited about the projects you’re putting your time behind. Filmmaking is a long road, so prep yourself for failure, and then move on to the next exciting idea.
And finally, what is your favourite short film of all time?
Tough. I have a short attention span, and get excited about the new things that are being made. With that said, I can’t stress enough how much I enjoyed Santiago Menghini’s film REGRET, even though it only came out last year.
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This film and many others like it will be showing at the virtual South By Southwest taking place March 16-20th. For more information and to register for the festival, point your browser to www.sxsw.com!