“SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS is about a young Dad who’s called home to bury his estranged father, only to find out his inheritance hinges on him being able to scatter his Dad’s ashes on the field of his favorite football team. So, it’s a comedy. But about death.” Director Collin Friesen on SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS which screens at the 2018 edition of Whistler Film Festival.
Congratulations on your film playing and welcome to the wonder that is Whistler Film Festival! So is this your first time here and are you planning to attend your show?
Yes it is, and yes I am coming!
When was the moment you said to yourself “I want to get into the movie business” and what have you worked on in the past?
I started life as an adult as a TV reporter. Then one day, while covering a semi-trailer pile up in Lethbridge where a lot of cows were maimed and needed to be put down, it occurred to me that story telling would be better somewhere warm. So I head to the American Film Institute in LA, and the rest is history.
So how did SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS come together?
Write script, beg for money, cash in on being Canadian, find a good producer, interview actors, feel important, get on set, feel like you know nothing about anything, wing it, cry, edit, smile, and put it out there.
What keeps you going while making a movie? What is your drive?
Vodka. No while working, but immediately after. Like, in the car ride home.
So if you were to pick one moment that you would consider the biggest challenge of making the movie, along with the “a-ha, we GOT it” moment, what would each of those be?
Having my time cut inside the stadium with a drone that doesn’t work as advertised because the good drone was stolen the night before and now they need to use the backup drone, and even though we are outside, it can’t find the freakin’ satellite and dear God kill me now.
Could we get technical for a second? For my tech-savvy and filmmaking readers, I would love to know about the visual design of the movie and how it was photographed.
We used a Red and a very good cinematographer. Visually we wanted to be the Coen brothers, and there are a few shot where we made that kind of happen.
After your WFF screening, where is the movie going to go next? Theatrical? Online? Any dream screenings or exact theatre in mind?
We are on Showtime in the States, and may be doing a limited Canadian theatrical run.
We do have a lot of people out there looking to be inspired and work in the industry in one way or another. What is a piece of advice that you would give to anyone looking to get into the motion picture business?
There’s a difference between typing and writing.
And finally, what is the single greatest movie you have ever seen?
THE LAST SEDUCTION… noir done to perfection.
SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS is playing at Whistler Film Festival, 2018 edition. For more information and showtimes, point your browser to www.whistlerfilmfestival.com!
— Jason Whyte
Get Reel Movies Managing Editor