SPEED RUN, 23min,. USA, Drama
Directed by Justin Ho
Kyle, longing for a better life, can only express his true feelings in a newly developed VR game.

Director Statement
Maybe it's escapism, maybe it's yearning, maybe it's loneliness. Perhaps all is to much to hold, and ideas of fictional possibilities are all that I have. Maybe film making is the only way to help me feel whole. Even if only for a moment.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
Loneliness and the stress of my morning commute when I was working a 9-5 in NYC haha. I found a lot of escape in video games, and always pondered about how much more confident I'd be if things I did didn't have any actual real world consequences. Would I have taken more chances, confessed to my crushes, pushed harder to move past my social anxiety and actually try to make more connections in the "Film World". I fantasize a lot, it's the reality I wish I could live in, but alas I can't, so I make movies, and this one was one of them.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
It's been a while, made this film back in 2018 so unfortunately don't really remember. But the script came together rather quickly, I spent a few weeks on it. And production definitely didn't take long, I think probably a week and a half all together. Big thanks to my friend Dane Giuffre for helping produce, without him this film would have probably taken a lot longer to make haha. But overall things just fell into place quickly. I think the best part was this was originally just going to live on YouTube, and had absolutely no plans to submit it to festivals. So there wasn't much pressure at all when making it haha.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Lonely Fantasy

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Just my own personal issues and qualms I had with it haha. When I started post production I started greatly disliking it, was very disappointed in many things, and was quite embarrassed by it. But now I can look back and realize it was very difficult because of how personal it was to me haha.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
Warmth, it felt like a nice hug. The pandemic sadly made a lot of festivals virtual, so it's so very nice to hear and see reactions from people. That's one thing that made this film special for me, despite my initial disappointment in it, back in 2019 when it screened at its first film festival, the audience loved it! The reactions and energy in the cinema was incredible haha. It helped show me that it was a film worth being proud of, and worth submitting to more festivals. So watching the reaction video was a nice reminder of that night, and I really appreciate that.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
Probably after watching Titanic haha. But even before then it was always in the back of my mind, creating fantasies, playing games. Children in general all do that anyways, Titanic I guess just helped crack open the wall, or should I say side of the ship... and once I started taking on water there was no going back, might as well embrace it and try to make all the movies.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
I really don't know, probably Titanic, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, Wall-e... Many more but my brain is too tired right now to think.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
As an introvert with social anxiety I usually need to be forced into a social event in some way. I hate myself so much for being the way I am, always feels like I just wasn't meant for this industry or world, and I'm a flightless bird trying to keep up with all the others in the sky. I always require assistance just to be on a decent level with everyone else. I can't think of any specific way right now, but a festival that was comforting for introverts or others with social anxiety would be nice, however that would work I don't know haha.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
FilmFreeway is great and simple, that's all I have to say about that haha.

10. What is your favorite meal?
I like Tacos, and eggs.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
I'm currently in development on two features, one that will require a decently larger budget, and one that's a super micro budget.