DIGGING OUT, 5min., USA
Directed by Lara Britton
Trapped in the trauma of her past and haunted by the voice of her abusive partner, a woman sorts through a wall of boxes in an old, rusty shipping container. With each box she discards, the voice gets louder, the effect of chronic abuse, until she uncovers a long-hidden artifact that sparks long-suppressed memories of who she once was, forcing her to confront her past in order to move on to the future.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

Two things, really. First I've been in an abusive relationship in the past and have heard every one of these phrases. I know other women have heard similar things
Secondly, my mother in law was a hoarder, an organized hoarder, but a hoarder nonetheless and she lived in the memories of her past, surrounded by boxes and boxes of well-organized things. I thought how awful to be so mired in the past that she literally surrounded herself with remnants and never really moved on with a life after her husband died.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

Too long! I wrote it in one shot back in 2019 and it took about a month to get it scheduled and shot. Then the pandemic hit and all post-production went out the window. I had several hiccups during the pandemic when I had to put it aside and do my pandemic pivot job. I finally found my awesome editor and it was finished this past summer.

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

Digging out!

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Finding an editor during the pandemic and working virtually.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

This was great - I found that I agreed with many of the comments as well as appreciated that the viewers "got" my film. Some people won't get it and that's ok, but I appreciate that the viewers took the time to watch and think about it. I also found that I was intensely proud of my team because without their work this film would not be what it is.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

I think I always wanted to make films, but it really sank in that I wanted to do this when I auditioned for a short film and overheard the director and producer talking about artistic choices. I realized that that was what I wanted to do - that I had that kind of artistic contribution I wanted to make.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Raiders of the Lost Ark. Hands down.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

I love the audience feedback portion. In the future I would like to go to a physical festival, if possible. I enjoy meeting new filmmakers and networking with them, as well as speaking with audience members and connecting with them. They are all crucial to artists and spreading the word.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

Great - I love FilmFreeway. It makes things so much easier to keep track of everything as well as a starting point to find festivals that would be a good fit for my work.

10. What is your favorite meal?

This is hard - a tie between some good homemade Italian pasta dish and wine versus a Tex-Mex crispy taco plate with a lager. Both comfort foods.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

I'm currently in development on my next short (a musical western) as well as finishing up a pilot. I have a feature in development as well and am starting to look for funding.