STEALING ASH, 13min., USA
Directed by Frances Capel
After their best friend dies, four best friends plan a heist to steal their ashes and take them on a final joyride for the send off they deserve.

https://instagram.com/campyatc

Get to know filmmakers Valerie Dohrer & Frances Capel:

Valerie Dohrer: Co-writer and Producer
Frances Capel: Co-writer and Director

1. What motivated you to make this film?
VALERIE: Stealing Ash was made at the Young Actors' Theatre Camp Winter Film Intensive. It was one of 11 films Shawn Ryan and I produced during the seven days of our students' Winter Breaks. We were both inspired by our many non-binary and trans students who bravely try out new names and pronouns to figure out what feels most like them at camp first before coming out to their families and friends back home. A few do not come from supportive families or communities and have to go through their adolescent years playing two versions of themselves. It is our young people who are unapologentic about who they are that creates a safe and supportive environment for others to be themselves at camp. We can be different around different power or personality dymnaics with the people in our lives and it was important to us to not make Ash's mom a villain. As part of the healing journey for the friends, they felt they needed to do their own memorial for their version of Ash. Adolescent logic does not always mean taking time to think things through and the high stakes the teens feel makes for a fun story!

FRANCES: Having worked at the Young Actors' Theatre Camp for 11 years, I have had the opportunity to teach so many bright and emotionally intelligent children. I have learned just as much from them as I hope they have from me. With Stealing Ash, I wanted to make a film that exemplifies and honors the bond of a close, foundational friendship and how our openness can be a tool. I would be remised if I didn't mention the perspective I have gained from my trans peers and friends. I wanted to celebrate this and also highlight that learning is a lifelong process.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
VALERIE: We frote out first draft in September and then did various revisions until early December. There were drastically different versions with totally different stories, that just didn't feel right so we kept going. When we finalized the script, I did casting, and then we set it off to our students to memorize their lines and the Student Director, Alex (who posed as Ash for the photos) got to do some brainstorming with us about how to make the film. We shot from December 29-Janaury 2nd and then editing happened until March 15th.

FRANCES:I love to rewrite and change a script so idea to finished product was about six months. We filmed for six days in Santa Cruz for about 7 hours per day. I am beyond grateful to my amazing team and support system on this project. Honestly, this was one of the most seamless productions I have been a part of. Stealing Ash definitely comes from a place of care and love.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
VALERIE: Love true

FRANCES: Vulnerable & heartfelt!

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
VALERIE: For me, it was that I was also producing 10 other short films and the coordinating the shooting schedules to allow for multiple films to be able to use the same space. Our only off campus locations for this one were the Church for the opening, and the local high school for the lunch scene. We also only have 5 shooting days of at most 6 hours each and New Year's Eve was right in the middle of it. We got VERY lucky with the weather this year but we've had some past years where it's rained all but 30 minutes on a single day!

FRANCES: I think my actors would say eating the same burrito for 30 or so takes. I don't know, I thought kids love burritos. Again, still learning. For me though, the hardest part was scheduling and coordinating around the 10 other films we made at YATC's winter film camp. Managing to get a bus of people to the church for the first scene and shoot it in an hour was a feat to say the least.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
VALERIE: I was a little nervous! We hosted a film festival for our students and their families to but it's very different to show your film to people who are in no way biased and associated with anyone involved! I loved the very kind feedback we got and it was amazing to hear what they thought of this film that we love!

FRANCES: I really appreciate your words! I'm a person that craves feedback. It means a lot to me that you all took the time to put together the video!

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
VALERIE: Frances and I met as Young Actors' Theatre Camp campers when we were young and we've known each other much longer than we haven't! Both of us were campers, then counselors, and now Frances is an Instructor/ Film Director / Head Makeup Designer and I am the Associate Director/ an Instructor. We've learned about filmmaking from the camp and I love the endless possiblilites of creative story telling. Both of us have written short films solo and bounced ideas off one another, but we were both so excited by this idea that we decided to write it together. I think some of the funniest lines are just us trying to make the other person laugh! I always want an excuse to work with Frances! We also love meeting passionate filmmakers that want to mentor the next generations of creatives! Our program is a hands on training tool, and I never would have considered that I could be a filmmaker without this program to let me do it and explore in my teens.

FRANCES:I have always loved film. I grew up in theatre and attending YATC. I realized I wanted to be screenwriter when I stumbled upon a screenplay in high school. I then mirrored the formatting and wrote my first script. I didn't have the privilege of going to college but knew this is what I wanted to do, so I wormed my way into YATC's film department and will not be leaving anytime soon.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
VALERIE: What a Sophie's Choice of a question! I think it would probably be Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge!

FRANCES: Tough when you grew up in Blockbuster. I can't think of a specific film but I am always drawn to high-femme teen dark comedies like Jaw Breaker & Sugar and Spice. The first film I remember loving at four years old was actually The Others with Nicole Kidman. I think I have always loved darker themes, or maybe I was just a creepy child. Lately though, I have been on a Barbara Streisand kick.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
VALERIE: I would have loved to meet everyone in person but it's so valuable to get the Audience Feedback videos and I love that you also do blog and Podcast interviews! I am looking forward to being connected with the other filmmakers. We love making conenctions at festivals and we've even brought on some cinematographers to work with us that we met at different festivals!

FRANCES: I want a t-shirt! No, I am unsure. I can let you know next year ;)

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
VALERIE: It's been fine for us.

FRANCES: I am so lucky that my producers at YATC take the lead when submitting to festivals.

10. What is your favorite meal?
VALERIE: I love sushi with seaweed salad!

FRANCES: A French 75 paired with Taco Bell

11. What is next for you? A new film?
VALERIE: I'll be producing another group of short films this winter and I have two scripts in the works!
One called Sophia's Choice about a girl who arrives to camp overrun with girls named Sophia and each one is expected to choose a nickname, only our Sophia, is standing her ground.
The second is called Pretty Sweet Sixteen about appreciating the friends who do show up for you and that quality will always be more important than quantity.

FRANCES: Yes! I am writing a new short film to be produced by YATC at our Winter Film Camp. It's going to be a fun one!