Past Filmmakers

David Ellsworth
Super-8 Mom
(Premieres November 22, 2003, at 11PM)

Interview Questions:

1. How did you come up with the idea for the film?

I've always been interested in why my mom's home movies look so different from others that are more typically seen. I wanted to make a film that used them and incorporated a dialogue between us since I’ve become a filmmaker myself.

2. How long did the production process take?

Then interview took 2 hours. Editing took about 8 hours.

3. What challenges did you experience in the creation of the film?

I wanted to create a personal film but one that other people could relate to. The challenge was to do justice to my mom's images without over sentimentalizing them.

4. What is your favorite memory from creating the film?

The interview was fun. It was good to hear her talk about our home movies in the context of her ideas about the creative process.

5. When someone has finished watching the film, what do you hope they take away from the experience?

I hope they realize that home movies can be more than just a document of family history (although that is one of their important functions) & might make people want to open a dialogue with others in their family about their relationships as a family.

6. What type of reaction has your film received from viewers?

Everyone seems to like it a lot. Its been accepted to every festival I’ve submitted it to. People want to meet my mom afterwards, which is great. She had a very nice reception at the Full Frame documentary festival in Durham.

7. What advice would you give to aspiring young filmmakers?

Be open to the creative process. You never know where your next film might come from.

8. Please tell us about the next film you plan to work on.

I’m now editing my thesis film at the University of Iowa. It’s a documentary about life in the boathouse community in Winona, Minnesota on the Mississippi River.

9. What are your thoughts on the film industry in NC?

I’ve met lots of interesting filmmakers in North Carolina. The Flicker program in Chapel

Hill is a great way for people to meet and grow as makers. Wilmington seems like a great town and the people I’ve met there are very generous and down to earth, as well as professional.