Megan Griffiths is a writer-director working in movie and tv. Her function credit embody “Sadie,” “The Evening Stalker,” “Fortunate Them,” “Eden,” and “The Off Hours.” She has directed exhibits for HBO, EPIX, TNT, Hulu, USA, Fox, Netflix, and Amazon. Her producing credit embody “Your Sister’s Sister,” directed by the late Lynn Shelton.
“I’ll Present You Mine” is making its world premiere at Seattle Worldwide Movie Pageant April 16.
W&H: Describe the movie for us in your individual phrases.
MG: “I’ll Present You Mine” is a few dialog that occurs over the course of 1 weekend between two characters, Priya and Nic. Priya is a feminist memoir creator whose nicely of private revelations has run dry. In hopes of mining some new territory, she has invited Nic, her nephew by marriage, to her house to interview him about his previous as a profitable mannequin who drew a number of consideration for his sexual exploits with individuals throughout the gender spectrum.
Priya and Nic have lengthy shared a bond, so that they have an ease collectively which is quickly examined as they wade into increasingly delicate matters. Over the course of this more and more intense weekend they push and break boundaries, and dig deeper into themselves than both of them may have anticipated.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
MG: I cherished the characters — they felt layered and attention-grabbing and like individuals I wished to know higher. The script was additionally actually engrossing and took me locations I didn’t count on to go.
It felt like an ideal movie for this time.
W&H: What would you like individuals to consider after they watch the movie?
MG: I believe the movie has one thing to say about private acceptance and the liberty that may come from that. I’d wish to suppose that watching the journey of those two characters may spark the viewers to consider the methods through which they won’t be being type sufficient to themselves, or treating themselves with sufficient care.
W&H: What was the largest problem in making the movie?
MG: I believe discovering the suitable individuals to play these two characters. Since Nic and Priya are the one characters within the movie, they each should actually draw you in, and there must be layers to find over the course of the movie.
Given all that, I’m so grateful we discovered Poorna Jagannathan and Casey Thomas Brown. Each are such sturdy actors, however in addition they are such attention-grabbing people. Poorna has an intelligence and pure curiosity that basically comes via in Priya and permits the viewers to be taught along with her. Casey is so charming and loveable, but in addition such a high-quality actor who was capable of navigate among the extra advanced parts of Nic.
They each make each second so true and grounded. It took us about 9 months to search out them and line up schedules, nevertheless it was utterly definitely worth the wait.
W&H: How did you get your movie funded? Share some insights into how you bought the movie made.
MG: After producer Lacey Leavitt and I initially obtained the script from our three writers, Tiffany Louquet, Elizabeth Searle, and David Shields, we shared it with Mel Eslyn at Duplass Brothers Productions. Mel completely cherished and understood this mission and she or he championed it to Mark and Jay Duplass, who fell in love with it as nicely and have supported us each step of the way in which.
Ashley Edouard from Duplass Brothers Productions turned the ultimate integral piece to our producing workforce, and we have been off and working.
W&H: What impressed you to change into a filmmaker?
MG: If I’ve a faith, it’s empathy. I believe it’s so vital to look at the world from different views. Directing movie and tv permits me to do that via an enormous number of characters and tales. I by no means go away a mission with out having realized one thing and grown in some small — or generally giant — manner, and I hope the identical is true of the viewers’s expertise watching something I direct.
W&H: What’s the very best and worst recommendation you’ve obtained?
MG: I believe the worst recommendation was to carry out for some excellent studio alternative after early success on this trade. On this enterprise it’s simple to permit different individuals to dictate your path, and based mostly on this recommendation a number of gifted individuals lose years ready for different individuals to permit them to work.
Conversely, the very best recommendation was to cease ready for permission and simply discover methods to inform your tales and get your work on the market. Watching Lynn Shelton get her Spirit Award in 2009 and utilizing the chance to empower individuals to go make their movies was a very pivotal second for me and I believe many different filmmakers.
W&H: What recommendation do you might have for different ladies administrators?
MG: Construct a physique of labor that speaks for itself, all the time respect and make the very best of each alternative, invite and combine suggestions, and be capable of settle for a praise graciously.
W&H: Title your favourite woman-directed movie and why.
MG: There are far too many to listing, however since this movie was so influenced by Lynn Shelton’s early work I’ll discuss a bit about “Your Sister’s Sister.” As a co-producer, I noticed firsthand the protected bubble that was created for not solely actors Mark Duplass, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Emily Blunt, however for all of us who have been there behind the digicam.
That bubble allowed everybody to deliver our greatest to the desk and resulted in an intimacy and vulnerability that made its manner into each side of the ultimate movie. Movie units will be anxious and chaotic locations, however that movie set was an oasis. I’ve tried to hold on that custom of making an area which is protecting and centered, however nonetheless manages to be enjoyable and unfastened and permit individuals to shine.
W&H: How are you adjusting to life throughout the COVID-19 pandemic? Are you conserving artistic, and if that’s the case, how?
MG: Earlier than the pandemic, I had been steadily constructing my tv resume. When every part shut down, all of the TV work I’d lined up for 2020 was pushed, pushed, and ultimately evaporated. In that very same time interval, Could 2020, got here the devastating information that Lynn had handed away. As a manner of dealing with my grief and honoring Lynn’s reminiscence, I threw myself into making a tribute piece for her with Mel Eslyn and the Duplass brothers.
After that, I turned my consideration to one thing that I had drifted from for just a few years and began creating function work. This in the end resulted in each “I’ll Present You Mine” and my different upcoming function, “Yr of the Fox,” which I’m simply ending now.
W&H: The movie trade has an extended historical past of underrepresenting individuals of coloration onscreen and behind the scenes and reinforcing — and creating — unfavorable stereotypes. What actions do you suppose should be taken to make it extra inclusive?
MG: Actually pulling in additional voices from underrepresented corners and elevating these tales is a superb first step, and one which appears to be occurring slowly however absolutely, and is bolstered by audiences which might be ravenous for these new views.
However I believe these of us who aren’t from communities of coloration — or the incapacity neighborhood or LGBTQ+ communities — even have a duty to have consciousness across the stereotypes we could also be creating or reinforcing in our personal tales, and to take each alternative to be taught and develop our personal understanding and replicate that in our work.
Supply: Women And Hollywood
