Speaker 2: Hello, welcome to the Festival Podcast. My name is Brendan Cleves. And my name is Johnny Vyvash. this is the first episode of the podcast, so I hope you enjoy it. hopefully we're putting these out every couple of weeks. and as you're probably aware, it's all about the film festivals and the festival circuit. the first episode is actually over at Grossman, the fantastic wine and film festival in Lutomir in Sylvania. We were there a couple of weeks ago. So without further ado, let's bring on Marco. who's the head programmer? So here we are at Grossman International Fantastic Film and Wine Festival. Would you like to introduce yourself? Yes, sir. And tell us a little bit about the history of the film festival.

Speaker 1: All right. Hi, everybody. My name is Marko Mesun and I'm the head programmer of the Grossman Fantastic Film Online Festival. Now this festival, this was now the 22nd edition and the first edition was in 2005 when it was also 100 years of the first film shot in Slovenia, which was exactly here in our little town. Really? Yeah. And it was shot by Dr. Karl Grossman. He was here, you know, local Renaissance guy who was a lawyer and like a really, really respected member of the community. And he was also like very interested in new technologies in that time. that's why he's like Slovenia Lumiere. Yeah, yeah. the first film here. Also, the interesting thing is that in the, during the first world war, A young German officer came here because he was wounded or something. And he got friends with Karl Brosman and this young officer was none other than Friedrich Flank.

Speaker 2: fantastic.

Speaker 1: wow. this year. Yeah, yeah. This comic

Speaker 2: yeah,

Speaker 1: book, yeah. It's Newtomare Berlin Hollywood.

Speaker 2: That was going to be one of my questions because I've spotted the book and then I spotted in the square, which is just to the left of us, where we're doing the interview, on the paving stones there are key names of guests.

Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah. And the first one is Fritz Lang. He wasn't obviously a guest of the festival, but he was here. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2: Yeah.

Speaker 1: So we like to believe that our Karl Brosman got Fritz Lang inspired to do the films because before when he came here, he did art, but he did the sculpturing. And there are actually some sculptures that he made here, Fritz Lang, that are in the... the scene of attacking the museum I think in Slovenian cinema.

Speaker 2: Fantastic. Cool. so within the context of former Yugoslavia, and by that I mean Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia,

Speaker 1: Yeah

Speaker 2: Montenegro, Macedonia, North Macedonia, where does Grossman Film Festival sit in terms of do do you have competition from those other neighboring Macedonians?

Speaker 1: There is no competition in this line of business.

Speaker 2: Just in Europe in general I think, because

Speaker 1: You worked together, you actually in these 22 years we we know we were collaborating with most of the festivals from the neighboring countries and from Austria and from Croatia and from Serbia. But I think in this particular region, except for Trieste, which we were talking before, we are the oldest fantastic genre festival.

Speaker 2: Yeah. So that in in and of itself being the oldest one, so what is the unique add on to the

Speaker 1: this. Well, as you mentioned before, the wine thing, know, it's, it's, yeah, maybe we should tell that that it's, it's not just in the name of this actually wine competition. So the film guests select the best wine, know, the winemaker don't select the best film.

Speaker 2: So that's handed over but consume quite a lot of wine. There is a wine tasting every day here, just point out, yeah.

Speaker 1: Yeah. And those wine tastings are really, as you saw, are really guided by the analogist. like, it has, it's not just drinking yourself to death. Yeah.

Speaker 2: Professional. Yeah. It's very much but it's a key component. Yeah. Of course,

Speaker 1: the book as well.

Speaker 2: wine, discussion, you're talking about wine and you're talking about the films.

Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's a really good combination of films and wines. go together really well. mean, wine goes with everything. Yeah.

Speaker 2: Yeah. Also think when you're doing like the wine tasting here and it's it's the communal atmosphere as well. Like you don't some festivals don't really force you to talk to other fet like festival filmmakers and the festival programmers. This is kind of like you you're there drinking wine, you're talking, and you're actually like you're building this relationship with people. I think many other film festivals really push that as much as like you guys do, but you're you're setting up an environment where that can happen.

Speaker 1: When everybody gets relaxed, a glass of wine relaxes you, you know that, then you are more talkative, you talk more. Nah. That's alright. So yeah, people got relaxed, people got more open and you know, are some, we can have some great talks that with all the filmmakers that are here also because of this relaxed atmosphere also the bigger guests, know, like celebrity guests are very approachable here. It's really easy to talk here to many of the guests, know, like... the guys that come for, you know, the filmmakers that come with the short films or the honorary guests. You can approach anybody here and just talk with them. And I think that's also a trademark of the festival to be this relaxed atmosphere where everybody is just...

Speaker 2: I mean if you'd told me mean this is the second time I've been to the festival, the first time I think was two or three years ago. And if you'd have told me I would be out like ten year old me when I was watching Predator, if you'd have told me I was wine tasting with John McTiernan, with a film and a festival, I would not have believed you. Yeah, yeah. And that's what happened the last time I was here. Yeah.

Speaker 1: We are quite proud of the list of the guests that were here. was from Roger Corman to Sir Christopher Lee to John McTiernan to Frank Honero, Udukir, Gary Sherman, William Lustig, Caroline Monroe.

Speaker 2: And on the intro video to all the slots and the feature film slots you have clips of those guests being

Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it was, it was great. Yeah, it's also good to see how the technology changed, you know, because in the beginning we were showing the features from the 35 million meters, know, and of course, of course, he also outside the inside. Yeah, Yeah, in 2005, you know, I don't know if this was, it came around later, I think. Yeah.

Speaker 2: And is it in terms of the process of securing these amazing guests of honour, is it a difficult process? Does is there a lot of run in time to go back and forth maybe

Speaker 1: What?

Speaker 2: agents or direct approaches?

Speaker 1: It's really hard for me to say that because from the beginning, from the second and the third one, already had like the big names, especially genre-wise. you know, so the second was a really well-known Croatian director, Krstupapić, then one of the most, you know, Serbian directors, Slobodan Šijan, and then Nojit Kaufman was like on the third edition. And Roger Korman was like on the... So I don't know, it really went well for us. It's actually, I mean, it's not easy, but it's more, it's really easier than you think to approach all these people or their agents and that. You know, it's really, you know, some people say never meet your idols. And I think I say, au contraire. Because all of those guests, were really down to None of them were behaving like some stars. Maybe that's also because of the atmosphere we talking about before. When you were in the presence of Sir Christopher Lee, you were like, know, but still he was super nice and really approachable. And know, Ruggiero del Dottore, he was also super relaxed.

Speaker 2: So your head programmer, how big is the team in in terms of the festival but selecting films? Is

Speaker 1: Well then, that was it.

Speaker 2: there a committee that then decides on a jury and then the guest jury, that kind of how does that work?

Speaker 1: Yeah, we have a programming committee, of course, and we get films two ways. So for the shorts and some features, we choose from what we get submitted to Film Freeway. And then we have this usually Zoom meetings because we are not from the same town. So and then we have a meeting and we decide how we will judge the entries, know, it's one is, know, like. your personal preference, the other is how do you think this film should be on the festival or not, even if you don't like it, yourself, like a person will say, I think people will want to see that because it has value, it's good, but it's just not my cup of tea. And for the feature films, we are just following other festivals, following, you know, like... media that covers the genre film. I don't know from printed media like Lungort and Fangoria.

Speaker 2: So the features are more curated rather than people

Speaker 1: Yeah, we only had no good connections with all the sales agency and distributors and we just checked their lineups and see what is appropriate for our festival and told them to send us screeners and then we watched this at home and then we had this programming committee meetings and we have a deliberation. But also maybe we have to mention that we are It's a small festival and we don't have the infrastructure. We have to hire the whole infrastructure for this. So we are not really showing that much films. We have altogether, it was altogether 53 films. And that was like... about 20 features, then short films and music documentaries. We don't want the films to overlap. want the visitor to see as much films as possible.

Speaker 2: Yeah. 'Cause I think that tends to happen with a lot of festivals, that it's the bigger bigger festivals and to a lesser extent sometimes smaller for can heavy program and there's cr and you have to make a choice. Yeah, yeah. And then you lose the

Speaker 1: We did that. We also did that because you know it's very very hard when there are you know we were limited to let's say you have 15 slots that are in in normal time you know and but they but you you you see that you have like 17 or 18 films that you see that are really great you know yeah but then it's it's a it's a shame then to put in because then you have to put it on some some time slots that are not really cool, know, too early, too late and overlapping. you don't, because on one hand, the filmmaker is happy that he was selected, but on the other hand, you are not doing your favor because the film is showing in some terrible slot that then five people appear.

Speaker 2: Obviously, Amelie's credited festival.

Speaker 1: Yeah.

Speaker 2: Well just tell us a little bit about that and how that came about.

Speaker 1: Yeah, we were back then in the beginning, you know, you had to go to the markets, field markets. So we were going to Kahn and we met them there with people from the Federation. And then at all. 2009 or something, comes the Scout, know, from the Federation and checks if you are appropriate, you know.

Speaker 2: Kind of a checklist to t to check off on

Speaker 1: Yeah, you have to guess how many films do I have, how many European films do I have. They have these rules, you know.

Speaker 2: And how long have you been accredited now in the federation?

Speaker 1: I think from 2010.

Speaker 2: Okay. now I have a question about your rewards. How did the scary cast

Speaker 1: Wish us God.

Speaker 2: The shorthand it's a scary cast. And the other slicks, slicks, cat slicks, slights, slight, slights, sex. What's the genesis story of that?

Speaker 1: Slux cat. Slux Slux Slux Slux Slux cat. Slux Yeah, as we mentioned wine before, and we all know if you drink a bit too much you are hungover next Wednesday. So this is a lost in translation because vicious cat means the Obel of King in Slovenia, vicious cat like the animal and also vicious hangover. The cat like in German is also cutted. Vicious cat, means also Vicious cat and Vicious hangover. That

Speaker 2: That is brethren.

Speaker 1: makes sense now. And I would like this also, I emphasize that when you say Slak's vicious cat, was Frantz Slak was really renowned Slovenian director that supported us from the beginning when we were really like, you know, just, and he was standing by your side and giving us a lot of advice. Then he suddenly passed away. And in his honor we then named the award of the film for the short film.

Speaker 2: And are the awards are they made in town or do you make them?

Speaker 1: No, they are made here. Actually, the design was made by here. Here on this side of the street is a tattoo studio. Tattoo artist. He

Speaker 2: Of the award there.

Speaker 1: made the design and the actual statues are made by another local artist that does these steel sculptures. statue not yet. It's all locally bred.

Speaker 2: This is a hard question to answer, but especially when we watched the short block last night and there was a big variety of different types of of like sort of fantastic genre What would be your kind of I if for a filmmaker's out there going, Grossman, could my film get into Grossman? What is that? What does that look like to you?

Speaker 1: It's difficult question, yeah, but... Well, first of all, it has to be fantastic genre. It doesn't have to be, you know, like, only that it can be... It has to have fantastic elements. That's it. That's the thing. And then also, I don't know, you know, the short films that with all this experience, I noticed is either it's a really good idea or it's... like more like a showreel or a filmmaker to show what he's capable of. That's what I got the feeling now with in all these years of selecting. So I like them both. Of course, I prefer if there's a great idea, you know, especially because most of the film of those short films are really on a limited budget. Yes. And then how you see how the filmmaker is capable to hide that, you know? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. That what he decides then, I don't know. to have just small actors in one space or something like that, you know? But it's really then you're fascinated by, okay, this looks like, you know, like the Hollywood production, but it costs, I don't know, 5,000 euros, you know? Because the filmmaker is so, knows what to do, how to hide the lack of money, you know?

Speaker 2: You you shoot something for five thousand but you make it look like fifty thousand. It's interesting to hear that, I think, because I've always had the sort of going through the festivals I've been to and doing a lot of low budget films, I always feel like there's no prizes for having a low budget because the your budget is irrelevant. But hearing you say that is quite good in a way that you're actually looking at that and actually sort of almost a w rewarding people that can use more money and make it look important.

Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's

Speaker 2: It's it it's key as well to you shoot something for five thousand, you make it look like forty thousand and you know your your kiss and you know how to shoot in an environment to make it look better, you know, than than not that it it's it's not a good film, but to give it that more professional kind of sheen to that.

Speaker 1: I also think that this is also due to technology getting approachable.

Speaker 2: It's going for what you said earlier about the grossman and technology and that's kind of the found in the festival, it kinda goes hand in hand with that as well. You know, using new technologies. I mean, I know we haven't really talked much about AI this festival with anyone, but there are that's coming now, coming very fast. And I'd imagine more filmmakers will start using these kind of technologies.

Speaker 1: Yeah, well, AI have a very mixed feelings about that. I think it's a good tool, but it will, in my opinion, cannot replace the film maker, you know, and also we got some AI films submitted and no, no, no, we are not taking. I mean, you can use AI to do something, as a tool, not as a, you know, the blend that the magic blender you will put everything in and you put out the smoothie you know to drink.

Speaker 2: To the brandy brands movie for sure. That probably wouldn't taste very nice. I think also, like we were saying earlier, some filmmakers don't realise how important it is to come to festivals. And I think that's also part of the reason we're doing the podcast as well, is yeah. It's to promote festivals, but also like say if you go to these festivals, you know, you're just your screen, your film, yeah, that's one part of it. But you are in a community. Yes. And it's like Yeah. I mean we met at Berlin, was it like five years ago? And that's how I found about Grossman. And then we met We met at a festival. We met at a festival. You

Speaker 1: We may better be safe.

Speaker 2: know, so and it's about those relationships. And this I sound like a broken record when I talk to young filmmakers. It's about establishing those relationships that you're always able to reach out to people who work there or say, Look, I haven't screened in maybe two years, but I've got my short, would you I'd love you to get eyes on it, you know? maybe to to return with with my new piece of work, you know. So but I think building those relationships with all the festivals gives you and gives a a filmmaker a certain amount of car as well, you know, like

Speaker 1: And it is not even only the filmmakers. It's good that, you know, when you're selecting a festival nowadays, you can do it all online. But

Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: it's good to go now and then to film markets to actually meet the sellers also, the distributors, the professionals. Because

Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: it's, you know... Then you put a picture to the email. Otherwise, you have this person, know, I'm talking with this guy from this agency. He was cool. We were talking about that. You have a community.

Speaker 2: And this is shared knowledge because if you're in the genre community, you know your genre and you know the history of films and you know who's making films and your favorite directors. And it's it's good to have that community communication, yeah.

Speaker 1: Yeah, and it's also all this festival organizers community, you know, if you need something, you see, okay, they have this festival, for instance, they had this guest. And you just write to them and say, I'm a fellow festival maker, you point me in the right direction, how to get in contact with the agent of this guest or... How did you get the film? Who has the rights for the film for the Europe or something like that? And it's really everybody is, know, because we are in the same boat or how to say that it's really, really nice.

Speaker 2: Well so with that in mind, do you then go to other festivals yourself with your

Speaker 1: Yeah, now for a while, didn't go, but I went to several festivals, like we mentioned before, Beef and course then CJS1, Surplice and Night Visions in Helsinki, race festival. We went to Zagreb, to Trieste, to you know...

Speaker 2: Mm-hmm. And if do would you is there ever a situation where you've seen work there and you've gone, This will be great for the festival? I'd like to appro I'd approach the filmmaker directly if they're there or email them.

Speaker 1: Yes, that was for instance at Night Vision, then we got in touch because Sam Fierce and Mertis was there against him, was there against there and we actually made the deal that he will come to our festival there. And also you meet the films that you see and there are a lot of directors present then and it's easier then to get the film because you cannot choose it there at the festival because you have to get the screener and the committee has to see it not be in Olympia.

Speaker 2: Exactly. Sure.

Speaker 1: Never one man decision, you know, and the and but it's then easier, you know, because then we can write this Okay, I talked to the director could you send us a screen there and you also talked then about the film with the director You know, yes, you if you you check it if you if you got the right message from the film. Yeah

Speaker 2: No, no, no, no.

Speaker 1: It's not like this I think it's when you know, it's not with the film and with art is great that you can have your own impression what the film or what the text. Yeah,

Speaker 2: Subjective.

Speaker 1: and it's not like it's checking, you know, with the director and then you see. And I think also the filmmakers are eager to hear that how people are getting their work. And they say, sometimes they say, never, I never thought about that aspect. And they say, but yeah, he's there. Yeah, vice versa.

Speaker 2: kind of gives the filmmakers confidence as well to hear feedback directly. Yeah. Because filmmaking is a very it's a thing, especially if you're a director, you don't tend to mingle so much with or even programmers to actually go, What do you think of my film? Yeah and just come across the d yeah, you know, and then then even last night we screened a film out there. Yeah. The first time we've screened it and just the audience reaction, just to sit and actually look back at the audience and get that. It's just amazing. I I I think I'm speaking for both of us. There's a certain amount of nerves because it's a premiere. It's our first outing we're cracking. But there's a level of expensive. Do you look at premier status at all when you're selecting films?

Speaker 1: Well, since Slovenia is a small country and in distribution, distributors cannot afford to take smaller films. So more or less all the films we are showing here are least Slovenian premieres. It's a must, but it's great if you have a premiere, know, European premiere, even a world premiere, know, sometimes. But it's not like a condition to be. The condition is, I mean, yeah, the condition is that it wasn't before in the regular distribution in Slovenia.

Speaker 2: So with the programming of the festival, there's a lot of key events, not just solely located towards screening features and shows and drinking wine. There's different events. What other different events do you have at the festival?

Speaker 1: Yeah, well, the most notorious one is our zombie walk. Yeah, we do a zombie walk every year. We have the professional, this FX artist, the makeup artist doing it. They actually have a workshop during the festival. So then they mask and those people that apply for the workshop mask, the people. Or you can do your own mask, of course. And then we usually have a truck and a band that is also masked in zombies that goes and arrives before those zombies.

Speaker 2: The the zombie walk goes all the way around the town. Yeah, yeah. It's a lot of fun. Yeah.

Speaker 1: No, yeah, here around the block. Actually, when I was talking about Grossman, the Finn Pironier, those films were shot here on this square. So one year we actually had the street that was filmed in that first film, know, but everything is here, you know, it was...

Speaker 2: And I think that's also a good thing with this festival particularly is the hub is here, you don't have to run off twenty minutes on the road. A lot of festivals are like that.

Speaker 1: It's a really, I mean, a small town festival. It's a real small town, know, this is, I think 4,000 people live in UtoMad, you know, it's a...

Speaker 2: So unique in terms of what the offer is when you when you make the journey here and what you find here as well. So not only the screenings, the zombie walk you do, the seminar workshops, there's the there's music as well, documentary. So there's a lot to do in the number of days that you

Speaker 1: Yeah, I thought a lot a going on I think yeah that you can find yourself busy here very very easy very easy to get busy

Speaker 2: Very easy step, isn't it indeed? Okay, so final question would be what advice would you give to a filmmaker who comes to the festival apart from makes you drink a lot of water after the wine and in the mornings? What's the survival guide for Grossman? What is yes, that is a great question. The survival guide. So getting to v to to Grossman and l and being able to survive.

Speaker 1: Well, yeah, as you mentioned before, drink a lot of water with your alcohol. It helps you. we did that with Hitchpick. So this is half wine, half sparkling water. So you already have the water in your drink. Otherwise, I don't know. Be fit to see all the films. Don't get scared too easily. I say, you know, just go with the flow here. Be relaxed. Yeah, there is no, you don't have to go to the boot camp before to see where the gross amount is. It's really just.

Speaker 2: Do a small course back in Justin.

Speaker 1: Being here and, you know, watching films, wine, talking to people, socializing, it's just being human, it's enough to survive, to survive our festival.

Speaker 2: Unless you're in the zombie walk. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: I'm saying that's as human as you have to be alive.

Speaker 2: Well certainly from from my perspective and my first time to visit, I've screened her a few times, it has been absolutely fantastic. Thank you. And to see your good self again, Marco, has been brilliant, you know, and the rest of the people that are organising the festival. So I've absolutely had it

Speaker 1: Thanks, Hans. Thank you. It's always nice to hear that you get rewarded for your work, which maybe again mention that, but we are all, all of the core team are volunteers. We take a vacation at work to work down the festival.

Speaker 2: Yes, great. Nice one. Thanks, Marco. I appreciate it, Marco.

Speaker 1: Thank you for having me on your wonderful podcast.

Speaker 2: Yes. Brilliant. Fantastic. And that was Marco Metzen, head programmer at the festival. really good talking to him, very insightful information about the festival by way of background of the festival and what they have in terms of awards. The festival we were at it's usually at the start of July and that was the twenty second festival. So it's been gone for some time. positive. One thing Marco didn't mention, which you There was the the size of their programming team there. it's pr it's pretty big. And they got a lot of people from one of the Europe's. They've got like sort of film experts, and a lot of them were actually at the festival. And they don't they're not just Marco pick on his own or like him and his two mates. There's there's a little like there's like fifteen of them, I think, that actually do pick the films, which is which I never knew about in the past. So there is a lot of minds put into that to that one block, which I think is is pretty, pretty interesting. Yeah, a lot of discussion that goes on in terms of where what what kind of aesthetic they like in terms of their films as well and and how they put together a really interesting festival. Which I think over the years that I've been looking at it and seeing what they've programmed, it's been pretty dynamic and the guests have been brilliant as well. Yeah. I mean this I mean Grossbury's a great example of a festival which like again you wouldn't consider it a big festival, but it kind of is in its like i in its stature and the and how long it's been going and it's just in the f in the fantasy, if you're into the kind of fantasy films and genre films, it is it is quite prestigious in its where it stands in the festival circuit. And I wasn't fully aware of it until maybe like five years ago as well, when obviously when we met me and me and Johnny both met Marco in in the Berlin Film Festival. Actually you met before that. I Yeah I'd screened there before so but it was well over ten years ago that we had a short film called Eddie. And I I didn't know anything about this festival and it was another director, John Lynch, who submitted it. So he he found this festival that clearly had been going for quite a number of years and then that kind of really piqued my interest. What is this festival? 'Cause it sounds utterly brilliant. Yes, yeah, it is, and it's great. so should we crack on with our next interview then? So we've got Quarks. Quarks a French director and this is I think his second time he's filmed screened his feature film, his new feature film, The Ones Who Grieve. so yeah, let's let's have a chat with Quarks. Hi everybody, we're at the Grossman Fantastic Film and Wine Festival and we have the sensational Quacks with us to talk about his new film which is screening at the festival. Tell us a little bit about the film and its festival journey.

Speaker 3: Thank you very much for that very nice introduction. I'm very glad to be to be with you, to be able to speak about my film. So the new film is it's called The One The Ones Who Grieve in English, Les Amant Pen for the French speakers. And it's what I would consider to be a gothic drama, as I was saying, my my film is quite diff difficult to to to really label it. Because it changes tone s sometimes and so some consider it as really horror, but I think it's most it's mostly a a drama that deals with the with the with the f with the very dysfunctional family. It talks about madness, patriarchal, and and it's it's it's the the the story of of a father that's deep into hardcore religion and is having a huge trouble dealing with the fact That this daughter is growing up because he starts to have desire for her. and and that really f freaks him up, you know. And and and because of that he's gonna make a living hell out of his wife and out of his daughter. so I wanted to to to talk about a very dysfunctional family into a very dysfunctional world around. And the world around is plagued by an affliction called the black veil. and they don't really know where that that affliction comes from. Some says that it's a divine p punishment some others say that because it's it's when electricity starts to light up the countryside. It's the beginning of electricity. And in my movie it's a it's a Ukraine. I don't I don't know if that's an English term Ukrainy but

Speaker 2: Okay.

Speaker 3: it it's it's when when you take real basic history facts but then you turn it into something else. Yes. And in my story the Tesla Tower exists and the Tesla Tower was something that that that did exist on paper at the time that was invented by the Serbian Tesla. And it was towers that could provide free electricity to everyone without any cables or anything like that in a seven miles radius around those towers. And at the at that time I think it was Edison who said there's no way that that's

Speaker 2: Can happen. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3: there's so many so much money to be made out of this invention that is electricity. And so he refused as Tesla to develop his invention. So on my movie it was an homage also to Tesla and to the Serbian genius that he was. And so yeah, it's it's s sort of this mix of genre that I that I enjoy, a bit of of fantastic because I also talks about revisited zombie, new wave zombie. Yeah, yeah. I really wanted to pay an homage to the film that I love being a teenager or the Romero series and I I've I I've been really fed by by that. My imagination was fed by that when I was twelve, thirteen. Of course I would never miss you know, the the dawn of the dead and zombie and so I really want to make in my career one time a film that talks a little bit about zombie. Even though it's not the main subject, we we talk about that, yeah.

Speaker 2: So it's it's housed within a a a p a period setting? Or is it so are we nineteen hundred?

Speaker 3: Exactly. Nineteenth century, somewhere in France or even in Europe is not we don't even really say where where it takes place, but as people speak French, we we guess it's in France, right? But yeah, nineteenth century, beginning of electricity. And when it's it's it's a period of time where great changes were about to happen into society because it was gonna be transformed really deeply. and those transfer transformation created anxiety as well and so I thought this is just that was very cinematographic. And it was also such a blast for me to be able to to shoot a movie with with the costume and yes I I I was tired of having a cell phone and and and you know those high tech stuff, you know I I didn't I like I didn't want to have anything of like that. You know, it was it was such a blessing to be able to really recreate a a universe that's that totally doesn't exist anymore. Yeah, yeah and as

Speaker 2: Only exists in history books, exactly.

Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly. So as a creative filmmaker, this is really such a blast to be able to to do that. It's more expensive, of course, because they say it's thirty percent more expensive to to make to make those kind of films because of the costume, the animals, the the the horses. It was a nightmare, to be able, especially horses. Whereabouts

Speaker 2: Did you shoot?

Speaker 3: we started in the center of France. It's it's a place called La Creuse, which I'm sure you never heard about, but even myself I didn't I was not really so aware of it. But it's an amazing place where it's very how say the the the the nature still owns the place, you know.

Speaker 2: Almost in its original form.

Speaker 3: Exactly, exa exactly.

Speaker 2: In your previous film, Pandemonium, it's a big departure from the type of storytelling that you had in that particular feature film then, in terms of your style, in terms of your characterizations as well?

Speaker 3: yes, well I I try to to to keep my style, but Pandemonium is really a a film that is a little bit different on my filmography because the way it happens, the way it was produced, it's not one straightforward story, you know, what you saw with the film, right? So it's sort of an anthology film and I was not even really sure to make a feature film out of it when I started. I started because I first shot a sh a short film because I was waiting for the for for some money for another project. The money was not coming, so I thought some to do something with my life, you know? Yes. So

Speaker 2: Yeah, our greatest struggle as filmmakers in the industry.

Speaker 3: Yes, so I shot I shot the first the first segment. Then money was still not coming, so I was getting desperate. So I well I I shot an another short film. And then when I had two short films I said, you know, I'm that close of having a feature film. So I I I I I I make my brain work really hard and say, How can I this up together and then I shot the last segment that that deals with hell and everything. So it was sort of a of a of a blessed accident. Yeah, yeah. to be to be honest. So I don't I I I love the film, I'm really proud of it, but I totally I don't really recognize myself a hundred percent

Speaker 2: That's interesting. If anybody hasn't seen it, please track down pandemonium. But it is on platforms at the moment.

Speaker 3: Yes, yes, it's everywhere on w everywhere. Just type on demonium quarks and you'll find it

Speaker 2: Did the with pandemonium you still you did the festival journey after that, so it did pretty well.

Speaker 3: It did very well. It was my my biggest success actually so far. money wise, you know. I that we did pretty good with pandemonium. And something unexpected turns, you know, happen and then then it it turns very well. But I I I most recognize myself in all the gods in the sky and on the one who grieved. Yeah. Because it's really a story that I wrote from the beginning to the end and we were conscious that we wanted to do that project. And I really I really enjoyed making pandemonium and I It brings me a lot of joy and a lot of pleasure. The s the su success that he had and it allowed me to travel really everywhere. I met met incredible people and it was a fantastic journey.

Speaker 2: Going from pandemonium, like the festival journey, you said you went, travelled to a lot of places. Are there any highlights throughout that hop hop scotching around the world? What what was the any things you remember?

Speaker 3: There were so many memories, you know. I cannot I I cannot even trap

Speaker 2: But where did you have your world premiere?

Speaker 3: trapped one. world premiere of pandemonium, I think, was in CGS. Yeah. I think we we made the world premiere. I

Speaker 2: Great launch and ground.

Speaker 3: think yeah, I think we went to CGS and then after it just didn't stop for for seven months. I was just constantly traveling and showing my film and premiering it. And it was It it it was it was re we we saw the the the movie in in more than forties territory, forty countries and most of them had we had release in movie theater. Yeah. and and I was saying to you that later, especially for example in in Russia, we had five hundred screened and they they spend more money on advertising the film that the the budget of the film itself. So it's and and they also I got that's a funny story because In in Malaysia they bought the the remake, right, of the film. Well which which which they are the they they remake the film in a Malaysian way, you know.

Speaker 2: Interesting to see what their take would be on it.

Speaker 3: Yes, yes, yes, yes. So that that that brings me so many, you know, like I I was just blown away by all the the the news that I received. And so I hope that well the ones who grieve I will follow the same path of

Speaker 2: So following on from Bren's question about, you know, d taking out pandemonium and ex its success and the springboard from Sitches, is was that then a blueprint that could be applied to the your next film, the w the the ones that greed? What's a blueprint? In in terms of like it's a plan, it's a strategy to where to go next for not to follow the same routes as the film festivals, but it outlined a kind of map.

Speaker 3: It it it definitely help when you when you have a a f a festival success like that because now the people they but they start to know me of course so they are eager to to see my next project and so and I developed a connection with with a lot of people. So of course the more that you're doing feature film and the more you're doing festival, I mean the the better it is, you know. And some tend to be very have fidelity, you know, toward toward my work and we develop friendship as well. So of course of course that that helps a lot.

Speaker 2: I think that's a key thing to get into not only a friendship relationship with a f with a festival, but a working relation, a professional relationship. Absolutely. And it means sometimes e maybe going to a festival where you're not screening that particular year. Or,

Speaker 3: Absolutely.

Speaker 2: you know, if you are great, but you know, making that effort and going to see work and g reconnect with people and be still in the mix, let's say, you know, between projects.

Speaker 3: Totally true, totally true. And and sometimes also as I get offered the the the the the possibility of being a judge throughout all the the the the festival that I attended and so yeah yeah some sometimes it becomes a a nearly a full time job, you know, she's promoting your film.

Speaker 2: Isn't this the dream though? This is the dream.

Speaker 3: The cherry on the cake, you know, I would say it's really the cherry on the cake. And sometimes when you're struggling and you're desperate because you think nothing is gonna work and you're gonna end up under a bridge or playing guitar, you you remember, you know, you remember why you do it. you you you I do that to be confronted to to an audience and yeah, and every time my film is screened to a festival, I never go out of the of the of the of the screening room. You know, I stay every time because even I even I I I do Fifty, sixty festival, at the end I cannot see my film anymore. But I want to stay, you know, because I want to feel how the audience is reacting. And that that brings me joy.

Speaker 2: Yeah. And I think it's an important thing for filmmaking I know some filmmakers just it it that maybe it's a nerve thing or they just get, you know, t too consumed by it and they have to wait outside and just maybe they have some of the crew in there or maybe the the distribution people are in there or the producers are in there to to give feedback. But I think having that ownership of your piece of work but with an audience is key.

Speaker 3: Of course, of course, of course. And and whether they did you know, I my my films I think are very d d dividing. You know, they're they're not inclusive, yeah. They they divide people. Yeah. And and I I like I tend to like that very much because it's either you you really like the film or you really despise the film and you hate it, you know. Yeah. So I have have fan a fan base and I have haters. You know, and and and I think this is very It's very interesting because it it it it develops talks, you know, and c communication about the film and people talks about it and they not agree and it creates a debate. Yeah. And that that I think is very interesting about about a movie.

Speaker 2: I think y you kinda ha yet that's the aim for a filmmaker. We were talking earlier and the worst thing you want coming out of a screening as you hear people go by and you hear their commentary, you don't want people to go, Where shall we eat? It's the kiss of death

Speaker 3: Exactly, exactly, exactly. And and and boredom i in the in a in a movie is is exactly what I try to avoid. And this is the feeling that I hate when I go see a movie, you know, it's being bored. I can I if I hate a movie it's fine, you know, but if I hate it that that that means I I wasn't bored because that give me the strong emotion that really hate the film, you know. So I yeah, I get focused, I get my attention. so i either love or hate is fine, you know, but indifference this is this is what I I I try avoid as much as possible.

Speaker 2: Now, festival planning with this particular feature film, have you been a hundred percent part of that? I know we briefly chatted about it earlier a couple of days ago, where the distribution and the production house were involved in that. So how does that work with do you go in and sit down with them and you y you chat through a strategy?

Speaker 3: n yes and no. mostly, you know, I I I rely on my international sales agent which are what the film. Mm-hmm. I mean they are they're they're there for so many years and they're very professional, they really know what they're gonna what they're doing and they create also a c community where well with all those festivals that they knows everyone. So I I mostly go through them and sometimes when I have a little festival in mind I say, you know, yeah, just just apply for this one that that that they wouldn't even think maybe about. And say I because I know this and I really like it and let's let's go there. So it's we we have communication together, but mostly I let them do the job because they're doing a great job. Yeah. So I th there's no point for me to really intervene, you know. Yeah, yeah. If it was not the case, you know.

Speaker 2: You would do it, yeah. And I and I think and it's a it's a great position to be in to have a production comp distribution set up in that way that will will do that. 'Cause you know, in terms of people working on smaller budgets or independent budgets, it's it's that sense of ownership that we talked about earlier, about being in contact with festivals and having that communication so you can plan this stuff in advance. Okay.

Speaker 3: Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 2: And and not two weeks because festivals plan so

Speaker 3: Absolutely. And and when you're totally independent also, you have to go through a well film freeway and you have to well pay yourself and that that's also a budget at the end, you know, to to to to subscribe to all those festivals where where sometimes you're not gonna get in, but you still have to pay a hundred a hundred bucks to get in, you know. Yeah, yeah. So so at the end it can be quite frustrating and that then I don't I don't have to go through th th th those trouble with with having but the film behind so that that's also yeah it's a

Speaker 2: Lisa, you said you recently got I don't won't mention the name of the festival, but it's a big thing in festivals is how filmmakers handle rejection because you're gonna be faced with it constantly, I think, with the film festival. How would you advise people to just handle that rejection?

Speaker 3: Well, never to let go. I I I I think you know, f you you be before going to Sundance, I got rejected at Sundance for for for ten times, you know. But then the eleventh time then it works. and and and being like like you know, keeping your your your your your your pass, you know, and then and never be discouraged. I I I think this is really what makes the difference. as time goes by, you know, t if you have a little bit of talent and you're sure about your film and you really believe in what you're doing you know, things are gonna change and success can knock at your door and in a in a heartbeat and and and and that's that's the way to go. And but but but I know it's very difficult and I know many people throughout the course of their career at some point they they get discouraged and they they they stop, you know, d doing movies because they think it's it's so hard and that the fact of being rejected really hits their their their mind at at at some point, you know, and and and did you wondering, you know Am I am I am I doing the right things? Is my movie is is it good or not good? I don't even know because everybody doesn't want to to to screen it. So I know it's very it's very tough. But I have the the the chance of not having so much rejection since I started really on the the feature films. so of course yeah my my I would love to be yeah, did well with this one I had a few rejections and I was really sad because I really wanted to go to to TIFF And I didn't get into TIFF. So you know. But but hopefully you you have one bad news, but then the next day they call me and say, Well but you in fantastic first. okay so antidepressant,

Speaker 2: So it's Swanson round about it.

Speaker 3: you know?

Speaker 1: You

Speaker 2: That's a good way of putting it. What are some of your favourite festivals you've been to? I obviously got obviously Grossman 'cause we're

Speaker 1: Yeah.

Speaker 3: Double Grossman is is really a special one, special dear one to my heart. But except of Grossman, I I really enjoy C Just very much. C Just is really a great place to to to to be and to screen your fail your film because wow the location is just amazing and it it's huge, you know, it's really huge. You have the market as well, so you you you can see all the filmmakers from all o around the world. They have such a huge programmation over there. but I also tend to like a smaller festival. I like the Scream Fest that is also very dear to me because it's the really the first time that I I won a big award with my short film, A Nearly Perfect Blue Sky, more than like nearly fifteen years ago. so yeah, Sundance also, of course Sundance is very is very, very good, you know. I had a blast in Sundance. I met incredible people over there. So yeah, those are the festivals. But but there's so many big I'm gonna you I got In I'm sure in one hour I'm gonna think, I should have mentioned this one because this one is

Speaker 2: Sorry.

Speaker 3: the other one, but but yes, ninety-nine percent really of the places that I went at the festival that I've been attending were were were blessed, you know. And I'm not gonna talk about the one person that was not. Yeah, yeah. But but yeah, most of the time it's it's really a blessing to be able, you know, to to to to confront yourself. You you you move into an audience or you're so happy to be to be there.

Speaker 2: So you've you've had your world premiere. Where was that?

Speaker 3: Three or four days ago. I know I'm a little bit lost in time, but it was yeah, a few a few days a few days ago at Neuf in in the Chatel. So it was it was really it was really good. the the the the the movie theater was amazing, the the place was packed with people and I think that the the feedback were really really positive. A few people cried, a few people screamed, a few people left after ten minutes.

Speaker 1: The fuck is that?

Speaker 2: The whole gamut you're getting.

Speaker 3: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. So it wa it was it just went amazing time.

Speaker 2: Brilliant stuff. So you've you've screened to tonight. Yes. And then from Grossman, where next then after that?

Speaker 3: after Grossman what do I have? I have L'Etrange Festival, which is a really cool festival in Paris. That's gonna be my French premiere. After that I'm going to many other festivals that I cannot really name so far because it's not openly you know on on Yeah, yeah. But

Speaker 2: It hasn't been announced yet.

Speaker 3: we have great, great news coming up.

Speaker 2: Okay, that's something to look forward to. Alright, and finally what 'cause this can be watched by a lot of filmmakers, a lot of like young filmmakers, what advice would you get to film specifically about festivals, about going to festivals and experiencing festivals? What is what the bit of advice you could So one one bit of advice and one bit of survival guide advice

Speaker 3: Well don't start drinking in the at breakfast breakfast time.

Speaker 2: I'm

Speaker 1: Yeah

Speaker 3: Yeah, try to be a little bit healthy, you know, in order to have your mind focused. But the the the first advice is really to enjoy yourself. I think if you if you enjoy yourself and and don't don't don't put too much pressure on your shoulder because whatever you you know you don't have control over it. You don't have control of over how you feel you feel me is gonna be perceived by other people, you know. So just fucking enjoy the moment because you're gonna think about it in four forty years you know in the future and you will remember the time and it's gonna be the best time of your life. So so really be conscious about that. And really yeah, enjoy yourself, be yourself, chill out, it's just movies, you know, it's just cinema. So

Speaker 2: Brilliant. Yeah. Brilliant. Thank you for that. Thank you for that. Thank you very much for our young filmmakers and and and the words of encouragement. It's about perseverance, staying on the path, no matter how long it takes. Exactly. Just keep pushing forward with a with a piece of work and and trying new pieces of work as well. Yeah. Fantastic. Quarks, thank you for talking to

Speaker 3: Yeah.

Speaker 2: us today. Thank you. Let's go. And that was Quarks. Bren, what did you think of the film? Yeah, so straight after basically after that interview we went off and watched his film. yeah, it's pretty to see him you wouldn't think the film was that dark, you know what I mean? But it was it was pretty it had some serious darkness in it. but strangely, like and this is another great thing about going to festivals, like straight afterwards I went and had a had a quick glass of wine with him and was like, Tell me about this, tell me about this, you know. And I was like, There were some bits there's some comedy in it, which is just weird. I was just like, You can have this complete dark film and there's no there's not an ounce of you read the you know the synopsis or the look to the poster you think you might laugh in this film and there was there was a coup actually a couple of like comedy characters in it which is so bizarre but he was like yeah it's like that's supposed to be I was should I should I've been laughing? He was like, Yeah you should have been I was like alright but my partner who I went to see with wasn't the biggest fan but I think that we have different sensibilities when it comes to to films. But yeah, I did enjoy it. I think I think it probably did quite well. I mean, I think if I was being critical, perhaps it was a ten minutes too long, maybe. I dunno. But I think that that is what happens when you go to screenings, you know, when you start screening your film, maybe you do see where the audience like sort of lingers a bit and you could, you know, when you do it when you screen a film at a festival, especially a feature film, that I sometimes I don't think that is let ever the final cut. You know, it can once it picks up distribution, it can actually get changed. But Overall I I really enjoyed it. And again, I haven't seen I saw Pandemonium, but I haven't seen some of his earlier work as well. so it was it was a different take on a zombie film. He took he took the idea of this zombie outbreak and he he put a twist on it that I'd never seen before or or even really couldn't ma imagine, you know, like it was it was pretty interesting. I'd d I'd no idea it was going. Like w I didn't know which which way it was gonna spin. and yeah, so that was I was pretty surprised I was happy about that. You know, when you're gonna see a film you can't predict the ending. If you can if you can see where it's going, it just you know and more often than not now when you go to see a cinema a film at the cinema you generally can pick where it's gonna head head. So no enjoyed the film and it's it's great that that was you know an early so hopefully maybe we can pick up quarks like in a year or so and then find out what what happened to it. Like w if he's got distribution, if what festivals helped you out the most. and like you know side note like he did chat I was chatting to about how he sort of made his big break and it was doing obviously short films. and he said that his the short film he I think he submitted to Sundance like ten times he never got in on the eleventh time he got his film in and it was a forty minute film which was I was just like wow like that is a long film. so I I haven't seen it actually I will try and give you it a watch. But it must have been pretty good. And I think that's what kind of gave him the stepping stone into doing features. So It's it's kinda good to hear that. Yeah, I think it's the the during the interview and then on the preamble before we went in, he talked about the you know, being the perseverance of just continually submitting. You've gotta keep submitting and on the finally on that moment with that forty minute piece it was a yes. And that fundamentally changed everything for him, you know, and then he went off and he he did his next piece of work and you know, just to pick up what you said about the darkness in his work and you meet him and he's a fantastic character to meet and chat about work and chat about film in general. But and in pandemonium there's serious darkness in those three vignette stories that make you feel deeply uncomfortable. And I think the same is true of his latest piece of work. Yeah, yeah. No, I hope it does well. And hopefully it gets picked up and gets distributed. I think that unique pieces of film like that, you know, should be seen, definitely. And then so we're back home after the festival. We survived thanks to Mark and the rest of the gang. It is yeah, it's a brilliant, brilliant festival. And I'm gonna pick up ju I'm gonna requote Julian Richards here. He said it's the Chelsea Hotel of Film Festivals, and I think that's a brilliant way to do to describe it because it is it does have this brilliant rock and roll element to it. that is just fantastic. It's late nights, it's great conversations, and you know, it's it's it's swirled away in the in the northeast of the country. So we drove from Zagreb and it takes about an hour and a half to get there. And once we got there, we were just embraced fully. It was brilliant. It was an amazing welcome. as indeed all the guests. Like openly, you can openly chat about anything you want to as well. I think that's a lot of film festivals you kind of feel like you should sort of zip it a little bit, you know, when you're chatting about films. but that you can just say anything you want and everyone's got you know different opinions. And but yeah, had a great time and hopefully I'll be some submitting there again. And again I made lots of p lots of friends as well which it go film industry friends, directors, they give you this environment where it's quite easy to just go and like chat to people.

Speaker 3: Yeah.

Speaker 2: Glass of wine in your hand. Yeah. And just to To paint a picture for anybody who's submitting and and hopefully would get selected to go there. It is a small town. I wouldn't call it a village, it's a small town with a main square where you have multiple locations. So you've got the the culture centre, which is the kind of main cinema, indoor cinema. Then you've got a converted gym that is used as another screening area. You've got at the courtyard. of Hotel Jerusalem where we all stay, there's a screening area there and that's where the milliers where our short was screened. And then you've got in the main square where everybody congregates in the evening to watch the big films, you've got this blow up projection screen, which is just amazing. And everybody from the town comes out to watch. It's it's really brilliant. And then for the late night activities, the hotel doesn't close until very, very late and then there's a basement venue. for live music which they put on and DJs. So it is you're really well looked after. And also I think the entry fee, the entry fee for it is is very, I think three or four dot euros, right? Probably less, I think. I don't know. Something like that. So it's a tiny entry fee. So yeah, strongly recommend anyone to submit. I mean, again, have a look at their past slates of the films that they've screened there. And kind of like Marco said, which are of surprising because You know, I I never thought you you there's no prizes for making a low budget film really. You know, that does doesn't really equate, but hi that they do have that in their mind. 'Cause I guess they are thinking, you know, these are short filmmakers, you know, don't have the biggest budgets. I mean, although some did, to be honest, some some of those films that we screened next to were massive budgets, you know, quite obviously. The one set on the the one set on the ski slopes. I mean, I shudder to think what budget was that. That was huge. Yeah, mega budget stuff. So but to ha have him say that they do like have that as a consideration, you know, is is great to hear, especially for like sort of short film indie filmmakers that somebody is out there going, they've done a lot with a little, you know. I don't think many festival programmers would could really scream that from the hilltops, really. So it's it's a good thing to hear. So anyway, Grossman's done. On to the next Grossman's done, on to the next one. We'd come absolutely recommend it. get submitting to it because it's a brilliant festival to attend. The wine, because we should also underscore this, is a very huge part of and a component to the festival as well, because the town itself is surrounded by vineyards and the wine from that part of the world is just absolutely fantastic. So if you like your wine you'll be you'll be well supplied there. But yes, Grossman, yeah, Brown, what do you think? Massive thumbs up for that, I think. It was great to finally get there. Yeah, I mean like I said that was my second time there. Third time I've screened there as well. we didn't win, but we had a good time. So we had a great time. I'll take that. Yeah. All right, nice one. On to next one. Thank you.