A DAY AT THE BEACH

Directed By Veronique Courtois

Indie Express: Tell us about your film?

Veronique: It is a humoristic short animated film!

IE: How did you come up with the idea for the film?

V: I wanted to write a funny little story that would appeal to straight and gay audiences

IE: How did you assemble your production team?

V: My producer, Sandra Wong, was the first one who came on board as she really liked the story. I was also very lucky to find a genially talented Italian illustrator/animator called Joshua Held. Finally Ricardo Veiga, the music composer, and Jason Atkinson, our sound engineer, both worked magic on helping creating this film.

IE: How did you find your cast? 

V: Very easy! We created them! But they all required lots of work as we wanted all of them to have a personality that would match their physique.

IE: How long did the film take?  (From conception to final edit)

V: One year!

IE: Tell us a little about your process of directing (writing) this film.

V: The premise for the story was easy but then I needed to decide how many characters I wanted. I wanted mixed couples but the challenge was not to have them be too stereotypical. I wanted the story to be short but funny enough to have the audience beg for more.

IE: What was the most difficult part of the shoot for you?

V: Go through all the minute details that come with working in animation. 

IE: Any particular moments from filming that stand out for you?

V: Yes, when I saw the first sketches of the whole film

IE: Tell us about the film’s festival experience so far?

V: This film is having its world premiere at AFI but it has already been selected to two international film festivals in 2009: Melbourne Gay & Lesbian Film Festival and Seoul Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.

IE: What are you most looking forward to at the AFI festival?

V: Everything! Meeting different kinds of industry professionals and filmmakers from around the world.

IE: What has been your most interesting Q&A so far?  What was your favorite question?  How was the dialogue afterwards?

V: I haven’t had one yet!

IE: What films or filmmakers inspire you?

V: The Triplets of Belleville, Fantasia, The Misfits, Sophie’s Choice,

Lucretia Martel, Anne Fontaine, Roman Polanski.

IE: What made you decide to become a filmmaker?

V: My love for films and my frustration at not finding the films I liked, especially in the LGBT niche market.

 IE: What is next for you?

V: Writing and writing and writing and also continue distributing and releasing foreign films on DVD with my distribution company, CASQUE D’OR FILMS.

IE: What is next for the film?

V: Hopefully Sundance and Berlin! Then, as many international film festivals as possible. Also, I hope to sell the rights and find funding to continue the series, as A DAY AT THE BEACH , was conceived as a first episode of several other A DAY AT LGBT vignettes.

IE: If asked to give one piece of advice to a new filmmaker making their first short film… What would it be?

V: Don’t listen to people who tell you that you can’t do it. If you’re passionate about your story, you’ll find a way to do it.

IE: What are your favorite short films currently on the festival circuit? (Like your short film playlist)

V: Two lesbian shorts film made by French women, the first one is called THE GRAVEDIGGER by Sylvie Benavides, selected at Palm Springs Intl this year and REMEMER THE EYES by Marie Roux, selected at Philadelphia Gay and San Francisco.