HAPPENSTANCE Written and Directed By Joyce Draganosky

Indie Express: Tell us about your film?  

Joyce: HAPPENSTANCE is a seven- minute film about a woman who discovers she has a lot in common with her son’s new girlfriend.  And that’s all I’m going to tell you because I don’t want to ruin it!  So go see it --- it’s short, it’s fun and it plays in FUN IN GIRL’s SHORTS in Frameline.  If you miss that, it will be on LOGO in the fall.  HAPPENSTANCE is an excerpt from my feature film screenplay.  It was funded by HBO because in 2007, I was one of the winners of HBO SHOUT, HBO’s first ever LGBT short film competition. They picked winning scripts and gave filmmakers money to make their shorts.  WHO IS BETTER THAN HBO - WE LOVE HBO!

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

J: I pulled the central ideas and themes from a feature film screenplay I’d already written and want to direct....  Which, by the way, I urge anyone who has an extra million dollars to invest to contact me if you want to help make the hottest movie ever!  C’mon girls… pony up!  Details are at the HAPPENSTANCE website - www.myspace.com/happenstancethemovie

 IE: How did you assemble your production team?

J:  I try as hard as I can to work with the same people who worked on my previous films.  We are like a little family now - we all hate each other and fight like brothers and sisters.   Ok that is a joke...  it’s a la-la-la- love-fest and I love doing it.   My partner of 13 years, Laureen Callo, executive produces, I write and direct - and we usually hire the same keys and crew.  Unless someone really cute comes along and then we will consider a new him or her...

IE: How did you find your cast?

J: Since we had money in the budget from HBO, I hired a NY casting agent.   I live in NYC, so we had access to a large and wonderful pool of acting talent and it was very exciting.  We were lucky to get Margaret Colin in the lead –I’d always wanted to work with her because I’d seen her on Broadway, in films and on TV.  She is now playing Eleanor in the hit TV show Gossip Girl.   I think she is one of the most talented actors working today.

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

J: The HBO Shout contest rules mandated that when you were notified that you won, you got the money that week - and- contractually had to deliver the final film in six weeks.   That is a very VERY aggressive schedule, even for a short film.  But we made it!

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

J: When I write, I try to create something truthful and when I direct, I try to elicit performances from the actors that find the truth in every moment of the script.  When you make something honest and real, people WILL respond to your material because the truth cannot be denied.

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

J: When it was over.

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

J: I liked the behind the scenes moment  when we were trying to shoot the kissing scene in the kitchen,  The other lead Eisa Davis held up the bottom of a shiny silver frying pan so that our lead Margaret Colin could use it as a mirror to  pick something out of her teeth. 

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

J: HBO had three partner festivals for their competition where they premiered HAPPENSTANCE in 2007(Miami, Newfest and Outfest).  Since then it has played lots and lots of LGBT festivals and won two Best Female Short Film Awards (in Washington DC and Long Island).  It has also played a lot of good mainstream( straight film festivals) like Nashville, Brooklyn International, Hoboken, and Palm Springs Shorts Fest (although I don’t know how straight you can be in Palm Springs…)  Frameline, however, is one of my all time favorite film festivals!  I’ve been there twice with two other films that showed at the big Castro Theatre and San Fran audiences always SHOW UP and are so supportive.  So –  it was a highlight of my film career!

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

J: Well, we were  supposed to be flying out to attend Frameline, our plans  got cancelled because my partner had a project come up in NYC  that we  have to work on here.  If I was going though, I’d be looking forward to that rush you get as a filmmaker when you sit in the dark with a thousand lesbians at the Castro Theatre and experience your movie with them.  Frameline is always a packed festival and that is so rewarding for a filmmaker.

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

J: I love all of my Q&As and all of my questions equally.  The dialogue is always pretty spirited about the subject matter which, you will see why, if you see the film.

 IE: What films or filmmakers inspire you? 

J: I’m more inspired by life.

 IE: What made you decide to become a filmmaker? 

J: Insanity. 

 IE: What is next for you? 

J: I’m going to conquer the world.

IE: What is next for the film?

J: HAPPENSTANCE will be on LOGO in the fall in The Click List – Best in Short Film.  So please, everyone go watch it and vote for it!

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

J: Enjoy the process. 

IE: What question would you like to be asked about your film?   

J: Where did you get that great original song for your closing credits?                                  

IE: What is the Answer to that question? 

J: That song is called “The One Who Got Away” by the amazing Jen Foster.  Check out Jen Foster and support her work too please!