Sundance 2022: April Maxey
We asked April Maxey about making her short film, Work, which follows a queer Latina in the midst of a break-up. She tells us about taking filmmaking classes from Karyn Kusama and her love of character-driven dramas.
Tell us a bit about your journey as a filmmaker so far – what motivated you to start making films?
I have loved independent cinema since I first discovered it in high school, and I think my motivation for telling stories as a writer/director comes from my desire to see stories in which I can see myself and which reflect the various intersections of my identities and experiences. I started out making no-budget shorts in college and seeing how even with such limited resources I could still tell a story that would move people motivated me even more. After school, I continued to hone my visual and storytelling skills as I worked as a freelance editor and director of photography, and I just tried to keep making work on the side when I could. My AFI short film Work is the sixth narrative short form project I’ve directed, and with every project I continue to learn and grow my skills as a storyteller.
What inspired you to make this short film?
Work was inspired by a few different things. I knew I wanted to tell a story following a character, a queer Latina, into this world of underground lap dance parties, which is a world I was familiar with from personal experiences. Then during the pandemic, I had over a year to sit with the script and tweak it, and I was going through a lot of transitions in that time as well, letting go of a relationship and a city I had lived in over a decade and embarking on a new chapter of my life. All of that made its way into the script which I think made it stronger and more deeply felt.
What was the most exciting part of the whole filmmaking process for you?
Getting accepted into the AFI Directing Workshop for Women was huge for me, and I was incredibly excited to be able to execute this project with the support of that program. I never went to grad school, so this felt like my version of that. Having classes taught to us by directors such as Karyn Kusama, Eliza Hitttman, and Alejandro Iñárritu over the pandemic was so inspiring. It was also amazing to develop my project side by side with the other directors in my DWW cohort.
Perhaps the most exciting part of the process was working with my core team of creatives who came together to bring the project to life. It was my first time working on a narrative project with my friend and producer Skylar Andrews, who I’ve known for many years from our New York days, and it was my first time working with the incredibly talented cinematographer Melinda James, who I met in 2019 at the New Orleans Film Festival. Steph Zenee Perez, my editor, DMed me on Instagram, and it was the first project I didn’t edit myself, and that was a game changer! Also, getting to work with my dear friend Nava Mau, who is a writer/director in her own right, as an Associate Producer was such a gift. I really felt that I was in good hands as I embarked on telling this very personal story surrounded by people who I truly admired and trusted and felt respected by. Our lead Marisela Zumbado was incredibly brave and it is always a joy to work with queer actors in queer roles, so it was so wonderful to collaborate with her as well.
Did you encounter any new challenges from making this film that you had not faced before?
Aside from the pandemic? LOL! Truly, Skylar Andrews and her production team (APs Nava Mau, Lisa Lovaglio, PM LaJonel Brown and PCs Elexis Sutton and Patrice Quintero) were amazing in getting this heavily intimate project, with many extras, done in the midst of the pandemic. Because of their preparedness, we were able to jump in and shoot in the small window right after the vaccines were available and before the Delta variant came about. Thanks to AFI, we also had a health and safety manager and three PCR tests a week for our cast and crew. Another challenge for this project was that there was a ton of intimacy that needed to be portrayed. It was my first time working with an intimacy coordinator, Allison Bibicoff, who was fantastic, and helped coordinate intimacy for all of our talent and extras – which was probably around 15-20 people. Intimacy coordination is 95% pre-production, so going in prepared, with all actors knowing ahead of time what is being portrayed and how, was crucial and we were able to get all of the club scenes done in two days.
What does it mean to you for your film to be a part of the 2022 Sundance Festival?
It means the world to me that Work got into Sundance. I did not expect that at all, so it was truly the most wonderful surprise to get that call. I was definitely in shock for a few days after! So many people worked so hard on this project and dedicated so much time to it, so to share that we got in to Sundance felt really great. Of course, we cannot place the value of our work on any one institution as artists, and at the end of the day I am proud of this piece no matter what festivals it will end up playing. Behind each ‘yes’ I have received in my career, there have been many ‘no’s along the the way. But it is incredibly encouraging to know that my most personal film is the one that has opened up doors for me now. Sundance and the people there have been so wonderful, and I hope to continue my relationship with them. Since the festival, I received representation and am now developing the feature version of Work!
Is there a current filmmaker out there whose style of work particularly excites you?
I love the filmmaking style of Barry Jenkins, Céline Sciamma, Aurora Guerrero, and Dee Rees – there is a very personal sensibility to their character-driven dramas that I am deeply moved by. I also love watching films on the Criterion Collection, and am excited as they keep expanding their collection to be more inclusive. Arthouse films that defy the traditional rules of narrative are refreshing to watch as a filmmaker.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to your younger self at the very beginning of their creative journey?
Be open to playing in the unknown, take risks, and don’t forget to have fun on the journey!
And finally, what sort of project would you like to undertake next?
I am currently working on turning Work into a feature film! I have been developing that with my producer Skylar Andrews and I’m excited for that to be my first narrative feature.
For more information on this year’s Sundance line up, you can check out the festival website here.
Interview edited by Emily Garbutt.
