Director Štefánia Lovasová won a Gold Screen in the Film School -10 Mins and over category at this years YDA. Here she tells us about how her sister got her into film, shooting on 16mm, and the magic of good casting.
What does it mean to you to win a YDA?
I was honestly just hoping for a nomination, so winning gold was a huge surprise. I’m honoured, and glad to be in a selection alongside so many beautiful films. I’m really happy and grateful that the film gets more buzz and space so more people can discover it and eventually watch it! That’s important to me, since that’s the whole reason I make films in the first place.
How did you get into directing?
When I was around 12, my sister gave me a hard drive full of music and films for my birthday (thanks!). There were a lot of indie films on there, and I’d just watch them in the evenings. That’s how I first got interested in film and media. The passion grew from there, and eventually I went to film school and so on.
I was honestly just hoping for a nomination, so winning gold was a huge surprise.
Štefánia Lovasová – Read In For Me (Trailer)
What was the inspiration behind Read In For Me?
It was important for me to tell a story that, to some degree, every woman has been through. I feel like women share so much common experience, unfortunately, and this film is about that shared experience. Wanting what every human being wants: to be seen and recognised. But under patriarchy, women’s experiences are just different from most men’s.
How long was the shoot?
The shoot took four days.
What was the most challenging aspect of the project?
It was my first time working with an intimacy coordinator, so I was pretty nervous about that going in, but it all went really well in the end. But I’d say that was the second biggest challenge. The biggest was definitely shooting on 16mm. Planning everything carefully so we wouldn’t run out of rolls mid-shoot took a lot of brain power.
I feel like women share so much common experience, unfortunately, and this film is about that shared experience.
Above: A behind the scenes shot on set.
What have you learned during the process of making this film?
I’ve learned that a short film is really about one feeling and if I keep that in mind while directing every scene, it comes through. At least that’s what works for me; might not be true for every director.
How important was casting for this film?
Casting is important to me on every project, and I spend a lot of time on it. The magic of a good cast just can’t be achieved through any other part of filmmaking.
Do you plan to work in the advertising industry, and if so, what excites you most about that prospect?
I would love to work in advertising! I love short-form cinema, short film, music videos, concepts and videos that are short and get straight to the point. I’m a very conceptual filmmaker; everything always connects back to one idea or one emotion, even if it doesn’t look that way on the surface. Also, to be honest, my attention span is not great, I do mostly watch shorter stuff, so I don’t feel the urge to produce work that is super long. And I love being on set often, which only really feels achievable with short projects.
The magic of a good cast just can’t be achieved through any other part of filmmaking.
What’s coming up next for you?
Right now I’m in development on my debut feature and my debut TV show (containing only short episodes, lol). But I am hoping I will also have the capacity to squeeze in some short-form work along the way.
Interview by Daniel Huntley for shots
All images courtesy of shots
