Anna Cangellaris: At the start, be brave enough to be wrong05.02.2020

We speak to the director of Sophie, which will be screened at 2nd edition of Papaya Rocks Film Festival taking place on February 27th in London.

What does it mean for you to have your film screened at the festival?

Anna Cangellaris: It's such an honour to be included in the Papaya Rocks Film Festival and have the opportunity to share my work with filmmakers and film enthusiasts alike!

Do you think nerves will set in closer to your screening?

I am always EXTREMELY nervous to watch my film screen. But after the first 30 seconds of nerves wear off, it's exciting to feel the audience's reaction to my work. 

How did your film come about?

This is my CalArts thesis film and a labor of love, sweat, and tears. I wanted to make a film about how I felt like a woman coming into her own and though it takes place at a party and in a garden, it feels like a mirror to my time in school. 

What was the inspiration behind your screenplay?

Los Angeles and my first job as a gallery assistant in the art world. 

What was the hardest scene for you to do?

Well, it’s animated, so the party scene was the hardest to construct. So many characters to draw and boarding backgrounds so that moving through the space made sense visually.

What were the biggest challenges you faced making this film?

Editing myself for time. I had about twice as many shots planned as there are in the film. Once I got to the last third of production I had to make some hard decisions about what parts to leave out and still be able to tell my story. 

Have you always wanted to be a filmmaker?

I always loved to tell stories, but was too shy to identify myself as a filmmaker at first. It's something I fell into once I realized I wanted complete control over every aspect of how a narrative looks, feels and sounds. 

As a filmmaker, how important is the collaborative process for you? 

Since filmmaking is a marathon I feel that collaboration is key. Two heads can often take you twice as far as one! I especially love bouncing ideas off my friends and collaborators. 

Do you have any advice or tips for a fellow filmmaker?

Don't edit yourself while the idea is still forming. You have to be brave enough to be "wrong" or "bad" at the start so that you can make something unique and worthwhile at the end. 

What are you currently working on?

I am currently animating the pilot for the independent series Hot Toddy written by Mary Sette and am working on a personal animated series called SCAM with my animation partner Danna Windsor. 

What do you hope people will take away from your film?

I hope people will enjoy it and see that animation has the potential to cross genres and be just as emotionally impactful as live-action filmmaking.