OVERSTUFF Directed By Keith Wilson

Indie Express: Tell us about your film?

Keith: It’s the story of a gay male couple whose regular visit to the thrift store turns ugly upon the discovery of something a little too close to home.

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

K: All of my relationships have involved heavy amounts of thrift store shopping and petty arguing so it comes from experience..  

IE: How did you assemble your production team?

K: I’m in film school at the Univ. of Texas-Austin and we had to write and direct a short 16mm film. The crew and crew roles were assigned by the instructor so I had no say in who did what. But I’m happy to say that I got lucky and was given a great crew.

IE: How did you find your cast? 

K: This was actually the most challenging thing for me. I had a horrendous time finding actors who were willing to play a gay character and who would do it for free (I had no budget). I lived in SF for a long time before moving to Texas and it was during the struggle to find my actors that I realized I wasn’t in homo heaven any longer.

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

K: I wrote the script in a couple of days and pre-production lasted a couple of weeks. Shooting took place over 3 evenings. Post was 2 weeks.

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

K: I’m still processing this process so I’ll let you know when I figure it out. I make documentaries and experimental films so this was my first foray into narrative filmmaking….and hopefully not my last. The learning curve was steep but well worth it.

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

K: We lost my location 3 days before the shoot. Good ole thrift Town decided to charge me $5,000 all of a sudden. I was very lucky to find another (better) location but I only had a total of 15 hours access to the store. So we lost a lot of shots and had to rush all the others.

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

K: See above. 15 hours!

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

K: Frameline is it’s world premiere!

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

K: The free drinks for sure.

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

K: I can’t think of anything specific, but I appreciate honest feedback and challenging questions. Oh sure, the “you’re film was wonderful” and “what camera did you use” are okay and to be expected but not getting an honest take on my work does not do me or any other filmmaker any good.

IE: What films or filmmakers inspire you?

K: Werner Herzog, Todd Haynes, Stanley Kubrick, Ross McElwee, The Maysles Brothers. I also experimental work that challenges my notion of what “film” is.

IE: What made you decide to become a filmmaker?

K: I want to tell stories and I don’t think that words or paint or performance or song is the right way for me to articulate them. I also find that my camera provides me with incredible opportunities to get to know and get to see people.

 IE: What is next for you?

K: My current projects test the boundaries between narrative and documentary cinema. I’m shooting a film about interconnected lives in Savannah, GA as well as a series of short films about the fag and his fag hag dynamic.

IE: What is next for the film?

K: Frameline is distributing the film and it will be on Logo in the fall.

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

K: Keep is simple and short. Think of it as one piece in a longer process rather than the potential make or brake work.

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

K: What would you do differently or What have you learned from the production?

IE: What is the Answer to that question?

K: I would work more with my actors and trust my crew more. I would try to enjoy it and see it as one piece in my creative process. I learned to trust that I can pull it off, make a film under way less than ideal situations. All that and to find a producer. Still working on that one.