Director Philip A. Ramos Speaks To Us About His New Film The Kidnapping Of A Fish

15:07:00

Good Afternoon Lovelies, 

And how are we all today? Well I hope! Today has been a bit of a mad day for me at work lovelies, so I have come on here to have a little break and to calm down a little. My blog world is perfect for doing so.


A few weeks ago I was asked if I would like to speak to the director, Philip A. Ramos, about his new film, The Kidnapping of a Fish. Speaking about the film, his reaction to the film being chosen for the Edmonton Film Festival and more, I hope you all enjoy our conversation...

First off congratulations on being selected for the Edmonton Film Festival! How does it feel?
It feels amazing. It's such a prestigious festival that is in its 30th year! It's a huge honour. So many people have come up to me and said, "Whoa! You got into Edmonton!” So it's a pretty great feeling. 

Could you tell my readers/viewers what the film is about in case they don’t know?
The Kidnapping of a Fish is a mixed genre film that follows a mild mannered man who is forced to figure out if his girlfriend is the cause of his unexpected situation. It's ultimately about the relationship of two people who feel they don't deserve love and the obstacles they face. It's a nice mix of serious drama, comedy, suspense and romance.

How did you find the cast of your film? And what was it about them that stood out to you?
I hired casting director Adrienne Stern, who is pretty well known, especially in the indie world. She cast Ashton Kutcher in That 70's show and was the casting director for The Believer starring Ryan Gosling. Without her, I would never have found the crazy talented duo of Stephen Friedrich and Theodora Woolley. Stephen just got my writing and he is so good at both comedy and drama. He added so much of the emotional element to the film and no other actor could have done what he did so successfully. Theodora had to do a very complex role and she just instantly stood out because she is able to deliver different emotions -- sometimes all at once. She is a young Meryl Streep. I'm so lucky to have had the chance to work with them both because they are going to be huge stars!

Is there a scene in the film that you are most proud of or one that audiences should look out for? Why this one?
It's probably a typical director thing to say but I love all my scenes. But if I had to choose, there is an argument scene in the movie -- that pretty much everyone can relate to -- where there are so many shifting emotions happening and both Stephen and Theodora are so powerful in it. It was a bit of a struggle to write as that scene gives insight to the characters insecurities and their struggles. It's important for the films that I make that you come away feeling something because that's why I fell in love with film.

How did your previous film work impact what you did on this film?
I learned a lot from the films I worked on in the past. But I'm only here today because I met John D Hay Jr, another writer/director, on a previous project. He asked me to produce his web series - Work, in Progress. John, along with his best friend DP Patrick Phillips, made me realize that I can make a film -- that it is possible. It's the reason I went to NYU film school and producing their web series woke up my love for creating that I had almost given up on doing. I would not be here without either of them.

Are there any other films at the festival this year you are hoping to catch?
I'm hoping to catch some of the films I missed while I was at Cannes this past year, which Edmonton has programmed at their festival. I'm really most excited about meeting other filmmakers. That is what is so great -- meeting other passionate filmmakers who have the same love of film as I do. It's a great community out there that I would never have known about had it not been for making this film.

Finally, can you tell us about what you are working on next? Or what we should look out for?
I'm working on finding financing for a feature film that I wrote called Mr. Trevor which has similar elements to my short film but has a different story. I hope to work with John, Pat and Team Biscuit Films for that and hopefully the same cast. I know that making this film has been such a great experience and the reception has been phenomenal that I hope to have lightning strike twice!

Blog Soon, 
Joey X

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