Once More, Like Rain Man, 15min., USA
Directed by Sue Ann Pien
‘It’s up to you to make a future that has you in it…’ We follow Zoe (Martinez) and her dad, Gerry (Jones) in a ‘day in the life’ of an autistic actress running the gambit of stereotypes she has to deal with – and her dad’s battle in supporting her forging that path for herself – in a funny, frustrating, painful and sometimes triumphantly sarcastic kind of way.

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Interview with writer/star Bella Zoe Martinez:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I was tired of not wising myself or girls like me in media and wanted to do something about that.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

It was a little over 2 1/2 years. I had the idea near the end of lockdowns in CA, because I wasn’t allowed to go back to high school in person – and it was very hard. My parents encouraged me, and helped me flush it out into a script. From the time we shared the script with producers Suzann Ellis and Darren Dean to shooting – and met and had Sue Ann Pien come of board to direct, it was almost a year to the date. Part of the delay was because of the strikes – but it was also meant we got such an amazing cast. Everyone was unemployed. We signed the SAG and DGA contracts – so were one of the only approved productions at the time.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Ice cream. I don’t know

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Casting Gerry. We went back and forth with Jason Segal’s people – who knows if he got to read it – and it was super cool to say that we were out to Jason Segal! – for like a month on whether he would be able to do it. Then word got out that the strike was ending. The best thing to happen was Matt Jones being available and willing to play Gerry. We didn’t get any rehearsal time before shooting – we met for the first time IRL 30 minutes before the first scene – so everyone was holding their breath on that first shot of day one – until Matt and I had the Batman scene. And we knew the suit fit.

5. There are 5 Stages of Filmmaking: 1) Development. 2) Pre-Production. 3) Production. 4) Post-Production. 5) Distribution.

What is your favorite stage of the process and why?

We haven’t done distribution yet, so not sure.

My favorite part was production. We had a very chill vibe on set – since about 40% of the cast and crew were autistic or living with a different disability, we had accommodations built in – which made it go much smoother than any set anyone had been on – even for the “normal’ people.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

I kinda always wanted to. My siblings and I would make films together with our toys – and my sister would direct – and she was actually really good. Then I realized you get could get paid to do it – which was amazing.

One of the funniest things was when she made an homage to “Reservoir Dogs’ – just the song at the beginning since we weren’t allowed to watch the movie yet – she used Angry Birds plushies and our Girl Scout troop with the birds on sticks with a green screen. One time one of the birds feel out of the frame and she yelled CUT! That was fantastic just a little. Can we try it again with the bird in the frame?

But it was also my coping mechanism for being severely bullied in middle school for my autism.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Only one!? The Great Race. It’s a family tradition – especially the pie fight scene. The Nightmare Before Christmas – my sister memorized the entire movie before she could talk – and so did I. My siblings are also autistic, so my family ended up with a kind of code speak, in movie quotes for context. I didn’t realize that we did that until I was in like middle school.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

I’m not sure. Every festival has been so unique.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

Actually, really good. They made it a lot easier to find and submit to festivals. We’d have been totally lost without them.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Mac and cheese and chicken.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

We are in pre-production for the feature version of this film. And incredibly, everyone on the cast and crew are excited to come back!

Also developing a supernatural western, a sci-fi, and a complete animated universe. And working on my new original song. (I wrote the song Distant Goodbyes” that I sing in the film.