The world of a blissfully detached woman turns upside down when she’s forced to adjust to the ordinary life that exists beyond working at an off-the-wall lesbian bar, and its rivalry with the gay club across the street.

https://instagram.com/theboxtrapmovie

1. What motivated you to make this film?
Inside jokes between me and my friend Gabby, unfortunate life experiences and the uncontrollable urge I felt to make a feature-length film.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
The idea was developed in 2023 and I started writing it as a dramedy, which I don’t know why I did because I hate dramedies, and I ended up rewriting it a bunch of times throughout that whole year until it became what it did. We shot it in 2024 and it took me around 10 months to edit the whole thing. So, roughly 2 and a half to three years.

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

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
I think I had many obstacles that felt like the end of the world at the time but seem so small when I look back at them now. The main obstacles are typically the same in every set: actors or crew calling out last minute, technical difficulties, unlucky weather and having to stay on schedule through all of it. We were doing an overnight shoot on one of the Box Trap set days, and it was like 5am. The goddamn birds would not shut up outside. It took us way longer to film a super short outside scene that I had dedicated two hours to on the schedule. Among that, almost everything that could’ve went wrong that day went wrong and we ended up having to plan a reshoot day, which was an extra $5,000 or so over budget. Looking back now, I am thankful that everything went the way it did because it gave us extra time to really focus on the smaller scenes. But at the time, I almost gave myself a stroke and did not sleep the rest of that filming week.

5. There are 5 stages of the filmmaking process: Development. Pre-Production. Production. Post-Production. Distribution. What is your favorite stage of the filmmaking process?
I really enjoy the brief time right after post-production that comes before distribution. Like, when you have a whole project in the can but only some people have seen it.  It feels so secretive, you know? At that point, all the weight of the work is lifted as well, and the only thing left to do is share it- which is the most exciting part! I love the anticipation of having a whole audience judge you and not knowing what the outcome will be. That’s why I love taking the festival route, too. Meeting/seeing other people’s work that not everyone else has seen. It feels like such an exclusive experience. But, if I had to pick a stage specifically on this list, I’d say production. It’s stressful for sure but seeing a bunch of people help bring an idea you had to life is really cool to experience, and there’s a lot of core memories in that stage that are made in itself. To be fair, I also think all parts are exciting in their own ways. Except post production. Editing an entire feature-length film, especially by yourself, will make you lose your mind. Anyways, I’m rambling now.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
Since I was little. I went to musical theater camp and started writing my own little skits with friends and then got a flip video camera and went crazy with it. 

7. What film have you seen the most times in your life?
Dude Where’s My Car for sure. Second is probably a tie with Napoleon Dynamite or Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. I was also obsessed with Josie and The Pussycats as a child before I realized I was gay and watched it over and over until I had the whole film memorized, so that’s up there, too. 

8. In a perfect world: Who would you like to work with/collaborate with on a film?
Amy Poehler. Or Natasha Lyonne.  

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

I’m a fan.

10. What is your favorite meal?
Poppyseed bagel with lox. Pickle on the side. Also a cup of fruit. Preferably pineapple and melon combo. Latte with maple syrup and cayenne pepper. And a large glass of water.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
Hell yeah! Writing the new script as we speak!