5 Questions with Alex Fabry ("The Cancellation")

1) Can you talk briefly about your background, and how you first got interested in filmmaking?

When I was a senior in High School we were given the opportunity to drop all of our classes and pursue a project of our choice during the final semester. I was totally exhausted from 12 years of school, so I jumped at the chance to stop taking classes and I joined the program. I had always liked movies and felt an urge to do something creative, so I decided to make a short film which was something I had never seriously done before. I guess that was the start, and since then I’ve continued to learn about and make films.

2) What was the initial idea for this project and how did it evolve from there?

I had to cancel a dentist appointment and I felt this intense anxiety right before calling. I really liked the idea of using that tension as the main conflict in a movie. And then I spent a lot of time going down youtube rabbit holes this year. One of the rabbit holes I went down was about pyramid schemes. It just felt right that a character who might feel anxious about canceling an appointment would also be susceptible to the charms of charismatic pyramid scheme recruiters.

3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And the easiest part?

I think the toughest part came in the writing stage. I wanted to be true to the character and treat him with care but also show how easily he makes mistakes. The easiest aspect came in the collaboration. Everyone I worked with on this film added great humor, energy, and enthusiasm.

4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?

I re-watched Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria recently. It’s an amazing film for a number of reasons, the foremost certainly being Giulietta Masina’s totally electric performance. Her ability to communicate complex emotions through facial expressions and physical movements is second to none. There’s a slapstick element to her performance, but it’s grounded in such true emotion; the comedy never feels overbearing or at the expense of the story. On top of that, Fellini is really moving fluidly between the grounded and the surreal— never leaning too much into the fantastic, but just hinting at it in ways that are really enjoyable to watch.

5) What’s next for you?

I’ve got a summer road trip planned, and I’m in the beginning stages of a new short about the beginning and ending stages of relationships.

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alexandermfabry.com | IG: @am_fabry