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

I've been making comedy videos and short films since I was fourteen. I grew up in Western Massachusetts in a very supportive artistic community. I also went to film school at Hampshire College in my hometown. Throughout my time there I received multiple production grants to make short films and sketch comedy projects. I also rented hundreds of films for free from the Forbes Library. It was a great environment to begin to develop my taste and interests in filmmaking. 

Last year I moved from Western MA to LA to be a little closer to the industry. It's been very useful to have all the projects and experiences from my time back home while getting started in LA. Since being in LA I've started a monthly screening night in Echo Park where I show other local filmmakers work along with my latest projects.  

Here's a link to some of my comedy work from back home--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a4vWSEiRrg

2) What’s the backstory here - what was the initial idea and how did it evolve from there?

The initial idea for "Week In Paradise" was to write a love story between two professional executioners. I was interested in the idea of making a film where death wasn't seen as a negative experience, but rather, the ultimate spa treatment. The excitement I got from that idea fueled my motivation to create the whole project.

3) What was the biggest challenge in making this film? And generally what part of the creative process do you enjoy the most, and the least?

The hardest part of the project was waiting for the super 8 film to come back from the lab. I shot 15 rolls of color negative super 8 film that each took about 3 weeks to be developed and scanned. Not knowing if certain shots came out well was very stressful. I had previously done many super 8 projects but never one with so many extras and so much planning involved. Re-shoots were also not really an option due to the cost of the film. I was very pleased to get the rolls back and find that most of the footage came out exactly how I wanted. 

For me, writing is always the best part of making a film. There's nothing more fun than putting on some records and having a bunch of weird ideas that you think would come out great on film.

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

Last night I went to a screening of Elem Klimov's reissued 1985 film "Come And See". It was highly recommended by a friend so I went without knowing anything about it. The whole time I thought it must be a brand new film by some young eccentric director I'd never heard of. I was blown away to find out that it was made in 1985. It's unbelievably good. I can't believe how timeless it is. 

5) What’s next for you?

Making short films and comedy videos, meeting more cool creative people and becoming big and famous!

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https://www.instagram.com/gabernini/