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

I've always loved movies, but my background is in comedy. I started making comedy videos in high school, then performed improv at Macalester College, where I met the co-writer, Hannah Rehak. Now we both live in Chicago. I still love performing but my dream since I was a kid was to make movies. 

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

My favorite movie of all time is probably You've Got Mail. I love rom-coms but feel the genre hasn't aged well in my community. I challenged myself to take tenets of the rom-com and flip them to reflect the people I knew. I wanted to keep qualities like charm and sweetness, but reframe the story to follow, for instance, the quirky best friend, or the dissolution of a relationship instead of the beginning of one, and how that becomes a beginning in and of itself. Hannah was extremely helpful in her honing of the script, especially with regards to focusing on the relationship between Annie and Mac.

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

The hardest part for me was staying motivated through post-production. I am always excited about new ideas and it was challenging to stay present with a process that I was also trying to grow from; that is to say, I learned so much and it only made me more excited to work on other films. 

The easiest part, and I'm so lucky to say this, was assembling a team. Chicago is the best for this. The film's producer, Rayna Caskey, is a dear friend who jumped right in and learned everything on her feet. I met Jana McLain, the uber-talented DP, through a friend; and Will Sonheim, who patiently and creatively edited the film, is also a close pal. Everyone pulled from their communities to bring in tons of talent, in front of and behind the camera. Also, most actors on the project are also improvisers, and so predisposed to patience and generosity and humor. 
 
4) What’s a film you’ve seen recently, new or old, that you really loved and why?

The last movie I really, really loved was The American Friend, by Wim Wenders. I thought Bruno Ganz and Dennis Hopper were brilliant, and the cinematography and colors were so rich. I also just watched Miranda July's new movie, Kajillionaire, and feel so moved and inspired.

5) What’s next for you?

I'm in post-production for a short I shot in collaboration with a couple of friends, about two high school buddies who unearth some tension after robbing a convenience store. I also write a movie newsletter, Popcorn, Etc. And Hannah and I, unfortunately, are doing a podcast about the show Emily in Paris.

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http://www.ninaslesinger.com | IG: @nsles