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

When I was 14 I started taking pictures and realized how much I love photography. I went on excursions with my friends taking hundreds of photos and short videos. I would come home super excited to edit them and make something. While searching online for photo inspiration I began stumbling onto film stills. At that point I hadn’t watched many movies, especially indie / art films.  I have always been interested in writing and music, so movies seemed like the perfect combination of all my interests. I compiled a film list for myself and started watching. I realized how powerful the medium could be and decided filmmaking was something I wanted to pursue.

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

Everyone says to write about what you know; when it came time to make my thesis I kept that in mind. I played soccer for a large portion of my life and it’s something I know well, but I didn’t want to make a film explicitly about the sport. Instead I decided to incorporate the notion of soccer and build something around that. Most of my ideas for anything stem from photos / images. With “Sportstar” I pulled from mental snapshots and memories and went from there. When I finished the script I had a little over a month to try and produce it. This was my first time truly casting something and I was extremely nervous. The film revolves around a 13 year old girl, so I knew the actress was going to carry a lot of weight. I got goosebumps watching Emilia Smith’s audition tape and immediately knew she needed to be Rylan (main char). Everything kind of came together after that and I felt more confident going into the project.

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

One of the biggest challenges was also one of the most exciting parts, shooting film. It was integral to me that I shoot my thesis on film because 1. it had become part of my art practice in school to use film and 2. it was vital in creating the tone and aesthetic I wanted. I was on a tight budget and limited in how much film I could purchase. I approached my storyboards / shot list with this in mind and planned out what I wanted / needed in the most effective manner. When we were filming I had to limit my takes and trust that we were getting everything I needed. All of this being said, I think shooting film helped us stay on schedule. It also forced me to focus on what moments would move the story forward.

As for the easiest part it was working with my crew. Everyone was so supportive and I wouldn’t have been able to get it done without them.

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

I think I’ve rewatched this film five or six times now, Andrea Arnold’s “American Honey.” I love the way it’s shot, the tone, the subject matter, the performances; everything is so strong. I saw it for the first time about a year ago and haven’t been able to get it out of my head. I was really emotional when I finished it and a film hasn’t made me feel that way since.

5) What’s next for you?

Graduating during the pandemic has definitely been challenging. One positive is that I’ve had time to think about what I want to make next, hopefully something a little bit longer. My friends and I have a small production company, Babehouse. We are planning on doing some music videos early next year which will be fun. I want to get more experience on film sets, work in house at a company, anything that will allow me to keep working creatively.

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https://vimeo.com/saranboldt | IG: @sara_boldt