…The problem is that today a lot of festivals only care about a certain type of films … here in France it’s getting very boring when you’re a festival goer … still care for a free style & innovative cinema … so let’s shoot again !
We start a new column dedicated to directors, to our participants. We are focusing our Hubble to unknown spheres of art space. We intend to explore a subsurface part of the iceberg. We are expecting sincerity in answers and questions. We choose a hero. And we try to realize what are we doing in the world of shorts, cinema, art? Meet Julien Eon!
Director Julien Eon
In his early years, french born film-maker Julien Eon shows a very strong interest in horror movies, bizarre litterature and urban sub-culture. His artistic career began as a guitar player and singer for various obscure punk and garage bands. He most notably founded the infamous Marshmallow Dykes, with whom he recorded two albums in a garage surf vein. Further to his Paris settlement, Julien Eon becomes more and more interested in cinema. He admires particularly french directors Joël Seria, Leos Carax and american cinematographers John Waters and Sam Raimi. In 1999, Julien shoots his first short film « Moon People », a low budget production shot on super 8. Oddly, this provocative and poetic short film, is selected in many french film festivals and is eventually broadcast on TV channel Canal +. Julien then directs « M le Gardeur », a 52 minutes award winning documentary. As a director, Julien Eon has found his own style where irony and dark humor goes alongside strange and mystical poetry.
film frame “The future so bright”
Travelling along the festival circuit, Julien has submitted his last short for Short Movie Club. The film, a biography, director’s statement and a teaser prompted an idea to explore the inner world of art not only through creative works but a psychological context also. We penetrate into an intrinsic of the short’s creation and I hope that it would be interesting both filmmakers, directors, producers, festival’s organisers and the audience. So I asked Julien one question only: What are your most satisfaction and most disappointment related to filmmaking?
(Julien) – First let me thank you for your message and your interest in my work.
Of course it’s always a pleasure to share some experience, meeting new people and show your film to a greater audience.
Your question is quite a “vast question” 😉 … as you know it … from the stage of writing, producing, casting, shooting, and screening/promoting … Filmmaking is certainly quite as vast as your question is ! 😉
So i will speak only about the last stage of filmmaking … screening & promoting …
Regarding my last short, “The Future is so Bright”, i do the promotion myself with the goal of being selected by festivals and travel the short festival circuit …
Being able to show my film, see how the audience react and discuss about it with people … that is to me a tremendous satisfaction !
To make a film can take a long time, the birth of it is often difficult and you’re happy when it’s done … but i don’t do a film just to satisfy my ego … i do it for me for sure, but also for all the people involved in the making of it and the future audiences ( if i have the chance !)
The problem is that today a lot of festivals only care about a certain type of films … films about social issues, racism, multi-culturalism, LGBT, domestic violence, terrorism, etc … unless you’re in a “genre” festival with the typical thriller or horror movie you’ve seen hundred of times …
I’ve talked with a lot of people that go to short films festivals … and they often tell me that they’re bored with the same kind of films being showcased year after year … no real interesting script idea, political correctness, same characters, same situations, no vision, lack of atmosphere … well, that’s not the case with all the films for sure, but i can assure you that here in France it’s getting very boring when you’re a festival goer …
As a filmmaker i try to propose something different … i don’t know if i’m successful in my ambition but it’s quite difficult for me to be considered other than a “weirdo filmmaker” by the established film festivals ! So that’s a disappointment when you know the audience in these festivals might be waiting for the kind of film you have made … but the curators have certainly some good reasons (well, maybe also very bad reasons) not to select your film among 5000 or 7000 submissions … if they ever happen to really see it ! 😉
Fortunately, there’s still a lot of festivals around the globe … made by people who still care for a free style & innovative cinema … so let’s shoot again ! 😉
film frame “The future so bright”
Aliaksandr Martyniuk,
columnist, director of SMCFF