WEREWOLF MARGARITA, 10min., USA
Directed by Jax Deerman Kinlaw
A young woman is stalked by a werewolf.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I originally wrote Werewolf Margarita as an assignment in a college screenwriting class. The assignment: pick a random song lyric out of a hat and write a 5-10 page screenplay inspired by the song lyric. I got the lyric, "I saw a Werewolf drinking a Pina Colada" and it started from there. When we did a class reading of the script, i got great responses from both my classmates and teachers so I knew I wanted to make it into a film at some point. Once I graduated, I wanted to continue moving forward in the industry ao I picked up my favorite script from filmschool and pressed go!

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

I started pre-production for this film in early march of 2023 and we wrapped filming in late April. Post production took the longest and the final product wasn't finished until January 10th of this year!

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Wicked Fun.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

The biggest obstacle we faced in making this film was timing the werewolf makeup with the rest of the shoot. We only had the house location for one night so we had to film all of Chester's scenes without the werewolf prosthetics on first. Then, while our werewolf was on the makeup chair for six hours, we filmed all of Gina's scenes in that location. Finally, we filmed the scenes with the werewolf while racing against the rising sun. That night, we began production at 4:30pm and didn't wrap until 6am the next day. It was the most challenging shoot for sure, but despite that, we all had so much fun doing it!

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

The feedback video was so awesome! I felt really vindicated when watching it because the audience gave all of the reactions that I was hoping for. It showed me that my movie really came across in the way that I wanted it to. Big thanks to all the audience members!

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

I've always wanted to be a storyteller in some form or another. I first thought that I wanted to write fiction novels. I took a creative fiction class my first year in college. After reading a few of my short stories, my professor told me that my stories often read more like screenplays. So, I decided to try my hand and screenwriting and I immediately fell in love with it. That next semester I switched my major to film.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

I think that the film that I have seen the most in my life be either Pulp Fiction or Van Helsing with Hugh Jackman.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

I really liked the audience feedback video with this festival. It really made it stand out among other festivals. Networking opportunities are also a big help for up and coming filmmakers like myself. For example I really like how you guys have the option to get a movie review so that will be the first thing people see when they search for that film on google - that's super helpful. Other than that, this is my first film festival run so I'm still learning the ropes!

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

Film Freeway is amazing. I don't think I would have found or known about most of the festivals that I've taken part in without this festival platform site. I think this platform is absolutely essential, especially for people like myself who are new to the film festival circuit. Film Freeway has made my first run at festivals easy, fun, and simple.

10. What is your favorite meal?

My favorite meal is a brisket sandwhich- the kind of brisket that is shredded and marinated in bbq sauce!