FLY AWAY, FROGGY BOY, 8min., Canada
Directed by Mia Lobo
Fly Detective Francis McFly loses his partner to the infamous ‘Croaks’, a frog gang at the centre of his most recent investigation. Stricken by grief, he decides to get revenge, and go head to head with their ravenous leader, The Frogfather.

https://mialobo.com/home

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

Fly Away, Froggy Boy was my final year thesis film. Everyone in their final year at my animation program was required to pitch a film idea, present it to our final year classmates, and the film ideas were chosen based on popular vote. The idea came from a joke between me and my partner (the co-creator, foley artist and voice of McFly), quite literally “Imagine if you pitched a film about a fly getting revenge on frogs”. I decided to pitch it to my class to see if anyone would be drawn to the idea as much as we were. We ended up one of the four films chosen to be made that year! People really love the idea.

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

Since this was a final year project, the film took our entire final year of school. So approximately 8 months (September to April), for the entire course of this project from start to finish.

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

Bloody Funny.

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

Like every production, we faced many challenges. In terms of my biggest, it might've been the script. When I pitched the film, I had the base idea of- “Fly gets revenge on Frog Gang”, but I didn’t have a story. No beginning, middle or end. So the script went through a ton of versions, just nailing down the story beats and getting it right. It was a long and gruelling process, me and my team spent a lot of sessions together, brainstorming and pitching, trying to nail the direction we wanted to take. It wasn’t until I spoke to one of our mentor professors (who is the voice of the Frogfather) and told me to really lean into the gruesome elements, push it to a new level, that it felt the story really clicked into place. We went into the story with the goal of being shocking, surprising and hilarious. Once we figured that out, the process got smoother but we still didn't lock the script until about January. To this day I’m pretty amazed at how it worked out, especially when the film has won a writing award! All thanks to the help of my wonderful team of course.

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

It was a great feedback video!I found it really interesting to see what aspects of the film jump out at people. The whole project is a lot less surprising and fresh for me because I worked on it for so long. Being able to hear people talk about the specific elements of the film that they found really unique, fresh and fun, reminds me of how great the project is, and how I felt the exact same way during the process.

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

I wanted to make films when I was very young, even though I didn't quite know it. As a kid, I regularly made short videos with my toys using an Ipad, giving them voices and storylines, which taught me simple camerawork, editing and story structure. When I got to Middle School, I kept up the habit but instead made comedy skits with my friends. Halfway through eighth grade, I realised I wanted to direct films. So, I decided to attend an arts based high school where I majored in Film, there I was more properly taught the basics of filmmaking, and began a long line of student films that led up to Fly Away.

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

The Incredibles is one of my favourite movies of all time, and probably one of the ones I’ve watched the most because I watched it constantly as a kid and still watch it often. I always found its range in audience surprising. Even though I adored it as a kid but truly had no idea what was going on. Watching more recently I can’t believe how many serious plots went right over my head. It’s an excellent movie, the writing is stellar and the action is super intense. I think I’ve always loved the tone it achieved, I can see myself wanting to emulate that in my work.

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 think the interview/Q&A elements you guys do is a really great bonus that many festivals should make time for. Every filmmaker is different and has a unique perspective that went into the creation of their project. I personally want to hear directors and crew members talk about their experience, especially in live festival spaces.

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

FilmFreeway is a good site! They make it really easy to find festivals all over the world, it's an amazing thing to have your film show in a whole different country. I can’t help but wonder what people were thinking when they watched it, who they imagined the director to be, and if the jokes landed.

10. What is your favorite meal?

At the moment, a Bulgogi Bento has been on my mind constantly. Bulgogi with rice, glass noodles and some sashimi. Unbeatable.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

At the moment, I'm just working. I’ve done some work helping on the crews of other short films and I’m hoping to continue doing that for a while. Me and my partner are in the beginning stages of some new ideas, but I don’t think any of that will be ready anytime soon!