THE PIRATE, 8min., UK
Directed by Ruth Carnegie
A young girl, stuck in the city, dreams of running away to the sea. With the help of her grandfather, she finds a rather unusual way to break free.

https://www.instagram.com/girl_finds_the_sea/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

Like so many people during the Covid Pandemic, I was in desperate need of finding a way to get through the day. I joke that I was awful at making sourdough and so I took up writing instead but it's based in truth. I come from a theatrical background and so I was surrounded by unemployed actors, I asked a few of them to read some of my work and the encouragement I got from those sessions was really the spur to make me want to take what I was doing off the page and actually try and make it.

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

I wrote the short at the end of 2020 but the decision to actually film it was made in August 2021, I set myself a year to get it made and we completed principal photography the second last week of August 2022. Post productuction took longer than I thought, but I pushed for the end of April 2023 and on the 1st of May, I entered it into its first festival.

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

Girl Pirate

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

The weekend we were due to film, the British Transport system announced a general strike which meant all my crew and actors were going to be unable to get to the shoot. I couldn't move the dates so I had to go ahead with the film regardless. The financial impact was significant as we found a way to resolve the problems and I'm still feeling it, but I have absolutely no regrets in choosing to not give up.

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

The audience feedback was genuinely beyond anything I could have hoped for. Because I'm based in the UK, it was incredibly important for me to see that the short had a voice outside of where I came from. That was always my hope, that it could speak to audiences everywhere

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

I've always loved cinema but when I grew up, life managed to get in the way. When I decided to make the short, it was a combination of not really knowing what I was doing and cost. I couldn't afford a director so I directed the piece myself but because I wasn't really aware of what should and shouldn't be done I just made it up as I went along and in doing that I learnt an immeasurable amount.

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

I'm one of three girls and my dad has a great love of cinema, for as long as I can remember, all of us have watched 'Singing in the rain' with him every Christmas. I can almost quote it down to the comma. I love it because it's a wonderful film but also because it connects me to my family and even if I'm not with them, I just have to quote one line and we are all there.

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 was very lucky when it came to entering my short into festivals, I had a few friends who went before me with their own work and they were a great help in advising what NOT to do. I was lucky in that my film was for a younger audience and was made mostly by females so when it came to what felt like an infinity of festivals to enter, I understood it was better to play to the shorts strengths rather than just apply blindly. It's the one piece of advice I would give to anyone coming after me and I think festivals could help in that regard.

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

Filmfreeway is fairly uncomplicated as a platform and has been useful in finding festivals that are best suited to my genre. It's nice to have a centralised place to visit.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Chicken soup and a slick of thick white bread, covered in butter, It's all you really need in any situation.

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

I've written another short but also a screenplay. Writing can be quite lonely so now I'm hoping to find a way to take those pieces and with the people I love, have a play.