Pushing Up Daisies, 2min., USA
Directed by Morgan Notari
Pushing Up Daisies is a 2D Animated Short Film that follows Daisy, a lingering ghost who learns the importance of death after she accidentally kills a flower and observes the new life that sprouts in its place.

https://www.morgannotari.com/pudfilm
https://www.instagram.com/morganimates/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

So many people have a fear of dying or loss, and considering death is something that happens to every living thing eventually, I wanted to change people's perspective on the topic! In most media, death is depicted as this intimidating, scary thing to fear, which feeds into that intense nervousness around dying shared by so many. I wanted to portray death in a more healthy and peaceful light through my film by showing that death can be a beautiful thing! Nature is designed in a way where when a living thing dies, it allows something new to grow or be sustained. For me, recognizing that death and life are not opposites, but are a part of the same beautiful cycle, helped me to overcome my fears surrounding death. I hope watching Daisy recognize the importance of death in this film can help others to view death in a more healthy way too!

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

It took exactly 5 months and a day! I started preproduction on July 15th, 2024 and wrapped on December 16, 2024.

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

Accepting mortality

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

It's hard to say, luckily production was very smooth from beginning to end! The biggest obstacle might just be that I did every part of it by myself, so while I had guidance from my wonderful professor Angela Wu and my peers, I had to execute every piece of the film independently. So everything that you see and hear in the film came from me! Usually with animated films like this, they are made with bigger teams of people, so doing it all yourself is definitely a challenge! I luckily had a very clear idea of what I wanted from the very beginning, so most of the production period was put towards execution of the idea rather than concept.

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

I was a puddle of tears (in a good way!) This is my first film and my first time receiving feedback like this on my work, so I didn't know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised by the sweet feedback! The audience noticed details and visual elements I included that I never thought anyone would consciously pick up on, it made me so happy! As an animator, I get really attached to the characters I work with so hearing people talk about Daisy in such an insightful way made me so emotional.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I can't pinpoint exactly when I decided I wanted to be involved with filmmaking, I think I've always known that I wanted to be a part of the process! I've been making characters, watching films, and drawing my entire life so I've known for a long time that I wanted to do something in the animation pipeline. The moment I realized I might want to try my hand at being a director or filmmaker was at the very end of my freshman year in college. There was a student film produced at San Jose State that year called A Paw Over Dark directed by Dorian Saisse and Marisa Molson, I remember watching it in the theater as a freshman the night it premiered and just getting full body chills when the credits started rolling, it was that good. Seeing students from my school make something as incredible as that film gave me so much motivation to create my own films and animate for other people's projects as a student. I fell in love with being an animator specifically during my 2nd year at San Jose State when I started taking 2D Animation classes; while I enjoy working with animated projects in any capacity, animating is the most fulfilling to me because that's when the characters truly come to life!

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Although I haven't seen it in a while, probably Finding Nemo by Pixar! I watched it so many times as a kid that I could recite the whole movie word for word AND the ending credits when I was 3. I definitely can't do that anymore but my mom likes to say that's when she knew I got her memorization skills!

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 absolutely love the audience feedback video that this festival creates, I think more festivals should implement that! It's very useful as a filmmaker to know how audiences are reacting to your work. I also think more festivals should give physical awards or cash prizes; most of the festivals I've won do have trophies that winners can order, but they come with a big price tag and festival submissions alone are already pricey. Giving cash prizes would be the most helpful, as it would help support filmmakers to continue creating work!

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

It's been surprisingly successful! I'm very new to festival submissions as a first-time filmmaker and FilmFreeway makes it super easy to submit and research festivals. I had set my expectations low going into the Daisies festival run so I was floored when it started receiving selections and awards; in short, the platform works well! I am swimming in FilmFreeway emails now so that's the main downside, but it's a wonderful website that I will definitely use again for future projects!

10. What is your favorite meal?

A: Sushi hands down, every kind! I don't have it often so it feels extra special when I get to treat myself!

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

I'm currently in my 3rd year in college at San Jose State University, so in a couple of years my work will be making the festival rounds again with whatever my graduating thesis film ends up being! I am over the moon to actually work with a team instead of by myself next time, my classmates are all so skilled and I am beyond excited to see our talents come together for whatever we create as a team in the future!