MY ROCKSTAR, 13min,. USA
Directed by Stephanie Williams, Graham Nothrup
"My Rockstar" is a compelling and emotional short film that follows the journey of Amanda (aka “Eva” of the band Eva Under Fire”), a determined young Latina woman who dreams of becoming a rockstar while navigating the challenges of her father's opiate addiction. The story delves into the complexities of familial relationships, self-discovery, and the power of resilience. The film aims to evoke strong emotional responses from the audience while conveying a powerful message about the profound impact of addiction on familial relationships. It explores themes of hope, resilience, and the pursuit of dreams, leaving viewers inspired and moved by Amanda's journey.

Get to know director/writer Stephanie Williams:

What motivated you to make this film?

My brother died in 2016 from a heroin overdose. This was a devastating shock to me and my parents that we will never fully recover from. It took a few years after his death for me to cope with the grief well enough to consider creating something to honor his memory and to express my feelings about my loss. I am a licensed psychologist, and not long after my brother passed, five other therapists who worked at my clinic had someone close to them die from a heroin overdose. One of them is my friend, Amanda Lyberg, who is also the lead singer of the band “Eva Under Fire.” Our collective grief prompted me to write the script for MY ROCKSTAR. The songs she has written on their album “Love, Drugs, and Misery” speak to the pain of losing someone to addiction, so I thought bringing the story and the music together in a film would be a powerful way to reach people. I want the world to hear our stories and for them to know that everyone who dies from an overdose isn’t a bad person. A stigma continues to exist around drug addiction and that stigma oftentimes prevents people from getting help.

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

Approximately one and a half years.

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

Unconditional Love.

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

It was my first film so being new to the industry it was a challenge to build a crew for production. Raising the funds was equally as daunting.

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

I was very encouraged that each person said they got something from the film. My intent was to create a film that packed an emotional punch. I wanted to help people understand the impact of addiction on families and from the feedback I received it seems I accomplished my goal.

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

I realized that I wanted to make films about two years ago. Throughout my life, I had always dreamed of acting but never had the courage to pursue it until about three years ago when I decided to try acting classes.

My acting coach then encouraged me to write some scenes to improve my acting skills. Despite feeling intimidated as I had only written academic papers before, I took the challenge and was pleasantly surprised by the positive feedback I received. In 2021, I attended my first film festival, participated in workshops, and absorbed as much knowledge as I could. I delved into books on screenwriting, eventually crafting my first feature script a few months later, which garnered recognition in a screenwriting contest. This success motivated me to enroll in a film mentorship program at The Independent Film School in New York.

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

I don’t tend to watch movies more than once. However, one film I have watched quite a bit for a good laugh is NAPOLEON DYNAMITE. It's unusual because I typically don't gravitate towards comedies; instead, I prefer deeply psychological and suspenseful movies. Another film that truly resonated with me is THE HOURS.

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

For online festivals, having an online forum with other filmmakers in the festival would be great for networking. Hosting online events that allow us to meet each other would also be beneficial. Additionally, providing a platform to interface with potential investors and distributors would be valuable. The biggest hurdle I face in making films is finding ways to fund them, and I often feel overwhelmed by the concept of raising enough money to fund a feature.

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

Overall, it has been great. As a new filmmaker, I’ve encountered a learning curve in understanding how the festival awards work, as they vary between different festivals. Perhaps FilmFreeway could encourage festivals to provide more specific information on this matter. Initially, I believed that being labeled as an “Official Selection” indicated that the film is in competition and will be screened. However, each festival seems to have a unique process, which can be a bit confusing. I was hoping to attend in-person festivals to view my short on the screen, but even as an official selection, that is not always an option. Most festivals lack clarity on their process and when or if we can see our film screened if selected for the festival."

10. What is your favorite meal?

I am vegetarian and I love Middle Eastern Food. Mijadra with hummus, falafel and tabbouleh! Oh and of course, ice cream!

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

I am currently working on the feature script for MY ROCKSTAR and also wrapping up a short script tentatively titled INVISIBLE. I believe these two projects will surpass the short film MY ROCKSTAR significantly due to the extensive learning experience I gained from writing, co-directing, co-producing, casting, and being heavily involved in every aspect of post-production, particularly the editing process. I am genuinely excited about both of these new projects as they resonate with meaningful aspects of my life that I am passionate about expressing through film