BGG After Dark: The book is a series of interviews with independent filmmakers, analyzing their journey into filmmaking, is that right?
Del Weston: It’s a lot more than that. This is the result of nearly twenty years of working with filmmakers on a one on one basis. It then culminated in meting them and screening their work for audiences at the Action On Film International Film Festival which has been running for over a decade. In addition, it is a matter of getting to know them and or the people they have been working with. Great work means nothing if you have crushed or used the people you have worked with in the process. And lastly, the book is interactive with trailers and interviews that play right from the pages along with links and photos that take you out of the book and into the web where even more information can be found. It is quite revolutionary.
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Del Weston: It’s funny because I reached out to a lot of people whom I believed to be fantastic people. Conversely, they didn’t feel the same way about me so a remarkable number of people never even got back to me. With any project I do, I put an offer out; I realize that the right people will show up. I’m never desperate for people because the ones who do take part are the ones that should take part. The ones that don’t; that’s just the way it is.
BGG After Dark: Is there anyone who wouldn’t take part – for one reason or another?
Del Weston: Absolutely, until the first book was announced, then things changed. Then there was a flood of people calling and e-mailing about why they weren’t included. It wasn’t like we didn’t try but some people are like the tail end of a herd of sheep. They don’t follow the shepherd at the front; they follow the last sheep hoping nothing bad will happen. Not much I can do about that.
BGG After Dark: What has the response been like so far?
Del Weston: Overwhelming. I got a call two days ago from a filmmaker who wanted to throw me a book launch party. I was hesitant to go because that isn’t what this is about, but then I thought, why hurt their feelings if they want to announce and promote something like this. Social Media outlets have been extremely kind, as have the people who are on them. I think critically and with regards sales, the book will do very well.
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Del Weston: Women like Malindi Fickle of ‘Suck It Up Buttercup’, Saye Yabandeh of ‘Silk’ and ‘5th And Alameda’ are in the book. Female filmmakers have been so marginalized for so long and for absolutely no reason. Ester Brym of ‘Autumn of Route 66’ and ‘Butterflies’ has sold both of her films and receives income but you’ll never hear her name. These women fascinate me because there is so much crap they go through that frankly men just don’t have to face.
BGG After Dark: Do you think there’s some good female filmmakers out there?
Del Weston: There are a ton of incredible female filmmakers out there. But I am not talking about studio filmmakers. People with budgets that range from 10 million to 200 million don’t interest me. How in the hell could you possible spend that much money and show up with a piece of shit film? That is simple largess and greed and ego. I despise that kind of waste and the people behind it. That is not independent.
BGG After Dark: What do you think of Angelina Jolie as a director?
Del Weston: Angelina Jolie is a genius, period. But she is not independent; she is a mover and a shaker. She works for Sony; people who absolutely despise her but because of her standing in the industry and ability to bring in billions of dollars through her franchises and films, they have to tolerate her projects. Wouldn’t it be better if they didn’t just tolerate her but celebrated her instead. Are the films she’s directed great? That’s questionable. Are her performances great, absolutely! If you look at her body of work behind the camera: they haven’t done as well as everyone has hoped (Unbroken, In The Land of Blood and Honey and A Place in time). If you look at the brilliant films she’s made in front of the camera, Kung Fu Panda, Salt, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Tomb Raider, Wanted, Girl, Interrupted, Gone in Sixty Seconds, come on, there is no one bigger. Besides, she isn’t indie, she’s one of the biggest stars in the world, two phone calls and she’s got any and everything she needs. Brilliant? Yes. Indie? Nope.
BGG After Dark: Where can people pick up the book from? Del Weston: Because the book is an interactive, immersive project created in the iBook Author Program, you can only get it on iTunes and IBooks where you can download a sample chapter, meet the people who are in the book and get an idea of what the project is really about. Thank you!
To learn more, visit the official The Top 100 Indie Filmmakers In The World Part 1 iTunes page. The book is currently in Pre-sale and delivery begins on January 7, 2015.