Cityphile: Michael Mew, Director, Filmmaker

I struck up a conversation with Filmmaker Michael Mew and, well, after a few short exchanges we knew we had an interviewer on our hands. And, without further ado, here goes.

Every grey cloud has a sequin lining. While he waits for his membership card into the Hollywood's gay mafia, Michael strives to write comedies that are not totally devoid of meaning. Actually, if you think of it, even shallow has some depth to it -- so he says.

> (1) What is your next feature all about? Where did you snag the Title?

"Going West" is based on short film I did 6 years ago. It's a typical story of a small town boy who moves to the big city who gets caught up in a militant gay organization, the Gay Liberation Army, that is determined to set the standard for a new generation of queers. I call the genre "Queer Orwellian: a gay distopian story."

The title was inspired by the historical notion that you can find a better life if you went west. This of course was the belief during the depression and Village People eras.

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> (2) What inspires you about Vancouver film culture? Not just those who love films, but those who love making films.

What inspires me is that people do get things made. I love the nature of story telling and it's great to see people so passionate about telling them. The diversity is amazing as well and really reflects the cultural diversity in the city. Citytv has a great program called Cinecity that supports this diversity. I just hope the new owners of Citytv will continue this diverse independent programming initiative.

> (3) Describe the collaborative spirit in Vancouver.

I've been very fortunate with the support I've received from Vancouver film community. Many talented actors and crew have volunteered their time and expertise to make my projects a reality. People here truly are supportive of independent projects.

> (4) Where do you locate yourself among the Film community in this city.

I'm better known in the queer film community but with my new scripts I'm getting more attention from the mainstream. My script "Bobby Angel" was short listed during the Fall 2006 Praxis Feature Screenwriting Competition. I'm even getting mainstream interest now on my gay genre feature scripts "Miss Mafia" and "Going West."

> (5) What do you see Vancouver becoming in the future?

It's a very interesting time. With the rise of the Canadian dollar and talk of an impending writers' and actors' strike in the states, I am hearing a lot of local filmmakers planning to shoot their films next year. It will be
interesting to see what a slow year in the mainstream film industry will do for an independent film industry.

> (6) Tell me which local films are an inspiration to you? Where can everyone find these?

A friend of mine, actor Charlie David, just shot his first feature film "Mulligans" this past summer in Victoria. It's a low budget feature but he managed to pull together a great cast and crew who believe in the project. I
can't wait to see it next year.

> (7) Would you be willing to give away a few tickets to your upcoming screening?

My short film Peking Turkey is screening at FILM 1181: Short Film Night at 1181 Davie Street on Sunday, October 21 with other great local shorts. Admission is free.

> (8) If you were given $100 million film budget, what kind of film would you make?

"Alien vs. Gay Predator" the musical. It would be a little West Side Story, a little Bollywood and a touch of Pigs in Space.

But seriously, I do have a musical comedy dream. I love those choreographed dancing sequences and the music. I also like stunts, explosions and action movies too so my dream would be to have all of them come together in one film. So maybe "Alien vs. Gay Predator" the musical isn't that bad of an idea.

PICTURE CREDIT: Rajiv Jain's photostream