While in New York, Hollister & O'Toole had the enormous pleasure of speaking with the amazingly talented writer and director Elliot Thomson – founder of Empire Arts Film Corp.
Elliot's short film "Le Refuge" is currently enjoying a very successful run at festivals around the globe – from Istanbul to the Cleveland International Film Festival – an Oscar-qualifying fest, where it recently won Best Comedy Short out of 224 films. "Le Refuge" elegantly tells the tale of an American lawyer – on vacation with her family in Lausanne, Switzerland – who's coming unhinged from the guilt of representing the manufacturer of a cheap car that tips over when it turns left.
Talking with Elliot is like viewing his art – witty and thought- provoking – and very, very engaging. We might as well call this podcast How to Make a Film with Integrity. Holding on to Your Vision. Collaborating without Compromising.
Elliot aimed high, and landed on his star. Come along for the ride – listen to how his short film is linked to Broadway greats, the New York Philharmonic – and even the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N.
We spoke to Elliot for nearly 2 hours – truly, one of the most engaging afternoons we've had. While we couldn't manage to whittle that conversation down to a length shorter than "Le Refuge" itself, we wanted to include here as much as possible – since, in our opinion, listening to these 38 minutes with Elliot is a gift (and one that sure beats the price of film school).
Integrity in (wry) storytelling. That's what it's all about.
Podcast available http://screenthoughts.net/podcast/le-refuge-making-comedy-short/
