As part of its young filmmaker series, Sebastopol Center for the Arts will showcase the work of filmmaker and Analy alum Quinn Halleck on Saturday, July 27, at 5:30 p.m. The three short films include “As Advised,” “To College” and “Beyond Nepal.”
After graduating from Analy High School, Quinn studied film at Chapman University, creating films that have premiered across the country. Join Quinn in a live Q&A discussion with food and Halleck Vineyard wine.
When did you start making films?
I began making films when I went to Analy High School. As is true for any film student, most of them were dumb, immature and didn’t have much real merit to them, but it was the mistakes I made then that would always get me to go make the next one.
One of the films at the showcase, “To College,” was written by one of the same friends that I used to make films with at Analy. Making it was a lot like the films we made in high school, just a bigger crew and more fun.
What kind of films would you like to do in the future?
I know my ultimate goal is to make features, but that’s such a broad spectrum, being able to fine tune that answer is one of the challenges of my career. But I know this, there are certain rules I need to make the film truest to me: the film needs to have a message, heart and a sense of wonder. I’ve found this through younger characters, making them brave as they face new chapters in their life. Something extremely true to myself.
What part of filmmaking do you like best?
My favorite part, hands down, is having other people reach out saying they feel the exact same way. Films, if done with heart, are truly a disguised diary entry. And when people share their experiences and what they pulled from the film, it’s like sharing a moment with a stranger. Pretty cool if you ask me.
What’s it going to be like sharing these films with your hometown?
Being able to share these films with the community I grew up in gives me the chance to look back to where I came from. And with that, I hope to inspire some conversations.
