Victoria Negri on her film “Gold Star”
Q: So you have officially finished your first film! Congrats! Can you tell me a little bit more about what “Gold Star” is about?
A: “Thank you so much! It is pretty exciting. This film is about my experience being my father’s caretaker after he suffered a stroke.”
Q: What made you decide to write, direct and star in you first film? Especially when it was so personal?
A: “Mostly frustration. I wasn’t getting roles I was excited about. After going through this and ultimately losing my father I just felt like I needed to tell this story.”
Q: Can you describe the process?
A: “Well, this film was 5 years in the making. There were moments where it was difficult wearing many hats. But it was worth it having a finished project I feel so strongly about. We even won our first award at the Buffalo International Film Festival!”
Q: That’s incredible! What was the award?
A: “It was the Audience Award. I actually just received the award in the mail the other day!”
Q: So can you talk to me more about the difficulty of wearing many hats?
A: “Well I would have to say directing myself was difficult at times. There were times when I think I gave myself too much to do. One in particular was when I was working on a scene where I was moving my dad from to the bed. It required a lot of work. It was stressful because I didn’t want to hurt Robert Vaughn, who played my father in the film and was acting in the scene with me. During our lunch break I had to just sit by myself and have a moment!”
Q: I can imagine there were many moments like that… Any tips for actors wanting to make their own film?
A: “Don’t be afraid. Be specific about what you want. If you’re new to this and not really sure about who to ask or who to turn to just ask around. You will be surprised by how many people are in your corner. I got this far by using my resources and connections. One in particular was Judy Bowman. I worked with her before and she knew my work as an artist so she was willing to cast my film. The rest I asked around, created an LLC for investors, hired an accountant and so much more. There was a lot of work that went into it hence why it took 5 years. I’m tired but it was definitely worth the outcome. Now I have this film, which I am really proud of.”
Q: Thank you so much for meeting with me! Can you tell us where to find our more about your film?
A: Sure you can check out the trailer using this link: https://vimeo.com/184131552 and you can also go to the following website to see where it will be showing http://www.goldstar-film.com/#new-page. Thank you for having me!!
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