Matthew Gentile, Brooklyn Friends School '08, Brooklyn, NY
Matthew entered the BFF with his film "Twenty-Four-Hundred" (2008).
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MG - My brother and I made a film when I was thirteen years old. He won the award for a short he made in middle school, ("Conflict of Friends") and seeing what he did excited me. I was just getting into movies at the time myself and got excited about the process of making them after seeing two movies in particular at age 12: Dog Day Afternoon and Pulp Fiction. Then I hit the 8th grade. My brother was working on a new film, "We Will Remember: 9/11." Andy Cohen became my mentor for high school, teaching me everything from how to roll a camera to editing to everything. I'll always remember the first time Andy showed me iMovie, and we put down the first clips of the movie on the timeline and I honestly felt invigorated. It's difficult for me to explain, but it was completely magical. That film, "We Will Remember: 9.11" got into the Woodstock Film Festival and New York International, but it actually did not get into the Bridge Film Festival! A couple years later, my brother and I made another film together, "Reminiscence," that was in the BFF, and then we made a public service announcement the next year. But my first entry and first film I really made alone as a director was "Twenty-Four-Hundred," which screened during my senior year of high school. It was an amazing experience for me all around.BFF - Which teachers at Brooklyn Friends School most influenced your filmmaking?
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| On the set of New Plan A |
MG - No question that Andy Cohen was the most prominent figure in influencing me as a filmmaker. He's the man who got me my first camera and the man who showed me how to edit. I have to give credit as well to Jeremy Richards, who directed me in every school play I acted in and taught me 80% of what I know about directing actors. And of course, Lisa Deo and Kerri Richardson. Those two helped me make "Twenty-Four-Hundred" when I was a senior, when I wanted to use the high end video equipment. My negotiation to use it was as follows: I'd come to school every day after 3:00 and they'd teach me about how to write a screenplay, how to plan a shoot, how to make a movie. And we did it. And they taught me so much and were so generous with their time -- all of the teachers I just mentioned were so generous towards me and helped me get here and helped me get the most out of Brooklyn Friends -- so I have a lot of gratitude for them.
BFF - After graduating from Brooklyn Friends School, what college/university did you attend, and what did you study?
Cat in the Rain from Matthew Gentile on Vimeo.
BFF - How did the experience of making a film for the BFF that required you to "depict Quaker values in action" influence your future storytelling?
MG - To be completely honest, I never consciously thought and never really think of values in action of any religion in my films. That said, I think any of my movies I've made to date center around people faced with ethical dilemmas that cause them to change, and in that regard, the themes are universal enough to relate to what the Bridge Film Festival was/is about. My film "Twenty-Four-Hundred" was about four students who were all trying to get into college, and it sort of examined the rat race that was the college admissions process -- and in that regard, through people's actions, they manifest their true colors, and those kinds of issues can relate to any religion -- I would hope.BFF - Which of your film projects are you most pleased with?
MG -That's always a tricky question. I look back on everything I've made and I see it all as a learning process. They all have their own strengths and weaknesses, and I can look at them and also say that each of them are united in terms of themes they address and what they are trying to say.
BFF - What personal or professional projects are you currently working on?
MG - The one I just mentioned is now in the editing phase. I'm directing two more shorts this year at AFI, I'm working on a feature screenplay that I can try to sell and direct when I graduate, and I'll also have to start working on my thesis short, which will shoot next year.
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| Straight to VHS - NYC |
MG - See as many great films as you can, read as many books as you can. Participate in everything the Bridge Film Festival has to offer -- but don't stop there, go beyond that. Be connected with the world around you, find what you're passionate about and write about it. Think about what you need to say and say it. Use wide shots! Check depth of field. Learn as much as you can about every aspect of film production that's available at your school and local communities. Study all art forms, theater, literature, music -- they're all connected! The most important thing about being a filmmaker is being able to collaborate and being able to listen. Soak up everything.
And all you have to do to be a filmmaker is make films. Do not worry about failing. Do not be afraid to try new things or be open. Just get out there and do it! Failure is okay. Fear is not.
