It was a great night for Kill Jar on June 10th at Windmill Studios in Brooklyn. There was a near capacity crowd and Kill Jar received a rousing reception, followed by a great Q&A by shorts programmer and all around awesome lady, Natalie Gee. We followed up the premiere at Goldie’s Bar which is an amazing throw back, retro deliciousness. Thanks again for everyone who came out and supported! I’ve attached an interview the festival did with me and a few photos.
Our final screening today of penultimate Day #9 is our Narrative Shorts 6 program at 10pm, which includes KILL JAR, directed by Brian K. Landis. Read more about Brian and swing over to Windmill Studios NYC to see his film:
BFF: What do you feel drawn to in darker / tonally challenging material?
Brian: Honestly, I’m not sure. I know as long as I can remember I’ve been drawn to darker, moodier bands like Joy Division and Slayer and the films of Kubrick, Tarantino and Lynch. I’m a fairly upbeat person, but the dark side of life seems so much more interesting to me. It represents the things that people don’t talk about in public. The dark spots that we pretend don’t exist make us really interesting people and, in turn, represent the forbidden lives that everyone sweeps under the rug. Shining a light on that kind of story, even if it’s off-putting and disturbing, is exciting for me. I grew up in the sticks of Virginia and, while it’s beautiful and isolated, there are a lot of things that happen out there that would make city life look tame. Poverty and lack of education strip people down to their basic instincts of survival, and when that happens, the truth comes out.
BFF: What was the biggest challenge you faced while filming?
Brian: Partially locations. Even though I designed the film to be in simple settings, finding our main antagonist’s overgrown and trashed yard was difficult. When I found Wayland’s yard though, it couldn’t have been more perfect. Even some of the cutaways were the most perfectly placed happenstances that I could have wished for. But also the heat. I set Kill Jar in the hottest time of Summer in Virginia and Mother Nature didn’t disappoint with temperatures nearing 100 and high humidity that left the cast and crew drenched all weekend.
BFF: Why are you excited to screen in Brooklyn, and what do you hope Brooklyn audiences respond to?
Brian: I know this is cliché, but I love New York so much and Brooklyn represents one of the most vibrant and rich cultural hubs in the world. Who wouldn’t want to screen in Brooklyn? BFF’s been amazing–very accommodating and supportive.
