Amy Redford to screen 'Roost' at SFiFF
Oct. 20—Amy Redford grew up surrounded by storytellers — thanks in part to her father, Robert.
It's no wonder that Redford has made her own path in the film industry.
Her latest film, "Roost," is slated to be the centerpiece film at the Santa Fe International Film Festival at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, at Violet Crown Cinema in Santa Fe. She will participate in a Q&A after the film.
The film screened at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival.
"Roost" tells the story of Anna, played by Grace Van Dien, who tells her mother, Beth, played by Summer Phoenix, that she's met a boy online.
Beth then goes on full alert.
It turns out Anna's new crush is not a boy but a man — 28 years old, and saying all the right things to a girl on the verge of 17 as she cradles her phone in her bedroom. Then, without invitation, there he is, on the family's doorstep.
As director, Redford wanted to pull out the best in the cast and she wanted to make use of the script's twist.
"The most gratifying thing is to sit in the movie theater with audiences," she says. "My greatest hope is that this film becomes a jumping off point for conversation. It's been a pretty amazing journey that my team came together to make the movie with so much hope and faith."
The idea for "Roost" stemmed from Redford's relationship with playwright Scott Organ, who wrote the original play, "The Thing With Feathers," which the film is based on.
"We embarked on the task of adapting it during the pandemic," she says "I though we could make it in these times. It's a modern romance with a lot of complexities."
The shooting process remained intimate as the set was closed.
"It has its advantages," she says of the closed set. "Especially in a story like this because we needed it to be pretty contained. It was quite different than anything I've ever done. The tough part is the amount of money that goes towards the production. We tested for COVID daily. There were times I wouldn't put on my mask and I would get reminded to wear it. That kept us from having one incident. It was a team effort."
As director, Redford wanted to find the perfect actors for each role and worked with each one to bring out the best.
"I'm full of contradictions and none of us can be held to a standard of perfection," she says. "I often say to people who work with me, that if we keep talking, there is a fundamental downstream kind of communication that will take place."
Redford is an optimist by nature and she is looking forward to "Roost" being part of the festival in Santa Fe.
"Our next project, there's a good chance of shooting n New Mexico," she says. 'i'm going to use the time in Santa Fe to reach out to people and see what we can do. My family has a deep history in the state. I have vivid memories when I was a child. New Mexico is a place full of magic, beauty and mythology. I have such an affection for the people."
