Interview With Filmmaker Amy Everson, Creator of ‘Felt’

I recently watched Amy Everson’s debut film, Felt, for the second time (you can read my review here), and it was just as powerful the second time around. Perhaps it’s the relevancy of the story with the current #MeToo movement, but I believe it’s because Felt is just a damn good movie. I was lucky that Amy agreed to an interview with us to discuss her emotional film, what’s next for her, and women in the industry.

PopHorror: If you can tell from my review of Felt, I loved the film, When did you know you needed to tell this story?

Amy Everson: Filming Felt was an unusual process in that the entire film was improvised. Sometimes [Jason] Banker would follow me with a camera as I went about my day, and other times we’d set up a basic scenario, and he’d document what happened in front of the camera, whether it was me alone in the woods or with some friends. There was no shape to the story, no structure to rely on – it was just a process of collecting fragments of my life and seeing what stuck. Eventually, a theme began to form, and once we recognized the potential of that narrative, we leaned in towards it and began to more heavily mold a story around trauma, identity, and the ramifications of sexual abuse.

At the beginning of production, I was still sorting through a lot of my own history, my trauma, and the choices I made; the process of making Felt did, in a way, help to clarify the significance of what I was going through, and I was emboldened to pursue the meaning of my experiences through reimagining it on camera.

PopHorror: How did you come about collaborating with Jason Banker?

Amy Everson: Banker and I met while I was out clubbing one night in San Francisco. When I’d go out, sometimes I’d would wear costumes, to the extent that I would adorn a handmade penis under my skirt. It was a way of desexualizing an unwanted situation, but in another way, it was my way of adorning what I perceived to be a symbol of power when I was out and potentially vulnerable. Banker seemed fascinated with all of this, and sought out a friendship with me. I ended up showing him all of my costumes, many of which ended up being featured in the film. After staying in touch for a year or so, he asked if I would be willing to make a film with him. I agreed.

PopHorror: Was it always the idea to play yourself?

Amy Everson: Banker and I workshopped a variety of ideas for which direction to take the film. He wanted to incorporate my art into it, and I was willing to try anything. Because neither of us had much experience with screenwriting, we just decided to start shooting. That process eventually became an exploration of the meaning behind my art and costumes, and thus, an examination of me and my character. A narrative and connective theme started to come together, and once we realized this, we leaned into those ideas, weaving in approximations of my own experiences and playing out some fantasy as well.

PopHorror: How have the roles for women changed in the industry, and where do you see these roles going in the future?

Amy Everson: The positive reception of Felt by critics and audiences was quite a surprise to me. Of course, there was a huge backlash, even before the film had been seen – just for the mere fact that I was sharing my story. I received hate mail. There were angry podcasts. Ugly articles. Most of these, mind you, were from people who hadn’t even seen the film. But, the positive reception overwhelmed that toxicity and gave me hope that people were truly open to different narratives and roles for women.

It can be hard to see progress when we still see a lot of hypersexualization, objectification, and sexist tropes. But I also think that we are seeing a lot more criticism of these things as well. Additionally, the #MeToo movement has shined a light on the countless abuses within the industry that were considered standard practice, and for that matter, are still rampant today. But the consciousness around the treatment of women does appear to be raising, and that is a good thing.

I do hope we see more female directors, writers, and producers, as well as have the opportunity to see and hear more variety in stories about women and by women. It’s going to take a lot of work to dismantle the issues that got us here in the first place, though. It takes more than a hashtag and basic acknowledgement of the harm to undo centuries of sexist tropes and misogynistic storytelling. I think we are going to need to be a lot more proactive in challenging the industry as a whole if we want to make actual progress.

PopHorror: How did it feel to have your film premiere at the 2014 Fantastic Fest?

Amy Everson: I love my share of genre films, but I find that they’re more problematic in their depiction of women. Knowing Fantastic Fest was the premiere genre film festival, I have to admit that I went with some reservations. But ultimately, Fantastic Fest was a wonderful experience. The people there were wonderful – especially Kristen Bell, who runs the entire thing. I didn’t go to there with aspirations of winning awards or anything – I just thought it was going to be a unique experience. It wasn’t until after Felt premiered that I recognized, for maybe the first time in my life, that my experiences were not isolated. A lot of people came up to me afterwards, telling me how moved they were, how much they felt they had in common with me, and how healing the connection for them was. This changed me. For that alone, I will always be grateful to the leadership and the community of that festival. There are some really good people there.

PopHorror: Did you always wanted to be a filmmaker?

Amy Everson: I’ve always had a love for the arts and wanted to be involved in film and theater, but I never imagined that I had any talent or a story worth sharing. I’m grateful that Felt – and Banker – provided me that opportunity. It really opened my eyes to what kind of creative, expressive career I could have, and gave me a sense that I may have something of value to contribute.

PopHorror: You’re currently working on the film Murder Bury Win with your husband, Michael Lovan. Can you tell us a little about that project?

Amy Everson: Murder Bury Win is about the indie board game scene, but it’s also a thriller, a horror, and a comedy. It’s a unique blend of ideas and has a great tone, which I’m really excited to see play with an audience. I designed the board game on which the film’s story is centered, as well as serving as the overall art director and production designer. It’s really good. We’re finalizing a crowd fundraiser to secure post-production costs now – and people can actually become a part of the movie by contributing. The details are up at MurderBuryWin.com

PopHorror: What’s your favorite scary movie?

Amy Everson: I’m not sure what might qualify as a scary movie, because it’s so subjective, but I can guarantee that in Felt, you can see the influence of Silence of the Lambs, El Orfanato (The Orphanage), and Hard Candy. I also really love 28 Days Later and Shaun of the Dead.

We want to send a great big thank you to Amy Everson for taking the time to speak with us. Be sure to check out her film, Felt, if you haven’t already. And stay tuned to PopHorror for all of your Women in Horror Month needs!