Director Montana Mann joins us on Close-Up Culture to talk about her short film, AZI. The film recently screened at Sundance and is currently playing at the Santa Barbara Film Festival.
Share with us the story of AZI
Azi is about a seventeen-year-old girl, named Azi, who goes on a weekend vacation with her best friend’s family and becomes entangled in a power game with another woman on the trip. It’s a film about power, but also about a surprising connection between two very different people.
The film is partially inspired by something that happened to you. What can you tell us about that experience?
The events of the film are fictional but it’s inspired by a connection I had with someone who was older than me when I was a senior in high school. It’s still something I’m unpacking. Part of making the film was trying to understand the dynamic more and the grey area it lives in.
Dior Negeen Goodjohn gives an outstanding performance as Azi. How did you find her?
Dior is amazing! We were so lucky to have her. She did an incredible job. I credit my casting director Zachary Goldstein.
There is much ambiguity regarding the relationship between Azi and Elizabeth, how did you find the right balance in this dynamic?
A lot of planning and a little bit of magic. There are so many layers to what is going on in the film, and there are no wrong answers, and so I believe taking your time and letting the audience discover all the different feelings with Azi was the best way.
The short is incredibly cinematic. Are there any plans to turn it into a feature length film?
Yes! The feature version of the short film was accepted into Film Independent’s Fast Track program. We really hope we can find the right partners and make it this year.
The film recently screened at Sundance. How was that experience for you?
Incredible. Sundance is a dream. We all felt like we were floating on clouds for a week. There are no words to describe how grateful we all are for Sundance.
Do you have any dream actors that you would love to work with?
So many! I love actors! They are all so brilliant and magical! Golshifteh Farahani, Jessica Chastain, Peter Sarsgaard, Victoria Pedretti, Willa Fitzgerald.
What’s next for you?
Helping Los Angeles rebuild. And raising money to make Azi into a feature!
