ISFFH Q & A with Director Laurel Cohen
Laurel Cohen won Best Silent Film for her film “Jonah and the Crab” in the 2012 International Student Film Festival Hollywood
(ISFFH) and we had the opportunity to have a Q & A interview with her recently and learn some more about her and where she got the inspiration for her film.
ISFFH: Tell us about yourself and what drives your creativity.
Laurel Cohen: I’m an Radio/Television/Video/Film major at Northwestern University, Class of 2015. Interesting compositions and visual combinations drive my creativity. I like fun, unusual images.
ISFFH: Where do you find inspiration?
Laurel Cohen: I find inspiration from single images in my mind. If they’re compelling, then I think up a storyline to accompany those images and then go from there.
ISFFH: Who are your mentors?
Laurel Cohen: My mentor is my mom, who’s given me an appreciation for art and storytelling.
ISFFH: Tell us about your film and where you got the idea for it.
Laurel Cohen: Jonah and the Crab is about a young boy named Jonah, who finds a hermit crab on the beach. I first got the idea from my own childhood. While I had many pets growing up, from guinea pigs to fire bellied toads, I never had a hermit crab. I thought that a friendship between a child and a hermit crab would be a humorous one, as hermit crabs are not always the most exciting of creatures. I played a lot with contrasting Jonah’s amped-up, youthful enthusiasm with the hermit crab’s aloof, crustacean nature and just continued from there.
ISFFH: Who is the audience you wrote the film for?
Laurel Cohen: I wrote it as a family-friendly film. Also, since it’s a silent film, I’ve found it appropriate for international audiences.
ISFFH: What message do you want people to take away after seeing your film?
Laurel Cohen: I’d like audiences to come away with feel-good feelings and flashbacks to the discovery and simple joys of childhood.
ISFFH: What do you consider the elements of a good film?
Laurel Cohen: I consider a good film to be thoughtful. I think a good film should give something back to the audience.
ISFFH: What advice do you have for fellow student filmmakers?
Laurel Cohen: Pre-plan as much as possible before getting to set. Also, light-hearted films should never be underestimated. A film doesn’t have to tackle a heavy topic like “death” or “love” in order to be meaningful.
ISFFH: What are your goals? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Laurel Cohen: I plan on graduating from Northwestern University and then finding a job in the film world. I’m particularly attracted to the independent filmmaking world and would love to either write/direct independent films or work on the festival side of things.
Hollywood is the capital city of the entertainment world. The International Student Film Festival Hollywood is the only film festival that embraces all ages from around the world, offering students the unique opportunity to gain the recognition of film industry leaders creating career development opportunities in their home countries as well as the United States. The opportunities provided by the ISFFH not only benefit the students, but the world community by bringing together people of diverse cultures and differing viewpoints.
The International Student Film Festival Hollywood is now accepting submissions for its 11th annual Film and Video Competition. The Festival will be held in the NoHo Arts District of North Hollywood, CA USA October 26 – 27, 2013. The competition is open to students of all ages and academic backgrounds. Submission deadline is August 15, 2013. More information and entry forms are available on the festival website www.isffhollywood.org. You can also find us on facebook www.facebook.com/ISFFHollywood.