We were lucky to catch up with Julian Boryszewski recently and have shared our conversation below.

Julian, appreciate you joining us today. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?

I actually came up with the idea for my most recent short film from watching a scene from a movie I’ve seen a million times beforehand – for all of those that are fans of the Harry Potter series, I was rewatching Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 with my brother. We were coming up to my favorite scene, the ‘forest chase’ when Harry, Ron and Hermione apparate to safety and are apprehended by Snatchers. The scene that ensues is a gripping, thrilling foot chase through the woods as they run for their lives. But as I watched it again, this time – I couldn’t help but feel differently than times prior. I am not the only one who believes the film industry has gone stale – new series and films are required to have an IP attached to them so they have a ‘built-in audience’. We have all seen countless sequels and reboots of the same stories, we want something new! As the legendary Guillermo Del Toro said best; “if people don’t like the movies being made today, they should change them.” I took this advice and started from what I like. ‘What kind of films are my favorite?’ ‘How can I steal what I love from them but make a story my own, original idea?’ after watching my favorite scene from Deathly Hallows Pt. 1, I determined I wanted to make a sci-fi short film centered around a gripping, forest chase scene, but with cybernetic weapons and a time travel backdrop…The story for “I’d Tell You But It Might Be Too Late” was born. After 2 years of writing, casting, shooting and now editing, “I’d Tell You But It Might Be Too Late” is set to be submitted to film festivals everywhere this year, 2025.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

For those who don’t know me, my name is Julian Boryszewski (bore-chef-ski), I am a writer, director and collaborative storyteller out of Barrington, IL a Northwest Chicago Suburb. I got into my industry after I made my first film at age 10, with Playmobil action figures. Since then I have had the privilege of writing and directing my own short films, shooting and editing commercial video and advertisements, and acting in creative narrative projects from my teens till now. Now, I am a BFA graduate in Film with a Concentration of Directing from DePaul University. I am in post-production for my directorial debut, which I intend to submit to Film Festivals everywhere in 2025. Next, I will be developing a short form, dark-comedy mini-series following a discouraged mob enforcer. The series will have an episodic release on YouTube. After that, I am interested in directing my first feature-length movie. Eventually, I intend to have my own production company which will finance fresh, original indie films from young, aspiring directors.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

The advice I have for managing a team and maintaining high morale is to keep a positive attitude. It is my job as the director to be effective in communicating my ideas, but it is also my responsibility to promote a positive working environment. I do this by being kind to my crew, listening to their ideas and thanking them for their hard work. Making a movie is extremely rewarding as it is exhausting. I want to treat my collaborators well so we can have a positive working relationship.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Yes! I have a book that is my ‘go-to’ to look over before every short film I direct. It is “The Film Director’s Intuition: Script Analysis and Rehearsal Techniques” by Judith Weston. She has absolutely incredible advice on how to work with an actor as a fellow creative, not just as the director. One such piece of advice I always return to is “Language of Permission” on page 232. Weston briefly notes how it is always a good idea to use language that creates “permission” in your actors so that they feel like they can suggest something new. Weston says “I don’t stop until I get what I want. But I’m available if an actor gives me something better first.” This has helped me on countless films – by helping to create a sense of openness with my collaborators, they in return feel comfortable bringing new ideas to their performances I wouldn’t have always come up with myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://julianbory6.wixsite.com/julianboryfilm
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julianboryszewski/?next=%2F
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-boryszewski-6b6b592a0/

Image Credits

Isaiah Aviles, Jake Boryszewski, Carly Duquette