We were lucky to catch up with Madeleine Hicks recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Madeleine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I would say the most meaningful project I’ve ever worked on would be Sunshine Girls, my debut Feature Film. I started writing the screenplay in 2019 and it’s been a whirlwind of writing, fundraising, pre-production, and production over the last few years. We’re now officially wrapped and getting into the edit. I’m so excited to get it out into the world.

Sunshine Girls is a queer love story set in an oxygen-deprived alternate reality where women’s reproductive systems are used to host photosynthesis and cellular respiration. It’s ultimately my love letter to women as life-givers, both in and outside the confines of literal motherhood.

I’m really proud of the incredible group of collaborators we had, who all poured so much of their hearts into this film.

Madeleine , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a Nashville-based writer, director, and performer whose body of work spans film, storytelling, theater, puppetry, and performance art. I’m a highly collaborative, multimedia artist who often explores social and political themes in her work, with an emphasis on the female experience and the complexities of southern girlhood.

After receiving my Bachelor’s Degree in Theater Education in 2015, I’ve worked consistently in professional theatre as well as adapting my directing and producing skills for filmmaking through self education and hands-on work experience. My unconventional path to filmmaking has shaped my hyper-feminine and distinctly stylized aesthetic and has led me to develop thriving relationships with a community of diverse collaborators in various mediums and specialties.

In the last several years, I’ve written and directed 5 short films that have screened at film festivals nationwide and I’m now in post-production for my first feature film, Sunshine Girls.

My artistic style and philosophy of filmmaking has been shaped by artists like Miranda July, Marina Abramovik, and David Lynch – all of who influenced my taste for surrealism, authentic vulnerability, and dark humor. I deeply believe that making art and sharing stories is the most powerful tool we have to grow a stronger community and ultimately a brighter world.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

If you’re truly collaborating in your creative process, you’re always pivoting. Good directors are constantly in motion, communicating and connecting with the artists on their team and taking their input into consideration with great importance. I think of this as a sort of mental gymnastics, where you’re bending and moving while also trying to maintain some grace and still hold your shape. You don’t want to lose the core of the idea or your own creative vision, but you want to allow the influence of your trusted collaborators to help shape and refine the story for the better.

One example of a big pivot recently was when we were shooting dream sequences for my film, Sunshine Girls. As scripted, the main character Elaine is having these unsettling dreams in a large, empty, yellow room – and that’s exactly how we all imagined shooting it in pre-production. On paper, it seemed like an easy enough location to secure, but we were struggling to find a good fit within our budget. We also had some unusual requirements for the room (like loading in a clawfoot bathtub and throwing eggs around).

We ended up finding a black box theater space, which then opened up so many new interpretations for the dream sequences. What does it mean if Elaine is “performing” in her dreams? Who is she performing for? Instead of trying to hide the fact that we were in a theater space, our team decided to lean into the possibilities this opened up and we ended up creating a much more rich and interesting series of scenes.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I think when you’ve made something that feels deeply authentic to who you are, something that you can be really proud of sharing, that’s just as good as it gets. Though most of my work is fiction, I always incorporate my own experiences and struggles into my work, and it’s healing to be able to express that through stories.

I also find immense joy in working with my community of collaborators. I’m very picky about who I work with because it makes such a difference to the quality and meaning of the experience. I like to work with people who are kind, curious, and open-minded. Yes, I want people who will work hard and take things seriously, but I also want joy and tenderness.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://madeleinemhicks.wixsite.com/madeleinehicks
• Instagram: sunshinegirlsfilm