Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Malloni

Hi Andrea, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?

Tapping into storytelling as an art has been something I’ve pursued since early childhood. There is a certain power in being able to shine a light on a person, subject or journey that illuminates things for all of us in a larger sense that appeals to me. Telling a story or allowing someone to give testimony from a completely different or original angle is a puzzle and a joy. I began writing as a daily practice in my early teens. In university I sought out different ways to publish on campus and joined the League of Canadian poets.

As I moved into the professional world I reached out to various forms of media to publish employment related articles and also began flexing creative muscle with branding and marketing. In one of my corporate roles, a brilliant leader invited me into a leadership coaching group. It was through the guidance of this leader and with the authentic support of my peers that I discovered my true “why” is life was to help others give testimony to their story. Once I realized this, the medium of film seemed obvious. It was true vocational calling – one that I had waited a lifetime to discover.

I didn’t attempt my first film until I was 45. I self-funded and wrote the script in one month. The final cut was completed within 4 months. It was a breakneck pace and extremely challenging but I was hooked on the rush of bringing a full documentary to life.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

Finding my way to filmmaking has been a long and winding road and yet from a young age I believed this was the path that best combined my love of word, music and photography. The symphony of cinema is addictive. It hasn’t been an easy road toward this evolution and acceptance. As much as the age of the internet created opportunity and democratization, it also created noise and volume. Its very difficult for a project to land and acquire traction.

From a writing perspective, being published on a platform with high readership continues to be challenging. Timing and connections are still heavily weighted in the success equation. Film has a number of barriers that make breaking through very difficult as well. Agents, distribution, grants and funding and managing promotion are all leviathan tasks as an indie filmmaker. It takes grind, tenacity and almost a blind ambition to push through and bring something to the market.

The experience limitations are another aspect. I jumped head first into film with no formal training and limited technical expertise. I gave myself a crash course in all things film with my first documentary. It was the best thing I could have done. From learning how to produce and manage the shoot, to learning how to produce a rough cut in editing software, to navigating the film festival submission process… it was a massive learning curve and a rush. Tarantino once said “When people ask me if I went to film school, I tell them, ‘no, I went to films,’”

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?

My films have been focused on reflexive narratives. The stories have a bit of a dreamy intimate feel with a script that leans heavily into literary references. I tend to avoid heavy political statements and present the material as it is and allow the viewer to make their own connections. I’ve worked with the same DOP on three films and his cinematic style is a great match for my VO on the films.

There is a slow float to these films that aims to invite the viewer into a bit of a trance in a private moment. I didn’t realize that I was creating a bit of a signature style until recently. The storytelling I deliver through film is a gentle fall into a wonderland rabbit hole. My films aren’t “gotcha” pieces or rapid fire fact lectures. Instead, they are a winding road on a small path.. where the film whispers its truths to you. And hopefully, you emerge with a small bit of enlightenment about the human experience.

Inviting viewers into a beautiful world that often juxtaposes the assumptions someone might make about a subject is a thrill for me. Tell a gritty story through a beautiful lens with poetic words and create a state of wonder. This is my mission.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fiatluxfoundry.com
• Other: https://www.andreamalloni.com

Image Credits

All photos credited to Andrea Malloni