AN INTERVIEW WITH THE BRILLIANTLY-CREATIVE: STEPHEN KAYFISH
Hi Stephen! Welcome! Could you tell us a bit about yourself? Give us a brief introduction!
I’ve been fascinated with movies all my life. Given my location and circumstances, I decided that the best approach would be to try and write my way into the film business. I’m an accountant full time, but I’ve been screenwriting part time for nearly 15 years. Currently I have 10 completed feature scripts and 5 short scripts.
Where are you located?
Edmonton, Canada
What is a quote that summarizes everything you’re about as a filmmaker?
“Some people go to the movies to be reminded that everything’s okay. I don’t make those types of movies” – David Fincher
What inspired you to start creating films?
As John Landis once said, “I’m inspired by everything.” I have 250 DVD’s at home in various genres. Some are old movies I grew up with and some are movies from recent years. Each movie has a scene or scenes that truly resonated with me. Whenever I write, I always keep the mood or feeling of these scenes in my mind.
Who most inspires/influences you currently and why?
There are so many filmmakers, John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Tobe Hooper, David Fincher, Ari Aster, Jordan Peele to name a few, yes so many and some haven’t even been produced yet which amazes and discourages me.
What is your favorite film of all time?
Lately – John Carpenter’s “The Thing” & Steven Spielberg’s “Jaws”
What is your favorite film genre and why?
Horror/Thriller/Suspense – The balls and the intensity
As a creator, what do you find to be the thing that most drives you?
The desire to succeed.
What is your absolute dream in life?
To write full time.
What work do you take the most pride in at this point in your career?
The fact that I was able to win some awards outside of my country. It feels great to be acknowledged.
What has been the most challenging project you’ve been a part of?
Every writing project carries its share of challenges, some flow better than others but they all have challenges whether it be refining characters, story structure, or the rewriting process.
What was the most valuable single lesson you learned in completing that project?
Try not to submit any project until you have at least done some solid rewrites or editing. (I’m still learning this lesson)
What has been the most fun thing you’ve done in your career so far?
Attend film festivals and meet some truly talented people.
Who is one person that you hope to work with and why?
Many of them have sadly passed away, but there are still so many creative geniuses working today that it’s hard to name just one.
Is there anyone in particular that you’d like to thank and/or shout-out in this interview?
LAIHFF and all of the other film festivals who have selected or honored my work. My family for understanding the sacrifice and time required to be a writer.
Thank you so much for being a part of The Film Festival Network Community, Stephen! We can’t wait to see what you do next.