From romance to science fiction, the Collective Film Festival showcases it all. A UT organization, Collective Studios fosters filmmaking by students, for students. The upcoming festival on April 25 will be hosted at Hyperreal Film Club from 6:30 p.m to 8:30 p.m. with free admission. The Daily Texan talked to directors sophomore Scout Hooper and sophomore Morgan Kuo about their film and their hopes for the festival’s outcome.
The Daily Texan: What is your film about?
Morgan Kuo: Pandorox is a science fiction, psychological thriller. It follows this woman named Elsa, who is somewhat a sociopath, as we see through her interactions with her boyfriend. She comes across something in her attic that results in her interacting with (an) alternate version of herself, and that’s what the film is about — her interacting with herself.
DT: What inspired you to write your film?
Scout Hooper: For me, I had gone through a breakup where I had been with this guy for three years, the majority of my high school experience. It was a very great breakup when we went our separate ways. … I wanted to write about how when you’re young and you have so many opportunities in such a vast world of possibilities with what you want to do for your career and what you want your life to look like, and how it can be, at times, almost intimidating and scary, and coming to terms with the changes that are rapidly coming at you in your early 20s.
MK: I started writing (Pandorox) so long ago, (when) I was in high school. I don’t even remember what the inspiration was. I want to say it was the story beats and the character writing was just based on my love for film in general. I watched so many great films and so many characters and films. I wanted to implement that in my own story, but also wanted to do something so technically challenging and ambitious.
DT: What can audiences expect from your film?
SH: (Audiences can expect) a really fun time. It’s a love letter to Austin, Texas. I grew up in San Antonio, and my first real view of Austin was seeing the skyline, driving up to orientation my freshman year. I’ve fallen in love with the city and the people in the community. … We filmed so many local small businesses. We filmed at (the) iconic Foundation, Paramount, the bridge, Sixth Street. … It’s fun, it’s lively, it’s fast paced and it’s just a little celebration of Austin culture and the youth that runs it.
MK: My general audience is people at UT, because the films at UT … are amazing. I just wanted to give people something that is totally different from what I’ve seen so far. I wanted to give them a story that has ups and downs, has roller coasters and has plot twists and turns that genuinely shock you, but also want to be able to have a relatable character that people can attach themselves to and feel the progression of the character, throughout the story. I feel like this is the kind of film that people deserve to see.
