Award of Merit – “Loving Martin” (USA)

Title: Loving Martin
Runtime: 22 min
Country: USA
Director: Elmer J. Howard
Placement: Award of Merit
Competition: March 31, 2019

Synopsis: Erik is an easy-going, middle-age gay male who has everything. Martin, a young, feisty gay male is trying to find his way in life. They’re total opposites whose love holds them together through the rough times. How far is Martin willing to go to test Erik’s love and how much is Erik willing to take?

FILMMAKER Q&A – Elmer J. Howard

GS: What was the inspiration for your film?

EJH: Loving Martin is based on true events that happened in the Phoenix area. Stan, the Executive Producer, lived the story and wanted to share it with the world and decided a short film was the best way to do this. 

GS: When did you conceive the idea for your film and how long did it take before it was realized?

EJH: Stan decided to get the story done as a movie in August of 2018 and approached me that month. We were filming by October 2018 and had our final movie on Christmas 2018.

GS: What was the most challenging aspect of working in a short film format?

EJH: The most challenging aspect in a short film is character development and getting the audience to care about the characters and care about what happens to them.

GS: What was the most challenging aspect of your production?

EJH: The most challenging aspect was the time and budget constraints. We should have filmed this is 4 or even 5 days but we spent 2 1/2 days filming. I owe the fact that we came out with the film we did to my crew who stepped up and really did whatever it took to get this filmed in time and filmed well.

GS: Do you have any advice for first-time filmmakers?

EJH: First, get out and shoot as much as you can. Don’t wait for the perfect script, the perfect crew, and the right amount of money. If you have an idea, get it shot. The more you shoot, the more you learn and hone your skills and you’re able to create a wonderful demo reel.

Always make sure you crew are taken care of. If a film goes over budget, I make sure to pay my crew first before I take my pay. You can’t make a film without a good crew.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help and use social media to your advantage.

Elmer’s Global Shorts Winner statuette for “LOVING MARTIN”. Congratulations, Elmer!