När vi på FromBeyond fick nys om att en skräckfilmsfestival var på gång till Örebro blev vi givetvis nyfikna. Vi slängde således iväg ett mail till Bonita Drake, en av arrangörerna, med ett gäng frågor. Intervjun är på engelska, då Drake själv har brittiskt ursprung.
Bonita Drake, Daniel Lundsten, and Anders Jansson have known each other for a couple of years and have always talked about collaborating on a project. The idea for a fantastic film festival came up one day while standing in a square in Örebro avoiding bicycles, as you do in Örebro, and the festival was born.
Could you tell us about the festival Light Till Dark? What’s the concept behind it?
Bonita Drake, creative director: The festival’s mission is to bring the films and the people involved in the films to the audience. Always offer more than just a screening, breaking the fourth wall with film, filmmakers, and the audience. This will include, for example, Q&As, workshops, and conversations with crew and actors.
Örebro is not the biggest city in Sweden; how did the festival end up there?
Daniel Lundsten, festival and program director: First of all, the three of us live here in Örebro. After we did extensive research for the criteria for a successful film festival, Örebro checked all the boxes, e.g., geography, accessibility, transport links, and community. Örebro has that in common with Cannes, Palm Springs, and Sundance.
What are the plans for the festival in the future? How big do you imagine it becoming if you allow yourself to think big?
Bonita: Right now, we are planning for the festival to be held in October 2024 with international guests. Meanwhile, we have one-day events throughout the year. In the future, we won’t be the only ones who mention Light till Dark in the same sentence as Cannes, Palm Springs, and Sundance.
Daniel: The goal was that the festival would be a big, appreciated event for both audiences and filmmakers and offer a place of gathering that people would talk about and look forward to visiting.
The first event for the festival will be a screening and Q&A of one of this year’s most talked-about films, Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey. Could you tell us more about how you came in contact with the people behind it?
Bonita: I met Paula, who plays Mary Robin in the film, during a workshop I was attending, and we kept in touch. When the opportunity arose to screen the film, it was natural to ask Paula and the rest of the cast to come here to Örebro for the screening.
What’s your background? Have you worked with movies in the past? And are you currently involved with something interesting?
Bonita: I’m a working writer/director/producer, and I will be shooting my next film in Australia in August.
Daniel: I’m a big film enthusiast and have worked screening films for a long time at different cinemas. I have also been the festival director for the Live at Heart Film Festival here in Örebro for a couple of years.
Anders: I love being able to bring ideas to life and bring people together. As a producer, I make things that I’m passionate about happen. After studying film for a couple of years, I have been working with Örebro Filmförening and the festival Live at Heart. Right now, I’m working with film at Bilda.
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Read more about the special screening with Q&A of Vinnie The Pooh Blood and Honey (April 15, 2023)
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David Larsson