Curious what DSFF filmmakers from past years have been up to? We’ve started this new column to check in with our filmmakers and each column will feature a director, producer, writer, actor, or directing team from yesteryear. Our inaugural column features veteran DSFF filmmaker, William Stribling! Check out what he has to say below:

Short bio:

I’m William Stribling and I’m a director and writer based in Los Angeles. I was born and raised in St. Petersburg.

List of DSFF Official Selection film(s), any awards, and your role(s)?

Oh man! I’ve had a handful of films at Dam over the years. The first of which being my NYU thesis “Beyond Belief,” which won Best Student Film. A year or two later I came back with “Down in Flames,” which won Best of the Fest. This past year, my bonkers action-comedy “The Speed of Time” took home Best Comedy. Mixed in there I’ve also screened a few others, including an experimental dance film called “The Archetypes,” a zombie comedy called “Zombielust,” and a comedy called “Mixed.” I think that’s all of them. 

How did you first hear about DSFF?

If memory serves, I heard about Dam Short Film Festival while I was at NYU. I was finishing my thesis and researching film festivals I could submit to. Right after college I moved to California, so making the drive to Nevada for the festival seemed easy enough. I kept hearing how important it was to actually show up to film festivals that were screening your work, so I tried to prioritize the ones I knew I could make it to.

Favorite memory from DSFF? 

It’s hard to pick just one favorite memory from my years at Dam. There have been so many, and hopefully more to come. The year we screened Down in Flames, I remember the star of the film RJ Lewis showing up and doing some fire breathing demonstrations outside the hotel. That was a pretty cool moment. But it truly is one of my favorite festivals and I’ve had so many great times. From sitting in that beautiful theater watching hundreds of shorts, to the after parties that can go late into the night just hanging out with other filmmakers. It’s always a good time, such good energy. I’m constantly telling people to submit their films to DSFF. It’s the best case scenario for a short film, in my humble opinion. To have a captive audience who actually want to see short films, the screenings are always well attended by locals and visiting filmmakers, and the networking is no joke. I’ve hired people I met at Dam, I’ve also collaborated with filmmakers I’ve met there. I have friends now that I met way back at that first festival I attended in 2013. Including the festival staff and organizers! 

What are you working on next?

What am I not working on next?? Seriously, it’s too much. But that’s the life of a freelance filmmaker, I suppose. At the moment I’m in post for a feature film and a few music videos. But I’m also prepping a web series, writing a couple of features, directing a few commercials, and waiting until the pandemic eases up so I can shoot my next feature. Thanks for reminding me how overwhelming these next 6 months or so will be!

Has living through the pandemic shifted your creative direction or focus in any way?

The pandemic has definitely changed things for me. I had a couple of feature films and a web series slated for production in 2020. Those obviously got put on hold. So I went from having a packed 2020 to having a wide open year. At the end of last summer, I was getting antsy and I really wanted to make something. So I challenged myself to come up with a production that could be shot quickly, cheaply, and most of all, safely. I settled on a script written by a good friend of mine that was adapted from a play she’d written. It only had three characters and took place in one location. We ended up going to Las Vegas and shooting a feature over the course of 4 nights. It was a wild ride, and I’m excited to put it out into the world. But I really just wanted to make sure I was walking away from this strange downtime with something to show for it. Making movies is like a muscle that I need to exercise to avoid feeling rusty. I’m really proud of what we accomplished. And while I can’t recommend the insanity of making a feature in 4 nights, I’m so glad we did it. I think we’re going to see a lot more scaled back productions like that going forward. Even though the pandemic is easing up, there are still so many precautions you need to take in order to keep everyone safe, and filmmaking simply isn’t as efficient as it used to be. So expect to see a lot of one-location, small cast films in the near future.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In 5 years I hope to have another feature or two under my belt. Maybe directing some television? But mostly I want to keep working. I often joke that I never know what the next 6 months will look like, so thinking 5 years into the future is even more mysterious. I’ll say this: I’m excited for what’s to come. 

Do you have any advice for other filmmakers?

Best advice for other filmmakers: keep making films. Whatever it takes. It’s so easy to lose track of time waiting for the “right” time to make a film or waiting until you have the money to shoot your magnum opus. But life is short. Get out there and make a movie. And if you make a short film, make a short film. The shorter the better. (Said the guy with the 29 minute fire-breathing mockumentary.) 

What was the best advice you’ve received?

Best advice I’ve received was not something told directly to me, but I think it’s super important. On RuPaul’s Drag Race, RuPaul has often said something along the lines of “what other people think of you is none of your damn business.” I love that. Especially for filmmakers. It’s so easy to compare yourself to others. But just keep doing what you feel is right for you and don’t worry what other people think. 

William Stribling contact info:

[email protected]

instagram.com/wjstrobelight