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Title: Dinner Time
Runtime: 9 min
Country: Australia
Director: Abdul Khan
Placement: Honorable Mention
Competition: June, 2021
Synopsis: Aisha and Rufus go to dinner at Rufus’ parents house. They have some very important news. But the parents are very interested in Aisha…Too interested.
OR: What was the inspiration for your film?
AK: I had two major influences for this film; Stanley Kramer’s “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and Jordan Peele’s “Get Out”. Both of these films speak to experiences I have and continue to have in my life.
OR: When did you conceive the idea for your film and how long did it take before it was realized?
AK: The idea started as a screenplay I wrote during the screenwriting class I had as a first year film student. The idea evolved when I decided to use this screenplay for my final graduation film project; the initial idea (already 1.5 years old) was not within scope so it had to be reworked. I overhauled the script/concept over approximately four/five weeks and brought the film within the scope of our production capability.
OR: What was the most challenging aspect of working in a short film format?
AK: Being able to effectively tell a compelling story in a very limited timeframe.
OR: What was the most challenging aspect of your production?
AK: Limited budget leading to limited shooting time
OR: Do you have any advice for first-time filmmakers?
AK: Pay a lot of attention to available budget and how that relates to execution and the scope of the project.