Short by Gig Harbor filmmaker screened in National Film Festival for Talented Youth
A Gig Harbor filmmaker is featured in Seattle’s 2020 National Film Festival for Talented Youth, which went virtual this year starting last Friday.
Director Claire Gostin, 22, grew up in Gig Harbor and graduated in June from the USC School of Cinematic Arts with a major in film and television production. Originally planning to be a novelist, Gostin began getting involved in film programs and found her passion.
At 17, while attending Gig Harbor High School, Gostin made “Being Evel,” a short film, which was named as an official selection for the All American High School Film Festival in New York City.
Gostin’s new short film “Limelight” was a senior thesis project that went into production more than a year ago.
The film follows two young women, in the midst of a rebellion in the Republic of Congo, who must grapple between their political allegiances and their love for each other.
The film was a personal one for Gostin and one of the last projects to be unaffected by the pandemic, which brought all productions to a halt.
“That was the final experience I had at USC,” Gostin said. “Something I’ve always been driven to do in film is really tell stories about all kinds of women and make sure everyone feels really represented on screen.”
It isn’t her first time in the festival but it will be her first virtual one. “NFFTY is one of my favorite festivals because Seattle, of course, and I love that they support young filmmakers,” Gostin said. “We’re very excited to do a hometown screening for us.”
As her film is set far from her school, Gostin had to work with her team to make the film feel authentic.
“The story itself takes place in the capital of the Republic of Congo, which is Brazzaville, but we had to shoot in Los Angeles for the restraints of the film school,” Gostin said. “We were very fortunate that we had some very talented production designers who did a ton of research, a ton of location scouting and a ton of building. They managed to pull off filming Brazzaville in the middle of Los Angeles.”
The casting was a process also similarly committed to authenticity. “We were looking to cast African actors who could speak French and who were currently in Los Angeles,” Gostin said. “Our casting call reached some very talented actors.”
Tickets to see Gostin’s work and the other films set to show can be purchased on the festival website.
Gostin, who now lives in Los Angeles, is already working on some of her next projects.
“It’s interesting to see how people are finding creative ways to resume production safely,” Gostin said. “I’ve actually been making shorts currently that are shot entirely remotely and have been directing actors via Zoom.”