We caught up with Chicago Director, Brittani Nightengale to discuss her latest film Candles.
Tell us about your latest film project Candles?
The latest film that I wrote and directed is titled Candles. It’s about a woman who is battling a mental illness that makes her shift her reality. She actually believes that her son has been kidnapped and missing for a year. Basically it’s about her dealing with mental illness. If anyone would like to check it out, they can check it out on the front page of my website at www.MindInMotionFilms.com .
What’s the message that you want fans to receive after watching Candles?
The take away of this film, I believe is just to get the conversation started about mental illness. Because it’s kind of over looked a little bit and it’s not really explored that often in film. It’s really to bring awareness to it, let people know that it’s a serious illness, and to get the conversation started.
Who inspired you to launch a career in Film as a director?
I can’t really say that it was a person. Growing up, I was not involved with anyone who was in this field or anything. It was kind like me growing up and really falling in love with film and just being able to tell stories and entertain people.
If you had a choice to work with 3 dynamic directors, who would they be and why?
I would have to say, Ava DuVernay who just recently directed Selma. She is such a fearless filmmaker and I just love the way she tells stories. I have been following her since she has been making short-film a couple years ago and how she just really developed from there to starting to make feature films. Now, the biggest film Selma and now she is going to off to work with Oprah to direct and write a series on OWN network.
The second director, I would have to say is Gina Prince Bythewood. I pick her because I love her work and the way that she can tell a love story. Some people, when you watch films it’s not really like you get so connected with those characters and being able to relate to them and like that . It’s just the way she is able to brings her characters to life for you to believe that they are going through that situation. She is the directed of Love & Basketball and her most recent is Beyond The Lights.
The last one, I have to say is Spike Lee because he so awesome. I love all of his films all the way back to She’s Gotta Have It and all the way to his most recent films.
What’s on the horizon for you in 2015?
In 2015, I am just really looking forward to still shopping Candles around in film festivals. It got accepted to it’s first one a couple weeks ago, for the North Carolina Black Film Festival. I just waiting to hear back from lot of other film festivals to see if it got in. I am also graduating in May with a B.A. in Film & Video with a concentration in Directing. I am really looking forward to that. This summer I will be going into production of my first web series. That’s all I have lined up for 2015 and anything that comes my way. I am ready to take it on.
You can find out more about Brittani Nightengale the writer and director on her website and social media.
Email: mim_films@yahoo.com