Martine August Remi is a filmmaker and digital media artist, studying Digital Media and Design and Dramatic Arts at the University of Connecticut. attended a performing arts high school, where theater internships and film and design projects sparked her interest in the arts. Her artistic experience spans technical theater and stage management with the UConn School of Law graduation ceremony and at Connecticut Repertory Theatre. Within film, she is committed to amplifying LGBTQ+ voices through storytelling, with a particular passion for editing and producing. Most recently, Martine directed and produced her own documentary short, The Art of Being Seen.
Career Journey & Inspiration
What was the defining moment that made you realize you wanted to pursue filmmaking (or your role in the industry)?
I think my defining moment was my first film festival, which was my senior year of high school. Me and my best friend submitted a film together and getting to see the film on the big screen and celebrate the thing we had made together was such a great moment that by the time I walked away that night I knew that I wanted to pursue film in college and long term.
Who or what has had the greatest influence on your creative journey?
Though not necessarily a filmmaker, Audrey Hepburn has always had a great influence on me. She was the subject of my first ever film project and the way she was always able to carry herself with grace and kindness has been an inspiration to me for years.
What was your first project, and what did you learn from it?
I went to a performing arts high school and in my senior year I majored in AV so I did a lot of small projects. What I would consider my first big project was a documentary called The Lands Beyond. It is a hybrid documentary about the history and impact of film adaptations of literature. In the end, it was an hour long and contained four types of animation, both fiction and non-fiction scenes and twenty-five drawings of my interpretations of the characters. In short, it was a monster project to be accomplished in one year of high school. For all of the hours I spent creating the different elements, I was constantly picking up new skills, new ways of weaving pieces together, and creating the story I wanted. I think it was one of the most important pieces I created that year before graduating.
Looking back, what was the biggest challenge you faced breaking into the industry?
I think being a minority identity was the biggest challenge. Going to college and then medically transitioning alongside my peers had its adjustments and challenges for everyone. I was not only finding my own identity and place within the field, but my peers were watching me do it too. So, it was hard finding my niche, but now that I have, I am really happy with the work I’m creating.
Which project are you most proud of, and why?
I’m most proud of my most recent film, The Art of Being Seen. I think I’ve been searching for that feeling with Quiet Corner Film Festival in high school; that my films are reaching other people and making an impact. I believe The Art of Being Seen is doing that because it’s getting into film festivals, but I also think its message of queer joy is especially relevant and needed in the community right now and that it is making an impact in that sense.
Creative Process & Behind the Scenes
Can you walk us through your process when starting a new project?
Since veering more towards documentary, I think it just pulls from what’s going on in my life at the time and what I’m taking from my real-life experiences. For example, with my current project When Peering In, it started from being on a theatre production for the first time in five years. That reflection over coming back to theatre spawned into the idea of a piece about my life as a trans actor that is more experimental. I then went straight into pre-production.
How do you approach developing a story or visual style?
I am not a visual person so a lot of developing a story is the story itself that I want to tell and how I want to tell it. I also pair with visual DP’s who can balance out my way of thinking with their visual thinking.
What’s something about the filmmaking process most people would be surprised to learn?
I think the most surprising thing is the sheer amount of time and steps it takes to make a film. Society kind of leaves the theatre as soon as the credits start rolling, so it doesn’t necessarily stick how much went into making this media you just watched. Yet, when you break it down, it is so much more behind the scenes. I think it surprised me even after years of filmmaking that after we wrapped filming on The Art of Being Seen that we had twenty hours of footage that by some miracle would be condensed down to twenty minutes.
Can you share a behind-the-scenes moment that changed the way you view filmmaking?
I did an internship in Oregon last year for an indie rom-com series called More Than Only. It was my first non-student film set. Everyone was so well-knit and friendly that every day we shot was just a bunch of fun that felt less like a job and more like a fun project. I have fun on my sets but as a newer person to the film I don’t always have the science of a perfect shoot day down and I took away that eventually I want my film shoots to be less stressful and feel like the fun process it is.
How do you handle creative differences with collaborators?
I think there is much to say in seeing both sides. When editing The Art of Being Seen my editor and I would have different feelings about how certain scenes should go. Our most productive thing that we would do that I think worked to solve the conflict around 75% of the time was to edit two little sections: one his way and one mine. We would watch them back-to-back and discuss what we liked about each of our ways. If possible, to combine them in one we would, and if not, we would hash it out until we had a cut that we both liked.
Pushing Boundaries
How do you challenge yourself to tell stories in ways that haven’t been done before?
Recently, I have discovered hybrid documentaries – which is documentaries where what is real and not is not necessarily distinguishable from each other. I inadvertently created a hybrid with my first big project – The Lands Beyond. Now that I know more about it, I am currently working on intentionally making one. I think blending reality and fiction is such an interesting new way to tell a story, and there are many ways to do so. In that I hope to carve a new niche with this project.
What risks have you taken creatively that paid off?
I think every step I have taken is a risk, every project, a new endeavor. If I had to name one, it would be my time as a PA on More Than Only. I first discovered the film in 2018 when it first came out, fell in love with everything about it, and started following its journey online. Once I hit college, one of my advisors encouraged me to reach out and just see what would happen. I did, and Michelle, the director, came back to me saying I could fly out as a PA. Those two weeks were some of the most important to me in my career thus far because I was able to absorb so much and regain my sense of purpose within the field.
Have you ever taken a risk that didn’t work out, and what did you learn from it?
My first big film project was my senior thesis for high school. You had to work on a research query that contained some connection to your major – mine being Audio/Visual and at the end of the year you had to submit a 10-minute presentation of your work. I was what my teacher called “a whirlwind student” meaning I came into learning rather fast and furious and with a very determined path. My project spiraled into an hour-long film and at the time I thought I should be applauded for researching to such a scope that I could have an hour-long project about it. I was failed and asked to redo the project. I have since learned more about delivering what the client wants – sometimes more is not always better.
How do you balance personal storytelling with universal themes that connect to wider audiences?
I think at least in the work I do, there is no personal storytelling without connecting to the broader world. Since so much of the work I do is minority based, the two are not really separatable. I mostly try to expand specific issues someone is facing to the broader world view they contain and apply to.
In what ways do you see film as a tool for cultural or social change?
Everything about film connects to cultural and societal change. The reason I got into making films in the first place was to uplist voices to a community I felt needed positive voices. My feelings on that still stand. In times of such political upheaval, especially towards the LGBTQ+ community, I felt that I needed to create stories centered around queer joy that brought attention to the real lives of queer people living in today’s society.
Funding & Sustainability
What has been your experience with raising funds for projects?
All my projects thus far have been covered by either scholarships and grants or out of my pocket as a student filmmaker. We practice pitches to raise money in class, but I have no real experience going out to investors to raise any real funds.
How do financial constraints influence your creativity?
I think if I had fewer financial constraints, I may have been more likely to enter the narrative space. My most recent narrative project, Blanche’s Necklace, was a hardboiled noir piece and though achievable at a student level the ability to actually rent locations, get higher quality costumes and props I feel would have made the piece more realistic.
What strategies have helped you sustain a career in such a competitive industry?
I think my biggest asset is me. By this I mean that my biggest opportunities thus far have come to me by networking and being authentic about myself, and what kind of projects I’m into working on. Easier said than done by any means, and I think it will definitely be a whole new ball game once I graduate from the student level. However, I hope the connections I’ve made at UConn will continue to be an asset.
Indie vs. Mainstream
What do indie films offer that mainstream cinema often misses?
I feel the connections that I felt on set of More Than Only would have been much different if it had been a big box film. The tight knit community that came together to help with extras and set dressing, offering up their homes to film in and so much more. That sense of connection was really special to work with and helped me (as someone who flew from the other side of the country) to feel welcome and safe in the environment.
Have you ever felt pressure to shift toward mainstream filmmaking practices, and how did you respond?
I do feel that pressure. So many of our conversations in class are how do you market yourself in the best way possible, how to market and sell your films etc. Whether I like it or not I do think it is a part of the conversation, and I try my best to find a compromise between keeping my personal voice and what is “good for business”.
How has streaming changed the opportunities available to indie filmmakers?
YouTube is the big one for me. I can post my creations for free and anyone on the internet can also find and access them for free. Although YouTube can be a cesspool of media, sometimes it is a really easy way for me to get my work out there. I think it’s really cool that I can have a professor who has their movie on Amazon, and you can just stream something she made, and it does make more media accessible.
Do you think the line between indie and mainstream is blurring, and what does that mean for storytellers?
I think there is still a line between indie and mainstream just that indie media has more of a chance of being discovered even if they are still a small media platform. I think this is becoming more common with any form of media universally with indie music and indie authors as well.
Where do you see your own work fitting within the indie vs. mainstream conversation?
I’m definitely still within the indie space and quite frankly I like it here for right now. I think it would be cool to work on a big budget mainstream project one day down the line, but for right now I still love the little community of indie people I work with.
What do you want people to remember most about your work?
I want people to remember how they felt while watching it. The connections my audience makes to my characters is the most important to me right now in my process because so much of what I’m trying to do right now is humanize and bring awareness to the queer community.
To learn more about Martine, go to: Home | Martine August Remi
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