Filmmaker Sherren Lee. Photo Credit: Kristina Ruddick
Filmmaker Sherren Lee chatted about her new movie “Float,” “‘Code 8: Part II,” as well as the short “The Things You Think I’m Thinking.”
‘Float’
“Float” was directed by Sherren Lee, and it is based on the romance novel by Kate Marchant. It stars Robbie Amell and Andrea Bang, and it was released on February 9 via Lionsgate.
“It was really cool to direct this project,” she admitted. “Robbie’s company was looking for a director to direct this movie, which is based on the book by Kate Marchant. It was great that they got in touch.”
“When I read the book, it was really cool how much I could relate to the story, and it was very special because they allowed me so much of myself to the story. It was a really unique opportunity to do an adaptation that was so close to my own life,” she elaborated.
On working with the two leads Andrea Bang and Robbie Amell, she said, “It was great. I had already worked with Andrea on ‘Kim’s Convenience,’ and both actors were such pros and they were just lovely people. It was a great time.”
“I hope that after seeing ‘Float,’ that people have a little bit more courage to go out there and be truly honest and vulnerable with the people that you love. Don’t negotiate with yourself, and go after the things that you want,” she added.
‘Code 8: Part II’
Lee served as a co-writer of “Code 8: Part II,” along with Jeff Chan, Jesse LaVercombe, and Chris Pare. It will be released on Netflix on February 28. “It was really fun,” she admitted about co-writing the screenplay. “I am excited to see this movie next week.”
“Obviously, we all started working together because of ‘Float,’ and the guys were workign on ‘Code 8: Part II’ and they asked Jesse and I to help with that as well,” she said.
“It was really fun to totally pivot from a romance to a sci-fi action drama, and it was such a character-driven film as well,” she added.
In this sequel to “Code 8,” directed by Jeff Chan, Connor (Robbie Amell) is out of prison and working as a janitor at a community center, having cut ties with his former criminal associate Garrett (Stephen Amell).
Connor’s attempt at staying out of trouble is destroyed when he’s forced to help 14-year-old Pav (Sirena Gulamgaus) escape from a pack of corrupt officers led by Sergeant King (Alex Mallari Jr.).
King uses the newly launched robotic K9’s to track Pav down, while Connor finds himself once again reaching out to Garrett and his crew for help, but can he trust the man who landed him in prison in the first place?
Working with producer and filmmaker Jeff Chan
Lee had great words about collaborating with filmmaker and producer Jeff Chan. “Jeff Chan was the whole reason that I came onto ‘Float.’ He is the one that reached out to me and connected me to Robbie, and I had this connection with Whypad.”
“Being a filmmaker himself, he had such a great perspective in terms of how to support the creative of the film. He was very focused and adamant that this film preserved its initial intentions of what Robbie and I wanted for the film,” she elaborated.
‘The Things You Think I’m Thinking’ short film
Lee served as a director and producer for the short film “The Things You Think I’m Thinking.” “Directing this short was a really cool process,” she admitted. “The script was brought to me by Jesse LaVercombe, who I co-wrote ‘Float’ with. Jesse is an actor who also stars in the short.”
In “The Things You Think I’m Thinking,” a black male burn-survivor and amputee goes on a date with a regularly-abled man for the first time since his accident.
“We worked together on the script and it was a really special story because Prince [Amponsah], the lead in the short, had been an actor before his accident (the fire that he was in), and this was his first time retuning to acting on-screen,” she acknowledged.
“I was really interesting in telling a story that made Prince the same as any one of us. It was really special, and we took a lot of care in making this short, and I think everybody was glad to have been working on this film,” she added.
The digital age
On being a filmmaker in the digital age, Lee said, “For me, I am at the beginning of my career. Although ‘Float’ is my first film, it is really cool to be able to interact with an audience so quickly. The playing field is leveled. It is just nice that everything is more accessible and the fans have direct access to all of that.”
“These days, with Whypad, you don’t need a publisher and you don’t need a degree… all you need is an idea. A lot of teenagers are writing on Whypad, and they are experiencing all of this success,” she elaborated.
“For our movie ‘Float,’ we had a poster selected by the fans, and all of that was very exciting. Out of the three posters that we had, the fans chose the one they liked the best, and the one with the most votes became the poster for the movie, so that was pretty unique,” she explained.
Stage of her life
On the title of the current chapter of her life, Lee said, “The time to absorb.”
Superpower of choice
If she were to have any superpower, it would be to “be able to replicate any dish.” “That way, I could have my favorite dishes again, wherever I go in the world,” she said.
Favorite mottos to live by
On her favorite mottos to live by, she said with a sweet laugh, “Don’t die.” “Take care of yourself,” she said. “In order to not die, you need to take care of yourself and your body, mind, and soul. That way, you can continue growing and doing the things that you love.”
Advice for young and aspiring filmmakers
For young and aspiring filmmakers, she said, “Start doing it. If you have a story you want to tell, write it down, get some friends together, get it made, and get it out there. Don’t worry about it being good or bad, just keep putting your stories out there.”
Success
On her definition of the word success, Lee said, “Success is peace. Having peace in your heart and freedom.”
To learn more about Sherren Lee, follow her on Instagram, and check out her official homepage, and her IMDb page.
Read More: Robbie Amell and Andrea Bang star in the movie ‘Float‘