by Dov Kornits
“In the midst of Covid, when everything was shut down, people were losing their minds, and we were waiting endlessly on answers on other projects, so we decided that we just needed to go out and make something – to not seek permission from anybody – and get ourselves back into the field as filmmakers,” say #VANLIFE (EMOTIONAL) creators/writers/directors Chris Squadrito and Jasper Marlow.
“We cobbled together some money, pooled resources, called in a lot of favours, and in doing so, we were able to pull this off for a *very* small amount of money. We weathered multiple lockdowns, dying vans and shonky van owners, bad weather and the insanity of the period to create something we’re very proud of – and it’s now punching well above its weight on the world stage.”
That money amounted to just over $15,000 and with producer Jaime Lewis, and cast Annabelle Stephenson and Leinad Walker, #VANLIFE (EMOTIONAL) was born.
#VANLIFE (EMOTIONAL) has so far won Best International Series Apulia Webfest and Best Thriller/Horror Series & Best Supporting Actor at Toronto Webfest. It was also showcased as one of the five best web series in the world at the Serial Killer Festival (yes, that’s a thing) in the Czech Republic.
Next up, the 76 minute show is in-competition at Marseille Webfest, Stareable Fest New York, Baltimore Next Media Webfest, NZ Webfest, and Bilbao Seriesland.
“Ultimately, the show is about the breakdown of a very human relationship, set in the absurd world of Youtube vanlifers, and tells its story with a darkly twisted bent, especially as the show goes on and things take a turn for the weird,” say Chris Squadrito and Jasper Marlow. “As indie filmmakers, we set out to make something we probably couldn’t do on traditional television here, and so far, that instinct has proven right – the show really seems to be resonating with people, especially overseas. We couldn’t be happier. And are currently developing the series into a full-length version – 8x30mins – which we think will continue the #VANLIFE (EMOTIONAL) journey – in an even more thrilling and fascinating way.”
Follow the #VANLIFE (EMOTIONAL) journey here: https://www.instagram.com/zachandkiki/
