Annie’s Book Stop of Worcester is happy to shine our Friday Spotlight on filmmaker and short story author Izzy Lee.
I asked Izzy where people can find her work, and she replied:
Mostly you can keep up at my website here: www.nihilnoctem.com
Here are two of my shorts found online.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_BhlMbFCjQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki1bCJ6KY60
How can we follow your work and share your awesomeness?
www.nihilnoctem.com, which has links to my social media
For readers unfamiliar with your work, how would you describe what you do? What can readers expect from you next (Latest cover, book, comic, movie, etc?) or what is the last thing you worked on?
I recently wrote a short film that deals with the dark web, drugs, and a neglected child, as well another about sadistic Internet videos, murder, snuff films, and sex trafficking. I go real heavy sometimes, then I swing light. (The next idea I want to write is a comedy with horror elements.) For example, the film links above are two wildly different films. One is about a trio of nuns who decide to take out a bad priest, and the other is a horror-sci-fi-rom-com about a woman who’s harassed by an inter-dimensional being every night.
What was the inspiration for your new releases? What were the steps you took to bring them from initial inspiration to the finished piece of art?
Funny, another example of going light-dark, light-dark in terms of theme for me happen to be embodied in this year’s short films. Some years, I’m a bit of a maniac and I have two shorts instead of one. One this year is “Re-Home,” which is about a Latinx woman living in a world pretty similar to ours if we’re not careful. With rampant discrimination and income inequality while living in the shadow of the US-Mexico border wall, she’s out of options. She brings her infant to a re-homing institution, and because I write horror, things go horribly wrong.
The short film is called “The Obliteration of the Chickens,” and I wrote it as kind of a existential “bleak-omedy.” It was inspired by Werner Herzog and his disgust of chickens, as well as nihilism, hope, Nietzche, and clowns. I have a strange sense of humor. Fun fact: author Bracken MacLeod is my narrator.
What draws you to the particular genre or style that you create? What do you think draws readers to these works?
Horror is psychological boot camp, and offers catharsis. We are all addicted to it.
What is your favorite part of being an artist?
Sharing my work and discovering that of others’ and having meaningful conversations. We can grow by seeing how other people live. Film is empathy.
What piece of advice would you want to share with other artists?
Don’t take most things personally. Your brain is probably lying to you, conjuring bullshit from anxiety, so step outside of yourself.
How important has the New England setting been to your artwork?
Since I live here and grew up here, I’ve written films here and have made them here. New England is its own character. The history here is immense.
What else can we expect from you in the near future?
I don’t even know what I’ll do next, but maybe one of the shorts I mentioned above. I also work for a new streaming app called Ficto, and we launch in the spring. My job is to travel and find new series and films at film festivals, and partner with festivals to support emerging filmmakers and get the word out.
What has been your favorite adventure during your career?
Friendship. When you travel the genre film festival circuit regularly, you run into the same people and bond. Sometimes, at least for me, you make the closest friends of my life.
While you’re working, do you prefer music, silence, other? Please elaborate!
I love soundtracks like “Sicario” and anything from Trent Reznor. Chelsea Wolfe and Nick Cave are also great to write to.
Izzy, Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to answer our questions. Good luck with your next film!
Annie's Book Stop of Worcester 