Expiration: Interview with Gavin Heffernan

Since your group was just out of film school, how did you go about getting the film financed? Was that process a struggle?

None of us actually attended film school. The core production team and much of the cast were attending McGill University in Montreal, which is an archaic text-entrenched institution with no room for a film production program. So nobody involved in the production or the cast was majoring in Film.

I?ve seen the Expiration budget listed at anywhere from $50,000 to $80,000 but in reality the picture only cost around $10,000 Canadian ? really something that wouldn?t have been possible without the dawn of digital filmmaking. And for Expiration, it was largely the generosity of tons of businesses, young actors, and great friends that allowed us to put such a complicated project together for such a small price. Every single person in the film from the composer to the lead actress worked for no pay.

Is there any advice you would give to other new, up and coming filmmakers whom have limited resources for getting a film made?

Use the internet to your advantage ? it is, without question, the most powerful tool for a filmmaker to level the playing field between mega and micro-budget. Post the script for actors to read. Hit up databases and yellow pages, etc. College campuses are also incredible places to find great crewmates and actors ? most are overloaded with intelligent, ambitious people completely f****** unsure of what they want to do in life?(smiles)?take advantage of it.



Expiration is clearly an arthouse-centered film. Do you feel that this is your filmmaking angle or do you think that you will eventually do something more mainstream in nature? Do you prefer one type over the other when watching movies?

I like to think it's becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between the two. My favorite movies are ones that seamlessly combine elements of Arthouse and Hollywood. I know I'll strive for bigger movies, but I imagine the story will always define which direction it takes. As much as you say Expiration is an
arthouse film (and on lots of days, I agree), I think I?m just as influenced by works of the mainstream like Die Hard and Jaws as I am by I Vitelloni and Persona. Let the record state that this was said with a wry smile and no touch of pretentiousness?please.