“Before I Fall” marks director Ry Russo-Young’s first wide-release movie. Her previous credits include “Nobody Walks,” which won a special Jury Prize at Sundance and was released theatrically by Magnolia Pictures, and “You Won’t Miss Me,” which premiered at Sundance and won a Gotham Independent Film Award.

“Before I Fall” will premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival on January 21.

W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.

RRY: “Before I Fall” tells the story of Sam, a popular girl in high school who lives the same day over and over again until she figures out how to escape it and discovers the true meaning of her life.

Over the course of the story, she comes to realize who she wants to become, and that becoming is a permanent process.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

RRY: I was struck by how emotional Sam’s journey was and the deeper questions that were raised by the recurring day construct. Lauren Oliver, the book’s author, has a unique ability to balance the emotional and philosophical and Maria Maggenti, who [penned the script], was able to translate that to the screen in a way that felt honest and cinematic.

The themes also resonated with me on a personal level, as they reminded me of my friendships at that time of life and how all-encompassing they were. High school is a time in one’s life where we ask ourselves who we want to be in the most vivid manner, and I believe that these are questions that are important to carry with us through all stages of life.

W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?

RRY: I think some viewers might be put off by the final scene, and maybe there’s a wish the movie somehow ends differently. But at the end of the film, Sam is her truest self, and it took a lot of struggle to get there. It’s the struggle and the process that matters.

I hope that when viewers leave the theater they feel emotionally stirred and are given a sense of awareness of what they have and how their actions are meaningful. It’s about becoming who you really are by learning to appreciate who and what it is that you love.

W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?

RRY: The risk of shooting a repeated story is that it will feel repetitive. So part of the challenge was to make each day both psychologically and visually distinct from the others.

The script was a strong guide in that Sam was in a different emotional place on each day. The fun and challenging part for me was to adapt our camera language over the days to see the same spaces but from her new perspective.

W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.

RRY: The book was popular, so a studio had acquired the rights, commissioned the script, and tried to develop it over the years. The script was on the infamous black list of best scripts, but still they weren’t able to get it off the ground.

Jon Shestack, the producer, ultimately got the film back after it lapsed with the studio. Still, it proved hard to get made — and after a couple of fits and starts with financiers that were thinking of more traditional mechanisms mostly based on casting, Awesomeness Films stepped in. They have built a business around young audiences and knew the way to make it work for them — and I think that proved to be a smart move.

W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at Sundance?

RRY: I’ve had a couple films play at Sundance, so this time it’s more of a homecoming. Sundance is supportive of work that I appreciate: stories that are smaller, challenging, and that feature protagonists who fall outside the mainstream.

It’s a community that is extremely open-minded and filmmaker driven. Sundance is our best chance to argue for those films that might otherwise get overlooked or be underappreciated, and it’s thrilling to have that affirmation from such a venerated festival.

W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?

RRY: Best advice: Always shoot into windows.

Worst: My mom wanted me to name my first movie “Swerving Around Corners.”

W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?

RRY: Just keep working. Have faith. Work hard. Try not to let other people’s success get to you. It’s hard for everyone. It’s hard work. You can do it.

W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.

RRY: This is a tough one. It’s probably a tie between “Triumph of the Will” by Leni Riefenstahl and “Goodbye First Love” by Mia Hansen-Løve. I love both of these films for completely different reasons.

“Triumph” is so big, so insane, so evil, and so grand. “Goodbye” sneaks up on you with it’s gentle story of first love, but just destroys the viewer by the end. All of life — your own and the protagonist’s — seems to be washing away in that final shot.

W&H: Have you seen opportunities for women filmmakers increase over the last year due to the increased attention paid to the issue? If someone asked you what you thought needed to be done to get women more opportunities to direct, what would be your answer?

RRY: I think it’s changing very slowly — but it’s changing. And it’s always from the top down, so the more women in power, the more opportunities for everyone else.