Alexandra Stergiou’s work has been recognized by the Wasserman Awards, National Board of Review, and British Council. Her commercial credits as a director and cinematographer include John Frieda, Maybelline, Cole Haan, Refinery29, and “This American Life.” She is currently in development on a film for ITVS about subsistence hunting in Alaska.

Lexi Henigman’s credits include a New York Times Op-Doc and pieces for Teen Vogue, Bon Appetit, Vox, Makers, and Mic. She was an associate producer and assistant editor on feature documentary “Left on Purpose,” and assistant editor on “When I Walk,” which won the 2015 News and Documentary Emmy award.

“The Candidates” will premiere at the 2018 DOC NYC film festival on November 10.

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

LH&AS: “The Candidates” is about a high school in Queens where for the past 20 years the students have been simulating real elections in real time. The film dives into the halls during the months leading up to the 2016 Presidential election.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

LH&AS: Everyone knew leading up to the election that it was going to be one for the books. There were a lot of films being made about it — but we knew we had something unique with a film about 17-year-olds acting as the politicians and simulating in real time. The simulation itself is so elaborate and well thought out, and Queens is such a diverse place that we knew we’d have a compelling story and a fresh take on the election.

Alexandra is an alumna of Townsend Harris High School. She took part in the election simulation in 2005. It was an eye opening experience for her and ignited a lifelong appreciation of civics. She wanted to bring this little-known, yet phenomenal, school program from her hometown to wider audiences.

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

LH&AS: We want people to leave optimistic about the future and younger generations. Civic education is so important and the film shows that. These students are so intelligent and truly care about educating themselves about policy and the ins and outs of the political system. If more people approached politics in as thoughtful a way as these students, we’d have a much kinder world.

The film is also very funny. There’s a joyful absurdity in seeing these kids act as the candidates, media, and voting citizens and we hope people also leave happy and entertained.

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

LH&AS: The film took place in a very contained environment over a very specific period of time. We often had to work within the confines of the school day and had a very large group of students and faculty that we were following. We wanted to be everywhere at once but had to let instinct kick in for where we should be and when.

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

LH & AS: This film is purely independent. Our funding came through a small group of private investors who trust us and believe in our vision. We also relied heavily on our amazing network of friends who are gifted film professionals. The majority of the crew worked on deferred payment. Production was an intense period of several months where everyone just bit the bullet and stuck it out.

After that, we edited the film over the course of two years between our day jobs. It truly was a labor of love.

W&H: What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

LH: My love for film started very early. My mom had all of these old hardback books about the silent film era. and I remember when I was about six years old looking through and being absolutely mesmerized by Charlie Chaplin. I started watching those films very young, which began a lifelong obsession with film and many adolescent visits to the video rental store.

I loved that I could be transported to a seemingly endless amount of places, geographically and emotionally, and how much power film had to inspire and teach. It wasn’t until attending film school that I began to really love documentary. Watching “Grey Gardens” for the first time was like a religious experience and I fell in love with vérité filmmaking.

AS: I was lucky to have a mother who really encouraged my creative side. Growing up in New York, she always took me to the theater — on, off, and off-off-off Broadway. I learned how to play the piano, guitar, and drums. I was always doodling, daydreaming, and acting out scenes from movies with my menagerie of stuffed animals. I would often rewrite plots in my head. I always knew that I wanted to pursue a career in the arts.

When I was in eighth grade, I randomly borrowed a DVD copy of David Lynch’s “Mulholland Drive” from my local library branch, not knowing the film, the director, or the actors in it. I liked the cover. A few hours later, nothing was the same. I had never seen anything like it before. I watched it a few times in a row, trying to wrap my head around it. I decided film was the medium for me when I realized the boundaries of cinema are limitless.

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

LH&AS: Best advice: Develop a craft to help pay the bills until you make your opus. Find a group of like-minded people to make films with. Watch and study films like it’s your job — actually it is. Construct a habitual routine for your creativity.

Worst advice: Quit. Your story’s not worth telling. Someone like you doesn’t make it in an industry like this.

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

LH&AS: Just keep at it. It’s not going to be easy, but hard work really does pay off. It’s really important that we women in the film industry help each other out. We should be each others allies and lift each other up.

Filmmaking is a very collaborative industry and the more we work together to get our voices out there and our films made, the better.

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

LH: I really loved “Lady Bird.” I think Greta Gerwig’s directorial voice is a much needed addition to the film industry. It’s such a real and relatable take on the coming-of-age story and I can’t wait to see what films she makes in the future.

AS: What a hard question! There are so many amazing woman-directed films out there! I’ll have to go with Lynne Ramsay’s “Ratcatcher.” It’s beautifully shot, skillfully edited, and marvelously acted. It has this spiritual umami that you can taste in every single one of her movies. “Ratcatcher” so perfectly captures the hope, awe, dread, and trauma of childhood. It leaves you with this overwhelming and  exuberant feeling in your heart.

W&H: Hollywood and the global film industry are in the midst of undergoing a major transformation. What differences have you noticed since the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements launched?

LH&AS: Women are finally empowered to speak up — about harassment, pay, creative disenfranchisement, and everything in between. Women are finally being listened to in the entertainment industry. Simply knowing you can speak your truth without being punished is a major step.

However, there is a ton of more work ahead. We need more women in decision making and leadership positions — from film sets to studios. We need more transparency when it comes to pay. We need our allies to vocally support us too.