Sasha Collington is an alumnus of the Binger Writers Lab and the Berlinale Talent Campus. She was one of four writers to win the inaugural Betty Box and Peter Rogers Comedy Writing Award for her feature script, “Another Anna.” Her most recent short film, “Lunch Date,” screened at film festivals across the U.S., including Aspen Shortsfest, where it won a Special Jury Recognition Award from the comedy jury.

“Love Type D” premiered at the 2019 Edinburgh International Film Festival on June 21.

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

SC: The main character, Frankie Browne, discovers that she has a loser in love gene, which condemns her to a life of romantic failure. Everyone she goes out with will inevitably break up with her. Scientists in the film discover that one-fifth of the population are genetically predestined to fail in love over and over again. This accounts for why some people seem to have it all figured out whilst others are beset by one dating disaster after another.

For Frankie, this explains so much — all the times she’s been ghosted, that boyfriend who disappeared on a trip to Paris. But how does she get rid of this gene?

The film explores her struggle against her own faulty DNA. Frankie has to confront her past and questionable romantic choices, as she struggles to understand the intricacies of the human heart and whether your genes are truly your destiny.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

SC: I read an article about epigentics, which is the study of how our environment and [experiences] can have an effect on the expression of our genes. A trauma or a victory doesn’t just affect our mindset — it can also affect our genetic code. I found this extremely fascinating, and I began to create a fictitious comedy premise based on the principles of epigenetics.

What if the outcome of your first relationship was a trigger, affecting your genetic code, and trapping you in a romantic pattern for the rest of your life? That’s the unfortunate situation that Frankie finds herself in.

Thanks to a two-week relationship she had when she was twelve, Frankie is doomed to always get dumped by every man she will ever go out with. Frankie must undertake a journey to discover if her problems are really the universe’s fault, or whether her own behavior is what ultimately drives people away.

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

SC: I want them to feel good. It’s a comedy, after all. I think the film’s message is to remind and reassure the audience that they are largely master of their own destiny. You can’t change other people’s behavior, but you can change your own.

I think the romantic comedy genre has evolved in recent years, and audiences are looking for fresh takes on the genre that don’t end with the idea that being in a romantic partnership is the only possible solution to one’s problems.

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

SC: There have been many challenges! One specific challenge was shooting scenes over the span of two years with Rory Stroud, who plays Wilbur, a character who is 12 years old. Rory grew four inches during that time, and I was worried we would inadvertently end up making “Boyhood 2.” We had to be strategic about his camera angles, and it helped that for much of the film he is school uniform. I was very worried that his voice might break mid-scene, but thankfully it didn’t until after we wrapped.

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

SC: I actually raised the finance myself. I didn’t have any prior experience in raising finance when I began making “Love Type D.” I met the first investor entirely by chance at a film festival in the U.S. My short film, “Lunch Date,” played at the festival and as a joke during my Q&A, the interviewer told the audience that investors for my next project could wait by the door. After the screening, there was one man waiting by the door, and he told me he wanted to invest. At the time I didn’t take him awfully seriously. But he was serious, and he was the first investor to come on board. That was the lucky part.

The rest of it was hard work. People advised me: Talk to rich friends of your parents. Well, my parents didn’t have any rich friends. I began to look for people who made multiple investments. Bit by bit, I built connections and pitched to people. I began to understand that there was a certain art to closing finance. Much like anything, it’s a skill you learn and acquire. It’s definitely been a challenge closing investment rounds whilst on a location recon two weeks before a shoot. It’s not something I’d necessarily recommend to every filmmaker, and it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted.

But on the plus side, it’s been an incredible journey, and my entrepreneurial skill won me a scholarship from Said Business School, University of Oxford, to study for an Executive MBA starting in September. I’ll be learning how to build and grow companies, alongside developing my creative projects.

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

SC: My dad. My dad was children’s book author and illustrator Peter Collington, and he created wordless picture books, which were essentially like storyboards. I actually feature as multiple characters in the stories. I am an only child, so there are many characters in my Dad’s books that have variations of my face.

I think it was from this early age that I became very interested in telling stories through images.

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

SC: Best advice: Don’t be afraid to fire people when it’s not working out. This advice was from a completion guarantor in Cannes. In film, you work with a lot of people, and occasionally those working relationships aren’t right. And you need to know when to make tough decisions, because ultimately your priority is making the best possible film.

Worst advice: We can fix it in post. Don’t ever believe anyone who says this, unless they themselves work in post doing the very job which will fix the issue. Then, get a quote from them, so you know exactly how much it will cost.

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

SC: During the process of making your first feature, there will be so many times when you feel disheartened and wonder why on earth you ever wanted to make this film in the first place. But you’ll get there! Try to find a really good producer who believes in you, and if you can’t find one, then raise the money yourself. I knew nothing about raising film finance at the start of my film, and I’ve just won a scholarship to business school based on raising the finance.

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

SC: “Big,” directed by Penny Marshall. I loved it in the ’80s and I still love it now. “Big” is a perfect comedy. It’s funny and meaningful. Marshall’s directing of the actors and shot choices accentuate the comedy of each moment so well. She created a comedy classic.

W&H: It’s been over a year since the reckoning in Hollywood and the global film industry began. What differences have you noticed since the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements launched?

SC: I think it’s good that the film and television industry has been taking a good look at itself and certain practices within it. There’s definitely been change in the climate since the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements launched, and that’s good, but what is important is long-term change.