Ryann Liebl is an award-winning actress, filmmaker, writer, and director whose longstanding career has culminated in the launch of her production company REL Films and its first feature, “Mags and Julie Go on a Road Trip.” REL Films now has over 10 features in development and slated for production.

“Mags and Jules Go on a Road Trip” will be released November 24 and can be pre-ordered now.

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

RL: “Mags and Julie” is an old-school comedy with heart. It’s about best friends Mags and Julie. Mags is overworked and underpaid and has no life outside of work. Julie is bohemian, put together, married, and happy.

When Mags inherits a cabin in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, Julie convinces her to take a road trip to the cabin together. They hit disaster after disaster, their friendship is put to the test, and ultimately Mags has to choose what is best for her life.

It’s a film about friendship and finding your way.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

RL: I could always tell when a man had directed or written a “female” comedy and thought, “Women don’t act that way, they don’t talk that way, they wouldn’t do that,” etc. — so I wrote, directed, and produced a film with an actual female viewpoint. Plus, I wrote what I think is funny, which is situational comedy: people in real bad situations and how they respond.

W&H: What do you want people to think about after they watch the film?

RL: I want viewers to enjoy the film and to be happy, to feel they’ve gone on a journey, and to appreciate their true friends more.

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

RL: Probably the same challenge most indie filmmakers go through: funding. I didn’t want to go the traditional route. I didn’t want to pitch the film, or convince people it was worth funding, so I funded it with an online platform and private investors. Plus, my own money to finish it up. I think that’s a real lesson to other filmmakers. If you want to get your vision done, just go do it. Don’t ask permission to make your films.

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

RL: Because of the magic of digital, you can now make a really good film between $100,000-$300,000. I did the casting, the props, the costumes. I found the locations, I made the hard calls, I wrote the film. I even did the raw edit. Use your skills and try to give yourself enough lead time and you can pull it off cheaply. The biggest expense should be post, good hard drives, and a big marketing budget to promote it.

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

RL: I always wanted to be a part of the magic of films. I went to opening weekends, rewatched my favorite films a hundred times. I started acting when I was 13 in high school. I always loved theater and storytelling, so when I went to college at USC, I got into filmmaking.

Very early in my career, I started to direct, produce, and do crew jobs, all while I was acting to know every aspect of the process with filmmaking always being the goal. In 2019, I started my own production company and shot my first feature in the first five months of its existence. Once I made the decision, nothing was going to stop me from doing it. I love movies. I think they make the world a better place when done correctly.

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

RL: Best advice: If you want to do something, just get it done. Don’t ask permission.

There’s been so much bad advice. I was told things like, “You need to be nicer,” “you need more credits,” and “you need more experience,” and to “be sexier.”

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

RL: Get specific about your goals and tell the stories you want to tell — not what others say will sell, or do well. Tell your stories. If you have a good idea, go for it. Keep your quality high, have high standards, and make it look like a million bucks, and then no one can deny you.

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

RL: I have many favorites. I like different films for different reasons. If I was to say one that really stands out for me and really affected me as a child it would be “Yentl,” by Barbra Streisand. It’s a beautiful film. I saw it when I was very young and if we are talking about women here, that film was about women getting access to truth, to education. It really hit me hard. I hated the injustice of a woman not being allowed to know/learn. I sang all the songs — it was me at six years old singing, “Papa, can you hear me?” Now that’s what film can do.

W&H: How are you adjusting to life during the COVID-19 pandemic? Are you keeping creative, and if so, how?

RL: I put my full attention on finishing “Mags and Julie Go on a Road Trip” and finding distribution. I had a goal to get an online deal — I knew cinemas would be closed and I wanted the film to come out in 2020. I got distribution three weeks after submitting it. My intention was strong. I’m also working on my next features. I have a drama set in Florida based on a true story, a comedy to shoot in the UK/Scotland, and a few others I’m thinking of doing in the Midwest again.

W&H: Recent protests in the U.S. and abroad have highlighted racism and anti-Black police brutality. The film industry has a long history of underrepresenting people of color onscreen and behind the scenes and reinforcing — and creating — negative stereotypes. What actions do you think need to be taken to make Hollywood and/or the doc world more inclusive?

RL: I say bring on more female filmmakers, directors, writers, and producers. We’re good at seeing people as people! I don’t look to Hollywood to fix any issues, I look to people. Individuals fix problems.

If you have something to say about the state of society, put it in your art. Show people how it affects people. A movie is a powerful thing. It can change laws, and more often that not, it can open eyes and change viewpoints.