Amy Scott is a director and editor. A former media producer for the University of Chicago, she has been editing social-issue documentaries for over 15 years. “Hal” is her feature directorial debut.

“Hal” will premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival on January 22.

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

AS: “Hal” is a documentary about director Hal Ashby, as told in his own words culled from hours of audio recordings, letters, rare archival footage, and interviews with his collaborators.

Ashby’s singular genius led to an unprecedented string of award-winning films in the 1970s, yet the obsessive and uncompromising nature that brought us these films became his downfall amidst the dawning of a new era in American filmmaking. “Hal” is an archetypal story of art versus industry.

W&H: What drew you to this story?

AS: I have always loved Ashby’s films and have obsessively studied them throughout the years. His character-driven dramas with flawed subjects, set to incredible score, and shot beautifully in the way only 1970s filmmakers worked, really left a mark on me.

I always wondered what happened to him — what he did after “Being There,” and why he wasn’t more celebrated. When I read Nick Dawson’s book “Being Hal Ashby: Life of a Hollywood Rebel” I felt compelled to tell his story on film.

It seemed insane to me that this doc had not already been made, and therefore I was determined to make it.

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

AS: I want them to first go home and queue up some of Ashby’s films. There are some extremely prescient films in there that beg to be revisited. Then I want them to think about the responsibility of an artist, what one does with the power to create.

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

AS: Being a new mom and finding the time to make and then finish this film. In the course of this project — from inception until now — I have had two children. So that means I have a four year old and a two year old. That is hard. They are lovely children and my husband and I work very hard to keep a good work/life balance, but for years it was a struggle to finish.

I missed the days when I could edit for ten hours straight and my focus was undeterred. I edited this movie over the course of three years at night while the children slept, or when we sold t-shirts to pay for a daytime sitter, and then finally when they could be enrolled in school.

Thankfully my team recognized the struggle, as most of them have families too, and we all picked up the slack for each other.

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

AS: My producing team and I decided that crowdfunding would be the best proof of concept for our idea. We went to Marc Hofstatter at Indiegogo and he helped us craft a trailer and a campaign and gave us a lot of meaningful advice at that time. We raised about 60k and that got us mostly through production in terms of shooting the interviews.

Fortunately, I chose the absolute best production company imaginable to work with, Shark Pig, and when the money ran out the talent did not. My producer from Shark Pig, Brian Morrow, is my creative right arm, so we were never not plotting our way forward. Brian and his company shoot 16mm film regularly, and had a production outfit of cameras, so we just worked when we could between jobs.

My other producer, Christine Beebe, beat the grant circuit pretty hard, but this is just not a grant-fundable film. With the help of Cinetic we were able to seek private investors near the end of completion and that was a great help.

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

AS: I have worked my whole life for this moment. I studied film in school, I have edited other people’s films for years, I have tried — and failed — many times to make a successful film and finally I am here.

For this to be my directorial debut, and premiering in competition at Sundance [with a film] about Hal Ashby?! It never ceases to blow my mind. I know that I have worked hard to be here, but somewhere in my mind I still feel like I’ve won the lottery.

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

AS: Worst advice? Oh man, where to start. Probably the time we had a bro try to convince us to shoot the film “on a couple of 5Ds and it’ll be done in six months.”

The best advice was from my friend, Drew DeNicola, who made “Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me,” as well as my producer Lisa Janssen, who both said, “This is a great cut, but you must now throw it in the garbage and start over.” That sucked but they were right.

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

AS: Find your story, move with confidence, don’t let them talk over you. Look for female mentors and role models — they are here and ready to give.

You can be a director and be a mom; it’s totally cool because we are made for this shit. We are designed to be strong multitaskers.

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

AS: Too many to name, but at the moment Agnès Varda’s “The Gleaners and I” is special to me. I love this film. I first saw it on a ridiculously cold day in Chicago years ago. I’ve revisited it many times since and what always strikes me is her passion and utter consumption with life. With these pickers, with that heart shaped potato — meaning of life kind of stuff if you ask me!

W&H: Hollywood is in the midst of undergoing a major transformation. Many women and some men in the industry are speaking publicly about their experiences being assaulted and harassed. What do you think of the recently announced anti-sexual harassment Commission made up of industry leaders? Do you believe that it will help make systemic change? What do you think needs to be done to address this issue?

AS: I think it is beautiful. I think it is necessary. Anita Hill is an excellent leader for this commission. The process of removing the statues, if you will, has already begun. The systemic change is happening and we are on the forefront. It is on us to continue to speak out and lead the charge.

Of course I have been on the receiving end of sexual harassment on the job, as have most women I know, and I will be damned if my daughters have to endure the same shame. Time does seem to be up!