Dyana Winkler is a director, producer, and film festival programmer whose narrative screenplay “Bell” was a participant in the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab and awarded a Sundance Sloan Commissioning grant and a SFFILM Science in Film Grant.
Tina Brown co-produced the award-winning feature-length documentary “Dear Mandela,” which was supported by the Sundance Institute. Brown is an alumni of Film Independent’s Fast Track Program and Documentary Lab.
“United Skates” premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival on April 19.
W&H: Describe the film for us in your own words.
DW&TB: “United Skates” follows an African-American roller skating subculture that goes back generations. It was an early incubator for hip hop and rap artists, and yet somehow has never been recognized by the mainstream for how special it is.
W&H: What drew you to this story?
DW&TB: In the current filmmaking climate, inclusivity in our industry and the responsibility for communities to tell their own stories is finally being taken seriously. Although we are both women and minorities — Asian Australian and LGBT — we are not African-American, nor do we roller skate! Therefore, in the initial stages of this project, we did not feel that we were the right filmmakers to tell this story.
However, each time we attempted to walk away from the project, an army of skaters would reach back out and urge us to continue forward.
Ultimately, with the support of the community pointing us to true north, and the belief that this project has the makings of a perfect storm, we decided to make this film with the utmost respect and humility, forever extending a listening ear to ensure that we, as storytellers, were simply reflecting the voices of the community through a filmmaker’s lens.
W&H: What do you want people to think about when they are leaving the theater?
DW&TB: At a time when our country feels very divided, we want people to see that this is a community celebrating what unites them.
A mentor once told us, “You don’t tell children bedtime social issues — you tell them bedtime stories.” That is exactly what our goal was with this film. It’s true that we have some harder hitting issues below the surface of our film, but what we hope is that people will leave the theater having cried, having cheered, and that most importantly, they walk away caring about something they would otherwise have had no idea existed.
W&H: What was the biggest challenge in making the film?
DW&TB: As first-time female filmmakers, we have had to prove ourselves constantly along this film’s five year journey. We’ve worn just about every single hat in the process of making this film, from directing and producing, to filming and sound, and everything else in between. And all unpaid.
The greatest challenge was honestly surviving as independent filmmakers in a country whose infrastructure doesn’t support artists. We have worked unglamorous side jobs, given up health insurance, at one point one of us lived out of a car and the other had a baby, but we have come out the other side with a film we are really proud of.
We named our production company Sweet Ninja Films because the only way we’ve been able to make our way to the finish line is by sweetly ninja-ing our way through a very difficult but ultimately very rewarding journey.
W&H: How did you get your film funded? Share some insights into how you got the film made.
DW&TB: Very early on we ran a Kickstarter campaign which funded early research and development and allowed for us to shoot and cut together a sample reel in order to start applying for grants. From there we spent the next four years applying to countless grants, often times more than once!
Over the years we were fortunate to have received funding from Sundance, Chicken & Egg, Fledgling, Film Independent, IFP, Doc Society, Threshold, California Humanities, New York State Council for the Arts, and many others. Many of these grants were in the form of labs, workshops and fellowships which helped us to build a network of allies along the way as well.
Nearing the end of production we realized the steepest financial burden was still ahead — and ultimately joined forces with those who could help take us to the finish line including the Los Angeles Media Fund (Jeffrey Soros, Simon Horsman), Secret Sauce Media (Julie Parker Benello), Naked Edge Films (Jim Butterworth, Daniel J. Chalfen), Brenda Robinson, and Get Lifted Film Co. (John Legend, Mike Jackson, Ty Stiklorius).
W&H: What does it mean for you to have your film play at Tribeca Film Festival?
DW&TB: Having our first feature film accepted into any film festival is a massive achievement, but having it world premiere in competition at such a competitive, prestigious festival as Tribeca is really a dream come true.
We’ve spent so many years on our own, feeling we had the makings of something special, so to see it come to fruition in this momentous way is validation the sacrifices were worth it.
W&H: What’s the best and worst advice you’ve received?
DW&TB: Make a documentary.
W&H: What advice do you have for other female directors?
DW&TB: You belong here too. You’re going to have to work harder for the same recognition, but you can’t let that stop you. We need you. We need your voice. We need your heart. We need your bravery. And our industry needs inclusivity.
Also, start working on your end credits a year in advance or it’s going to kill you dead at the finish line. Believe us.
W&H: Name your favorite woman-directed film and why.
DW&TB: “Frida” by Julie Taymor. Not only is it a story about a powerful woman who broke glass ceilings, but it is a brilliant visual work of art made by another powerful woman breaking glass ceilings. The scene of the bus accident, where she is covered in gold dust, the shot of her in bed through her mirror — that is a film that has everything from story and deep political subtext, to stunning visual imagery.
We also have to give a shout out to Penny Marshall’s “A League of Their Own.” We both know that entire movie by heart. There are just too many to choose!
W&H: Hollywood and the global film industry are 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 are your thoughts on the #TimesUp movement and the push for equality in the film business?
DW&TB: We’re glad that you included men in this question because in many ways, they are the true linchpin of this movement. It is going to take a lot of brave men to stand up to their peers, to keep inclusivity as a priority in their daily thinking, and proactively shift a system built in their favor.
It is a powerful turning point in the industry, and we are both really aware of what women have had to endure to bring it to where it is today. We are grateful to be working in the industry during this time in history, and our sleeves are rolled up to continue forging ahead.
