“ALLIE” is a Collaboration of Love in Binary

As the Utah International Film Festival approaches, anticipation is building for the world premiere of ‘ALLIE,’ a sci-fi short film produced under the unique constraints of the Networking Film Challenge. The challenge, set by the festival organizers, mandates that participants take on only one role, fostering collaboration and expanding networks within the local filmmaking community.

‘ALLIE,’ directed by Devin Squire and written by Cat Waite, explores the consequences of a man falling in love with an AI system. The film, set to debut at Maven Cinemas on February 15th at 7 pm, is a thought-provoking narrative inspired by true events.

In an exclusive interview, Cat Waite, the screenwriter of ‘ALLIE,’ shared insights into her involvement in the project. Waite revealed that the challenge prompted her to write the script in a mere 14 hours, a task made more challenging by focusing solely on the screenwriting aspect. Despite the intensity, she expressed joy in the creative process and the opportunity to network with fellow film enthusiasts.

“I have been playing around with it in my head for a while, but I hadn’t actually written anything yet” said Cat. “So when Devin reached out to me, I was able to kind of collaborate more on  what everybody wanted to see.”

Lead actor Brandon C Waite shed light on the serendipitous nature of his involvement. Brandon, the husband of the screenwriter, expressed the unique experience of playing the lead role, Scott. 

“We had no idea if we would end up on the same project or not, but her script for Allie was picked up by Red Candy studios and they had a few ideas of who they wanted to play Scott” said Bandon. “I sent in my demo reel for their consideration as well. Ultimately, Devin and RJ Hall (the producer) decided that I was the best choice for the role. It’s pretty awesome for Cat and I to be the writer and the lead on the same film. That almost never happens!”

Brandon described the challenges of delving into the character’s complex emotional landscape and the rewarding collaboration with a talented and passionate team.

“For me I think the most challenging aspect of this film was getting into Scott’s headspace. At this stage in my life, I’m not anything like him and thankfully don’t have the struggles he has to suffer in this film. But when I was younger, I definitely had some challenges with things like confidence, abandonment and mental health. Going to that headspace is a lot of mental heavy lifting, and Scott has kind of a rollercoaster ride of emotion throughout the film. So it was a lot of unpack in a single day of filming. There were a couple scenes where I really had to be vulnerable and go to a dark place to convey his suffering. Those times made me physically nauseous, which was an interesting thing I haven’t felt while playing a character before. Going there and being honest enough to expose that kind of bleak vulnerability was definitely a challenge.” 

Director Devin Squire discussed the challenges of relinquishing some control and entrusting various aspects of the production to his team. 

“Being able to communicate the visual ideas I have, without me picking up the camera and doing all of it has been challenging” said Devin Squire. ”I’ll talk with five different departments in a day, and so much more has gotten done than I’ve ever been able to do on my own. And it’s felt weird, since I’ve not done it. Then I see all the work that’s been done and it’s been a breeze to just be able to move forward.”

“The challenge was partly designed to see how much more a filmmaker can put into their specific role when they only had one thing to job to focus on” said festival director Dora Workman. The crew of Allie all expressed the enhanced efficiency of their filmmaking process when given the space to focus. 

Cat Waite commented, “I’ve really enjoyed this just being on the writing side and just focusing on that I can give the script 100% what it needs.”

“I’ve had very small teams where it’s people wearing several hats. I love being able to focus a lot on the idea and the execution of it. So at the very least, in the future I might just take on only a few positions as opposed to having to take on everything all at once” said Devin”

The challenge to the collaborative fostered at the Utah International Film Festival, brought together talents in all production departments allowing all participants to focus on what they do best. For Brandon it was about being a better actor.

“I think my biggest takeaway from this project that will make me a better actor on the next one is the unflinching message I wanted to share as Scott” said Brandon. “Our world today is so digitized and connected, and yet so isolating at the same time. We want to run from anything that doesn’t make us instantly gratified or happy. Real human connection is lost behind digital screens. Artificial Intelligence threatens to replace our most beautiful aspects of existence. The more we are isolated from real interaction, the worse mental health gets. It’s pretty scary what AI can do, and what it has the potential to do. In a way, we are all Scott. We have to be careful to not completely lose ourselves to an artificial world.”

ALLIE is set to have it’s world premiere during the Utah International Film Festival at Maven Cinemas on February 15th at 7 pm.