Them

Humans cannot see them anymore. They control the world and everything that happens in it. Humans live in a comfortable dream that repeats itself. They control the dream. They were humans once too. Now they are something else. Some humans wake up, most never do. Once you wake up you are supposed to forget. Daniel is awoken to be told that things could be different. Daniel believes it. THEM is directed by Ignacio Maiso. It was our pleasure to speak to him regarding his film which has been officialy selected in various international festivals.

How did you start making films and what was the first film project you worked on?

When I was at the university I already realized that I wanted to make movies. After my university, I did my MA in filmmaking, and then it’s when I made my first short movie. That was like 10 years ago.

What was the inspiration behind the making of "Them"?

Well, we took part in a sci-fi festival where we had to make a short movie in 48h. The idea which came from there ended up being “T h e M”.

What is the most challenging aspect of being an independent filmmaker in the film industry?

Hmm… make a living out of it I suppose.

How difficult is it to fund indie feature films?

Haha… very… so far we have done 4 feature movies (“T h e M” is the second one, the third one is still in post-production and we just finished shooting the last one!) and all of them have been self-funded in a collaborative process.

Please name three of your most favorite directors. How have they been influential in your work?

Hmm… not a big fan of this but ok… Kubrick, Lynch and Denis Villeneuve… there you go… the first three that came to mind… :)

How did your film go into production and how did you finalize the cast and the crew?

Some of the crew and cast for “T h e M” already worked in our first feature movie “Prowler”. That helped. Before starting there was quite a bit of uncertainty as there were some things still not as clear as it is ideal, (locations mainly as far as I remember) but we decided to go anyway. I think that was the right decision.

How was the film received by your audience and film festivals and what is your plan for further distribution of the film?

The movie is doing great. So far we have been selected in 8 festivals and won several awards. Including the best sci-fi feature of February in the Montreal Independent Film Festival! :)

What do you recommend to other filmmakers regarding the making and the distribution of independent feature films?

Regarding the making, stop overthinking what things can go wrong and focus on how you can get it done. About distribution, well, I am afraid I am not an expert on that… I was actually hoping that you guys could help us with it! :)

What is your next film project and what are you currently working on?

We want to make our fifth feature movie “Firstborns” next year in 2022!

“Firstborns” is again a sci-fi/thriller movie set in a dystopian world where 8 “survivors” live in isolation inside the bunker where they were born and although everything they have been taught supports the theory that they have been chosen to secure mankind's existence and always remain inside the bunker some inhabitants start questioning about the credibility of their mission and what lies beyond the sealed hatch. Is curiosity a privilege they can afford?

We see “Firstborns” as a low-budget movie but for this one, we really need funding so we are working at the moment on that! If anyone reading is interested or knows someone who might be please let us know! :)

Why do you make films?

So far, it’s the thing I like most.

Trailer: