Marina Mascarin

(Director)

Director Marina Mascarin was born and raised in Brazil, and moved to Toronto at the age of 25 to attend a film post-grad. During the program, besides writing and directing her own projects, she often worked as part of the camera crew on her classmates’ shorts as well. Written and filmed during hard times and under adverse conditions, “Locked Down” is Marina’s debut as a writer and director. With a taste for dark humour, her career goal is to write and direct comedy features for a major production company.

Instagram: @mascarina_

Portfolio: marinamascarin.wixsite.com/film

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT:

While watching this film, I wanted the viewer to experience the same feeling of after having a mental breakdown, when you’re trying to stop crying and a friend tells a joke. That moment you’re still covered in tears and you laugh about the silly thing your friend just said, and it feels like a huge relief. In this case, the pandemic and the lockdown are the mental breakdown, and the movie is your silly friend telling a joke. It’s a way to offer comic relief while approaching a complex and delicate matter. It shows the need to be more gentle to ourselves. We’re already striving to survive a pandemic. So it’s okay if you don’t work out every morning, don’t eat healthier or even if you don’t shower everyday.

ADVICE:

I believe filmmakers – and especially us young and aspiring filmmakers – always learn something different every time we make a new project. This short film wasn’t different. The lesson I got out of this project was that we need to always be practicing. And yes, it’s something we always hear from our teachers. But I guess you only realize what it means once you’re actually making it. Especially those who want to write and direct their own films. If you want to be a director, you have to DIRECT. Put everything into practice the more you can. Even if it’s with a simple camera or a cellphone. This type of practice will help you to avoid making simple mistakes when you have a bigger camera in your hands and when you’re working on a budget. It’ll give you a sense of how to create a specific pace or feeling, and that will help you to find and develop your own style.