Matt Austin Sadowski

If you have never heard of John Hughes, then I can promise you that your teen years were less spectacular than they could have been. Although the majority of Hughes movies are from the 80's and early 90's, they have become recognizable to every teenage generation since. For Toronto native and writer/director Matt Austin Sadowski, John Hughes is not only an inspiration, but a pivotal component in his career.

Sadowski began his foray into the film industry writing and directing short films, and acting in television shows such as Power Rangers: Space Patrol Delta (holler if you love the Green Ranger). After directing the documentary Don't You Forget About Me, a film about four filmmakers in search of an interview with the late John Hughes, Sadowski became an international name. I spoke with Sadowski about Hughes, making films and of course his days as the Green Power Ranger.

What is your youngest recollection of knowing that you wanted to be involved in the world of entertainment in some capacity?

I was fascinated with the Superman movies when I was a child. I wanted to grow up to be Superman. I didn't understand that "super powered earth protector" wasn't an attainable job When my mother told me an actor named Christopher Reeve was playing a character and explained how a movie was made, I decided to change my career ambitions.

Who or what has been your greatest inspiration?

I'm a new Dad and I find watching my daughter learn about and adapt to the world around her is simply amazing and inspiring. Watching how hard my wife works to run a successful company while sustaining her friendships and being a mother and wife is inspiring. From a professional perspective, I find Steven Soderbergh and Richard Linklater inspiring. The way they jump back and forth from low budget arthouse experimental films to big budget movies is something I aspire to do.

You started by writing and directing short films; how is that experience different from directing documentaries?

Jimmy, my first short film, was written, cast, shot, edited and screened at festivals all within a year. A documentary can take a VERY long time. Lots of things happen that can significantly affect the story you're trying to tell because your film's content is what is happening in the real world, which can instantly change your film.

Aside from John Hughes himself, what inspired you and the others involved with Don't You Forget About Me to track him down?

Whenever we told people in the industry about our film we were consistently bombarded with, "Did you get Hughes?" Nobody, including other very established journalists/filmmakers/actors had been able to get a response from him. We had put in all of our energy and resources in trying to contact him, but weren't getting anywhere. One person asked if we had "really really REALLY tried, and gone as far as showing up on his doorstop?" We were reluctant to put ourselves in the film, but we also agreed that maybe the only way we would ever get to sit down with him was to show him who we were and knock on his door.

The first time I heard about your doc was on the day John Hughes died; what affect did John's death have in generating interest in the documentary?

People were already really interested in our film, because people were already really interested in Hughes. While he was living, we were waving the Hughes flag wildly; some cared, some didn't. His death definitely renewed interest in the stories behind the man and his films in a way we expected, but could never have anticipated. Like many others, death gave him the respect he deserved. Many more people have discovered our film, that maybe wouldn't have otherwise, because of that.

What has John's death meant for you?

I'm still really saddened and shocked to think or talk about it especially in regards to the loss to his family. He really was one of my heroes. I had always wished, as I grew as a filmmaker, that I would someday get the opportunity to at least sit in the same cinema with him and maybe get to chat a little. We lost an important filmmaker, who I believe had a lot more to say, and now we will just have to pay closer attention to what he had to say through the dialogue and themes in his films

Was it challenging to get the actors you did to speak about John on film?

Here we were, four inexperienced documentary filmmakers from Canada, calling/e-mailing from our home offices/streetcars/coffee shops, without any broadcaster or distributor behind us, wanting to get some time with these people who have spoken ad naseum about Hughes. Who the hell were we and why would they want to talk to us? We assured people that this was a passionate message to Hughes and we wanted to hear what they had to say about him, and to him. Things they hadn't said before, or perhaps something they said before in a new way.

Again, this was before Hughes passed away. We were making a living tribute and were surprised with how extremely generous the talent were with their time, as well as how honest and raw they were in their interviews. It was a highlight of my career to get a chance to speak with them so candidly.

How did your acting experience prepare you for the director's chair? Are you still interesting in pursuing acting roles?

Actually, I've hung up my actors hat. I found I just couldn't turn off my director's brain when on set as an actor, taking me out of the scene I was in...and that is poison for a good performance. I now look at my acting background as the best training I could have ever had to become the type of writer/director I want to be.

It gave me a tremendous sense of what makes actors tick, an ear for good dialogue, composition and how a film/TV set should be run. If you have a well written script, I believe an actor's job is relatively easy. You just have to say the words because the character will then be defined by the director's choices in blocking, cinematography, sound design, lighting and editing.

On the other hand, a good actor has the hardest job when the writing or directing is weak. In a nutshell, I'd say acting is about the challenge of communicating an emotion and directing is about the challenges in communicating a coherent idea.

Can you tell me about any of the projects you're currently working on?

I have many completed scripts I'm trying to get made, but a rewrite of the first feature film I wrote is the one that I'm most excited about. I'll be co-directing it with a gifted writer/director named Christopher Warre Smets. It's called "Kiss N' Ride". It's a comedy-drama about an intense whirlwind weekend romance, the kind we can have at any age that looks like true love and then is basically over in an eyeblink.

It's squarely in Lost in Translation/Before Sunrise territory. The feeling is like a lazy, hazy summer day. It's a story about how sometimes even a brief fling can change us and shake us to our core, perhaps even more than a romance with no expiration date can. Set in Toronto, it's full of wit, whimsy and pathos. We want to go for that embarrassingly funny one minute, achingly sad the next kind-of-vibe.

I've also been sucked into the documentary world, so it's safe to say you'll see another coming from me.

What has your experience been like trying to break into this business? Do you have any advice for others trying to do the same?

You have to be nuts to choose the film business as a career. Unlike anything in any other field, you can go to school for it, be tremendously skilled at it and still not get "a job". You rely on a significant portion of your cities/countries/world population to get excited for your work, and hope someone somewhere wants to invest in you as a storyteller. A lot of it is just plain luck, so you have to be happy making it for yourself.

Everyone says getting into the biz is about knocking ON doors to get into "the house". I see it more of breaking IN doors; punching your hand through the glass, it's gonna hurt, fiddling for the door knob on the order side and finally, with a bloody hand, opening it. I used to think that once you're inside you could just camp out and take advantage of everything until you're kicked out. But now I see that once you get in that first door, there's another dozen or so still in front of you.

It's exhausting, but I truly believe that you have to have amazing endurance and patience and foresight to get a sliver of success in this industry. You have to have something interesting to say and you have to have people other than yourself that believe in you. That and the ability to take and give a punch, or two, or three...and then come back for more.

Previously: Toronto Through the Eyes of Matt Austin Sadowski