Terri Hanauer: Director, SWEET TALK

1Q: Tell us a little about the origins of SWEET TALK, from concept to financing.

The screenwriter, Peter Lefcourt, and I wanted to work together as I had directed one of his plays to great success in LA. He wrote “Sweet Talk” and it was something we felt we could do on our own. We met with Linda L. Miller, the producer and she felt she could make it happen, so we raised the money from family and friends. Thank you all!! What we lacked in funds we made up for in creativity!

2Q: Cinequest is proud to host the World Premiere of SWEET TALK. Explain to the audience how you feel about bringing this film before audiences for the first time, and what do you think their reaction will be to your film?

“Sweet Talk” is a very unique film. It’s about love, the transformative power of story telling, the imagination and connections people make. Natalie Zea (“The Following,” “Justified,” “Californication”) stars as a young woman at loose ends in her life. She meets a writer over the phone and they take a wild journey neither of them anticipated.

It’s playful, sensual and compelling. We are delighted to premiere at Cinequest because it is such a forward-thinking festival. I think the audiences will really enjoy “Sweet Talk” for that reason!

3Q: What was your best and/or worst experience while making SWEET TALK?

One of my best experiences was working with Marco Fargnoli (DP) and Celine Diano (Production Designer) trying to figure out how to create the fantasy sequences – 1914 Budapest and 1939 Vienna. How do we build a moving train circa 1914 and shoot it during a snow fall – with the two leads, Natalie Zea and Jeffrey Vincent Parise – making love between the moving cars! ? Talk about having to come up with imaginative ideas!!! But we did!

4Q: Festival audiences often have to make hard decisions about what to see, and the catalog descriptions sometimes run together. In your own words, why should people see your film?

“Sweet Talk” is sexy, smart, romantic and thought provoking. This is true for every aspect of the film from the performances to the music to the story. It’s a complex and satisfying film experience.

5Q: The current market for independent films is fractured, to put it lightly, and existing distribution models grow more ineffective with each passing moment. What are your hopes or plans for distribution?

We’d want distribution in the art house, indie film, US, European and worldwide markets. The story of these two lovers connects to all cultures in any language. It’s been called a ‘gem of a film’ and we look forward to getting it out into the world.

My review of SWEET TALK.

Watch the trailer!

Buy tickets to see SWEET TALK at Cinequest!