Lights, camera, “And You Films”!
Knight News sat down with actress Aléa Figueroa and writer, actor and director Brendan Jackson Rogers of “And You Films” to discuss their most recent feature film, Gotta Kill Em All, expected to release this summer.
Rogers received his MFA in Acting from UCF and co-founded “And You Films” with Will Phillips in 2005. Since then, he has produced hundreds of commercials, industrials, web videos, short films, and feature films.
Figueroa graduated from Rollins College in 2008 with a BA in Theatre Arts. She has acted in dozens of theatre shows, commercials, industrial films, prints, as well as films for “And You Films” and other production companies.
Although she has been acting professionally for over 10 years, Figueroa has yet to direct a film. She plans on directing her first film beginning in March and completing it by the end of April.
“The short film is a dramedy loosely based off personal events of when my younger sister was diagnosed with leukemia. Specifically, it focuses on the exact moment a single mother is given her diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia,” Figueroa said.
“I hope to run the festival circuit with it once it’s completed,” she added.
“And You Films” has released two hit feature films already, including Flashback and Bubba the Redneck Werewolf, which were both huge successes in the festival scene.
Flashback appeared in the Cannes Film Festival and was domestically distributed in 2013.
Bubba the Redneck Werewolf appeared in the Fear Fete Film Festival, Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival, Silver Scream and Comic Fest, Palm Beach International Film Festival, Super Geek Film Festival, Dragon Con Film Festival, and just recently went on DVD.
There will be a release party for the DVD on February 9th at the Athens Theater in DeLand. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the screening will start at 7. Tickets are $5. Visit the event page to purchase tickets and find more information.
Along with feature films, “And You Films” creates many parody skits and trailers that you can view on their YouTube channel.
Rogers and Figueroa spoke to us about their experiences with “And You Films” and what to expect with their newest feature film, Gotta Kill Em All:
This article was contributed by Megan Scavo and Kevin Broadway
