A Sundance 'HUG'
New Hampshire filmmaker Khary Jones, 31, teaches narrative filmmaking at Clark University in Worcester and is also finishing up his MFA in film directing at Columbia University. With just two films under his belt, he scored big time with the second: His 16-minute short feature "HUG" made it to this month's Sundance Film Festival. It's about a bipolar musician named Drew who forgot to take his meds, and a stressful encounter with his friend and manager Asa. We caught up with Jones by telephone while he was at Sundance.
Q. How did you react when you heard "HUG" was chosen for Sundance?
A. It was the day after Thanksgiving. I was leaving my grandma's house and the phone was ringing in the back seat. I had a hunch for some reason it was good news but my wife wouldn't let me answer the phone because I was driving. Turned out it was one of the programmers from Sundance. My hands were shaking on the wheel for half an hour. I was grinning so much my wife grabbed my video camera and videoed me.
Q. What's the film about?
A. When people at Sundance ask me that, the first thing I say is it's a film about a guy who wants a hug. The premise plays on a very simple request that is much more complicated. Drew is kind of like the fool in King Lear: He says a lot of things that are true but because of the way he says them, because of how he says them, it's hard to take him seriously.
Q. What inspired it?
A. My dad was a school principal. I remember him telling me a story about a kid who was out of control, raging and throwing stuff, and kind of the way Asa does, [my father] just grabbed him and hugged him. Drew is a grown man, he's bipolar, and when he's in the midst of a manic episode he's not responsible for what he says or does. If you're going to restrain a child, why not hug him?
Q. How is making a short film different than a full-length feature?
A. Some of the best short films don't have the conventional three-act film structure. In a short film, sometimes the last act might be just a look. It might be a handshake. Artistically, sometimes it's a little bit freeing. It's more like a painting; it's kind of a way to paint with images. I like doing shorts. When you think about what it takes to finish a short film versus a feature film, if you have your money, from start to finish you can have a short film in three to four months.
Q. What are you working on now?
A. I'm working on a feature-length version of "HUG." I know a lot more about these characters. I like them. There is a lot more to say.
"HUG" will be available on iTunes through Jan. 25. 