Tea time with Mixtape marauders

An interview with Peter Edlund, director of Mixtape marauders

 Can you tell us about your specific choice of songs? 
Only four of the final songs were originally in the script but some of my favorite music in the film came from being turned down multiple times and really digging for alternate choices. This forced us to pin down the function and tone of each music cue in a way that ultimately benefited the film. The only rule was that both my brother and I needed to genuinely love every song on the soundtrack.

 What was the idea behind the focus on mixtapes? What would you say they reveal about the relationships between the different characters?
Honestly, this was something that I did in high school. It wasn’t any cooler back then. I think most people use popular art as a lens to examine their own lives, but these characters take it a step further by completely relying on music to understand the world around them. I tried to make the film itself function like a mixtape to further reflect that.

 Can you tell us about the casting process? 
The two leads are my brother and his college roommate. The concept came to me when I spent a week sleeping on the floor of their freshman dorm and observing them in their natural habitat.

 What interested you in making an “ensemble” film? Did a particular film or genre inspire you? 
That’s interesting! It’s definitely not something I was thinking about. I took most of my inspiration from music as opposed to other films. I like Nashville a whole lot (music film and ensemble cast!), but I’m not sure Mixtape Marauders resembles it all that much.

 What sort of freedom would you say the short format allows? 
The downside is no one wants to give you money because you’re probably not turning a profit (at least in the US). That upside is total freedom (for better and worse). I think experimenting and pushing to the outermost limits of meager resources is the essence of short filmmaking.

 If you’ve already been to Clermont-Ferrand, could you share with us an anecdote or story from the festival? If not, what are your expectations for this year?
Never been and my expectations are sky high!

Mixtape marauders is being shown in International Competition I8.