Thanks for reaching out, but I wasn’t sure if you were reaching out to me personally or to the Harvard Film Archive. The HFA is a movie theater and film archive; we do not produce films. And then either way, I’m not really sure about what it is exactly you
are designing.
If you would like to experience some great films with a filmmaker in person, this weekend we have a few opportunities for you: filmmaker Liane Brandon will be introducing a program of
feminist short films from the 70s that includes her own marvelous work Betty Tells a Story, and French-Congolese documentarian
Alain Kassanda will be here Saturday and Monday evenings with two uniquely fascinating films, that are both personal and political and unpredictable.
From: Liam Fries <lfries@olin.edu>
Date: Monday, February 9, 2026 at 2:29 PM
To: Gravely, Brittany B <bgravely@fas.harvard.edu>
Cc: Amateur Independent Filmmakers CD Group - 2026 SP <filmmakers.olincd@gmail.com>
Subject: Interviewing Amateur and Independent Film Makers
Hello!
We (5 undergraduate students at Olin College) are very interested in learning about independent and amateur filmmakers! As part of our collaborative design course, we are engaging with filmmakers to both learn about the experience and come up with a design
alongside you for filmmakers. We are interested in all things related to how you make your films, from casting to production to audio. We would love to ask you or any filmmakers you know questions in person and see what you do firsthand, ideally for about
60 minutes (but that timing is flexible). If in person doesn’t work, calling online would still be hugely helpful. We hope to gain experience in human centered design.
Thanks,
Liam.