Interview with Portal Cinema

Mr Brian A Metcalfe

First of all thank you so much for this interview opportunity. I’ll try to keep it short and concise with the questions, but feel free to answer as you please.

1 – You have a vast past in Hollywood, having worked as a creative director, writer, photographer and visual effects artist. Can you tell us a bit about the highlights of your professional path so far and what those experiences led you to become such a promising director and figure in Hollywood?

Thank you for stating such kind words. Every step in my career has been made towards becoming a filmmaker. I started out doing storyboards and photography where I focused on composition and layout of the shots. I learned all about 35mm cameras so I could understand how light affected the shot. I did visual effects so I could understand the post-production process. I was a creative director focusing on the actual shots of the projects, working on DVD, multimedia and games and more. As an editor, I wanted to understand the story process. As a writer, I want to keep telling interesting stories. But this is all a never-ending learning process for me as I still am trying to hone my craft.

2 – You also have a vast experience in the gaming industry. How did this experience and professional knowledge helps you when you are creating a new film project?

I hadn’t focused on gaming for a little while. I used to get involved with bluray/dvd games and later mobile app games. But the same rules apply for gaming as film in the sense that you create characters and a storyline with a protagonist and antagonist. And you try to create a world for people to envision with pretty visuals

3 – You’ll present at FantasPorto the thriller film “Adverse”, your third feature film as a director! Tell us what do you expect the audience to feel when watching this film?

I am not sure what to expect but I am excited. I am hopeful the audience will get lost in the story and enjoy the film. I want them to feel something when watching this film.

4 – What led you to create “Adverse” and how can you describe it to the audiences? What was you vision for this film?

This was an idea I had around for many years. After an ex-girlfriend got herself caught in drugs, I tried to help her but was unable to. I would describe this as a film as an emotional drama/thriller. My vision was to show the story of Ethan and the difficulties he faced caring for his drug-addicted sister while suffering from a form of mental illness himself.

5 - What challenges did you face to bring this film to life?

Every film has multiple challenges and this was no exception. We were always running against the time to try and get as much footage as possible. We had technical issues, delays from sound, weather and last minute location cancellations just to name a few. I am thankful to have support from a great producing team to help lighten the burden.

6 – “Adverse” has a powerful cast lead by some major Hollywood names like Sean Astin, Mickey Rourke, Penelope Ann Miller, Matt Ryan, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Jake T Austin and Lou Diamond Phillips. How did you managed to gather this impressive cast and how was working with all these stars? What did they bring, in your opinion, to this film?

We were thankful to have a great casting director by the name of Bruno Rosato who helped wrangle our cast together. Also, personal relationships helped us in locking down talent. Each actor made their characters come to life with their own takes on them. Since I was working with such talented professionals, they all brought a level of experience one could only hope for.

7 - How do you describe “Adverse” in a single sentence?

Adverse is a dramatic After discovering his sister has gotten involved with a crime syndicate, a rideshare driver must do what he can to get her to safety.

8 – What are your expectations for the film festival and theater run for this film after it’s debut at FantasPorto? Will we see it premiering at US Movie Theaters?

I am not quite certain what will happen. I would ideally love to do the film festival circuit with a number of festivals and then have a theatrical run in the States. There are no guarantees but I am quite hopeful and proud of this film.

9 - What’s next for your career? What can we expect from the director Brian A Metcalfe in the near future?

I am working on several other film projects that I am working on that I can’t announce as of yet. I also have a tv series that I am developing with two of the executive producers of The Good Doctor.