On the thirty- fourth episode of ATFT, I talk with writer/ director/ editor Franklin Ritch!
Franklin Ritch, one of Jacksonville’s most prominent filmmakers, has worn many hats since he was a child. Once he was gifted a video camera by his grandmother for Christmas, there was no slowing Franklin down. His earliest projects were stop motion shorts, and he continued to make films through middle school and high school. His work only proved more versatile in terms of stories, characters, and genres when making a series of short films, such as "Bedridden" and "New Wings: A Batgirl Fan Film" under his production company Last Resort Ideas. Franklin’s debut feature film, The Artifice Girl, had quite a successful film festival run. Franklin has been named one of the “25 New Faces of Independent Film” by Filmmaker Magazine. Franklin is without a doubt on the rise and a filmmaker who I’m sure you’ll be hearing more about in the years to come.
Franklin’s latest project is the highly- anticipated sci- fi short film, "Last Weekend". The short is set in the distant future where aliens have taken over Earth while humans live in reservations and follows two aliens who approach humans intending to help… but the humans are skeptical. While the plot is mostly under wraps at the moment, the film is largely a commentary on colonialism, specifically the treatment of indigenous communities in America. Franklin directed, wrote, and edited this film. "Last Weekend" reunites the team behind The Artifice Girl, including actors David Girard and Tatum Matthews. If you look closely in the final scene, you may spot past ATFT guest, Bernardo Goya! "Last Weekend "is currently in the midst of a film festival run and is expected to release this Winter! While you’re waiting for "Last Weekend" to be posted on YouTube, check out Franklin’s past work on the Last Resort Ideas Youtube channel by clicking this link: https://www.youtube.com/c/LastResortIdeas
This is Franklin’s first appearance on ATFT! We were introduced through our mutual friend, Bassel Jadaa, nearly a year ago at joint WIFT x Jacksonville Film Bar event. It was in this first meeting that I asked Franklin to come on the show, for which he was absolutely down for, and over the course of the year I’ve gotten to know him by chatting with him monthly at Film Bar. He’s one of the people I look forward to chatting with most each month since, aside from being very kind and humble, we both share a strong passion for cinema. Since we mostly talk about cinema rather than our own work, it wasn’t until I started preparing for this episode that I realized just how brilliant and rare of a filmmaker Franklin is. The Artifice Girl was without a doubt remarkable, ahead- of- its- time debut feature film, but watching Franklin’s films and videos from high school is what blew me away. There is not one bad film or video posted through the Last Resort Ideas Youtube channel. His early work is incredibly well made in all aspects from writing to acting to special effects, proving how gifted he is as a filmmaker. For this reason, this was one of the most exciting interviews I have ever had the pleasure of conducting. This episode was recorded on December 5, 2024.
In this episode, Franklin talks about his connection to film and filmmaking as well as his early work up to his recent projects such as The Artifice Girl. Up and coming filmmakers will greatly benefit from learning about Franklin and his drive to making his cinematic dreams a reality. Franklin also talks about his integral relationship with frequent collaborator Britt McTammany, what he gained as a filmmaker from being on the set of his mentor Mike Flanagan’s new film The Life of Chuck, and why the end of each of his films contain a credit for “Marlon Brando’s chest”. All this and much more on the latest episode of All the Film Things!
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