Q&A with Filmmaker Kelli Miller
Kelli Miller
Kelli Miller is a director, creative director, and owner of And/Or Studio. She has designed title sequences for films by Kelly Reichardt, Eliza Hittman, Mariama Diallo, and Laura Poitras, and directed documentary graphics for White Hot and Heightened Scrutiny. Her commercial work includes projects for FX, CBS, Paramount, and Spotify. With a background in design and storytelling, Miller brings a distinct creative vision to her filmmaking. Is That All There Is? marks her debut as a director.
This Q&A is part of the Bushwick Film Fest Filmmaker Q&A series
Is That All There Is? (2025)
Why does this story need to be told now?
2000’s nostalgia is having a moment and Detroit, ever the underdog, should be a part of that narrative. People are interested in examining what the turn of the century had to offer and looking at it through the lens of now, which is so incredibly different from then that it almost feels fictional. Back then, a culturally curious person had to find their kicks through physical artifacts by accessing an underground network of like-minded weirdos. Now, we live in an era where a thirty second TikTok can launch a musical career and young people have had access to entire cultural histories at their fingertips since they could hold an iPhone. The meaning of “success” has become even more ingrained in the trappings of capitalism than ever. This film shows that there’s more to leading a creative life than achieving fame and fortune; the real value is in the process of making something you’re proud of, the person you become as a result of that act and the community you build along the way.
How do you want people to feel after they see your film?
The Trembling made me who I am today. Being a part of a DIY community in an apathetic city gave me both the confidence and ignorance to follow other dreams, like starting a design and production studio in Brooklyn, or trying to make a film. This experience of putting my creative work before material success has been an invaluable lesson in what it means to lead a creative life that doesn’t adhere to mainstream values and definitions of success. I want to share that story with people so they can find their own nontraditional ways to make this world a less sucky place.
What’s the last film you watched?
City of Lost Children
What’s the last book you read?
The Colony by Annika Norlin
One thing people don’t know about me is _____
I'm pretty much an open book, if you don't know something just ask!
Early bird or night owl?
Early bird
What three things do you always have in your refrigerator?
Seltzer, Fage 0% Yogurt and Eggs
This Q&A is part of the Bushwick Film Fest Filmmaker Q&A series