Filmmaker Profile: Will Pinke
Will Pinke
Will Pinke is a writer/director/producer from New Jersey, based in New York. Will attended Princeton University where he studied Literature, Creative Writing, & Film History/Theory. He graduated with an MFA degree in Directing & Screenwriting from the Columbia University School of the Arts in 2022. His stories mix genres in surprising and inventive ways.
This Q&A is part of the Bushwick Film Fest Filmmaker Q&A series.
What inspired you to create this film, and how did the initial idea come to you?
This film is the result of a long-term friendship and collaboration between myself (33) and my lead actor, Bill Gold (77). In 2022, Bill e-mailed me out of the blue: “Will, I’m considering producing a short film which will give me an opportunity to play the lead role. What I need is a script and a director/producer. Are you interested?”. I told Bill I was, if he was willing to be patient and develop something together organically. Despite our 45 year age gap, we share many similar references and sensibilities. We set out to devise a project we were both equally passionate about and invested in, inspired by Bill’s life and by our mutual interests in comedy and classic noir films. For over a year, we met at a diner for lunch every month. I gave Bill homework to write down his memories, and he’d share his life story with me. Bill recounted endless strange, funny, and touching anecdotes, and let me in on his passions, dreams, regrets, fears, and anxieties. Over time, I built a character and plot based on everything I’d learned about Bill — a sort of fictionalized memoir, that I knew he’d connect with emotionally and enjoy performing. The story, about a man trying to finish his mystery novel before he dies, mirrors Bill's desire to make this film and cross off one of the few remaining items on his bucket list. The surreal moments in the film are all related to real details from Bill’s life. It’s been a joy to help Bill live out this fantasy and to provide him with a completely novel experience at the age of 77. Through the process, this project has become deeply personal for me as well. I am grateful for all of the humor, wisdom, and experience Bill has shared, and that he afforded me the opportunity to channel his life into a film that feels uniquely my own.
What was the biggest inspiration behind this film?
My lead actor Bill Gold's personality and life story. Particularly, Bill's passion and drive to pursue his dream of starring in a film for the first time, in his late 70s.
What was your favorite part of making your film? Memories from the process?
Bringing together a crew full of artists I love, trust, and admire,.
Can you tell us about the central themes of your film? What message or emotion did you hope to convey?
It's never too late to follow your dreams. Life is short and unpredictable, your passions are worth pursuing while you still can. Take joy in the process, even if the end result is uncertain.
Were there any films or directors that influenced your approach to this project?
Directors: Hitchcock, Buñuel, Kaurismäki, the Coen Brothers. Films: After Hours, The Long Goodbye, Inherent Vice, Dillinger is Dead, Out of the Past, The Big Sleep, The Maltese Falcon, Double Indemnity
If you weren’t a filmmaker, what would you be doing?
Astronaut, Therapist, or Astrotherapist
What’s your history with the Bushwick Film Festival?
Bushwick was the first neighborhood I lived in when I moved to New York in 2014. This will be my first time attending the festival, but it feels like a full-circle moment to premiere this New York film where my life in New York began!
What’s the last film you watched?
Being John Malkovich
What’s the last book you read?
Black Wings Has My Angel - Elliott Chaze
Early bird or night owl?
Night owl
Will Pinke’s Q&A is part of the Bushwick Film Fest Filmmaker Q&A series.
