Filmmaker Profile: Ian M. Adelson & RJ Brown
Ian M. Adelson
RJ Brown
Ian M. Adelson is an award-winning American director, and former associate producer of the Apple TV+ series, DICKINSON. Adelson’s films have screened worldwide in Oscar-qualifying festivals and streaming, while his music videos have garnered over 10 million views online. As a commercial director, Adelson has led campaigns for some of the world's biggest brands. Adelson was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and attended the University of Michigan's film program for directing before coming up through the ranks of production in New York City.
RJ Brown is an actor, producer, and director living in Brooklyn, NY. As an actor, he can be found on HBO, CBS, NBC, CW, and most recently as Caleb in Netflix's 13 Reasons Why. His producing includes the off-Broadway hit The Woodsman. He shares his passion as a filmmaker at Floor 1 Productions and is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan’s esteemed Musical Theater department.
This Q&A is part of the Bushwick Film Fest Filmmaker Q&A series.
How do you want people to feel after they see your film?
We want people to feel connected to others. Part of the film features the isolation everyone endured during the COVID pandemic, and the point of this film, as with a lot of performance art, is to feel that we're all here for one another, together in our artistic communities.
What was your favorite part of making your film? Memories from the process?
Being let into the lives of two unique performers - not just in their artistic circle, but in the nuances of their every day lives - was something special as documentarians. You really get to learn who people are in the details, and this was especially the case with our subjects.
Can you tell us about the central themes of your film? What message or emotion did you hope to convey?
Compassion, Resilience, Joy, Courage. This film is about how we lift ourselves up with the spirit of a community that binds us.
What inspired you to pursue a career in filmmaking?
There are certain films that elevate your emotional understanding of life and art. We want to do the same for other people.
If you weren’t a filmmaker, what would you be doing?
Pastry Chef
What’s your history with the Bushwick Film Festival?
We've screened with Bushwick a few times over the last several years and it is always, truly, a blast. Great films, great staff, great events and opportunities to meet other up and coming New York City filmmakers. Really couldn't ask for more out of a festival.
What’s the last film you watched?
Kneecap
What’s the last book you read?
The Stanley Kubrick Archives
Early bird or night owl?
Night Owl.
Ian M. Adelson & RJ Brown’s Q&A is part of the Bushwick Film Fest Filmmaker Q&A series.
