FilmOut 2024 Witchy Ways

Witchy Ways

Friday, September 13, 7pm

Director: Jane Clark, 94 min, USA

Inspired by the film Practical Magic, director Jane Clark (Meth Head, Crazy Bitches) returns to FilmOut with her new supernatural film; a witches’ brew that infuses comedy, drama, and genre themes!

Eve (Diora Baird) quits the rat race and heads to a cabin to rediscover herself. She promptly falls for her dynamic new next-door neighbor, Danni (Marem Hassler). As they grow close, Danni confesses she is a witch but reveals another ghostly secret that threatens to destroy their chance at love. The film features Candis Cayne, Marc Price, Guinevere Turner, David Fumero, and introduces Alexandra Barton.

Director Jane Clark talks about how Witchy Ways came to be: 

It was a little round about, I was just desperate to make something, it was end of coved sort off and my friend Marem (Marem Hassler) who plays Danni the witch, she was in town and we went out for drinks and she said “Jane I just bought a komodo red camera, I have this great DP, and I have this producer and let’s just go make a film.”  I said yes let’s go make a film and then I realize that meant I had to write a film I had to write a script and so I started thinking of what the films could be about. I was really into A discovery of Witches at the time, it’s a really good series, and I thought I want to do something with witches, and I think I want to have a ghost, and since I had been writing in this horror arena for a while, I thought I would do something dark and scary. I tried wrote the first 30 pages and I was like this is the most awful thing ever. And I went back and started watching everything I could find with a ghost and then I watched every movie I could find with a witch, and along the way I stumbled on Practical Magic, which I forgot how much I loved. And it inspired me, and it lighten up the story and then I thought I always wanted to do a romcom, so why not a romcom with a witch and a ghost, why not. That was a weird start to the process.

Jane on her introduction to magic:

It’s interesting because the first part of the revelation started when I had to come up with a spell. And I was like I don’t know how to come up with one but maybe there is something online. And then I looked and there a million spells online and then I started digging a little deeper and realize there is this whole community of people, this whole spiritual community that had not been really recognized as a reality. So I started looking up and I wonder what a moon ritual is like, I talked to my neighbor and she was like come down I do them, and then I was talking to somebody else about getting my Tarot done, I should meet a witch and then all of the sudden this stuff just came out of the wood work, I had so many people I knew where witch or witch adjacent or knew witches or they practice moon rituals but they weren’t witches so that was kind of interesting and revelatory. So that was sort of the start were this journey took me. 

Believing in Magic:

Marem: It’s a two parted for me. I grew up loving nature so there is this connection I have with nature, and I believe for me personally magic is about vibration, to make the invisible visible. I’m a big believer in vibration and all that good stuff. I grew up with a lot of crystals and tarot and that environment so that was very familiar to me. I think the only thing I feel about magic is that you have to make it your own. If somebody else is in charge of your magic then that’s not cool, if you have to go to somebody to tell you about you, and what they say does not resonate with you then that’s a shame and a lost opportunity. So, I think you have to find your own magic you have to deep into your own magic, the tarot and crystals are wonderful they are like permission slips. Spending time with my dad that is magic for me. Choose your magic don’t let other people define it for you.

Diora:  I do believe in energy; I think energy is extremally powerful and I don’t think energy goes away even after let’s say somebody goes away. I think that energy still stays there for lifetimes. And I do believe in the magic of Love, which I know is supper cheesy. But I do think that love is one of the most powerful acts you can do in this world and is magical. Having those experiences is the closes to magic that I have ever had.