#miniMUFF Profile: Lily Fang
“It’s so important that we have narratives from all different perspectives.”
Film: The Thing Under the Tree
When we settled on Ginger Snaps for our October screening in NYC, we never dreamed that we would find a short film that was both spooky and focused on the relationship between two sisters. Lily Fang’s animated The Thing Under the Tree not only has a monstrous transformation à la Ginger Snaps, but also emphasizes the complexities of growing up and how that can affect the dynamic between two sisters. We are so excited to share this short film with our New York audience and are even more thrilled to share NYC-based animator Lily Fang with our blog readers!
LET’S START THIS OFF WITH THE BASICS: YOU!
Lily Fang: I watched too many stop motion dinosaur documentaries as a kid and thought, that’s what I want to do. Sadly I have since discovered that the job of stop motion dinosaur animator no longer exists. Needing to find something else to fill my time, I decided to get my degree at the Royal College of Art in London, and now work as a freelance animator here in NYC.
CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SHORT WE ARE SCREENING?
LF: This film is sort of the flip side of a coming of age story — it’s about being the little kid watching your older siblings outgrow your favorite games. You know that something is different but you just can’t understand why things can’t stay the same forever — which can be a dangerous feeling to have.
TELL US ABOUT WHY YOU ARE A FEMINIST AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO YOUR FILMMAKING.
LF: So many of the stories we consume are centered around one segment of the population. If you never see yourself as the protagonist in the movies you watch or the books you read, you can start to see yourself as a secondary character in your own life. It’s so important that we have narratives from all different perspectives.
WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE WOMEN WORKING IN THE FILM INDUSTRY?
LF: Suzan Pitt, Suzie Templeton, Allison Schulnik
IF A MOVIE ABOUT YOUR LIFE WAS CAST/CREATED, WHO WOULD STAR AS YOU AND WHAT GENRE WOULD IT BE?
LF: It would be a 3 hour existential thriller starring my cat.
WHAT’S YOUR GO-TO JAM?
LF: Q.U.E.E.N. by Janelle Monae
Read more miniMUFF profiles here.
The mini MUFF Society is our short film program. We aim to screen at least one local short film at each of our monthly event to highlight the amazing female talent we have in New York. Join us at our next screening!
