"Film Makes Us Happy documents the last fight my wife and I will ever have about making films." - Bryan Wizemann

In this honest and sometimes painful clip, filmmaker Bryan Wizemann examines how his passion for filmmaking has impacted his wife and child, giving us a glimpse of the emotional and financial havoc an artist's single-minded dedication can have on his family's life.

Film Makes Us Happy has screened at the following festivals:

• Hamptons International Film Festival
• Independent Film Festival Boston
• DocPoint Helsinki
• Rooftop Films
• Wholphin DVD Featured Web Film

Bryan Wizemann is an award-winning filmmaker and visual artist. He attended Hunter’s MFA program for conceptual art, before he found someone to go in his place. His work has been exhibited extensively and is part of several collections. His short film work includes Button Soup (Johnson Museum, Cinema Village NY), The Morning Sun (Rooftop Films, IFC), the television pilot Cooklyn, and Film Makes Us Happy, which documents the last fight he will ever have with his wife about making films (Hamptons, IFF Boston, Rooftop Films, Wholphin).


His feature film Losing Ground (Cinequest, CineVegas, Santa Fe) was adapted from his critically-acclaimed New York stage play and features the original cast. It was called “fascinating filmmaking that gets to the core of humanity” by Film Threat and is available from Netflix. His screenplay An Entire Body was recently selected as one of the top three winners of the Slamdance Feature Screenplay Competition. It is being produced by Michael Ryan (Junebug, Choke), and will feature Lauren Ambrose, Denis O’Hare and Jayne Atkinson. Humor Me, a romantic comedy written by Andrew Semans and Bryan Wizemann, was recently optioned out of the IFP Independent Film Week and is currently in development.

Bryan lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

• Film Makes Us Happy Website
  http://www.bryanwizemann.com/film_makes_us_happy.html
• Filmmaker Magazine Review
  http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/blog/2009/08/pursuit-of-happiness.php

Interview with Bryan Wizemann

t21: What motivated you to make Film Makes Us Happy?
BW: To stop having the same fight with my wife over and over about making films.

t21: Biggest obstacle in making it?
BW: My wife.

t21: Favorite/most unexpected response to Film Makes Us Happy?
BW: Everyone, mostly musicians, baring their soul to me about their relationships after a screening.

t21: What do you hope viewers will take away from it?
BW: That film, or any creative pursuit really, in a country where arts are unsupported will be difficult on those you love.

t21: If you were not a filmmaker, what would you be?
BW: A designer.

t21: First website you check in the morning?
BW: nytimes.com

t21: Personal motto?
BW: What a nice idea...

t21: The biggest global problem today?
BW: Poverty.

t21: Favorite city or landmark?
BW: Montreal.

t21: Favorite public figure?
BW: Muhammed Ali.

t21: Last song that was stuck in your head?
BW: Bon Iver's "Skinny Love."

t21: Last meal you made?
BW: Egg and cheese on an English muffin.

t21: Coffee, tea, or water? 
BW: Decaf coffee (I know).

t21: Boat, plane or train?
BW: Boat

t21: Latest obsession? 
BW: Fundraising.

t21: Source of inspiration?
BW: My past.

t21: First job?
BW: Selling hot dogs in Vegas.

t21: Whom would you love to work with?
BW: David Thewlis (among others).

t21: Ten-year goal?
BW: Get this feature off the ground.

t21: Your next or current project?
BW: http://anentirebody.com/

t21: Your question for t21?
BW: How do you make any money?

t21: We have some amazing sponsors and plan to get more as we become more established. We also have some new features we're planning to roll out this fall. If you have any ideas, please let us know!

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