April brought a wave of compelling submissions to TMFF, but one film stood out for its atmospheric tension and emotional resonance. ‘Dive‘ not only won Film of the Month, but also picked up awards for Director, Screenwriter, and Actress of the Month, an impressive sweep that speaks to the film’s craftsmanship and impact. Set over a single night, ‘Dive’ follows a woman hiding out in a quiet bar after her ex is served divorce papers, only to find herself caught between a stranger’s cryptic advice and a threat she never saw coming. We sat down with the filmmaker behind ‘Dive’ to learn more about the creative decisions, real-life inspirations, and the challenges of bringing such a taut and timely story to life.
TMFF: The lighting in Dive is beautiful. How did you go about the lighting?
VH: The lighting is incredible, and it’s thanks to the brilliant work of my gaffer, Lee Vander Boegh, and cinematographer, Daniel Klamerus. They used light mats to create pools of light above each actor individually, with a few additional practicals and supplementary lights, which kept the bar feeling dark and isolated, but nice contrasting shadows on the faces of the actors.
TMFF: What was the inspiration for Dive?
VH: For better or for worse, Dive is actually based on some real-life events I’ve been through, and looking into statistics on domestic violence versus divorce rates. It’s a tough subject, that I hope I handled in a manner to help validate anyone who’s been in a similar situation, while also providing a suspenseful insight to a very common situation for anyone who doesn’t have experience with it.
TMFF: How did casting come about?
VH: Since this was originally created for a local festival, finding volunteer talent to hop on board was relatively easy, but I’m continually honored that everyone who did come onto the project was so generous with their time and talent!
TMFF: How does your writing process differ from your directing process?
VH: I have a lot more experience directing, and while I’m definitely still learning, I love working with actors to help create a character. Writing is still very new for me, so it’s a battle to try to create characters out of thin air – working with actors to collaborate still feels a lot better!
TMFF: Free will is a topic discussed in the film and a central conversation between Rachel and Jack. How does that have a deeper meaning within the film?
VH: I’m actually not sure that free will has a bigger or deeper meaning within the film, though, the conflict between a casual conversation in a bar and impending conflict that only the audience knows could play into that. Honestly, the free will conversation is just meant to be fun and light and a distraction and stark contrast between it and the actual events unfolding for Rachel.
TMFF: The texting in the film works really well. Is this something you had in mind from the start or developed later on in the concept?
VH: This was an integral part of the film from the first draft. The goal of the film was to embrace Hitchcock’s style of suspense, integrating dramatic irony. So I wanted the audience to know what was happening, via text message, while the two main actors in the bar were oblivious.
TMFF: Is there anything you would’ve liked to have done differently for Dive?
VH: In hindsight there are a few shots that the cinematographer crafted that I wish we would have had one more shoot day to gather, because I think some additional camera movement would have really elevated the film. All in all, I’m really proud of all the hard work that everyone from the cast and crew put into this, and I don’t think I would change anything else.
TMFF: What do you have planned for the future?
VH: Quite a few things! This year, I launched Indie Film Podcast with my partner, Chuck, and then I also have a documentary in post-production, as well as another short starting to film in June 2025, and then another long-form short or feature in the works for later this fall. It should be an exciting year!
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