Stephen Levy is the writer/director of Epiphany, about a chance encounter that gets ugly. The film screens at the Churches Making Movies Christian Film Festival in Northern New Jersey on Saturday, October 13th @ 11:00 am.
1. What is your film background?
My film background consists of working for the film and TV industry in the UK for over 15 years as an actor/supporting artist, working on sitcomms, adverts, live studio performance for comedy shows, feature films, like Judge Dredd. I am also a qualified Graphic Designer and Digital Visual Effect Artist to a degree level. And I currently work for KPMG as Senior Creative for Motion Graphics and Video Production, where I produce and direct corporate films and art direct 2D and 3D animation.
2. As a Christian, how do you see yourself impacting the film industry?I am not sure my mission is to impact the film industry, but I want to impact the world through film and as a way to speak to individuals about Jesus Christ. Let me give you an example, I was having a blood test and the lady asked me what I did for a living so I told I was a filmmaker and she asked me what I was working on. I told her about the film and how I prayed with a with a young man on the street, which helped spark a conversation about Christianity.
3. What was the biggest challenge you overcame to make your film?
oung man on the street, which helped sp
Apart from the usual challenges like perfecting the script and keeping it true and real to the story, keeping your actors motivated, having enough finance to finish the film, etc… The biggest challenge i faced was to continue to make the movie while my lovely mother was dying of cancer and dementia and trying to stay focussed when she kept on being admitted to hospital every other week because she kept on suffering from mini strokes. But the worse thing was when she had a mini stroke on the week of the first day of filming. On the set I was broken inside, but I was unable to show it, because I needed to get through the 12 hours of filming, but God carried me through!
4. Who are your biggest influences in film and why?
I wasn’t brought up in a Christian home even though my mother sent us to church every Sunday since I was around 8 years old. So I grew up with secular influences in the film industry, such as the Scott brothers, Tony and Ridley, Steven Spielberg, Michael Bay, Michael Mann, etc. But when I became a christian one of my good friends told me about Tyler Perry and then everything changed from that point onwards.
5. What is the funniest or weirdest thing that has ever happened to you on set?
I can only think of one of the great thing that happen on set. One of my non-christian actors while taking a break in a church court yard was minstered to and prayed for by members of the church’s congregation. For me that is what this film is all about, creating opportunities like this to take place.
6. What is your favorite Bible verse? (please cut and paste it)And how does this influence your filmmaking?
John 3:16 New King James Version (NKJV)
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
The above verse is the central focus of my film. This is the moment when Lenny and James find out that they have something in common. This is the scripture that unites them and propels James to pray with Lenny. Also, this scripture is a perfect demonstration of God’s love for the world!