Today, we’re sitting down with Mofieni Iniya, the producer and writer of the short, The Time of Your Life. The film is creepy, funny, and shows a lot of promise. Thank you for sitting down with us.
Darida Rose, UniversalCinema Magazine (UM): What inspired you to write The Time of Your Life?
Mofieni Iniya: I was inspired to write The Time of Your Life when I was having
dinner with friends. When greeting each other, I said I’m going through such a time. The phrase ‘the time of your life’ came to mind and I thought it would be great to write a screenplay for a short horror film.
(UM): Can you tell us about the title? It seems to have a double meaning.
(MI): The title does have a double meaning! The time of your life usually means the best time. But it is not specified so it could very well mean the worst time.
(UM): The film is very well made: great acting, very well shot. Can you tell us about the production process? How long did it take? Were there any unexpected surprises while shooting?
(MI): The film was definitely very well shot! It was done as a one day shoot and the actors worked very well together. I was happy to get in touch with a special effects make-up artist before the shoot day. I’m thankful to the entire crew, and Frank Juarez for directing and shooting.
(UM) Kyra seems to be doing well from the outside, but no one knows about the monster under her bed. On some level, is this film about the fact that appearances can be deceiving? That people might have trouble we’d never suspect?
(MI): The film sure does allude to the fact that appearances can be deceiving. Kyra seems to have what a young person starting out would like to have. A nice job, a romantic relationship, close friends, and her own place. But upon closer inspection, it turns out her job is stressful, her boyfriend is not around, her friends are toxic, and her home is haunting her. Everything is not what it seems to be.
(UM) Kyra’s friends come off as sort of awful people. They laugh at all sorts of things and then just wander off when Kyra needs them. Was your aim to make them unlikeable?
(MI): Kyra’s friends are interesting. She invites them over so she wouldn’t be alone. Their behavior showcases the toxic friendship she has with her closest friends.
(UM): Where did the idea for the monster come from?
(MI): The phrase consumed by your demons came to mind and the idea for the monster literally came from this.
(UM): The sound really adds a lot in this film. Can you tell us about the process of putting the sound design together?
(MI): The sound design is excellent, I’m thankful to Chayan Sanchez and Frank Juarez for the amazing effect the sound has in the film.
(UM): Can you give us any hints about your future projects?
(MI): For my future projects, I’m currently working on writing more scripts. I also have a spooky little tale, Eye Can See by Mo Ember available as an audiobook. I’m a fan of horror so I’m looking forward to creating more short films in this genre.
by: Darida Rose