A series of events during Ruby’s freshman year of college send her on a downward spiral, culminated by the arrival of a glamorous alter ego who begins to live a life of her own.

Interview with Writer/Director Lauren Loesberg

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Year One is loosely based on events that took place in my life during my freshman year of college. I spent all of high school with my nose buried in a textbook so that I could get into the school of my dreams, and then have “the best four years of my life.” In reality, college tested my emotional limits in ways I had never imagined, and while many good things did happen during that time, those four years were the most difficult and tumultuous of my life. I felt that I needed to make something out of that experience in order to come to terms with it.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

My film was inspired by my difficult first year of college. It wasn’t until after that time in my life that I came to realize that many of the other people around me, especially women, had similar experiences. 1 out of 4 college-aged adults struggle with depression (diagnosed or not). I had felt like I was “failing” because I “wasted” “the best years of my life” grappling with my mental illness, not knowing how many people were feeling the same. It also led me to realize how my idea of the American college experience was shaped by myths. There are many films and shows that take place in high school and the early twenties, but few that are set in college. The ones that are, rarely challenge those myths perpetuated by society, instead enforcing the idea that there is only one right way to experience college.

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

I describe Year One as being semi-autobiographical; the events are inspired by things I went through during my freshmanyear of college, but the characters are entirely their own. I made this film because I felt like I had to; I felt like I needed to express how I was feeling at this moment in time in order to process it. I really wasn't sure if anyone was going tounderstand or relate to it, but as it turns out, this experience is much more universal than I had thought. At the time, I thought I was the only one struggling.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

I started writing this film when I was still in college, and it was too emotional and vulnerable for me to even show anyone the script for several years. Eventually, though, I started to get the courage to do so as the experience retreated further into the past and underwent many rounds of revisions. I was revising all the way up until production as the pieces started to fall into place.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

We've just premiered at the Bentonville Film Festival! So while we haven't had a wide release yet, so far the responses have been incredible. So many people have said to me that they also struggled freshman year, or other times in their life and that this film truly captured how they felt. Parents have told me that their kids went through the same thing.

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

When I started the process of writing this film, my only goal was to express and expel my feelings. I was surprised to find that so many people could deeply relate to it. At the time, I really felt like I was the only one struggling. It just goes to show how widespread mental health issues are and how common it is.

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

We hope that by having our film featured, we can increase our press reach, and hopefully help line up more screenings!

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

We are premiering at the 2024 Bentonville Film Festival. We'd love to play at more festivals and eventually find a distribution home for the film.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I hope my film encourages people that they don't need to be ashamed of their mental health. What I really want people to know is that, although it feels like you're the only one struggling, there are actually so many people who feel the same way. We want to continue to spread this message by getting the film out into the world, through more film festivals, distribution, and educational screenings on college campuses.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

Have you, or someone you know, ever gone through the events portrayed in the film? How do you think this film compares as a portrayal of collegiate life in comparison to other films?

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I've written several other features and short films that I'd love to make in the near future. Reach out to me if you want to work together!

Interview: June 2024

We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

Year One

A series of events during Ruby’s freshman year of college send her on a downward spiral, culminated by the arrival of a glamorous alter ego who begins to live a life of her own.

Length: 1:33:00

Director: Lauren Loesberg

Producer: Imani Davis, Dasha Gorin, Julia Relova

Writer: Lauren Loesberg

About the writer, director and producer:

LAUREN LOESBERG is a writer/director based in Los Angeles and a graduate of Northwestern University. Her short films include Ballad of a Breakup, which was selected as a semi-finalist for the Student Academy Awards in 2020. Herwork has also been recognized by Film Independent and the Chicago International Film Festival, as well as other film festivals around the world. Her debut feature, Year One, was listed by IndieWire for their 2024 Sundance Wish List and is premiering in competition at the 2024 Bentonville Film Festival. You can also find her among the crew of 30+ projects, including Academy Award Winner The Neighbor’s Window and foreign-language feature Redemption (TIFF 2018). Shemost recently worked as director & producer’s assistant on Season 2 of the acclaimed television series Tokyo Vice.

Key cast: Elizabeth Yu (Ruby), Emma Raimi (Selene), Maya Schnake (Margot), Taylor Kinkead (Becca), Billy Chengary (Sam), Ryder McDaniel (Garth), Tatsumi Romano (Brianna)

Looking for: sales agents, distributors, journalists, buyers, film festival directors

Instagram: @yearonefeature

Hashtags used: #yearonefeature

Website: Lauren Loesberg

Other: IMDb

Made in association with: Rm. 19 Productions

Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?

Bentonville Film Festival - June 13 2024, Bentonville, Arkansas