The Nevada Women’s Film Festival is in full swing, and my latest article in El Nuevo Mundo is on newsstands now! For an insider’s look at the inspiration behind the Femmy Award nominated short film “Session”, read my interview with writer-director Jose Anthony. Here are the published Spanish version and the English translation.
When the cast & crew came together, I realized I had a gem on my hands.
Jose Anthony
Distinguished Filmmaker Jose Anthony Nominated for Best Nevada Film Award
Born in Los Angeles to Mexican parents, Jose Anthony moved to Las Vegas as a kid in 1990. He began his acting career at Rainbow Company Youth Theatre. In 2019, he wrote and performed the one-man-show “Toño”, which won the Best of Las Vegas Little Theatre Fringe Festival Award. Now, the short film “Session”, written and directed by Jose Anthony, is nominated for Best Nevada Film at this year’s Nevada Women’s Film Festival.
El Nuevo Mundo: What is your film about?
Jose Anthony: Basically, it’s about five characters who attend a court ordered therapy session and reveal a little more than is necessary.
ENM: What inspired you to make this film?
JA: This project started with the idea that we were going to film some scenes so my friends and I would have some “reels”, as they’re called in the industry, to promote our talent as actors. But when the cast & crew came together, I realized I had a gem on my hands.
ENM: NVFF’s mission is “to celebrate and support the fair representation of women in film, and to provide a platform for historically marginalized voices.“ How do you believe your film coincides with this mission?
JA: They say that behind every man’s success there is a strong woman supporting him, and here we confirm that saying. Not only do we have a female protagonist, but one of the female characters is more of a badass than any of the men. And at the end of the film, we have the music of a group of women.
ENM: What inspired you to go into filmmaking?
JA: Maybe the same as any kid. You see a film or play and you imagine yourself on that screen or that stage. And that’s where the magic begins.
ENM: How did you learn your craft?
JA: With a lot of trial and error! (laughing out loud) In this world, the best learning comes when you take action. You learn what you can from a book…but life gives you the lesson.
ENM: You wear many hats: screenwriter, producer, director and actor. Why is that? Which is your favorite?
JA: That is a very hard question to answer. All of us, we artists, are bipolar and at any given moment we are the role that is required in that moment.
ENM: One criterion for inclusion in NVFF is passing the Bechdel Test: a film must have at least 2 female characters, who talk to each other, about something other than a man. Did you consciously strive to pass the Bechdel Test while writing the screenplay?
JA: I am the father of two daughters. For me, the world of “Girl Power” has always been part of my subconscious.
ENM: What do you want the audience to take away from watching your film?
JA: The best would be for them to say, “Wow, that’s dope! I can do better.”
ENM: Congratulations on your nomination for Best Nevada Film! What would it mean to you, or for your career, to win the Femmy Award for Best Nevada Film, or the Audience Favorite Award at this year’s festival?
JA: Thank you! Winning a Femmy would be chingon and it’s an honor to be nominated and considered.
The NWFF 2025 Femmy Awards event will take place Sunday, June 22 at 7:30pm at UNLV. For tickets and more info visit www.nwffest.com.
