Four-time Emmy-winning Director Marvin J Chomsky wasn’t initially thrilled about his granddaughter’s desire to follow in his footsteps. He dedicated over three decades of his life to the film industry, earning credits for titles such as “Roots,” “Star Trek,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “Billionaire Boys Club,” and “Holocaust,” but he was reluctant for Liliana Chomsky to do the same. However, just before he passed in March 2022, he left her with the encouragement she needed.
“One of my friends called and asked me what I thought of women in the film industry, I told him that my granddaughter will be one of them,” he said. This line completes Liliana’s short film “Action,” which is dedicated to her late grandfather.
The film focuses on intergenerational conflict between prolific writer/ director George J. Shaw and his granddaughter Bridgette. In old age, George realizes how his profession rendered him absent in his family’s life. He doesn’t want aspiring writer/director Bridgette to make the same mistakes he did. The two must overcome differences to help one another open and close the door to their careers.
“The story itself is fictional but the relationship and conflicts at the core of the characters are based on reality,” Liliana says. “This story is one that encourages anyone to follow their passions, though specifically inspires women in film. It directly faces someone with an old Hollywood mindset to understand that we are now in a new generation of filmmaking where anyone with a story and drive can have a chance to be in the director’s chair.”
In the spirit of leading a new generation of filmmakers, Liliana developed Loyola Marymount University’s very first sustainable film set in accordance with the Green Film School Alliances’ PEACHY award. Her crew achieved this by taking basic steps to minimize their footprint, including using reusable water bottles, thrifting for wardrobe pieces, and donating extra food to food banks. “It’s imperative that students learn how simple it is to have a greener set so that it doesn’t feel like extra steps and is naturally how they expect film sets to be when out in the industry,” she says.
Liliana was inspired by a research project she did on the carbon footprint of film and television for an environmental sustainability class she took last year. After learning about how much waste the industry produces, she met with faculty members to discuss a plan. She was appointed SFTV‘s sustainability representative and worked alongside Academic Affairs Associate Jenny Manriquez to put together SFTV’s Sustainable Production Practices, a resource students can use to create their own sustainable film set.
After just one and a half days of shooting, Liliana’s film “Action” is now in post-production. It’s set to premiere the week of December 12. Congratulations to the cast and crew including, Co-producers Christopher Putlock and Jillian Caforio, Director of Photography Sam Boyar, Gaffer Quinn McCain, Key Grip Simon Vidas, 1st AD Dmitry Usov, Sustainability/HSS William Fischer, and Actors Michael Russell and Lindsay Nelsen.
