/ Don't hate the media, become the media.Jello Biafra

Two sister wives married to the same man start to develop feelings for each other.

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Hi Louisa, how does it feel to be at the 18th British Shorts, Berlin, with your latest short film, Sister Wives?

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I’m absolutely thrilled—we haven’t shown Sister Wives in Germany yet so we’re super excited to see what the response is like. I’ve always wanted to get into this festival, I’ve actually submitted every film I’ve ever made to it, but this is the first one to be accepted, so I’m super excited to finally head over experience it. I also just love Berlin as a city and have lots of lovely memories here—a bunch of my mates films have got in too so it’s gonna be a really fun few days for sure.

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And congratulations on having Sister Wives advance to the BAFTA jury for consideration in the British Short Film Category. What did you think when you got this news?

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It was absolutely surreal—I genuinely wasn’t expecting it. I’d also had a massive coffee just before I found out so I was absolutely bouncing off the walls. I’m incredibly grateful to BAFTA and to everyone who voted. Without a doubt, it’s the coolest and most memorable moment of my career so far.

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Sister Wives has had an amazing festival run, recently screening at the debut HollyShorts London and has also picked up several awards. What does it mean to you to get this type of recognition?

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It’s truly incredible. Winning ‘Best Director’ at HollyShorts London was surreal—especially coming from an acting background. It still feels unbelievable to be recognised as a director, but it’s also deeply humbling and affirming, giving me confidence that I’m on the right path. In just six months on the festival circuit, we’ve already been accepted into over 50 festivals and won more than 30 awards. Highlights include making the longlist for The Oscars, BAFTAs, and BIFAs. This entire journey has exceeded my wildest dreams, and I’m genuinely pinching myself every single day.

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How important are festivals like British Shorts, Berlin, in creating a platform for short films and filmmakers?

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Short films are experiencing a fantastic renaissance right now, which is why festivals like British Shorts are so vital. More and more, short films are being used as proof of concept for feature films, which is helping them gain the recognition they deserve. After all, every iconic filmmaker you see in cinemas today started by creating short films like ours. We shouldn't be overlooked—we are the next wave, we are coming.

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Short films are a vital medium in the film industry, yet there are few opportunities for the public, outside of festivals, to see them. What more can be done to make short films more visible and accessible to the wider cinema audiences?

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We’re at an incredibly exciting time for short films, as mainstream platforms like Netflix and Disney are starting to take notice. They’ve begun creating dedicated sections for short films, which will help broaden their reach and introduce them to wider audiences. Interestingly, even airlines are getting on board, including short films in their in-flight entertainment packages. That said, we mustn’t overlook the incredible platforms that have championed short films for years, like Omeleto, Short of the Week, Directors Notes, and Minute Shorts. These pioneers have built large and ever- expanding followings and set the standard for showcasing short films long before the big players joined in. Their contributions have been instrumental in elevating the genre.

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Though the community that Kaidence, Galilee, and Jeremiah are part of in your film is a fiction, these types of communities really exist. When did you first discover them, and what was it about these communities that inspired you to write Sister Wives?

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I first learned about the community through the Netflix docu-series Keep Sweet, Pray and Obey, and I was immediately fascinated. What struck me was that, despite how compelling their world is, it hadn’t really been explored from a narrative perspective. The community offers so much creative potential, from costumes and makeup to production design. At the same time, it delves into deeply complex and dark dynamics, including polygamy, child marriage, domestic violence, and sexual abuse, making it a rich and challenging subject to explore.

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Can you tell me how Sister Wives came about?

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A few days after watching the documentary, I found myself on a long-haul flight. As we were taking off, the idea for the film came to me, and by the time we landed, I had essentially completed the first draft. I shared it with a few trusted people for initial feedback, made some revisions, and then brought on producers Augusta Woods and Emily Everdee to help bring the project to life. From there, we applied to several film funding initiatives and began the casting process. Once Mia and Michael were on board as Galilee and Jeremiah, everything started to fall into place, and the momentum picked up.

Had you always intended to play Kaidence?

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I think so yes, I wrote her to my strengths, she’s the sort of of character I’ve always wanted to play but never get an audition for, so I just wrote her myself. Write the roles you want to play I say.

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What were the biggest challenges you faced making Sister Wives?

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The production value of this project was far higher than anything I had tackled before, which naturally came with a significantly larger budget. This made financing it more challenging than any of my previous work. To add to the complexity, we filmed in January in England, braving the freezing temperatures with numerous outdoor scenes—a challenge in itself. On top of that, we had to shoot 19 pages in just four days, which was an incredibly tight schedule. It required meticulous planning and a high level of efficiency to make everything run smoothly on set. Plus making Surrey look America is never ideal.

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How close did you stick to your screenplay once you started shooting. Did you give yourself and your cast much flexibility with the text?

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It was fairly close—improvising around the text with a film like Sister Wives is challenging since the language has a slightly more old-fashioned tone. However, I always encourage actors to have flexibility with the text—I want them to feel that the characters belong to them, not me. Their input is invaluable—I crave it. A couple of significant changes were made on the day—one was a scene where the girls were supposed to swim in a lake, but the lake froze over which required some internal-editing and rewriting. Another was the discovery of Galilee’s red dress—originally, it was meant to play out across two scenes, but due to time constraints, we had to condense it into one. This required some brilliant quick-thinking and collaboration, particularly from our first AD, EJ, who helped us rewrite and rehearse on the spot.

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One thing I found really interesting about Sister Wives is that it’s a really powerful film about womanhood, sisterhood, and finding one’s inner strength to do what will make you happy. And at the same time I felt there was no judgement on the community or on the women who remain. How did you create this great balance in your script?

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One of the most heartbreaking aspects of this community is how the women are often pitted against each other. It's one of the saddest consequences of the patriarchy. With far fewer men in the community, there's an intense sense of competition to secure them as partners. Adding to this dynamic is the strange currency of motherhood—status is tied to the number of children you have, making it a source of power and worth. I can’t begin to imagine what it must feel like for someone like Kaidence, struggling to conceive in an environment like this. What I find so beautiful about Kaidence and Galilee's relationship is that, despite these pressures, they find a bond that defies the norms. They discover sisterhood, friendship, and ultimately a love that is unheard of among Sister Wives. It’s a rare and profound connection in a setting where such relationships are often overshadowed by rivalry.

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How much does your background as an actor help inform the way you write and direct?

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It helps enormously. I probably look a bit unhinged when I’m writing because I always get up and act out the scenes in my flat. For me, it’s essential to ensure the dialogue feels completely natural and that every moment flows with a rhythm and pace. People keep asking me whether I want to act or direct moving forward, and I’m like, both, duh.

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Was there any one scene that was particularly tricky for you to shoot?

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As an actor, any outdoor scenes were particularly challenging because of the freezing temperatures. Scenes scheduled toward the end of the day were also tricky since we often ran out of time. The log cabin we shot in presented its own challenges—it was incredibly small, making it a tight squeeze for the cast and crew, but we managed to make it work. The final scene in the Mustang was especially difficult to keep steady, as we were driving down a very uneven, muddy road. Despite the bumps, everything came together beautifully in the end.

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What was your experience like working with your intimacy coordinator, Stella Moss, and how essential is the role of IC on a film set?

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Sister Wives marked the first time I worked with an intimacy coordinator as a director—it was an experience that proved to be not only essential but transformative. Collaborating with Stella Moss was an absolute dream. She brought so many creative ideas for approaching the various intimate scenes, offering a range of options to ensure they were handled thoughtfully and effectively. Her communication skills were exceptional, seamlessly guiding the actors, DOP, and me as the director. Moments like these require everyone to be fully aligned, and Stella ensured that was the case. As an audience member, I’ve always found well-crafted sex scenes captivating and deeply impressive. They hold a unique power to convey emotion and connection, which I knew I wanted to explore boldly in Sister Wives. It was important to me that these scenes felt raw, alive, and electric —especially the climactic moment when Galilee and Kaidence make love for the first time. That scene serves as the film’s crescendo, the ultimate expression of their love exploding onto the screen. Intimacy coordinators are absolutely vital and should be championed on every set. Their work not only enhances the authenticity of such moments but also ensures a safe and collaborative environment for everyone involved.

"When pitching your film, compare it to existing movies to give people a quick visual and tonal reference."

Have you always had a passion for filmmaking?

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For sure. I’ve always had a deep, all-encompassing passion for film. After spending 20 years as an actress, and 6 years as a director, I think cinema may be the true love of my life.

 

What were some of the lessons you took away from making Sister Wives, and what do you think you discovered about yourself as a filmmaker during the making of this film?

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Through Sister Wives I learned I’m more capable than I ever imagined and that shooting 19 pages in 4 days is completely crazy.

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Moving forward, what themes and subjects are you looking to explore with future films?

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Girls with secrets, female friendship, the noughties, mother-daughter relationships, genre-bending, eroticism and forbidden love.

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Who are some of the filmmakers that have inspired you?

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Wong Kar-wai, Celine Sciamma, Richard Linklater, Andrea Arnold and Rob Eggers.

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Do you have any tips or advice you would offer anyone wanting to get into filmmaking?

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Find a producer you genuinely connect with, both personally and professionally. Even for a short film, you'll likely be working together for at least two years, so it’s crucial to build an open, honest, and enjoyable relationship. Don’t be overly precious about your script—share it with people you trust. It’s valuable to get feedback not only from industry professionals but also from those outside the film world. Remember, most cinema audiences are everyday people, not filmmakers, so it’s important to ensure your story resonates universally. Start marketing your film from day one. Create a dedicated social media page and begin building your brand immediately. Casting is another area to prioritise early, as it can take a significant amount of time. Many opportunities are cast-dependent these days, so it’s worth starting those conversations as soon as possible. When pitching your film, compare it to existing movies to give people a quick visual and tonal reference. For instance, I describe Sister Wives as Portrait of a Lady on Fire meets Thelma and Louise. This kind of comparison helps establish the vibe and style right away. Hire an exceptional stills photographer, like Thomas Elliot Wood, so you have high-quality promotional material to use for years after filming, especially when it comes to securing those coveted film festival laurels. Finally, drop your ego. Be kind to your cast and crew. Remember to have fun—we’re all just playing pretend, after all. Keep it joyful and collaborative!

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And finally, what message would you want your audiences to take away from Sister Wives?

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The message I hope audiences take away from Sister Wives is that love, connection, and identity are deeply personal and don't always fit into the boxes society tries to create for them. It's a story about embracing authenticity and the beauty of unconventional relationships, challenging the expectations placed on us, and finding freedom in self-acceptance. I want viewers to leave feeling empowered to question societal norms and celebrate the diversity of human experiences.