ISSUE #142
BEAM FROM THE BOOTH | GRAND RAPIDS FILM SOCIETY
[EDITED BY: SPENCER EVERHART & GRIFFIN SHERIDAN]
Welcome back to BEAM FROM THE BOOTH, the official newsletter of the GRAND RAPIDS FILM SOCIETY!
We’ve got an exciting week ahead of us! It kicks off TONIGHT (5/18) at 7:30pm with our COMMUNITY PICK SCREENING of VIDEODROME (1983). You all will not want to miss this, especially those of you who participated in our Movie March Madness bracket earlier this spring. As is always the case with Cronenberg, it’s going to be an evening that is equal parts fun and disgusting. We outlined what you can expect in that event preview we sent you all this weekend. Go check that out for all the details regarding the run of show tonight if you haven’t already!
TOMORROW (5/19) at 7:00pm, we’re hosting another event in our INDUSTRY PANEL SERIES. Tomorrow’s event will still be focused on freelancing in film, specifically G&E and camera assistant roles. Like our last Industry Panel, this event will be hosted in the Koning Micro-Cinema (in Wealthy Theater) and is free to attend, though RSVPs are encouraged.
And finally, on THURSDAY (5/21) at 7:00pm, we are pleased to present the last event in this year’s season of MOVIES AT THE MUSEUM, our partnership with the GRAND RAPIDS ART MUSEUM. Together we have been bringing you free monthly screenings hosted at the GRAM, and this year, we highlighted the films of Terrence Malick. We have now reached his latest work, A HIDDEN LIFE (2019). Be sure to join us for this emotional film in a beloved local venue.
While we’re still just about a month away from our next Open Projector Night event, we are pleased to feature an interview with our most recent OPN Audience Vote winner, independent filmmaker Darius Quinn, in this issue. Enjoy — and be sure to follow Darius in all the important places!
FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT
DARIUS QUINN
OPEN PROJECTOR NIGHT - FEBRUARY 2026 AUDIENCE VOTE WINNER
[BY: NICHOLAS HARTMAN]
First and foremost, to our readers who don’t know who you are, who is Darius Quinn? Please tell us about yourself.
I am a writer/director from Kalamazoo, MI. My background is in poetry and visual arts, and in my early twenties I discovered how to intertwine those interests with cinema work.
I want to make this loud and clear: the Open Projector Night jury selected You Don’t Know What You’re Talking About as the Jury Award (congratulations!) before the Audience Vote even took place. Knowing that you won BOTH awards, how are you feeling about it all?
Honestly, crazy. Audience choice awards can be very tough because of entourages. And there were filmmakers from Grand Rapids there. I’m from out-of-town and didn’t have anyone with me except for my partner. So I didn’t expect to win that at all. It genuinely surprised me in the best of ways that the audience really kept an open mind.
I’m really happy about the jury award. You Don’t Know had a tough festival run, which confused and upset me because I was very proud of this film. And a lot of feedback I received was on how well it was produced, but nothing really noting why it didn’t make some festivals (which, I understand, that’s just how festivals work!). So for a jury of other filmmakers and film lovers to recognize our work was just really incredible. I was very happy for my cast/crew.
For those who haven’t seen You Don’t Know What You’re Talking About, please tell us about it.
You Don’t Know What You’re Talking About is about a poet set to perform at an open mic night and is surprised to learn that a lady friend will be in attendance. It was grant-funded under another idea with the same name, but the original script was a bit too much to take on without making too many compromises. So I re-wrote it and kept the title so I didn’t piss off the grant people, haha.
What was the inspiration behind your film, and why did you want to tell this particular story?
It’s sort of a true story; an experience I had in my early twenties when I still performed at poetry events. This film is highly embellished, but I really just wanted to do a short that centered on primarily one location with one central storyline.
As a filmmaker myself, I understand how difficult, stressful, and exciting making a film can be. Can you share some ups and downs you experienced through the process? When it comes to obstacles, can you share how you overcame them (if any)?
The primary location, the poetry hall, was actually a garage unit for a local coffee shop. We did a great set dec to jazz it up, and the location owners were incredibly kind. We shot the poetry hall scenes on the first day. Our other location takes place in a house, and the original location bailed on us DURING the shooting on the first day. So I had to think about alternatives while also finishing the day. The person who owned the first original house we were going to film in had concerns about the electric bill, concerns my camera team debunked, and I think ultimately they just didn’t want anyone in the apartment. Luckily my producer, Jasmine Childress, was on set and incredible at troubleshooting for me, so I didn’t have to worry about it at that very moment. I think the location we ended up using made for a great shot, I just changed the blocking.
I wish I had had maybe two more hours and a few more extras for the poetry hall scenes. I would have liked more coverage of the audience. The other obstacle was that we shot with a big vintage lens, which made the camera difficult to be mobile. And a lot of my blocking called for an extremely active camera. So I had to re-imagine the vision; I think it worked out.
To the filmmakers that are reading this interview and are setting out to make their first or next film, what advice would you give?
Oh, man. I’m not sure what to tell people. I guess the biggest thing I’ve learned is I stand up for myself/my vision better than I used to. I’m more confident to say “it’s not right,” or “it could be better” than I used to be. One compliment I got at OPN was that I had the confidence to leave my character out of focus, pacing in the background. Those decisions are easy for me now. If it feels good, I try not to question it. Trust your vision.
Open Projector Night is a Michigan based film series that highlights the talent we have in this state. Can you share with us how being in Michigan has helped shape you as a filmmaker?
I think my stories come from who I am as a resident. I’m not influenced by, say, New York, Chicago, or LA. I couldn’t tell you exactly how, but it’s just that making art where you grew up has its own subtle impact on you. If you listen to Nas’ Illmatic, you get a very vivid image of growing up in Queensbridge, NY. You don’t have to be from there to understand the imagery. And I like to think about being from Michigan — the weather, the small arts communities, local music, craft beer — I’d like to think those things have an impact on me. Even if I don’t consciously think about them.
Very generic question, but I must know: what’s your favorite film and why? If you don’t have a favorite, give me three that stand out to you and how/if they played a role in your creative process.
My all-time favorite is No Country for Old Men. I don’t think it shaped me as a filmmaker; I don’t make anything in that vein. But it did teach me that those abrupt endings are incredibly satisfying. It’s been my favorite film since 2009. Films that inspire the way I approach filmmaking would probably be Boogie Nights for its blocking and camera movement, Cold War (2018) for its pacing and photography, and maybe Moonlight for its blend of sensitivity and hard tones.
I feel like every filmmaker has that “spark” — that moment where they say to themselves, “Yes, this is what I want to do, I want to make films.” Did you have that moment, and if so, could you share it with us? If you didn’t have that moment, what made you want to make movies?
I was the supervisor at a movie theater, and I made a little video on how to properly do some tasks to show at a staff meeting. It was supposed to be a Powerpoint presentation, but that seemed boring. I think that’s when I said maybe I can direct. Before that, my background was in music and poetry. So I just found a way to blend that into my dialogue writing; I think I write easier than I direct.
What/who inspires Darius? What excites you to get out of bed in the morning?
I mostly get up because I have to, haha, I don’t know. I think I try not to put too much interest in other people because I think they’d disappoint me. I’m inspired by mostly non-filmmakers: fashion designers, athletic coaches, musicians...I get very inspired by creative minds as a whole.
This is a question I like to ask all our award-winning filmmakers. If you were able to make your dream film and had an unlimited budget, what would you make?
I have a feature I’ve written that I’d like to do. It’s about a relationship. It’s pretty contained, except there is a scene that involves a rocketship. I also have an idea for a musical (randomly enough) about a musician whose music begins to suffer when he falls in love.
What’s next for Darius? Anything exciting in the works?
I am in post-production for a short we wrapped mid-April. It’s a single shot for nine minutes. I get lucky to work with stage actors because they’re used to not having “cut” called. Still, it is anxiety inducing because you don’t get to cut. And one mess up eight minutes into the ninth minute means you have to redo the entire thing.
How do we stay up to date with you and your work? Any socials you want to share?
I’m trying to get better at posting. But people can follow me on Instagram @dariusmarquinn
Any words on your experience at Open Projector Night?
Grand Rapids shows me so much love. I got rejected from the first OPN I applied to, and I think it made me want to become a better filmmaker (I do love the film that didn’t make it though! Haha). There’s always a large variety of high quality work, and the community really invests in filmmaking. It’s genuinely always an honor to be part of these programs.
If you’d like to nominate someone else in the community for a future spotlight, please fill out this form. If you’d like to explore the archive of past Community Spotlights, click this link.
We appreciate you taking the time to read this installment of BEAM and truly hope you’ll continue to do so. Be sure to subscribe to get a new issue in your inbox every week.
Plus, join us on social media, where the conversation is always happening, and you can get the most immediate updates from GRFS.
Know someone you think will dig BEAM FROM THE BOOTH? Send them our way!
And if YOU would like to contribute a piece to an upcoming issue, we highly encourage you to send us an inquiry.
Look for ISSUE #143 in your inbox NEXT WEEK!
Until then, friends...
