Filmmaker Jace Wallace has a knack for finding inspiration in places most people overlook. He has put those skills to use, creating everything from advertising campaigns, music videos and films. His short film, “Hello, Malcolm,” recently won an award for Best Short Short at the Harlem International Film Festival. We caught up with Wallace to learn more about his work.
Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper: What sparked your interest in filmmaking?
Wallace: It started at the end of 2009, when I used to go to sleep with MTV on. I woke up one day and there was a music video on that felt like a film, and I had never seen a music video shot like that before. It had a story line and it intrigued me. I wanted to get to the end to see who that artist was and who directed the video. It was One Republic, “Stop and Stare,” and I started thinking to myself, ‘That’s interesting; let me see if I can do something like that.’ I am good at storytelling, so I tried it out and fell in love with it.
What inspired you to write “Hello, Malcolm”?
I came up with the idea in February of 2016 when my ex-wife and I were driving down the street and out of nowhere this dog was in the street and we hit it. We picked it up, cleaned it up and brought it home to look for the owners, but we couldn’t track them down. You could tell he had been on his own for a while, and he was very clingy. He was looking for anyone to love him, and I started to wonder, if he could talk, what would he say to me? That sparked my idea for “Hello, Malcolm.” It’s the story of a teddy bear lost in the world and being picked up by a little girl.
Tell me about entering the Harlem International Film Festival. How did it feel to know that you had won?
The creative director of the film festival was so excited to have us as a part of it. I hadn’t seen any of the previous films so I didn’t expect to win anything; it was my first entry into any film festival. Just being accepted was amazing to me. My girlfriend sent me a screen shot saying I had won, and I was so excited.
To watch films created by Jace, visit directedbyjace.com.
