Aravali AOTS 48HR Film Competition winner Cathy Kostova
- eightfolk
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
"It’s definitely intense, so be ready for it—but do it." - Cathy Kostova
May 11th, 2025 | 48Hr | competition by Eightfolk
Team: à la Mike Leigh
Producer & Director: Cathy Kostova
Cinematography: Denver Dion D'Souza
Cast: Rich Allen, Esther O'Loughlin
If You Won't Act, Then Were You Even Here, is an musical drama with environmental and religious themes. After a Father delivers a sermon harmful to his daughter's beliefs, she confronts him—initiating a deep, honest and reflective conversation in which everything is laid bare.
Climate change and religion, two things we don't normally contemplate alongside each other. Over the past few years, Cathy Kostova— a Christian and environmental advocate - grappled with the seemingly self-imposed nature of these important areas in her life. Often, leaving conversations intended to raise awareness feeling stagnant. Making a short film this year was a resolution Cathy had made with herself. After seeing sign-ups for the Aravali AOTS 48Hr Film Competition go live, she decided to revisit the idea of starting an important conversation that should be had. In this brief Q&A we learn a little more about her creative process and her plans for the future.
[AOTS] How did you feel about getting the Musical Dance genre?
[Cathy] I was shocked at the beginning. It’s the first time I’ve ever tackled that genre—it was a lovely experience.
[AOTS] Themes in the film were family, faith and sustainability, are those concepts you hold dear?
[Cathy] Definitely. I joke that this film was therapy for me.
Cathy's previous experience spans numerous roles, but nothing specific could have prepared her for Musical / Dance. The genre weaves music and dance into storytelling, and luckily, actors Rich and Esther were already musically inclined. Combining their knowledge, it was decided that carefully selected hymns would convey their arguments, simultaneously scoring the film. Cathy opted for the musical approach of Les Miserables—a choice that worked well. The performances didn't strain to present the idea of a musical, remaining honest to their characters in their delivery.
[AOTS] Is there anything you would approach differently next time?
[Cathy] I’d love to have a slightly bigger team next time.
[AOTS] Are there other projects you'd like to work on?
[Cathy] I’d like to do something for younger audiences, maybe with puppet or actors in costume. Music will be a key element of that project as well.
"Having these two characters voice out the argument felt quite cathartic and therapeutic."
Early in the competition, Cathy faced uncertainties with locking in more crew. Focusing on time management, she worked on character development before receiving the genre to free up extra time usually allocated to decision making. When it comes to her own methods of exploration, she explains that nurturing 'Islands of Personality'—inspired by the animation Inside Out—is an exercise from which she gains insight. Some of her islands are health, motherhood, faith, ease and creativity.
[AOTS] Will you be entering the film into any festivals?
[Cathy] Yes, once I polish the film in post, I will.
[AOTS] Any advice for someone who wants to join up to the 48-Hr?
[Cathy] It’s only 48 hours, what could you lose?
Environmental issues tend to be overlooked until symptoms begin to impact our lives. In many ways, the same sentiment of facing misfortune due to a lack of faith can be held. One will affect the quality of our existence, and the other—the quality of our spirit. The message explored in If You Won't Act, Then Were You Even Here, highlights that we can all take a step back, analyse the things that affect us all, and work on building bridges to fix them. Surprisingly, laying down those first foundations, may be as simple as having a conversation.
The Aravali AOTS 48-Hour Film Competition was run by Aravali International Film Festival and Action On The Side. The submitted films premiered at the Film Festival on Sunday 6th April 2025 in New Delhi, India. There If You Won't Act, Then Were You Even Here was announced as the competition winner. One of the prizes is that the film will also screen at the International Film Festival The Hague in The Netherlands, 7-9 November 2025.
Find out more about Cathy's creative projects at Smeaky.com
Comments