“I used to write in my notebook over and over again: A film by Rebekah, A Rebekah Production, Ask for Rebekah anytime,” New York-based filmmaker, film obsessive and Co-Founder of independent production company Simone Films Rebekah Sherman-Myntti tells us, revealing early ambitions for where she currently stands at the centre of the city’s exciting new film scene. For Rebekah, the collective is at the forefront of artistic creation. Through productions and events, most recently hosting The Downtown Festival in New York, she introduces an alternative platform dedicated to individual and emerging talent within independent culture. Her films delve into the unaccustomed mind, portraying the blank canvas of youth as it reaches developmental milestones, like the formative eruptions through the teenage years – ie. Salamander Days, Simone Films’ debut feature film; an atmospheric and emotive high school coming-of-age story created by Rebekah and Simone Films Co-Founder KJ Rothweiler. We sit down with Rebekah to talk filmmaking, New York cinema, and fostering a supportive community.

Linnéa Ruiz Mutikainen: What initially got you into filmmaking? I read that you’ve been infatuated with it since the early days.
Rebekah Sherman-Myntti: I’ve always been a very curious person. I saw films as gateways to interesting ideas, new places, and other people’s lives – that fascinated me as a kid. I would go to the library every week and rent the maximum amount of VHS tapes. I’m an only child so watching those movies was a solo exploration time that I really loved. In elementary school, I discovered the idea of being a filmmaker. I loved the inner workings of the movie-making process and how there could be this umbrella under which all of your films live. I became obsessed. I used to write “A film by Rebekah. A Rebekah Production. Ask for Rebekah anytime” in my notebooks, even listing my landline phone number. It’s funny to fast-forward to now, my notebooks and general vibe are pretty much the same.

LRM: Tell me about Simone Films.
RSM: Simone Films is an independent film production company that I founded with my longtime collaborator KJ Rothweiler. It’s a home base for me and many emerging artists in New York City. I’m a big believer in championing new voices and fostering a supportive community. Alongside our various productions, screenings, and special events, we have The Simone Actors Studio, which invites renowned actors and directors to lead workshops for emerging talent. Sometimes people refer to it as The Simone Cinematic Universe, which makes me laugh but there’s also some truth to it. The Studio’s actors get cast in our films, we work with the same crew and there is a palpable energy of supportiveness and collaboration.

“I would go to the library every week and rent the maximum amount of VHS tapes.”

LRM: Your projects often target new perspectives and emerging voices, encouraging progressive ideas on independent film…
RSM: I am drawn to originality. I find that independent films can take creative risks that larger productions tend to avoid. I am interested in helping my fellow filmmakers tell the stories they want to see in the world. Fortunately, independent filmmakers are less restrained by commercial pressures or rigid expectations. Compared to the mainstream industry, this allows for a greater degree of creative freedom. By focusing on emerging perspectives, the goal is to elevate fresh voices that bring new ideas to the forefront. From a young age, I was taught to think outside the box and that way of thinking extends to today.

LRM: There are some notable power dynamics not just in the film industry but the contemporary culture landscape overall. Like this frequent ethos of struggle, especially as an unestablished voice. It’s still rare to come across a welcoming environment.
RSM: Yes. There is a major scarcity mindset in a lot of industries, certainly in film. There’s this idea that there is not enough to go around, whether it be resources, connections, money, etc. I think it’s a choice as to whether you want to embrace that attitude or step outside of it. Personally, I believe karma is real. The deepest relationships I have in this industry are built not only on a shared artistic vision, but also a genuine desire to see each other succeed.

LRM: What about your coherent references to time? You like to capture characters at specific moments in their lives.
RSM: I love time capsules. It circles back to the curiosity thing and my desire to understand people’s inner worlds. I am always searching for deeper truths. I find that intimate documentation, especially of artists, is important as we are all constantly evolving. It’s probably also linked to my relationship to mortality. We won’t be around forever so I find it important to capture people, places, and feelings. Time and memory fascinates me, and I love that film allows you to both explore and express truth and art simultaneously.

LRM: This makes me think of the relationship between perception and attention in viewers. Our attention spans are evidently in decline, fed by technologisation and social media. In another interview, you mentioned how productions are geared towards altering attention span in viewers. Does that affect the creative process?
RSM: I think it depends on where in the film industry you find yourself and if you view filmmaking as an actual art form that has the power to transform the way people think and relate to the world. I have friends who are in the writers’ room of Amazon shows. It’s alarming to hear how much of the narrative-crafting is data-driven. Like, they’re being told, “At this many minutes in, the viewer clicks out so a certain action needs to occur.” Talk about a way to zap out the creativity of the storytelling process. But on the indie side of things, I think there is still a desire to push boundaries, experiment with form and tell stories that may not fit into the mainstream mould.

“I think there’s a purity to first features – even though they’re often flawed, that rawness is always cool to see.”

LRM: Your debut film Salamander Days includes many common themes of adolescence, like self-consciousness, vulnerability and the perception of time. Can you talk a bit about the film and why you decided to centralise these ideas?
RSM: The teenage years are so weighty, with so much questioning, thinking and internal dialogues at play. It is when you begin to understand yourself, attempt to understand others and first encounter the big questions of life. There is a deep emotionality to that time period, so much is being absorbed and processed. With Salamander Days, which I co-directed with KJ, I wanted to delve into the inner psyche of students as they attempt to comprehend friendship, loss and grief. I am also interested in memory, especially how our brain puts together fragments of experience in deeply emotional, not always logical ways.

Salamander Days helped us explore those adolescent themes while also learning about ourselves as filmmakers. We had complete freedom to experiment, from production to editing, and the film really reflects that. There is a beautiful innocence to the whole thing, I think there’s a purity to first features – even though they’re often flawed, that rawness is always cool to see. I love going back and looking at filmmakers’ early films, you can often see ideas that they’re still grappling with many films later. The themes in Salamander Days are ones I will definitely continue to explore throughout my work.

LRM: You recently hosted The Downtown Festival in New York. What was the idea behind this?
RSM: It has been so fun. My goal with The Downtown Festival was to provide a meaningful space where independent artists can gather, share their work, and form connections with each other and with audiences. In today’s festival landscape that seldom offers a platform for new voices and bold ideas, The Downtown Festival celebrates both emerging and established talent across film, music, and art in New York. I want to spotlight artists who take risks and push boundaries with their work, those who challenge conventions and aren’t afraid to step into uncharted territory.

What also makes this festival unique is its multi-generational and interdisciplinary focus. Artists of all ages and backgrounds get together and inspire one another. The atmosphere is very collaborative – there’s a certain magic in artists supporting each other, recognising an alternative vision, and working together to bring it to life.

Follow Rebekah Sherman-Myntti here.