Written by:
Diane Anderson-Minshall
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this Issue of Curve:
Vol. 17#1
Joyce Draganosky is an Emmy award-winning writer, director and filmmaker. Her films have been selected for dozens of top festivals worldwide and have won numerous awards. Her latest film, The Science of Love, won the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation production grant and is currently touring the film festival circuit worldwide. Draganosky’s previous film, Extreme Mom, won Best Film at The Director’s View Film Festival and the Triumph Award at the International Angelus Competition. It also swept awards night at Columbia University, winning Best Film, The National Board of Review Award, Lifetime’s Outstanding New Film maker, Best Actress and the Audience Choice. Extreme Mom has competed in prestigious film festivals such as The Hamptons and Seagate Foyle in Europe. Joyce’s first film, Jared, screened in numerous festivals worldwide and won the Grand Jury Prize in Madrid.
As an Emmy-award winning freelance writer and director, Draganosky has worked on a variety of projects for clients such as HBO, Time Warner, ABC, CBS and NBC. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and is currently in development on her first feature film. Draganosky and her partner Laureen Callo live in their lovely Brooklyn historic townhouse. (“We have no cats,” she mocks)
Tell me about The Science of Love. You wrote, directed, edited and produced. How’d that come about?
The Science of Love is a lesbian romantic comedy that asks the question, ’Can you prove love?’ So we have Sydney, and she’s a buttoned-up, "brainy but beautiful" professor who clashes with her boss Ileana, who’s totally sexy and seductive. And they are arguing over Sydney’s research, that claims brains scans can measure true love. And there’s all this sexual tension. And then they have a sexy sword fight in stiletto heels. It’s really a wacky little movie. I loved making it. The reason I wore so many hats in production —writer, director, producer and editor — is not because I was a control freak. It was simply necessary. It’s is a very big short film, a mini major motion picture, without a major motion picture budget. I try to write and direct all my projects, but editing and producing is something I only do when I have to, when I am passionate enough about a project and have to see it made.
I actually did win a huge cash grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, but I wanted to put all the money up on the screen, towards shooting and finishing on 35mm film, to hire great actors and crew and for locations and art direction. There was no money left to hire an editor. Fortunately, I do know how to edit and I do actually like that process, so it wasn’t a big issue. I did not produce alone, I had my exceptional partner of 11 years, Laureen Callo, as my Executive Producer, and two other producers besides me — Christina Darcy and Jim Pelligrinelli.
But if I never had to produce anything ever ever ever again, that would be fine with me. My main goal is writing and directing.
What’s the response been like?
The response has been great. I got offers immediately from several TV stations and distributors. And the festival scene has been totally wonderful. It’s actually a crossover film — it played in straight, mainstream film festivals last year before it played in all the big queer film festivals this year. So it’s always interesting to see the different kinds of responses from different kinds of audiences. Straight audiences always like the film, but the women kind of squirm and there’s a lot of nervous laughter, and the straight men are always turned on at the women kissing.
Then, with queer audiences, it’s like, they get every nuance. You play to that sold out crowd of lesbians at that gigantic Castro theater — San Francisco, you always show up — and you sit in the dark with them and hear them laughing out loud. It’s just such a thrill. It reminds me why I make movies.
Are short queer films a path to making features for you?
Not all of my shorts are queer, but I don’t think content matters as much as just making a good, solid short films. Sure, it’s one of several of paths to making a feature. You show that you can write and direct. Writing a good feature script is just as important, so I also focus on my feature writing quite a bit too.
What are you working on now?
I keep trying to figure out the exact blend of ingredients to perfect Joyce’s Super Secret Seafood Pasta Pesto recipe. When I am not doing that, I’m setting up a few feature films. I have a low budget indie that I wrote and want to direct, and I’m hoping to make that in 2007, and I have another feature script that I just finished writing that I’ll probably just want to sell because it is higher budget and more mainstream.
How does The Science of Love compare to Jared or Extreme Mom?
Jared was my first film, shot practically no-budget on digital video, as a film school exercise. But it turned out great; It wound up being a real queer film festival favorite. It’s the story of a young boy who, while questioning his sexual orientation and experimenting with cross-dressing, develops a crush on his mother’s new boyfriend. Extreme Mom was my thesis film at Columbia University and had much higher production values, shot and finished on film with very experienced professional actors. It is a heart-felt drama, with no queer content. It’s about a woman trapped in the circle of life — the story of her struggle to care for both her toddler and her elderly, infirmed mother. It is the film that won the most awards and accolades and tends to open up the most doors towards other projects for me. The Science of Love is a wacky lesbian romantic comedy that debates whether brain scans can measure true love. It’s definitely the largest production of the three and was the most fun to make. But they’re all very different, my films, and I love each of my babies equally. My goal as a filmmaker is to work with different genres to show range and to continually grow as a storyteller.
Does the heart have a mind of its own?
Well, that’s the old adage. But my films asks the question: Does the mind have a heart of it’s own? And yes, I think it does. It’s an age-old battle, the one between intellect and emotion. The mind wants one thing, and the heart wants another. Who hasn’t experienced that?
What’s the least rational thing you’ve ever done for love?
Abduction! My partner Laureen Callo and I had just finished making The Science of Love and we were beyond exhausted. She happened to have a big birthday that week, but I fooled her into thinking that we weren’t going to do anything but go out to eat locally. However, I while I was making the film, I was also secretly setting up an elaborate surprise. The day before her birthday, I went to her office to take her to lunch, but instead, I put her in the car, drove to the airport, and took her to Paris! Our limo drove up to the Plaza Athenee, where I got a huge, elaborate suite — like they had in the finale of Sex In The City — the one with the view of the Eiffel Tower, and more bathrooms than you need, and when we entered the suite, I had dozens of long-stemmed roses, chocolate and champagne. There is nothing more exciting that abducting someone for love. Although, secretly packing for her was a little intimidating. She was so surprised, she cried. It wasn’t very rational. We’d just spent a boatload of money on the movie. But it was worth every penny and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. It was totally spontaneous and wildly romantic. Sometimes, you have to just throw logic out the door and follow your passions. And we’re together 11 years now, too. It just keeps getting better and better.
What’s next for you?
We just got back from a few weeks in Italy and we are already planning a cruise around Russia for next spring. I’m dying to see St. Petersburg. We love to travel, so that is always in the future plans. In addition to making my first feature film next year, my other big project will be overseeing the renovation of our second home, which we are in the process of buying right now.
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