Best live Action short film 'God of Love' Backstage interview

Luke Matheny took home the Best Live Action short Oscar for his 'God of Love'. The young filmmaker shares his view points on making the movie as a student at the New York Uni Graduate Film Program.

God of Love Trailer

Interview with Luke Matheny Backstage at the Oscars

This is a little bit random to begin with, but I actually rode the Super Shuttle with your mother from the airport.

She told me about you.

So I just wanted to say congratulations, first of all. Second of all, how about it seems like it was really a family thing for you that because you got your girlfriend involved and your mom I think brought treats. Let's just talk about what this means, not only for you, but for your the people you know and care about.

Sure. I mean this was my student film at New York University Graduate Film Program, so no one who really makes these movies expects to get an Oscar. I sort of grew up in screenwriting classes in NYU so for this to happen is crazy. Obviously, this means the world to me and a lot of people. I know we had a really great party last night, all my friends from Delaware flew out for it, and friends from college. So it's been it's been on Facebook, I sent out a link that said, This is how I felt, and I edited a clip of the end of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, which is pretty much summing up what the experience has been like.

You mentioned you making this at a graduate program at NYU.

A lot of my classes had James Franco in them.

Oh, really?

We never met actually. He's several years behind me.

Well, what does that say now, you winning an Oscar, what does that say about student filmmakers today?

Well, especially in the Shorts category, I mean, you know, short films are basically the unit of currency of film school, so that's what we're all doing out there, just doing our best. I'm not sure how much I could generalize about it, but it certainly you know, it's exciting when this kind of thing happens.

I'm just curious, did you get any reaction on the carpet on your way in from other people who were here tonight that have seen the film? Did anybody talk to you about that?

I think a couple random people recognized me who happened to see the short but, yeah, no, there was not much attention on the red carpet for our team, but it was really fun. We were basically kind of standing behind Robert Downey, Jr., just to get on TV.

Is there anyone new you are excited to meet when you're going upstairs to the Governor's Ball?

It was interesting to me at the Nominees' Luncheon was a little while ago, it's funny, when you're in a room and there's like one famous person, it's like very distracting, you keep looking at that person, but the Nominees' Luncheon, there was like wall to wall famous people, so you sort of click in this other level of reality where it's like existing in TV or real life. Actually, the screenwriter of TOY STORY 3 and of LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE came up to me at the Nominees' Luncheon and said he was a fan of the movie, "We like your story." That was sort of my famous person story.

First of all, do you have any advice for all of us college kids that are, you know, potential moviemakers, and also what do you think is necessary for all of the kids in the department of the film department to sacrifice in order to be a successful director?

Like the first question this is an interesting category. I mean, we basically are making movies we want to make. It wasn't like a studio tested thing here of like different branches of the audience we were trying to please. I just made a movie that I thought would be pretty good. And I think that's probably instructive. I think that's the best thing that a young filmmaker can do is sort of make the movie he or she wants to see, not something don't yeah, make the movie you want to make and that you'd like to see. Don't worry too much about how it's going to be received until later is my advice.

Pat Stanner with WSYR TV Philadelphia.

Hey. I know this guy.

That's why I wanted to ask you.

I listen to you on the radio while going to work in the subway.

Listen, what does it feel like at your age to be able to take something like this home and it's almost like a gift for the people who helped you as you were growing up?

I mean, I'm still processing here. I have 73 unread text messages and 50 unread emails here. These are the people who are the reasons why I'm here. And, you know, it's just hard to express the gratitude of the whole thing. I I think I thanked Delaware in my speech. I hope that came across. Yeah. Thank you.

Thank you so much. Congratulations.

Thank you. Thanks guys.