Meet the Finalist: Suzanne DeLaurentiis, "D-Railed"

Tell us about yourself, and about D-Railed.

My name is Suzanne DeLaurentiis and I have been working in the industry for over thirty five years as an independent producer. I have a passion for filmmaking. I think it is important to give back to the community. I have an organization called "Operation Hollywood" where we train returning veterans form military duty to work on film sets. "D-Railed" has several veterans working in from of the camera as well as behind the camera.

Share a memorable moment you experienced working on this project.

There were so many memorable moments for me. It was such a hard shoot. We only had twelve days and we had two locations (Los Angeles and Philadelphia), mostly night shoots, period costumes and practical effects. I would say that working with Phil Young (the actor playing The Creature) was the most memorable for me personally. He was so talented and wonderful to work with. He was killed on August 7th in an automobile accident. D-Railed was his last film. We will miss him dearly.

Name 3 collaborators that you'd take with you to any other project.

Dale Fabrigar. Everette Wallin. Regina Lines.

It's always important to have a great team around you.

3 tips you’d like to share with aspiring artists in your field:

I would tell independent producers/filmmakers to never give up, follow your dreams, and be prepared because there are many ups and down.

What do you hope to achieve in your career in the next 5 years?

Retirement!!!

D-Railed is nominated for Best of the Fest, Best Narrative and Best Ensemble of the Year at the New York Film Awards.