Recently, Kash Hovey had his short drama Plastic Daydream screened at WME and has seen the production win four awards at the LA Live Film Festival. Later this year, Kash will be making an appearance in the movie Undateable John, where he works alongside Shannen Doherty, and will also be involved in an upcoming episode of Set Life, hosted by award-winning filmmaker Ethan Paisley. We caught up with Kash a short time ago to chat about his experience on Undateable John, having Plastic Daydream screened at WME and working on the production.
You can currently be seen starring as James in the short film Plastic Daydream, can you tell us about it?
Plastic Daydream tells the story of a woman named Hazel, played by Shari Belafonte, who is desperate to appear young and is willing to take a risk on a life-altering incident. My character is James, who works at the hospital and feels empathy towards Hazel. He has a moral dilemma in this story and he genuinely wants to help Hazel. The brilliance of Kathy Kolla’s storytelling and directing is that we find ourselves questioning motives and finding the humanity in the characters she creates.
How long were you working on it and what was it like seeing the completed film?
Kathy Kolla and I sat down at the beginning of last year and said we need to collaborate on a project. Within two weeks, she had written the script and by the end of the month, we had our location locked. I reached out to Shari Belafonte, we met with her and she said yes. We filmed Plastic Daydream on a weekend in April and it premiered at La Femme Film Festival in October 2018 followed by LA Live Film Festival that November. Magic happens when I work with Kathy. She is such a driven person and whenever she has an idea, we run with it and make it happen. It’s a privilege to have her as a friend and colleague. To see the finished product in a movie theatre with an audience was such rewarding experience for me.
Plastic Daydream recently had an industry screening at WME, how did this go and what was the response like?
It was so exciting to have it screened at WME. I have so much admiration for our cast and crew. Everyone who attended was so supportive and had great things to say about the film and our team.
How did it feel having the film win awards at LA Live Film Festival?
When you put in the long hours of work and have an extraordinary experience on a film, it is always fulfilling to win an award and have your team acknowledged. I am honoured to be part of Plastic Daydream and I am so proud of everyone involved. What made LA Live Film Festival particularly special was that we were part of a film block that included some of my colleagues who I have so much respect for who also won awards for their projects. LA Live Film Fest respects and supports filmmakers and has given a platform to so many hard-working up and coming talent.
Do you know what the worldwide distribution plans are?
We have an exciting announcement about the future of Plastic Daydream coming soon. I’m not at liberty to share the details just yet, but please follow @plasticdaydream on Instagram for news updates.
We understand you have recently filmed for the upcoming release of Undateable John alongside Shannen Doherty, is there anything you can say about your character and time on set?
In Undateable John, my character Adam has a pivotal role during the climax of the film with Charlene, played by Shannen Doherty. This was such a memorable experience with a very talented cast and crew. It was an honour working with Shannen Doherty; she was so nice and so fun to work with. I was informed that the film now has distribution and will be out this year anticipating a release date soon.
How did you get into acting and when did you start?
My earliest memories are watching movies. I was always dressing up in costumes and creating scenes with my friends. By the time I was ten, we were making films with my dad’s camcorder. When I was in middle school I began studying theatre. My mom would take me to acting classes on the weekends, which led to a showcase, an agent, and auditions. When I was seventeen, I auditioned for the role of an art student in a national commercial for Secret Deodorant. I went to take my last final exam as a high school student and when I was finished, I got the message that I booked the role. The next day I was on set filming two spots directed by Joe Pytka.
As a writer, you have written a few short films and other projects, do you have any future writing plans you can say about?
I will be making some exciting announcements in the coming months.
You are also a producer and director, what do you enjoy most about these roles?
I love being on set with other artists and knowing that we have an opportunity to tell a story and create characters. It is so rewarding when I click with someone and we bring our vision to life.
What was it like being involved with Set Life with Ethan Paisley?
Ethan is very talented and he knows how to get things done. He also supports artists and filmmakers. I’m proud of what he has accomplished with Set Life and I was moved when he asked me to be involved.
What advice would you give your younger self starting your career?
Stay focused on your goals but live in the moment and enjoy the ride.
Do you have any projects you are currently working on or have coming up in the near future?
I just finished shooting something new with Plastic Daydream’s director Kathy Kolla. The project is currently in the post-production stage. I’m anticipating likely success for this and can’t wait to be able to share more about it soon.
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