Following in the footsteps of films that challenge race relations through psychological drama and horror, Fever tells a story of a queer couple facing the realities of mental health issues and the weight of white supremacy on interracial relationships. 

The film is currently in post production with plans to premiere in the festival circuit during the 2022 season. Their sights are set on Sundance, SXSW, and Tribeca Film Festival. Our editor-in-chief, Attia Taylor, spoke to the crew of Fever about its origins, telling challenging and unheard stories, and building a community on set.

Attia: I'm a huge psych thriller fan-like LOVE psych thrillers, so I’m very excited to hear more about your new film! Can you tell me more about the film and the inspiration behind it?

Jeremy Feight: Cathy and I had been working on it for the longest together. It was the two of us tossing this around as a project while we were all operating full-speed ahead before COVID-19 happened. Cathy Ye, Meg Murthy, and I had worked on a short film together called Bolognese, over a year ago now,  and while we were working on that I had started writing this script. It admittedly was born out of the anger from a breakup that had happened in my life. It was a really beautiful opportunity for me to take a look at myself and self-critique around the way that I was relating to my relationships, but also the way that I was relating to my privilege as a white man and the interracial relationships that I take part in professionally, romantically, sexually, etc. 

I worked through that with Cathy and then we realized we needed to build out a team and so we brought on Meg Murthy and Chenney Chen, our lead producer, and then we hired Angele Cooper. And with our producer Daniel Calderon, we went into a more extensive rewrite process so I owe a lot of that to their insight.

Attia: Amazing. So Cathy, when Jeremy came to you with this script, what was your interpretation of all of this? And what do you feel you’ve brought to this process?

Cathy Ye (Cinematographer/Producer): What drew me first to it was the visual playfulness and intentionality behind the script and for me, obviously as a [Director of Photography], I'm very attracted to visuals. Jeremy and I spent the first half of a year building out the look, the starting visual themes, and the language of the film before we ventured out and shared this.

Attia: It's really inspiring to hear this has grown out of something so real and  developed into this big project. What was the process of bringing you into this project, Angele? How did you get involved?

Angele Cooper (Director): I actually had a friend, Jodi, she's a DP out here in New York. She sent me the information regarding this film and that they were looking for a director. I love psych dramas. And when he said, interracial, that really caught my eye because I've been in an interracial relationship with my ex-partner. I just ended up sending some of my stuff and my information, and they reached back out to me, and I was super, super excited. And then once I read the script, I was like, ‘okay, like, I really want to direct this movie.’ There's so many sensitive topics that people aren't willing to discuss. A lot of people like to stick to comedy and stories that are very safe, right? This isn't a safe story. 

Attia: I think I've only ever seen Janet Hubert in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. I'm excited to see her again because I know she's really really talented. 

Meg Murthy (Producer): In our conversations with Janet, she's been such an inspiration because she herself has also been in an interracial relationship. She brings such a unique perspective to the table, not only being a mom and having that perspective, but also understanding the complexities of being in an interracial relationship. So stay tuned for some amazing acting and some really great storytelling from all the actors on board, because we have a powerhouse team, between the cast, between the crew, and Angele directing. I cannot hype this movie enough. You're gonna love it.

Attia: What else should we know about the film?

Cathy: That it’s not only just talking about race, but it's talking about intersections, it's talking about mental health, it's talking about privilege and how these topics affect this interracial couple. There are some really, really incredible storytellers and voices on this team. Our EP Griffin Matthews, who is on The Flight Attendant with HBO, said this so beautifully of how everyone just needs one opportunity. And so I'm so excited for what Fever will be for each of us on this team.

Attia: Angele, what do you feel like it's going to be for you as a director?

Angele: I am just excited for this opportunity. I am excited, and I'm thankful for the team that we have. I love the story so much. And just being able to work with Jeremy and work with Cathy and have such a diverse team. Just how strong this story is, even if it just touches one person's life, that's enough for me, you know? I never look at a story or look at a film and be like, “oh my god, like it's going to go big, we're going to go to Sundance, we're going to do this.” I'm just so grateful that I have this opportunity.

Attia: I can see all the passion and the personality bleeding into this film and production. 

Jeremy: I was having a call with a friend, a playwright, he's a Black queer man and we were just talking specifically in terms of representing Black love. Specifically about how our film fits into that conversation being that it's an interracial couple. He really challenged me to think, and I know that this is a conversation that the team has been having, whether we realize it or not,  about what this film does for the conversation. We just really want to present a story that holds a mirror up but also offers a warm embrace to folks that need to be validated and that there is a system that needs to be toppled.

Attia: So great, so profound.

Meg: I can't tell you how many different minds have come together on this project to just make it what it is. And I can guarantee you that as Angele said, if one person's mind will change, it'll be enough. But I have a feeling in my heart of hearts that this will change multiple people's perspectives and minds. That's my firm belief. And I just want to sing a song to my friends for giving me the shot, because I'm so thankful to be on this team.

Attia: I love the love you have for one another. It's so community oriented, and I feel that's really important for any project. 

Cathy: Film has been a medium for over a hundred years now, but it has predominantly been a white male dominated medium. There's a desperate need for a diversifying of voices. With this film and this team, it was something that we really emphasized. We are doing this our way, the way that we want to see this industry functioning. This experience showed me how much a good story can open doors. What I mean by that, and what I want others to take from that is, especially if you're a young person of color filmmaker, your story is important. 

Jeremy: We also found a lot of abundance through channels that weren't necessarily paved for us. We blazed our own trails in terms of finding what we wanted and asking for it and then receiving it. The encouragement that I would give to anybody following behind us or trying to do the same thing at the same time, is to ask for the thing you need. There's somebody out there that wants to give it to you. And the people that don't want to give it to you aren't your collaborators, period.

Attia: That's such amazing advice. And I know, a lot of people in our community are in that position of wanting to get their art out there or wanting to pursue a career in media and the arts. And that's a big part of the reason why Womanly was created -- for these stories, to share the art that people are making that maybe doesn't get the notice that they need.