Daily Inspiration: Meet Lilly Lion

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lilly Lion.

Lilly, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve always felt most at home when creating, expressing, and collaborating. I first started in theater and acting and dance were my first passions. I also wrote a lot of poetry growing up and dreamed of turning these poems and short stories into plays or films. I was lucky to come from a creative family that always encouraged and supported my endeavors. My dad, who passed when I was young, was the founder of San Fransisco’s Magic Theater, which was prominent theater movement during the beat generation and is still around today. His legacy and the wild 60s posters on the walls of my home – as well as the fact that I felt I could only access him through art – had a massive impact on my upbringing, inspirations, and creative pursuits.

Whenever dancing or acting onstage, it felt as though time did not exist. I became addicted to the high of taking on new characters and transporting to different worlds. The stage was the only place I truly felt I could move beyond “reality”. It’s amazing how when you do what you truly love, you step outside your ego and forget about your own existence, which is arguably the most fulfilling way to exist.

Now, I feel this same way when writing or directing. My first film, DEFERMENT, a no-budget comedy short about a man with a cow fetish and a girl trying to pay student loans, screened at over ten festivals worldwide including Portland Film Festival and Hell’s Half Mile. My second short film, IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, explored the correlation between mental health and houselessness. It screened at Tallgrass Film Festival and won best PNW short film at Tacoma Film Festival. I used this work to apply for the directing program at the American Film Institute, where I graduated in 2024. Currently, my thesis film YOU & ME (& CHAZ & RODNEY) is making its festival run and I am in development for my first feature.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Is it ever a smooth road? I think part of what makes life rewarding is that it’s rarely smooth, but you still manage to find a way. I picture plants growing through the tiny cracks of a sidewalk. Whatever challenges you face, when you overcome them, it makes you a stronger, wiser, and more resilient person. Committing to yourself as an artist is the first struggle. With that comes imposter syndrome, a million rejections, and getting over the shyness of putting yourself out there and believing your work is valuable. But with that also comes strength in identity, beautiful friends, collaborators, and community that cheer each other on, and creative and personal growth. At the end of the day, each challenge is worth it because these are lessons and pathways to a stronger and better you.

Choosing a path as an artist comes with its survival risks. I’ve been completely independent since 18, so finding ways to pay for college, build my creative career, survive, and still find ways to do the things I love hasn’t been easy. But I find that each of these categories get exponentially better, and it’s a whole lot easier now than it was ten years ago. I’m currently finding the balance between having a day job and supporting my creative career, while working towards the day these both will coincide.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m an independent filmmaker that mostly works in the narrative and experimental space, though I have a background in non-fiction storytelling. My first student project was a documentary short (FROG, 2017) about a man who sat on the same street corner in Eugene, Oregon everyday since 1987 selling his homemade joke books. Coming from a small town in Oregon that was famous for theater and marijuana farms, I relate to stories about found family and characters on the fringes of society.

Themes of social class and sexuality resurface a lot in my work. My AFI thesis film, which will be premiering at a few Oscar and BAFTA qualifying festivals this fall, is a comedy-drama that follows two teenage best friends who make a pact to give blow-jobs for the first time. However, both girls are soon confronted by the ways in which their own friendship is growing apart. Inspired by my own upbringing, the film explores the conversations ( or lack of) we are having as a society about sexual development, as well as the isolation and abandonment kids may feel while watching their friends grow up quicker.

I have a background as an assistant editor in commercial and am looking to translate my narrative directing experience into short form/commercial content as well. I also have a background in teaching, a real passion for travel, and have taught French and English internationally. Any excuse to travel or work abroad, I’m there.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
There have been countless people along the way. My mom has been a huge support and my siblings helped me get through grad school. When I think about those who deserve credit, I think about those who gave me my first opportunities when I had little to no experience. From strangers who answered my (many) cold calls to friends who connected me to collaborators and mentors, I am grateful to have a community with a generous spirit. There were two mentors who helped me a huge amount when I was getting started. One was an editor whom I met at an OMPA event in Portland, and the other was an AFI producing alum whom a friend connected me with. Both mentors helped me get my first jobs in the industry and helped guide me with my first short.

My friends – both those whom I grew up with as well as newer friends/collaborators – have been instrumental in this journey. Their excitement for projects and ongoing encouragement, especially during dark times, is what keeps me going. Once you find what you are passionate about, having the community, mentors, and collaborators who believe in you and are along for the route is truly an unparalleled gift.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @lilll_lionn
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/lilly-lion