Today we’d like to introduce you to Lily Mehallick.
Hi Lily, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
When I was a kid, me and my friend were bored and asked my dad what we should do. He said, “Make a movie!” “What? We can’t do that.” Oh boy, did he prove us wrong? He took our camcorder, set it up, and did an effect that made me disappear on camera. When I played the film back, I was mesmerized. Since then, I’ve been telling stories through films and novels. After doing an intensive program at USC/Universal Studios and studying at Art Center College of Design, I’ve narrowed in on my strengths as a director and what stories I enjoy telling. I’m a big fan of fantasy with elements of romance, mental health rep, and highlighting female protagonists. I never would’ve gotten to where I am without my wonderful peers, professors, and family.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Nope. Pursuing a path in the film industry is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done! This industry takes a lot of perseverance and passion for the art in order to keep going. It’s a common occurrence to run into problems on set. There were times when I wondered, “Is this film going to get made?” “Is my message coming across?” It’s all about getting creative when you run into issues because, let’s be honest, you will always have unexpected problems on any project you work on. How you face the challenge and still make your intended vision is what is important. What has helped me is to take a second, go to a quiet place for a few minutes, and get my bearings. Don’t be afraid to listen to input from your team. Film is a collaboration, and everyone can bring a creative solution to the table.
Lastly, sometimes, these problems can turn into blessings. I remember in my first year at Art Center College of Design; I had cast my lead in one of my short films. She said she wasn’t available anymore, so I cast my backup. The backup couldn’t either! And guess what…neither could my third choice! I finally reached out to my fourth choice, and in the end, she was one of the most talented and enjoyable actresses I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. Now, I couldn’t picture anyone else playing that character. So sometimes, everything works out how it was supposed to, and you just have to ride the wave.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
After having a viral video back in 2019 on YouTube and making countless short films and spec ADs, I’m super excited to share that Lily Beyond Borders Productions is in the development stages of a fantasy feature film we plan to shoot Spring of 2025! This feature film, “Three of Swords,” is important to me because it highlights mental health, something that hasn’t been explored much in the fantasy genre. Here’s a little teaser/logline: Being cursed as a Three of Swords tarot card, Daniella knows she’s going to die soon because of her card, that is until a boy who’s locked up in the Palace dungeons promises he can help her.
This film is deeply personal to me, as well as my actors and producers. We are thrilled to bring this story to life as our next major project. Here’s the link if you’d like to donate https://www.gofundme.com/f/feature-fantasy-film-three-of-swords?member=34046303&sharetype=teams&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&utm_medium=sms&utm_source=customer
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was very girly and into makeup, but also into things like comic books, superheroes, and ghost stories. I would beg my parents to take me to haunted ghost towns or rumored haunted hotels in the hopes that I’d see a ghost. My parents were big roadtrippers and have taken my sister and me to almost all fifty states. From being on the move so much as a kid, there’s a restlessness for adventure that has transcended to who I am today.
I also constantly had a camera in my hand growing up and was making home movies of me fighting zombies (aka my neighbor friends) or music videos of my stuffed animals. YouTube was emerging when I was a kid, so I watched any short films I could find on there, subconsciously learning the craft.
I was always the kid bringing people together. When I went to the beach, about five minutes later, I had wrangled four or five other kids to make sandcastles with me. Every neighborhood I moved to I made sure to find all the kids and make a little neighborhood squad. To this day, I still love connecting friends and bringing people together.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lilybeyondborders.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilymehal/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-mehallick/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LilyMehallick
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86Xu13rb2dI&t=3s
Image Credits
Jay Chen
Michael Newman
Jayden Wu
Julia Li
Preston Rodriguez
