Exclusive Interview With Gary Mazeffa

Madrid Film Awards
5 days ago
8 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

Gary Mazeffa´s creative journey is one of resurgence. Rather than slowing down, he discovered a new passion in filmmaking and founded Q2 Films, LLC in 2017. Since then, he has devoted himself to creating stories that explore timeless questions of love,

meaning, and our shared experience of life.

Drawing inspiration from mythology, philosophy, and cinema from both East and West, Mazeffa approaches storytelling with a spirit of curiosity and wonder. His films invite audiences into conversations rather than conclusions, exploring mystery, relationships, and humanity´s enduring search for meaning.

Whether through myth, humor, or adventure, Mazeffa remains committed to creating films that entertain, inspire, and celebrate the unexpected journeys we share together.

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Your drama film has a solid and modern story, combining philosophy, existentialism, and artificial intelligence. How did the idea come about?
The idea for Asherah: A Love Odyssey began with a question that became more interesting the longer I sat with it: What happens after intelligence?
As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, I became fascinated with the possibility that our need for meaning, relationship, and participation may become even more important. At a deeper level, the film explores the idea that life is not ultimately about competition, but about cooperation and completion. Whether we are speaking about intelligence, men and women, or humanity´s relationship with creation itself, I see us as participants in an ongoing process rather than observers standing outside of it.
I have always been drawn to stories that ask questions rather than provide easy answers. One influence that quietly found its way into the film was President John F. Kennedy´s belief that, in the final analysis, the future we hope for, and the work required to achieve it ultimately belongs to us. There is something deeply hopeful in that idea, and it has never left me.
For me, Asherah: A Love Odyssey is less interested in predicting the future than in asking what kind of future we wish to create together. Intelligence alone cannot answer that question. The work of love, meaning, and human relationships still belongs to us.

The story has a structure that resonates with the internal conflicts many people face today. How has your team´s synergy influenced the project´s outcome?
One of the themes of Asherah: A Love Odyssey is that life is not about domination but participation, and the making of the film reflected that philosophy. Filmmaking is one of the most collaborative forms of art, and every person who joined the project brought something valuable that I could never have created alone.
One example came during the final monolith sequence. Originally, I envisioned Ash removing her headscarf and placing it at the base of the monolith. But Ally Vernon, who portrays the eighteen-year-old Ash, saw the scene differently. She suggested that Ash
should choose to wear it of her own accord. I stopped and realized she was right. What I had intended as a symbol of release became something even more meaningful—a symbol of freedom. The scene became stronger because of her insight.
Moments like that reinforced one of the film´s central themes: creation itself is often a shared experience. In that sense, Asherah became something larger than any one
individual. I believe the film is richer because so many people helped shape it.

In order to understand the value of your piece, we would like to know more about the mind behind the process. How would you define your personal experience with cinema as a director? Could you tell us an experience or moment that changed or challenged you?
Cinema has always represented wonder to me. I have been deeply influenced by filmmakers who invite audiences into the mystery rather than explain everything. Films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey taught me that questions can sometimes be more
powerful than answers.
One of the things that has challenged me most as a director is learning to let go. I usually have a strong sense of what a scene or a film is trying to say, but over time I have learned to step back and allow others to participate in that process. Actors, composers, editors, and ultimately audiences often see things that I never consciously intended. Their interpretations have challenged me, and on more than one occasion they have revealed meanings that are richer than the ones I originally had in mind.
Perhaps that has been the most valuable lesson of all. I no longer feel that I have to possess all the answers. Creating a film and understanding a film are not always the same thing. Sometimes the people around us help us discover meanings we did not know were there, and that spirit of discovery is one of the reasons I continue to love cinema.

Can you tell us any difficulties you had during the filming?
Ask any filmmaker if they´ve had difficulties making a movie and you´ll probably get a smile. It´s usually not a question of whether there were challenges, but simply a matter of degree.
I remember the very first day of shooting Asherah: A Love Odyssey. We were trying to capture a sunrise drone shot involving a convertible, traffic control, and the cathedral in the distance. The wind wasn´t cooperating, the drone itself was acting up, the remote control wasn´t functioning properly, and just about everything that could go wrong seemed determined to do so.
Around 11:30 that morning, I turned to my assistant director, Bill Smith, and asked, "How far are we behind?"; Without missing a beat, he answered, "About three and a half hours"; It was still the first half of the first day, and somehow, we were already three and
a half hours behind.
Not long afterward, our location manager, Russ Gladden, came over and quietly informed me that the police officers helping us with traffic control were beginning to get a little edgy and wanted to know when they could reopen the roads. I still laugh when I
think about it. Over the years, one question has become something of a running joke between Bill and me. We never seem to ask if we´re ahead. We only ask, "How far are we behind?"; I
suppose that´s filmmaking. Things rarely go exactly as planned, and perhaps that´s part of the adventure. Looking back, I´ve come to appreciate that patience, flexibility, and a sense of humor are just as important as cameras and scripts.
The message about AI transcends all cultures, societies, and social classes. We´d like to learn more about the how and why of this interesting approach. If you had to name three key concepts to help everyone understand this film,
what would they be?
One of the things that fascinates me about artificial intelligence is that intelligence and experience are not necessarily the same thing. AI can process information, solve problems, and make our lives easier. Those are extraordinary achievements. But life itself
is not merely something to be understood. It is something to be lived.
Films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Blade Runner 2049 helped shape my thinking. As machines become increasingly intelligent, perhaps the greater challenge for humanity is becoming more human. We experience life through our senses, our emotions, our relationships, and our capacity to love. AI may help us better understand the mystery, but it does not remove the mystery. If anything, it may deepen our appreciation of it.
If I had to choose three concepts to help people understand Asherah: A Love Odyssey, they would be Experience, Relationship, and Participation. We experience life through our senses and emotions. We discover meaning through our relationships. And ultimately, we are not spectators standing outside of creation. We are participants within it.

How has the process of creating the characters been? Fellini once said that "all art is autobiographical"; Is there a personal story behind this work? And what was the most valuable thing you learned making this movie?
I believe every artist leaves something of themselves within their work, although not necessarily through a single character. The characters in Asherah: A Love Odyssey are less autobiographical than they are reflections of questions, hopes, fears, and possibilities that many people share. In that sense, the film is deeply personal while also belonging to everyone.
For years, I had a habit of joking with store employees after making a purchase. When they would ask, "Did you find everything you were looking for?"; I would smile and say, "No, I didn´t. Can you tell me the meaning of life?" Most people would laugh, and some would even try to answer. But one day, a woman looked me straight in the eye and said, "Yes. The meaning of life is not about you. It´s the meaning you put into other people´s
lives" I remember being struck by the simplicity of her answer. It changed something in me. Perhaps the most valuable lesson I learned while making this film is that meaning is discovered through relationship, participation, and the ways we touch the lives of others. In many ways, that simple insight is what I wanted to share with audiences through Asherah: A Love Odyssey.

Could you tell us more about your experience at the 2026 Marché du Film in Cannes?
Presenting Asherah: A Love Odyssey at the 2026 Marché du Film in Cannes was a meaningful experience. We held two private viewings during the market, and one of the great joys was witnessing how audiences from different countries responded to the film. Their reactions reminded me that questions about love, identity, spirituality, technology, and meaning are universal. More importantly, I discovered once again that audiences often reveal dimensions of a film that the filmmaker himself may not fully appreciate. In many ways, some of the deepest meanings emerge through that shared experience.

For me, Cannes has never been simply about business. It has always felt like participating in a worldwide conversation through cinema. In the exhibition area, it is not unusual to find yourself speaking with people from Colombia, Nigeria, Australia, Thailand, India, or France, all within the span of an hour. English becomes the common language, but cinema itself becomes the language everyone shares. There is a spirit of curiosity, exchange, and discovery that I deeply value.
This was my third time attending Cannes, and each visit has strengthened my connection not only to the Marché du Film, but also to the festival itself and to the remarkable people, places, and experiences that surround it. Somehow, Cannes continues to exceed my expectations on every level, and I look forward to returning again next year.
Can you tell us something about your next job?
One of the things I love about cinema is that it allows us to explore very different worlds. While Asherah: A Love Odyssey asks profound questions through myth and symbolism, my next project takes a much lighter and more playful approach.
The film is a road-trip comedy titled Burgers & Bongs. It follows three friends on a week-long treasure hunt to Key West, where bad ideas, unexpected detours, and eccentric characters seem to appear around every corner. One of my favorite characters is known simply as "Uncle"; a wealthy and wonderfully mysterious figure whose house becomes the setting for one of the film´s most memorable sequences. Imagine burgers, secret recipes, strange rituals, and conversations about UFOs under the stars, and you´;ll
begin to understand the spirit of the film.
In some ways, the two films are not as different as they first appear. One asks questions through monoliths, blossoms, and mystery. The other asks questions through burgers, laughter, and the open road. Somehow, they both feel like different expressions of the same curiosity about life and the unexpected adventures we share along the way.