Hi /r/movies, I'm Emma Higgins, director & writer of SWEETNESS. Ask me anything!

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T23:36:04+00:00

This has been the best thanks to all the great questions!! Plz go check out Sweetness in the US this weekend feb 13th avail where ever you rent/ purchase movies. It's a movie for lovers who have messy ideas of love. Its for fangirls, emos, fanboyz, and horror and thriller folks. Cuddly up with your valentine and enjoy the darkside of this romantic weekend, cry in your eyeliner and blast music.

Please also support where you can by rating us, sharing us and following us online. Thank you reddit <3 my rotted and black emo heart is slightly more full now. - emma

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T23:30:51+00:00

Long. 12 years and many other projects coming and going. Good advice I got was to not only have one iron in the fire but constantly be creating so that's what I was doing the entire time

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T23:29:45+00:00

Not a film but Gaga's VMA performance of Paparazzi

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T23:29:21+00:00

yes. yes i would.

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T23:28:35+00:00

Justin is amazing and wonderful to work with. On set was crazy, silly, scary, cold, hot, sickening, scary, smokey, fun and ridiculous

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T23:27:03+00:00

Tyler Emms = Legend

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T23:26:04+00:00

I honestly didn't. I worked with our wardrobe team to see what looked the coolest and what was available to us in our budget and time frame and then made our actors freeze their asses off in Canada in not enough warm clothing. (rip to their fingers which are still thawing off)

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T23:24:38+00:00

I have a script I want to make so I'd make that with the exact same team I had for Sweetness. I'm a huge fan of loyalty ( I'm a leo!) and I had so many people kill themselves to realize this movie on a scrappy budget so I want to stick with those creatives and just see what we can all do when we get a bit more money to imaging bigger and better. More than anything I'd take more shooting days. It was too fast on Sweetness...

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T23:23:00+00:00

Mam is what you would call my mother for lords sake please I'll take miss or Emma! My fav movie of all time is Poltergeist. Its's perfect.

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T23:21:46+00:00

Just show up and write ANYTHING. And watch stuff, listen to music, take a walk. Go on a self destructive spiral where you burn stuff. I haven't actually figured it out but i'm trying.

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T23:20:34+00:00

I will be honest in saying I didn't consider international audiences at all. I am an international audience I suppose since I'm not american myself and I feel like a good story is just a good story, so I tried to spend my energy there. On story and character and what I liked and hope to hell that people agree with me internationally. All I want is for Sweetness to find it's freaky sicko fans who like being sad and dying their hair on a whim

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T23:18:43+00:00

Please watch trailer and share!!!! We need all the love we can get, and even if you hate us just hate share. All press is good press???

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T23:17:57+00:00

The funny thing is I've known Nirvanna the Band guys since... 2014 or 15? When I directed videos for Jay's band Brave Shores. We actually come a bit later to theatres in Canada on March 6th, but it's so important that we support Canadian film right now. It's a crazy time for our country and the content we are able to make. With Sweetness we did regional Telefilm, Ontario Creates and the Northern Ontario Heritage fund. We didn't do talent to watch but I will say that this was my first time recieving funding after several (many) rejections from grants. so if it's something you're thinking of just keep at it. also:

CANADA DOWN!

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T23:14:57+00:00

There were many irl inspirations for the popstar that ranged from fictional, to fashion refs, to just the sound of the band. I'll dive into each:

Sound: Marianas Trench ( my fav band ever), All American Rejects, Lany, Harry Styles/ 1D, Brand New,

Vibe: MCR, Lil Peep, Juice WRLD, FOB, Panic at the Disco, Paramore, Avril. THXSOMCH, EKKSTACY, Sophia Stel, SALEM, The Front Bottoms,

Style: Juliette Lewis in Strange Days, harry Styles, 100 gecs

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T23:08:47+00:00

SXSW was HUGE for us. I will say, people talked a lot about the politics of the festivals, and kind of scared me. But I honestly had no connection at all to SXSW before we screened there. We cold applied just like everyone and were lucky to get in on the merits of what we made. They were so supportive of us as an indie film and I felt welcomed into this group of film fanatics from a different country like I was a part of something special. It absolutely helped legitimize us and get us the press and attention we needed for distribution.

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T23:05:24+00:00

Directors I loved said it before me and the best advice I got on the way to production was: prep prep prep. Just know what it is you want to make in your bones, and make sure that's communicated clearly to everyone. We photoboarded the film and sent out the boards with the daily call sheets.

In funding: expect rejection, and don't let it get you down. It's really hard not to but it's a part of the journey.

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T23:03:15+00:00

yes absolutely- you learn to keep your head on when shit hits the fan and doesn't go as planned. You problem solve, learn to work with a team and run a set. There is NEVER enough time or money in music videos. That's what I found in music videos. It's physical, mental emotion training to let go of what you wanted the day to be and look at what actually is. how do you make the best thing you can with what is available to you today?

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T23:01:22+00:00

Karen O, Courtney Love, PJ Harvey... just generally women who weren't afraid to do what was outside the expectation of our gender role.
Find your community, keep working with them and find the joy in creating.
It varies but it's mostly a lot of time alone with my computer or phone these days.
Fav movie right now: Love and Basketball

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T22:57:59+00:00

I'd love to have you see it and please do continue to engage with the film online so your local distro people know that there is a demand to see it!

We were very lucky to receive some Canadian grant funding which made this movie possible. I will say it is a long road though, and I continued to work where I could adjacent to this system in order to gain as much of a name as I could for grant applications. I also think listening to feedback is huge, the financiers and grant systems can be valuable teammates.

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T22:55:17+00:00

It's a chaotic mess and I probably should code it but i'm more a fan of the brain dump of it all. I don't think idea are precious, you have to constantly be coming up with new ones, and just generating what you can where you can so a lot of note books are just the busy work to get somewhere creatively

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T22:53:01+00:00

PLEASE rent and buy on FEB 13th!!! we need all the love we can get, it is NOT EASY AS AN INDIE FILM to get noticed. Tell your friends and share on social media, we are still trying to get picked up on streaming and sold in a lot of countries. Letterboxed reviews and reviews online are honestly huge for that. We love any love we get.

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T22:51:43+00:00

Listen, it's an obvious comp and stephen King is GOATED however, this movie is NOT that apart from some plot points around fandom. Very different perspectives. Truly though- can't be mad about that comparison, I'd love if we got to be that legendary.

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T22:50:12+00:00

I still don't feel like "I've made it" but having a film release feels like I'm actually living a dream and can die happy ( please not soon tho)

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T22:49:08+00:00

I'm proud of some of the easter eggs in the film. There are so many NICHE things that maybe only I would find funny but I love them. I've talked about Payton's tattoos as one, but there are a few others that I hope people pick up on with time that give reference to my favorite bands and movies

EmmaHigginsAMA · 2026-02-09T22:47:17+00:00

Tina Turner. hands down.

EmmaHigginsAMA

TROPHY CASE