CWU film studies graduate seeks to make Aberdeen, Hoquiam ‘look really cool’

A Central Washington University film studies graduate was featured in the Aberdeen Daily World newspaper this week for her work on an upcoming feature film called "Again, Again."

Mia Moore Marchant said in the article that she wants to make Aberdeen and Hoquiam stand out when she shoots her first feature film, a sci-fi romance picture that will begin shooting in late June. Filming is expected to take place over 18 days, with Marchant writing, co-directing, producing, and starring in the film. Alexa Feeney is co-director.

Marchant grew up in both Aberdeen and Hoquiam and is a graduate of Hoquiam High School. She also earned an associate's degree from Grays Harbor College and now lives in Los Angeles.

"I think what I really want to get at with this film is just to have like, just to make Aberdeen look really cool, you know?" Marchant said. "I feel like this place is so like rustic and kind of like untouched by the outside world in a lot of ways."

Marchant goes on to explain how the film relates to her life.

"Definitely, like, as a trans woman, I felt like I've been stuck in place a lot in my life. Like I lived here in town for 25 years before I transitioned," Marchant said. "It just felt like it was a lot of waiting, you know, for something to happen. And then nothing happens. But then you go out into the world and you experience new things and it can be kind of terrifying."

The film, however, isn't so much about "transness," Marchant explains in the article, written by Matthew N. Wells.

"I'm interested in telling a story about a trans woman who just exists, and she has other problems going on, and she gets to be interesting," she said. "Aggie is like broke and depressed and probably has substance abuse issues and like has a lot going on in her life outside of her transness. And that's just one part of her character."

Marchant explained how Aberdeen and Hoquiam are key parts of the film. The characters arrive in town just before the loop starts.

Another goal Marchant wants to accomplish with "Again, Again" is to provide a transgendered character who is both relatable and not one-dimensional.

"I feel like in movies, trans people are just like crying constantly. They're just crying and crying and crying and they're usually played by men, you know?" Marchant said. "They're not allowed to be cool, or interesting, or multi-faceted. They're just like written by cisgendered men and played by cisgendered men and they're hard to relate to."

While Marchant earned her bachelor's degree in film studies at CWU, she feels her film education developed through watching film and studying how they're made. She wants her film to provide an example of a real transgendered woman.

"There's a certain point where you get tired of just imagining, and you kind of just have to see that happen for real," she said about making her on-screen characters real.

The film's creators have raised about $90,000 through a crowdfunding website and are still looking for contributions to help cover costs of filming and production.

Marchant wants "Again, Again" to be as much a community product as possible. The movie needs extras and Marchant said experience is not required. She said if people want to be on a scene, on set as a crew member, go get coffee for the principal crew, they're welcome.