Exclusive Interview: Writer-Director Emilio Mauro Talks ‘Another Day in America,’ Creating Art on His Terms, and More

Emilio Mauro is embarking on his directorial journey with the conversation-provoking film, Another Day in America. With a rich background in the industry, Emilio has forged an impressive career as both a writer and producer, boasting notable projects such as By the Gun, Beyond Skyline, and Thoughts and Prayers.

Inspired by real-life events, Another Day in America is a compelling dark comedy-drama that delves into the lives of a diverse ensemble of characters navigating a post-pandemic day in an American office.

Pop Culturalist had the privilege of chatting with Emilio about his latest venture, Another Day in America, his approach to creating art on his own terms, and much more.

PC: Another Day in America has been in your mind for over a decade. What ultimately led you to put pen to paper?
Emilio: That’s a great question. COVID almost decimated the business. Whatever career I had before was hanging by a thread. It was December 31st, 2020, and I was sick in bed with COVID. I couldn’t go out for New Year’s Eve, a time of year I really enjoy, so I decided to write because I wanted to remember my New Year’s Eve.

As you said, I had a story in my mind. I knew the ending. Even though I experienced some writer’s block at the beginning, the title came to me. I literally wrote through New Year’s. When I finished writing, I thought it would be around 2 a.m. I knew that I had written through New Year’s, but it was actually 5 a.m. and I had written almost 50 pages of all dialogue.

PC: You’ve been very open about the ups and downs of this industry and how often when you create something and it’s made its way around the powers that be, it becomes something completely different. But you decided for this project that you had a vision for this film and you wanted to make it on your own terms, which is inspiring for any up-and-coming filmmaker. How did staying steadfast in your vision and that North Star guide you throughout this process?
Emilio: I didn’t write it with the intention of directing it. I never thought of myself as a director. I never really wanted to direct, mainly because I don’t know about lenses and lighting. That’s not me. I was a writer. I liked producing because there were aspects of it that I was good at like business stuff. I’m decent at it. But I wrote it for someone else to direct. No one in particular. I sent it out to producers, and they wanted to make it for three or four million bucks. These are producers that you may have heard of or you see their resume, and you know they’re legit.

But then it started to happen again. I was hearing, “You can’t say that. You can’t do that. You have to rewrite this. There’s too much you can’t say.” Then randomly one night, I went on YouTube, and I saw an interview with Federico Fellini. He just wanted to be a writer and never wanted to direct. But everything he wrote was changed. No one understood his writing. It was starting to happen again.

I’m sure you read the article that came out. I had this experience with Fox and this TV show and this other feature, and it’s fine. I got it. But I didn’t want to do it again. For me, this is either the beginning or the end of a career. We’ll see what happens. But I did it.

I can live and die by the words that I wrote and the decisions that I made. That’s important. You have to be an artist first. You want to be a filmmaker; you have to be an artist. You can’t worry about what people say or think. That’s my number one advice if you want to be a filmmaker.

PC: You also had a hand in casting this ensemble. As you were penning this script, did you have these particular actors in mind? As a director, how did you create the space for them to interpret and play, and foster that environment?
Emilio: I didn’t have anyone in mind for the first draft. But as you start writing, you begin to think that this person would be good. That’s a great question. For me, the first draft is always something that no one will read because it’s filled with typos and bad grammar. I think that most writers shouldn’t be worried about being grammatically correct when they write. It just pours out. It feels like I’m channeling it from somewhere, and I’m a stenographer trying to get it down, especially with a dialogue-heavy script like this. I always say that I black out when I write, and whoever writes that first draft is dead. That’s the purest artistic form and the DNA of the film. Then you rewrite, and that’s when the craft comes in. You decide to maybe change this or make a tweak here. Maybe you need to build an arc here.

But to answer your question, no, I didn’t really think of anyone until much later. When I did, I rewrote certain characters to fit them. I hope Brian Goodman doesn’t mind me saying this, but the original character of Douglas wasn’t Brian Goodman. Honestly, I hadn’t thought of him. But then when I asked if he’d play him, we wrote it together because Brian is a filmmaker. He likes to make films. He’s a close friend, and we worked on it together. He was cool with it.

In his scenes, because he’s a director too, he would help a lot. Some people are more hands-on, some people aren’t. I respect that from Brian. He’s a mentor. He’s directed three features, and I liked them all.

PC: That collaboration and trust lend themselves to the performance.
Emilio: Yeah. Some people want to be told what to do, and they just want to say the words. Everybody’s different. It’s all part of the process.

PC: With this being your directorial debut, what was the most surprising part about the experience for you? What did you learn about your craft? Is there any interest in directing another?
Emilio: I am. I want to do something with a bigger budget and genre-specific. This script was slightly more experimental, where it doesn’t have ad breaks or turning points. It has an episodic feel with an ending that’s surprising and shocking. I wrote myself out of a corner because I knew the ending, so I had to write backward. I had certain rules. There are certain rules of writing. Your first ten pages have to be like this. The next fifteen like this. The Matrix and The Terminator are great scripts for a young writer. If you want to learn screenwriting and structure, go read those. This isn’t that. I did an almost mini TV series in there. This film takes place in a day at an office, and the different times of day serve as episode breaks.

To answer your question, what was the hardest part? It was the money. I hope to resolve that with more money on the next one if I get to do it. I do want to direct again. It’s already written. I wrote it in 2019, and it’s still culturally relevant. It’s got the same DNA, but it’s a genre film.

Editing was also something else that was surprising. I edited this film. There were three editors. They were great. But I knew I had to dive in there. There was too much. I went back and looked at all the old footage again. I don’t think I would ever edit again, but I think I would direct a little more for the editor. Understanding the editing process really helps a lot when I direct again.

PC: Yeah, it feels like that’s the stage in the process where the film really takes form.
Emilio: It’s huge. Writing and editing are similar in that regard. The director is managing these two aspects. I admire directors who don’t write and don’t edit.

PC: The film is going to make its hometown premiere at Boston Film Festival. What does that moment mean to you, especially knowing the ups and downs of being a creative in this industry? What can you tell us about that other project that you’ve written?
Emilio: I get to watch it with the crew who worked their butts off and worked for practically nothing. Everyone had a Game 7 mentality. They all got to level up. My A.D. has only ever been a second A.D. But he got to do that on this project. Everyone believed in the film and worked hard. Our DP, who’s from Iconic Films, is a great DP. He said this was the best experience he had on a film, and that is important to me. But watching it with friends and family is really cool.

My next project is a detective procedural called Unsolved. It’s a serial killer movie. I know that sounds weird, but the films are connected in that the detective becomes famous for catching a serial killer. Then there’s a second one. It has to do with fame, social media, and things like that.

To keep up with Emilio, follow him on Twitter. Another Day in America will make its hometown premiere at the Boston Film Festival.