Exclusive Interview: Writer-Director Stephanie Garvin and Star Emily Tosta Talk Holiday Twist

Writer-director Stephanie Garvin and star Emily Tosta are spreading holiday cheer with their new film, Holiday Twist.

Penned and helmed by Stephanie Garvin, Holiday Twist revolves around Connie (Kelly Stables), a high-powered female executive and Grinchy workaholic CEO, whose world shatters due to unforeseen circumstances, challenging her self-perceived importance. With the assistance of a Salvation Army Santa and a touch of holiday magic, the protagonist discovers that letting go of her painful past is the key to becoming the twinkling light her community and family need. Emily shines as Brooke, one of Connie’s colleagues unafraid to speak her mind.

Pop Culturalist had the privilege of chatting with Stephanie and Emily about Holiday Twist, delving into topics such as the significance of independent filmmaking, their love for holiday music, supporting empowering women, and more.

PC: Stephanie, this is your feature debut as a writer and director. Congratulations, by the way. What initially inspired this screenplay? Did anything surprise you about this process of putting it together?
Stephanie: I dreamt up the story over time, and I built out my characters during COVID because I was very bored during isolation. The characters became my best friends in a way. But the whole process was exciting, albeit an experience. I’m very grateful for having worn so many hats in this process. I learned a lot.

I never, in my wildest dreams, thought we’d end up in theaters when I started this story. It’s been exciting and challenging. We had to overcome a lot of adversities getting to the end, and we did. I love my cast and crew. They were wonderful.

PC: Emily, you’re so fantastic in this role. I love all the dramatic work that you’ve done throughout your career, but you have such a knack for comedy and incredible comedic timing. There’s a scene really early on where Brooke reaches her breaking point and speaks out for the entire office, and that back-and-forth between you and Kelly is hilarious. How much of that was improvised versus scripted? How fun has it been for you to play in all those different spaces and genres?
Emily: It was such a blast to be able to do this because I feel like it’s very different than most of the things that I’ve done in my career because usually, I do a lot of drama, and I came from a show that was so dramatic and intense. It was amazing to be in such a beautiful space.

When it comes to that monologue, it was because of Stephanie’s wonderful work. Her writing was incredible. It made everything so much easier for me, but at the same time, it was so fun to be able to play off of Kelly because we kept coming at each other. It was a bit of improv in the sense of how we were delivering the lines and the way certain things were said at the end.

It was amazing to play opposite her because sometimes when the camera is not on the actor, they don’t give you as much as when the camera is on them. One thing about Kelly is that she was the same all throughout, which helped deliver my monologue in a much better way because she was always so present with me. It was really fun.

PC: Stephanie, what you’ve done so brilliantly with the screenplay is it strikes the perfect balance between comedy and these really heartfelt moments. As the writer and director, how did you create the space and trust for your cast to delve into those vulnerable scenes? Is there a different shorthand since you also have experience in front of the camera yourself?
Stephanie: Being an actor is one of the most vulnerable positions you can be in on set. Everyone can be so critical, and everyone is watching you. You’re trying to perform. If you make a mistake, you’re doing it in front of everyone. But in my opinion, there are no mistakes when you’re in front of the camera. You’re just being real. You’re being human because everyone makes mistakes. Giving the actors space to bring their vision to the character is really important because I want the characters to be very authentic and real and allow the actors to bring themselves to the scripted words. Giving the actors their space and encouraging their emotions to come through is what matters to me as a director.

PC: Emily, Brooke plays such an important role in showing audiences that Connie wasn’t always this way and the office used to be this place where they enjoyed going, and at one point, even calls her a mentor. Who were the people in your own life who’ve shaped the storyteller that you are today?
Emily: That’s such a great question. I don’t get that often. I would say throughout my career, I’ve stumbled upon a lot of very, very wonderful people that I’ve taken a lot of messages from.

But a very shapeshifting moment for me was when I was much younger. I remember as a little girl watching America Ferrera in Ugly Betty and seeing a woman that sounded like me, looked like me, and felt like me on TV. It was a really pivotal moment for me because it was like, “Okay, I can do this. I can go to the States, and I can do this.”

For me in my career, that was the first entering point of looking up to somebody and being like, “Oh my gosh. Look at the types of roles she’s playing. It’s also an office job. It’s also a very badass, stepping-into-her-voice woman.” It was funny because when I was preparing to play Brooke, I went back to that moment, and I remember America Ferrera stepping into this role and stepping into her voice. I took a lot of that to bring into Brooke as well because even for me as a little girl, that was such a pivotal moment.

I think also working with somebody like Steph was really empowering. Throughout this movie, there were so many challenges. I’m sure there were even more than I saw, but the way she carried herself all throughout, the way that she led everyone, and the way that she was so empowered throughout facing all the challenges in the way that she did, it really starts at the top because it was a trickle-down effect of everyone stepping up to the plate because of the way she led all of us. That was really empowering too.

PC: Stephanie, music is such a staple of a good holiday film. You have such a diverse and multifaceted cast at the helm of this project, and you’re opening so many doors for them to show off different sides of their talent. Was that something that you were mindful of during the casting process?
Stephanie: Absolutely. I love music, and that’s one of my favorite things about a movie. It’s the cinematography and the music. It enhances everything that’s happening on screen with the performances. I kept pushing for music, but I didn’t have a big budget. I actually had to find creative ways to bring music into the film with the low budget that we were on, so we created a lot of original music, and everyone pulled together and helped out with this. We did it, and it worked.

PC: Emily, you’ve worked on projects of all sizes. What is it about independent filmmaking that excites you as a creative?
Stephanie: It excites me because it usually tends to be a beautiful story of how it happened. Usually, you have a strong woman behind it trying to make everything happen like Steph, or you have this idea for years and they’re finally putting it together, or you have somebody that hasn’t been given the chance or opportunity to come to a studio or a network with this, and I feel like those projects are so meaningful and so heartfelt. I feel like those projects are so meaningful, and they’re so heartfelt. It’s like if I’m attracted to a script or character, I want to be part of it. I want to bring awareness to the film. I want to be able to hop on board and help an idea become bigger or better. That’s what’s beautiful about independent filmmaking. All those rules go out the window. I love that as an artist and creative. It’s one of the most beautiful things.

Make sure to follow Stephanie (Instagram) and Emily (Twitter/Instagram). Learn more about Holiday Twist here.

Photo Credit: Strategic Public Relations