Sandra Mae Frank – Season of Love

By: Lisa Steinberg

Q) What do you think it is about the dynamic of these core characters that will resonate with the audience with the way that they are written and portrayed?

A) What makes those core characters stand out the most is that they’re diverse, unique and their realness to the story.

Q) When you began reading the script, what about your character Kenna and storyline really stuck out to you and you connected with?

A) I can relate to Kenna in a lot of ways, especially when it comes to love. She is very guarded and always working hard to prove her value. That her deafness is her gain, not her loss. I relate to that so much and she’s very confident, funny and sassy.

Q) The hallmark of rom-coms is this balance of laughter and love, and how that feels so pure. Even during all of the drama, we know that whatever the couple endures, they will come out on the other side.  What is it about these types of films that warm hearts while tugging at them too and makes you root for these individuals regardless of these rollercoaster moments in their relationships?

A) Rom-com holiday films always make my heart sing. It’s like…no matter what happens the magic around the holiday happens as long you believe it. Close your eyes and take a leap, you never know where you might land. It might hurt, but it might also be amazing. You never know. Trust the magic of holidays, especially when it comes to love.

Q) The film is directed by Christin Baker, what kind of feedback and support did she provide for you throughout filming?

A) Knowing that I come from a strong background in theatre, she was amazing at communicating what frame it was, which is important for the signing since it has to be in the frame so that I would have to be reminded to sign a bit higher or know which side the camera is facing at. I always love knowing those details. Christin is amazing. I’m thrilled to be a part of this and bring Kenna to life. Major thanks to Christin and the team!

I just started doing films and TV a few years ago and I love it. I want to do more. I love being able to jump between two worlds; theatre world and Film/TV world.

Q) Season of Love is a female-led initiative, and with our current political climate and not many holiday-centric LGBT contents, why is it even more important now for us to amplify female and community voices and push boundaries and landscapes further for inclusivity, positive representation, and diversity on screen?

A) It’s so important to do more of those stories. The more we do those kinds of stories, the more normalized it becomes. Being Deaf and pansexual myself, we’re often underrepresented or put in a “negative/piteous” perspective when there is so much to us.

For example, five years ago the world was so uncomfortable with us, people with disabilities. They looked at us like we were aliens…like we were broken and we needed to be repaired (which isn’t true.) We weren’t being represented enough on screen. Even when we were it wasn’t often positive. Where’s the fun? The joy? The love? The anger? There’s more to us than just our disabilities. NOW, representations of people with disabilities on screen is improving greatly and roles are being performed by true people with disabilities. NOW, the world is starting to be comfortable with us and doesn’t look at us differently anymore…mostly. [laughs]