She has also produced series likeReno 911!and the Emmy award-winningMrs.
America(2020).
In 2021, she produced the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony alongsideSteven Soderbergh.
Stacey SherFX
TheLocarno Film Festivalruns from August 7 17.
DEADLINE: Congrats on the award.
These festivals dont tend to honor producers, so how does it feel?
STACEY SHER:Thank you for saying that.
Its encouraging and overwhelming.
The work that we do has become invisible.
Theres even less opportunity to bring people along the way I did.
At times its a credit that just gets handed out.
So its been devalued.
But Ill say that even when I started producing I had to explain to family members what it was.
But there certainly has been a great Hollywood tradition.
DEADLINE: What would you say is your description of a producer?
SHER:My approach is no job is too big or too small.
Its different on every film and with every filmmaker.
Sometimes its finding the idea, finding the filmmaker, developing the script, packaging, or marketing.
Sometimes its reminding everybody what they signed up for because the process itself can be overwhelming.
For me, its really never giving up.
Another thing Im particularly focused on is being very mindful about the safety of the crew.
Thats on my shoulders on every level.
DEADLINE: Were you involved in picking Erin Brockovich and Django for the screenings here?
And if so, why those two?
SHER:I was.
Theyre my two Oscar nominations.
And theyre important films in my growth.
Even though every studio in town passed on it.
It holds up honestly, as doesDjango, which was a wild adventure.
Ive loved having the great privilege of working with Quentin and Steven.
Many people have used that mold since with much less success.
SHER:There was one thing Steven said in a meeting during the production.
He said he was going to shoot the film like it was a Ken Loach film.
We all said Thats genius, but dont tell the studio.
DEADLINE: Speaking aboutQuentin Tarantino, what happened with The Movie Critic.
Why did he scrap the project?
SHER:Hed kill me if I told you why.
DEADLINE: Can you tell me anything?
SHER:I can tell you tons of things but I wont.
DEADLINE: Do you think well ever see the project in any form?
I loved theOnce Upon a Time… in Hollywoodnovel.
He started writing that originally as a novel when we were working onDjango.
Hes a great writer and filmmaker who listens to his muses.
It works out well for him and those of us who love him will never second-guess that.
DEADLINE: How do you pick projects?
SHER:You have to fall in love with the project.
Ive tried so many times to be strategic but thats never worked out for me.
Its just never been my thing.
Sometimes the films I make happen to hit the zeitgeist and sometimes they dont.
But then they become cult classics.
DEADLINE: Youve never worked with a streamer.
So I was just late to streaming.
Im developing some stuff for streaming with 20th Century.
Thats a bunch of fun.
Were in an exciting time where storytelling finds where the story is meant to be told.
DEADLINE: Devil In The White City, is that still happening and are you still involved?
SHER:Im still involved.
I never give up.
DEADLINE: So we can expect to see it sometime soon?
SHER:I mean, I hope so.
Its not imminent, but it is not ever far from my mind.
DEADLINE: Is the rest of the gang still involved?
Were all still involved.
