Founder of DTF film showcase Steve Parnell talks about the importance of investing in and acting on your daydreams.
Burning schools. Flying wheelchairs. Steve Parnell shares his surreal daydreams as an introduction to the importance of playing and thinking, of exploring your own reveries as a way to dive deeper into creative thought. Research suggests we spend 47% of our waking life daydreamingâ but how are we investing in those dreams? What if we considered day dreaming an act of self care, a way to process things and dig into our desires without judgement? It was this dreaming (and an acting coachâs mantra to dare to fail, gloriously) that lead to community building and creating a sense of belonging as Steve dared to fail on the creation of his eponymous micro film showcase, DTF. If weâre only really present for a third of our life after sleeping and daydreaming, we should use that time to make our dreams come true, to play with our artistic tools of self expression. And remember, you donât need permission to play.
About the speaker
Steve Parnell (He/Him) is a non-binary actor, writer, and filmmaker from Gallatin, Tennessee.
Steve is the creator, producer, and host of DARE TO FAIL! Short Film Showcase, a Nashville based monthly micro film festival that promotes community and making low stakes art. Steve is a Kennedy Center award winning playwright and wrote, co-directed, and starred in the short film âOne @ a Timeâ which was selected for last yearâs Nashville Film Festival. You can see Steve in the upcoming Orlando Bloom led film, Red Right Hand. Some of his credits include TURN: Washington Spies (AMC), NASHVILLE (ABC, CMT), and TELL ME A STORY (CBS). Steve also enjoys skateboarding, games, long walks, and a nice hot bath.
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