Meet Felicity LuHill | Writer, Producer & Storyteller

We had the good fortune of connecting with Felicity LuHill and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Felicity, why did you pursue a creative career?
For me, writing and storytelling never felt like a choice. The first time I sat down to intentionally write a short story, it felt as if something quieted inside my brain, inside my soul. Everything inside me became aligned and the world around me became a lot clearer. I realized very quickly that writing was simply something I needed to do. Writing is still that way for me. It’s both how I make sense of my reality and it’s its own reality onto itself, one that I carry with me.

I’ve always been a medium agnostic so screenwriting and prose-writing felt pretty fluid to me. Novels, essays, screenplays present themselves in whatever form makes the most sense for that story. However, it took me a while to realize I could do more than simply write. Before moving to LA, I was thrilled that a feature I wrote was selected for a reading, but I was unhappy with the director’s interpretation of my work. I wasn’t consulted and the director ended up making the two protagonists of my script — two sisters — very catty towards each other. The intention was for the sisters to be loving and mildly playful, but I felt that the director ended up casting a bit of a male lens on the characters. This was when I realized I wanted to do more than just write a script and hand it to someone else. I wanted to have some level of autonomy over my work.

I honestly believe that the reason it never occurred to me that I could do more than just write was because everyone I knew in production living in New York was a man — largely white men with an affinity for Quentin Tarantino and Stanley Kubrick. That didn’t feel like me at all. I fell in love with storytelling when I fell in love with reading, predominantly female authors. The idea that I could take the work that I love, the work that I create and do something more, make something bigger than what I put on the page felt extremely foreign to me. But when I saw someone else take over my work something just clicked. I knew this was an avenue I had to pursue.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
When it comes to the work that I create, I want people to walk away with a sense of catharsis, a moment of inspiration. It doesn’t have to be life-altering inspiration, it can be something as small as calling your parents and thanking them. I’m particularly interested in the stories that revolve around those on the fringes. As someone who is both biracial and the daughter of an immigrant, my perspective has always been shaped by being both outside and in. The short film I directed and co-produced alongside ShoutOut alum Rebecca Chu, SITTING THE MONTH, is about an Asian American mother grappling with the pressures and obligations of being both Asian and American — two very different POV’s when it comes to motherhood and postpartum care. As someone who lives on the cusp of two cultures, two perspectives, I want my work to reflect this idea that there is more than one perspective for every story. It’s still under wraps, but I am excited to share that next year I will be starting my own venture that encompasses this unique point of view. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to produce my first feature-length film. This was a tremendous honor. I learned and grew so much as a creative, a leader, and a professional through the experience. I’m lucky to say that this experience will serve as building blocks for my own upcoming venture.

My journey through the entertainment industry has been interesting to say the least. There have been life lessons learned and experiences that I’m honestly note sure what to make of. When I was accepted into the USC Peter Stark Producing program, I believed I was set, that attending this prestigious institution, the most academically rigorous experience of my life, would be enough to make navigating this industry relatively smooth sailing. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees. The state of the industry and the state of those working in it are constantly changing and evolving, and that’s simply part of the gig.

Still, through it all, there are lessons and values that I have found to be my north star. For instance, I’ve learned that being good and being kind go hand-in-hand when you’re working in a collaborative medium. You can’t be good at what you do without also being kind to those working with you. Through all my experiences and in all the work that I do, I always strive to be both: good at what I do, giving 110%, and kind when I’m doing it. In my experience, the most effective leaders listen, learn, and empathize with those around them. It can be tough when egos are on the line. We’re working with people’s personal creative perspectives, their creative “babies” as we like to call it. But at the end of the day, the first priority is the people — the people on your team, the people on your set — making sure that they feel safe and taken care of, the second is the project — making it the best iteration it can be, even if it contradicts any one individual vision. When these two items are secured, your bound for success. Everything else is just the cherry on top.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would start with my own backyard: Echo Park / Silver Lake. We would grab a couple of Bubble Teas from Hey, Hey Boba and hike around Elysian Park, watching the sunset over downtown before getting dinner at the Black Cat, my favorite restaurant in LA and an LGBTQ historic landmark. I will definitely be ordering the chicken paté and a dirty martini. We’ll end the night with dancing traditional Forro at Tropico de Nopal Gallery. My husband is from Brazil and taught me how to dance Forro, so I’m pretty advanced – not to brag, but I’ve had at least 3 dance partners who’s toes I haven’t stepped on – but I’m sure I can show my out-of-town friend the ropes. They only have Forro nights once a month, but I timed this itinerary perfectly to go dancing. What I love about going here in particular is that you see people of all cultures, ages, walks of life, dancing this semi-niche, regional Brazilian dance. (And they’re all really good.) And what’s more, everyone dances with everyone. It’s a great community feel.

The next day we’ll get brunch at Alcove in Los Feliz and wander around Skylight Books. Later we’ll head over to Highland Park Bowl for some prohibition-era bowling and some of the best pizza you’ve ever tasted.

No trip to LA would be complete without dim sum in Alhambra. Leave the ordering up to me. We’ll spend the afternoon walking around Huntington Gardens before going to Pasadena for all you can eat Chinese hot pot. (Anyone can take you to AYCE Korean bbq, but stick with me and I’ll show you some good ol’ fashioned hot pot. Not to brag, but I make the best dipping sauces.)

The following day we’ll have a fancy outing with rooftop drinks at the Perch downtown and a steak dinner at LA Prime at the top of the Westin. We’ll be sure to get there early to enjoy the architecture. If we’re not too full from fried oysters, we’ll wander around the Arts district for a while.

Then finally, we’ll end the trip on the west side. Shopping and eating ice cream along Manhattan Beach, looking up every beach view estate on Zillow before getting dinner at The Strand. Ending the trip with perfect beach views. The good news is Manhattan Beach is very close to LAX so I can drop out-of-towner at the airport if they need a ride.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First, I’d like to acknowledge Rebecca Chu, who nominated me for Shoutout. Rebecca is my filmmaking soul sister and I can’t wait for us to make something together again. (I’m sure it will happen sooner rather than later.) I also want to acknowledge Rasheeda Garner and Dr. Lydecia Holmes who gave me the opportunity to produce a feature — their creative “baby” — this year. It’s a magnificent thing to trust someone with your creative work and I feel truly honored that they did so with me. I also want to acknowledge Lauren Hood for being a boundless resource when it comes to producing. Lauren is truly a producing veteran and I don’t know what she sees in me to grant me so much sage wisdom and a spectacular amount of her valuable time, but I am eternally grateful. I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge my writing group: Emily Rigby, Emilia Monell and Lisa Boyce. Eight years of weekly(ish) meetings and still going strong! These three wonderfully talented women are my biggest cheerleaders and I have hundreds of pages of writing to thank them for.

I would also like to thank my husband, Danilo Neves Ribeiro, who is both my toughest critic and biggest fan. I am lucky to have chosen a partner with an open mind, a keen eye and excellent taste. Additionally, he has been my lifeline when times get tough, my biggest supporter, and my reassuring voice when I have doubts. Finally, I’d like to thank my parents who instilled in me the belief that I could do anything I set my mind to — even if it was quickly followed by “but, oh no, please not THAT!”

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charming.endeavors/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/felicity-luhill-75138a104

Image Credits
Dwight Hill, Thomas Hasani, Tara Jenkine