Mohammad Maaty took RocketHub by storm, crowdfunding over $6,000 in a matter of weeks for his important short film. Now the film is complete and the RocketHub team had the honor of attending the premiere at the HBO theatre in midtown Manhattan. Afterwards, we caught up with Mohammad to get his thoughts on crowdfunding success, the filmmaking process, and the future of film.

What was the biggest surprise challenge that came about during film production?

The biggest surprise that came to me was the unabashed cooperation of New Yorkers on the subway during filming. Our cast and crew of nine would converge onto the last car of the Q train at 6 in the morning and give these sleepless New Yorkers a quick heads up that we were going to start filming in about 45 seconds. We told them all to feel free to take part and interact with the actors, but just asked that nobody look directly into the camera. To my surprise, about 90% of the takes had all most passengers really getting involved; offering the Chike Nwabukwu's character Earl money as he limped his way past them--not once giving away the fact that we were shooting a film.

I was struck by the dynamic and contrast of the seriousness of the film with the fun energy of the cast and crew - obviously this was a serious film, but it seemed like fun to make - can you elaborate on this dynamic?

At the end of the day, it was the unparalleled dedication and motivation of the cast and crew that helped this intimidating challenge come to successful fruition. Since the subject matter is so bleak, we really needed to find the right group of people to help see it through while maintaining our positive energy and enjoyment. From our talented cast to our cinematographer and producers, everyone on board this production truly felt the same sense of urgency and importance toward the story we were trying to tell, and we all took a shared responsibility in seeing its production through to the end.

Surprisingly enough, I didn't notice the film was one take as I was watching it (and I went to film school) - I think this is a testament to how it was shot and blocked on the subway location. Do you think the film would have had the same impact if it were shot in a different style or location?

From the moment I starting drafting the script for Sides of the Track, I knew that this had to take place on the subway, and it needed to be shot in a single take. That had already been decided in my mind, as there was no more compelling way for the story of Earl and Dina's relationship to be told. The first real challenge - before the obvious obstacle of planning it - was convincing our team of producers that this was actually possible. It wasn't just the fascination of shooting a scene on a live subway that appealed to me as a life-long New Yorker, the setting itself was essential to the story. What better way to illustrate the path we are on as a society - with the looming inevitability of our destination and the inability to "change course" once movement/ momentum is started- than on a subway line? The decision to do it all in one take just seemed like a no-brainer. In order for our message to be felt by our audience, the action unfolding between Brother Earl and Dina needed to be seamless. I wanted the audience to feel like they were literally sitting across from them on the subway, breaking the fourth wall, watching it all unfold before their eyes. I didn't want a single cut to take them out of that.

What's next? Any new projects on deck?

Well we've just launched our production company website munkytownproductions.com, where we aim to offer a creative approach to any type of film, videography or photography service in the greater New York City area. As far as the next project goes, my good friend George Perez (who executive produced Sides of the Track) is currently developing a TV series about life in NYC through the eyes of a child prostitute and has asked me on board to direct and edit the first trailer for it. I'm thrilled to take on the new challenge, as this is another important and ongoing issue in our society that seldom gets the attention from the media and authorities that it deserves.

Any words of wisdom to other indie filmmakers?

The best advice I can give is to echo the words of Quentin Tarantino. If you've developed a vision for a story you're passionate about sharing with the rest of the world, stick to it and make it happen! Don't let yourself get sucked into the anxieties of getting everything perfect, just dig your fingernails deep into the story and the pieces will all come together, trust me on that!

Thank you Mohammad for inviting us to the premiere and for being a part of the RocketHub community. Keep up the good work!

-Brian