For co-writer and director Matt Smukler, “Wildflower” started life as a far cry from the narrative feature film that premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival this year.
“Really, this was inspired by my niece,” Smukler told TheWrap’s Executive Editor, Awards, Steve Pond, during a visit to TheWrap and Shutterstock’s Interview and Portrait Studio at TIFF. “I went out to Las Vegas to shoot a little, tiny, short companion piece for her to get into college. She had no idea how exceptional she was. She actually thought she was very ordinary and didn’t know what to write on a college essay.