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Actor William Hurt denies that his roles in the films 'Dark City' and 'Lost In Space' represent a change in direction in his career. He takes his work very seriously, and always prepares extremely thoroughly for each role. For this reason, he dislikes the current trend for film studios to make less rehearsal time available to actors. He feels that a lack of preparation time makes it hard to differentiate between different roles and prevents the actor from making a clear statement.

Filmmaker Alan Rudolph still sees himself as a Hollywood outsider, but does not regard this as a problem. Indeed, he does not even try to establish contact with Hollywood studios any more. The aim of his most recent film, 'Afterglow,' is to encourage the viewers to feel something about the characters, but also something about themselves. In this way, it goes against the trend for films to replace the viewers' sense of identity with their own version of it.

Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai does not feel that he really has links with other Hong Kong filmmakers. He always works alone, and does not necessarily want his films to have commercial value. His characters are often involved in violence, and this may make his films appear to be Asian pulp. However, he is very drawn to the routines of modern life, and his films go against cinematic conventions. He enjoys autonomy, and works as much from spontaneity as from script.

Filmmaker Gus Van Sant admits that his films are metaphorical with regard to his own life. He feels that his films have always been extremely risky, but that they all have a solid story. They are honest stories about life, and are not necessarily optimistic. He has always stood slightly outside the Hollywood mainstream, with distributors not being certain that his films would make money. However, he is now gaining more respect, and may gain the Best Director award at the 1998 Oscars for the film 'Good Will Hunting.'

A growing number of gay films are being produced, but they tend to receive very little mainstream coverage in the UK. Most are only distributed on a limited basis, and are therefore not accessible to audiences outside London, England. 'All Over Me,' the first film to be made by writer-director team the Sichel Sisters, for example, is only to be shown at the National Film Theatre. Director Alex Sichel feels that this is because gay cinema is not regarded as commercially viable.

Most film directors show very little imagination, according to actor Michael Keaton. He is not afraid to turn down projects he has reservations about, and this has meant that his career success has been rather mixed. His social conscience is a strong as his professional one, and he is a board member of the American Rivers organization. He is now keen to become involved in films which are more adult in nature, covering themes such as man-woman relationships.

Actor and filmmaker Michael Douglas has become an icon of the modern age through his high-profile film roles. However, he is now seeking to present himself as a humanitarian and philanthropist. He has become a figurehead, and has been appointed a Messenger of Peace for the United Nations. He has placed particular emphasis on issues relating to disarmament, and has joined the board of Cease Fire. It is clear that he is now viewing his work in retrospect.

It is important to try out different roles, according to actress Kelly Macdonald. She feels that she has been lucky to be able to choose her roles, and that she has learned from each role. She came to public attention very suddenly through her role in the film 'Trainspotting,' but does not feel that this film made her into anything she was not already or was not going to be anyway. She now feels that she is doing what she is supposed to be doing.

Actress Sophie Marceau has always been very attracted to Shakespeare. For this reason, she is very pleased to be appearing in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' especially as one of the co-stars will be Kevin Kline, whom she greatly admires. She recognizes that she has a strong rebellious element in her nature. She believed for a long time that she had to fight against authority to retain her freedom, but now feels the need to explore her work as an actress.

It is very hard to raise funding for an all Afro-American arthouse film, according to black filmmaker Kasi Lemmons. However, she finally managed to make 'Eve's Bayou,' which became the most successful independent film in 1997. She is particularly pleased that this film has appealed to both black and white audiences. She believes that she has helped in creating a new direction in Afro-American films, and feels that Afro-American audiences deserve this diversity.

Acting can be great fun, according to actress Parker Posey. She has appeared in many independent films, and has worked extremely hard. This dedication is now beginning to bring her recognition. She naturally takes risks, and has often worked with first-time directors. She likes working with independent directors because she feels that celebrities have become more important than the films in which they appear. In contrast, independent films still have rich characters.

Human beings generally swing between gentleness and violence and seriousness and humour, according to Japanese writer-director Takeshi Kitano. He now regards film-making as his main profession, although he is also involved in television game shows, chat shows and nature programmes, has published two novels and is a regular newspaper columnist and sports commentator. He regards his latest film, 'Hana-Bi,' as the end of his violent film years.

Actor Ricky Tomlinson believes that his background in the construction industry and in trade unionism has helped him play a range of different parts, including trade union activist Bobby Grant in 'Brookside.' His biggest challenge was Jimmy McGovern's 'Hillsborough.' He is currently working with writer Kay Mellor on the second series of the football drama 'Playing the Field,' and in autumn 1998 will be seen in 'The Royle Family,' his first situation comedy.

The UK film community is not racist, but there is a commercial tendency to overlook issues relevant to ethnic minorities. Some observers believe that the lack of screentime given to Asian film is the result of the narrow vision of filmmakers themselves. The key difficulty is finding a way to present the Asian experience to all cinema-goers without going against or ignoring cultural heritage. However, some progress is being made as Asians make films about whites.

Magazines are very star-driven, and this makes them reluctant to step out of line or be critical, according to filmmaker Nick Broomfield. He encountered considerable opposition to his documentary film 'Kurt and Courtney,' which was initially a biopic of pop icon Kurt Cobain. Following action by lawyers acting for Courtney Love, Cobain's widow, the film became much more controversial. He strongly believes in cutting the film together to show the very process of documenting the subject.

Actor Jean Reno believes that appearing in the film 'Godzilla,' which will be released in summer 1998, will lead to many other roles. He does not object to the fact that actors who do action films sometimes become a real product. He emphasizes that he has fragile emotions, just like ordinary people, despite being an actor. He takes care to strike a balance between work and family life, and is also careful to spend some time on low-key projects.

Attempting to catch the style of the American preacher for the film 'The Apostle' was very interesting, according to actor and filmmaker Robert Duvall, who wrote, directed, financed and acted in the film. Playwright and screenwriter Horton Foote Jr generated support for the film, and Duvall's Sonny can be seen as a direct descendant of his previous work with Foote. Duvall, a Christian Scientist, hoped that the film would be accepted by both the secular and the religious communities.

Actor Patrick Stewart feels that he has missed out on working with an entire generation of British actors and directors because he has been based in the US. When he was working on 'Dad Savage,' an attempt to diversify away from his image in 'Star Trek: Next Generation,' he felt like an ex-pat performer. However, his performance is clearly the most assured of the film. This film is both a homecoming and a cathartic encounter with Stewart's youth.

Actor Rupert Graves admits to being undisciplined, and feels that he is still a drifter, even though he has been involved in many different projects recently. He does not deliberately seek specific roles, and this means that he has taken on a very wide range of work. He believes that acting is basically being honest with feeling. He greatly enjoys the fact that acting allows him to gain an insight into parts of himself and that it personalizes the world around him.

Having a famous father can be a great burden, according to actor Peter Fonda. He gained considerable acclaim for his role in 'Easy Rider,' but since then has had almost 30 years of relative obscurity. He could not get close to his father when he was a child, and was also badly affected by the suicide of his mother when he was 10 years old. He has finally managed to create stability in his life, and is now a professor of media and theatre studies at Montana university.

The film 'TwentyFourSeven' is a celebration of the people who would normally be alienated from society, according to filmmaker Shane Meadows. He is keen to give screen time to people who are usually overlooked. He puts a great deal of his personal experience into his work, and does not give much attention to commercial issues. He has written a Western called 'Birdhill,' and also plans to film 'A Room for Romeo Brass,' which looks at three different lives and time periods.

The New Zealand Film Commission has played a key role in encouraging filmmaking talent in New Zealand, according to filmmaker Scott Reynolds, whose first film is the low budget serial killer film 'The Ugly.' The Film Commission was brave to support this film, as it does not deal with New Zealand culture. The New Zealand film industry is not sufficiently diverse, according to filmmaker Lee Tamahori, whose first film was the urban Maori drama 'Once Were Warriors.' His most recent film is 'The Edge.'