SXSW Interview for Souvenir with Renée Marie Petropoulos & Emily Grant

In this episode of 1st on Film, we sit down with director Renée Marie Petropoulos and actor Emily Grant to discuss their haunting new short film Souvenir, which premieres at the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival.Set during the summer of 2008, the film follows Keira, a closeted teenage girl vacationing at a tropical resort with her family and her girlfriend Zoe. As the two try to keep their relationship hidden, they steal moments of privacy together. But when Keira discovers that Zoe has secretly taken photos of her during an intimate encounter, the moment sparks confusion and unease.What begins as a quiet summer romance evolves into a tense exploration of power, vulnerability, and the complicated emotional dynamics that can emerge within young relationships. Through restrained storytelling and emotionally layered performances, Souvenir examines desire, secrecy, and the painful process of recognizing unhealthy dynamics. Renée Marie PetropoulosRenée Marie Petropoulos is an award-winning filmmaker from Sydney, Australia whose work often explores complex emotional relationships and female-driven stories. She earned her MFA in directing from Columbia University, where her thesis short Tangles and Knots premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival’s Generation 14Plus program and went on to screen at festivals including SXSW and Palm Springs International ShortFest.Her films have received international acclaim and multiple awards, including recognition at the Denver Film Festival and Flickerfest. Petropoulos’ storytelling frequently examines themes of identity, intimacy, and power within personal relationships.Emily GrantEmily Grant is an actor known for her work in independent film and emerging festival projects. In Souvenir, she plays Zoe, a character whose relationship with her girlfriend becomes increasingly complicated as hidden tensions and power dynamics begin to surface.Grant’s performance brings subtle intensity and ambiguity to the role, helping shape the film’s uneasy emotional tone. Her work in Souvenir highlights her ability to navigate layered characters and intimate storytelling within independent cinema.