Meet Allison Volk | Filmmaker

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

Hi Allison, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I think calculated risk is usually a good thing. We’re basically programmed to avoid risk as much as possible, but if we all played it safe all the time, we’d completely miss out on the joy of life! Knowing when to take a risk — and also knowing when it’s a bit too reckless or will potentially jeopardize our safety or security — is also something that comes with experience.

For me, risk most often comes in the form of artistic expression. It can be really scary to put something out into the world that could rub people the wrong way, or simply make them think one thing or another about who you are as a person. But artistic risk is also crucial to creating work that is deeply personal, deeply relatable, and frankly, worth watching.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When I first got involved in the entertainment industry, I was exclusively interested in acting. I moved to Los Angeles after college and started auditioning, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that I didn’t feel a connection to most of the projects I was going out for. I started focusing on writing, and then producing, to create original work that I really wanted to share with the world.

While in LA, I wrote/produced/acted in two feature films and about eight short films, most notably the dark comedy “Deany Bean is Dead,” which was directed by Austrian filmmaker Mikael Kreuzriegler and currently available on Amazon Prime.

In 2022 I moved back to Colorado (my home state) and jumped right into the filmmaking pool, now as a writer/director. In the last 6 months I’ve directed two short films, one of which will premiere at the Aspen Shortsfest in April and stars Siobhan Fallon Hogan (Men in Black, Forrest Gump, SNL, Seinfeld). I love being behind the camera and working with other creatives to bring scripts to life. There’s tremendous talent here in Colorado and I’m excited to be part of the growing narrative film community.

The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to be confident in my work, and confident taking the helm and leading a project. It took me a while to get to this point but I’m very glad to be here, and look forward to more exciting projects in the near future.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’d definitely take them up into the mountains! That’s what makes Colorado so special. Maybe we’d take the train up to Winter Park and do some skiing or tubing, and enjoy the incredible food and views!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Many people deserve recognition for my story, particularly because filmmaking is such a team sport. No film could be made without a hoard of people behind it bringing the vision to life.

My parents and sister have been really supportive through my journey in the arts. They championed my work, even when I’m pretty sure they weren’t really sure what I was doing or why. I try to be the same source of loving support to others because it makes such a huge difference to have people around you who have your back.

My husband is also immensely encouraging, but he also has a keen eye for story and gives great feedback. He’ll tell me things other people won’t. I’m also indebted to all the filmmaker friends in my life who read and watch my stuff and help me make it better.

Instagram: @allisonvolk

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonvolk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ActressAllisonVolk