Daily Inspiration: Meet Maxwell Reh

Today we’d like to introduce you to Maxwell Reh.

Hi Maxwell, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
For a while I had been waiting to make my own films, but it wasn’t until the summer before 8th grade that I became. After watching David Lynch’s debut “Eraserhead” and realizing that I could do something like, I set my effort on becoming a filmmaker. My first short was a narrative film which I shot, wrote, directed, edited, produced, and stared in. This film also acted as my short of film school, as I had no formal training in film production or editing. During 8th grade, I made about 12 short films with most being no longer than 10 minutes (all of which I made by myself, I essentially was a one-man band).

In 9th grade, the first year of high school, I made my first feature length film, that being “We Are Their Children.”
That film being a documentary exploring the lives of 20 or so queer teens who went to my high school. Like my work in middle school, I made it all by myself though I wasn’t the only one to appear on screen in it. “Children” was also my first really big film, one that I feel is the true start of my filmmaking ‘career.’ It was the first feature I made, the first one to have a definitive message behind it, and one which I felt (and still feel) had to be made.

Following “Children” I made the short “Drizzle of Rain” (which I released at the end of my 10th grade year). During 10th grade, I had my most productive year. In it, I made “Life Without It” (a doc. feature about aro/ace people), “Scenes From Choir” (a doc. feature I made with the help of Dais Crawford about our high school’s choir program during their production of a cabaret), and “Eight Solos, Two Duets, and One Quartet” (a doc. short about Dais’ final choir concert). During that year, me and Dais began production on “Off The Binary” (a doc. feature about non-binary teens) which we codirected. Ultimately, we finished the film during that summer.

During my 11th grade year, which concluded only a couple weeks ago, I made the documentary short “Doctrine” which is about the Trump-Vance campaign during the 2024 US election cycle. The film came out a couple days ago, at the time of this interview. That year, in January, I began production on my latest film “The Victims (or 100 and some days in MAGA America).” This film explores the affect the refound Trump admin. has had upon queer teens within the US, as well as its affect on my state. I’ve finished editing the film, though I have to make the adverts for it still. In my opinion, it is my best work yet and well as my most emotionally/technically mature.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
To a certain extent, it had been a smooth road. Most of my films have been made with little to no technical difficulties. Although, it has been tough being the primary (or only) creative behind them. I’d say the biggest struggle is getting the word out about all of my films and getting them shown at film festivals (which has yet to happen yet). Another struggle is to find the confidence to make the films, especially because I act as a one-man band on most of them.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I make mostly interview based documentary films about teens and underrepresented queer people.

I specialize in writing, directing, producing, shooting, and editing films (particularly documentary films).

I’m most know for my film “Life Without It”,” a documentary feature about aro/ace people.

I’m most proud of how many interviews I have conduct for my films, with the current number being somewhere over 100.

What sets me apart is that I’m a teenager, who is under 18, who has made 5 feature length films, all of which I made almost entirely by myself (besides “Off The Binary”). What also sets me apart is that every film I have made was mostly shot and editing on one of two iPhones I’ve had.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
My favorite childhood memory is not only really one specific one, but whenever my family and I would go the movies. Whether it be classic films that we’d see or newly released ones, I always enjoyed going to the movies with them. In a way, given how often we’d go to the movies, these experiences probably shaped why I became a filmmaker.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/max_films_it/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maxwell.reh/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Maxwell_Reh/videos
• Other: ckrehtwin1@gmail.com