This time last year, brothers Christopher and Michael Farah, Ann Arbor natives, had taken over sections of the University of Michigan Campus.  No, it wasn’t some sort of epic Capture-the-Flag-0n-the-Diag – the brothers were filming a feature length indie movie of their very own creation. Written and directed by Christopher and produced by Michael, “Answer This!” has been called “a love letter to Ann Arbor.” You can find more details at the IMDB page.

Billed as a coming of age story “set in the world of competitive pub trivia”, the movie follows University of Michigan grad student, Paul Tarson, son of a celebrated English professor at the University, as he finally figures out what to do with his life. With Chris Gorham (Ugly Betty) as the lead opposite Arielle Kebbel (John Tucker Must Die), Chris Parnell (30 Rock), and Prof. Ralph Williams, this film speaks to the very core of what it is to be a University of Michigan student.

Fresh off the Traverse City Film Festival where the brothers participated in panel discussions about filming in the state of Michigan and comedy entertainment, Christopher Farah graciously agreed to an interview via skype with SHEI Magazine.

SHEI: How far are you along in the editing process of your film?

Christopher Farah: We’re basically done, although I keep tweaking it — which drives my editor crazy. But the final movie will be all done next week. That includes sound mixing, color correction, everything. Done.

SHEI: It sounds like editing can be a very singular process – what was it like mingling with so many directors and Michiganders interested in the film industry at the Traverse City Film Festival?

Christopher Farah: It’s both inspiring and kind of intimidating. On the one hand, it’s great to see so many people who share your passion for filmmaking, and who really want to develop the movie industry in Michigan. I felt like I was a part of a real community. On the other hand, it can be a little scary to see how many amazing films are out there, how many people – just like you – are all trying to make it. because some of you aren’t, and that’s just the nature of this business. So I try to just focus on the positives and the adventure. If I appreciate the journey, then ultimately I win no matter what.

SHEI: Do you meet a lot of students from the University of Michigan looking to follow in your footsteps, as it were, and become screenwriters/directors themselves?

Christopher Farah: UM has a great filmmaking program, and Jim Burnstein — who heads it up — has done a fantastic job of raising its profile. He worked out something with Michael Moore so that the two top short films produced by their program get shown at TCFF every year. I met some of the people behind those shorts, and they were really cool and talented.

SHEI: What question are you asked most frequently from these UM students and recent graduates?

Christopher Farah: “Can I have a job?” In all seriousness, I only talked to a handful of them, maybe five or so. Plus I worked with a lot of UM students and grads to make my movie — and mostly we just talked about our respective projects. I consider them more peers than anything else. We’re all just trying to make movies we care about.

SHEI: Your movie, “Answer This!” is set in Ann Arbor, at the University of Michigan, and “in the world of competitive pub trivia”…about which of these (if any) do you care the most? Or rather, what led you to this story?

Christopher Farah: In the movie the two themes work together. They both come from different parts of my life, different experiences. I grew up in Ann Arbor, and went to school at UM, so it’s a place I’m very close to, and I wanted to write about someone dealing with that kind of relationship with their home town. At the same time, I played pub trivia for the first time in NYC. And I realized it was an amazing magnet for nerds and academics. I loved how much they cared about something that was so insignificant — by definition. Because my main character is an academic, it made perfect sense that he would come to understand himself and gain his independence by embracing this thing he had a passion for — no matter what everyone else said.

SHEI: And you’ve enlisted the celebrated University of Michigan Professor, Ralph Williams, to play a role in the film – the father of the main character. What drew you to casting an unknown (outside the Michigan campus) to play that character?

Christopher Farah: I was an undergrad student of Professor Williams, and I was his GSI. I actually based his character partially on him — at least his public self — because I knew how charismatic he was. The character is famous professor, and he’s one of the most unique famous professors I’ve ever had, so it was a perfect fit. As for his acting, he’s a natural performer, so I knew he’d be great in the movie.

SHEI:What has this process been like for you? Creatively and practically?

Christopher Farah: Really rewarding and exhausting, all at the same time. It’s the single biggest project I’ve ever undertaken.

SHEI: Did you find it difficult or a pleasure to film on the University of Michigan campus? Had much of it changed from when you were a student here?

Christopher Farah: Filming at UM was a pure pleasure. Nothing difficult about it. We had amazing help from Ann Zalucki and Lee Doyle, who head up their film outreach program. The University has changed, sure, but a lot has stayed the same. It was awesome to go back to a place that meant so much to me as a student and see it in a whole new way, as a filmmaker.

SHEI: And when will your eager fans in Ann Arbor get to see it?

Christopher Farah: We’re going to have a special Tastemakers Screening on October 8th at the Michigan Theater. It’s a chance for our local fans to see it before anyone else and get psyched before the wide release in the spring.