Emily Ruhl Talks New Short Film ‘Blue Moon’

When Emily Ruhl received an opportunity to write and direct her first short film, Blue Moon, she knew she could not pass it up.

“It feels awesome,” she told OFM. “I didn’t know that I really had this skill set until around nine months ago. This is kind of the first time in my life where I told myself that I could do something, and I never once told myself that I couldn’t. I think there is something very powerful about that. This was an interesting experiment in that realm, and it feels like I found the thing I am meant to do, which is an indescribable feeling.”

Blue Moon, which stars Olivia Berris and Audra Rae Thornton, is a queer love story that takes place in a single night. Ruhl says the idea came from one of her best friends who recently started to date women.

“I was lucky enough to be a support system for her through her journey,” she explains. “One of the things she mentioned was how she felt like she wasn’t represented in media. So, I was inspired to write a love story that not only honored her, but truly explored this concept of love within a night. I’ve had a few experiences of those myself where it’s kind of a magical moment, and it only exists within that one night, but it’s just as special as relationships that have lasted for months or years.

“There is something magical and tangible about love with someone you don’t even really know because it’s much more of a fantasy,” Ruhl continues. “It feels like you exist within a little snow globe, so we kind of combined both worlds. Blue Moon was originally going to be called Little Spoon, but then I came up with the tagline, ‘If you believe in magic once in a blue moon, you might just find it.’ I thought it sounded so cool, and that’s how it all got started.”

In addition to the warm and fuzzy feelings, Ruhl hopes viewers understand that love is love regardless of gender or sexual preference, and that being vulnerable and unapologetically yourself is a key connection to love.

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Ruhl has always had a passion for storytelling. She began her entertainment career as a model at a young age and has been featured in highly acclaimed publications like Teen Vogue, Marie Claire, and Elle Canada. She then switched over to acting and first appeared opposite Nicholas Hoult in Drake Doremus’ feature film Newness, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Now transitioning to behind the camera, Ruhl jokingly calls these moments in her life natural accidents.

“They just kind of happened, and I rolled with it,” she says. “I started off doing musical theatre when I was a little kid and even went to musical theatre summer camp. I thought Broadway was going to be my trajectory, but then modeling happened when I was so young, and it happened so quickly. Ten years later, I kind of woke up and realized that this was my life.

“Acting happened by accident, and it was when I was working out with a trainer in L.A.,” she continues. “I was like, ‘Hey, let’s take a selfie.’ My trainer posted it, and long story short, my current manager, whom I love, happened to go to high school with my old trainer. He saw my photo and was like, ‘Who is this girl? Can she tape for me? I’d love to meet her.’ I did, and then a couple months later, I booked my first or second audition with Newness. I was only in it for, like, five minutes, but I got an agent and made the most out of that experience.”

When the COVID-19 pandemic began and all productions were halted, Ruhl started to struggle with her mental health and felt like she did not have a purpose.

“I realized how much of my future was reliant on other people,” she says. “When that was taken away, it really scared me, and I think I realized that I just wanted to take my life into my own hand and create something myself, whether it sank or swim. It was all up to me, and there is a lot of power, but also a lot of terror in that. I decided in January of this year to just write, and Blue Moon started to form. I had a general plot outline, I wrote the screenplay, and then I started to add in dialogue. Both girls who play Petra and Maya are queer in real life, so I was able to speak to them about their personal stories, and those were heavily incorporated into the film as well.”

Blue Moon has received several accolades including “Best Cinematography” at the LGBTQ Toronto Film Festival and “Best Romantic short” at the Independent Short Awards. Ruhl, who also co-wrote and produced the film’s theme song “Her,” won “Best Director Short” at the New Creators Film Awards and “Best First Time Director” at the Rome Movie Awards.

She is currently in production for her second short film, 13th Stepping, where she will star as the lead actress.

“I am very excited about this project,” Ruhl exclaims. “It revolves around an AA group of 13 members and how their lives intersect with one another. It’s a lot sexier and provocative than Blue Moon. It takes place in New York City, and in ways, it’s going to be a little spooky too. I want to make it a series, and each episode will be told from the perspective of one of the different characters. The first episode will be told from the perspective of Lily, who I will be playing, who is 80 percent based on who I was at 19. It has been a very cathartic experience for me as well, and I’m casting it with a mix of actors and real people who I have met in the last 10 years.”

To connect with Ruhl, follow her on Instagram, and stay up-to-date with Blue Moon by visiting her official website. The film is still on the festival circuit and will be available to stream in the next couple of months.

Photos Courtesy of Martina Tolot Moroder and Blue Moon