Eastman is a filmmaker and the executive director of the Louisville Film Society, which will host its annual Oscars watch party March 4 at the Copper & Kings brandy distillery in Butchertown. Her picks: Lady Bird, The Shape of Water and Mudbound. Eastman lives in St. Matthews.
What interested you as a kid?
“Building forts, taking the governor off my go-kart, running fake businesses, making infomercials starring my friends.”
Earliest childhood memory?
“A train trip from Chicago to L.A. in a small sleeper compartment on my fourth birthday with my two best friends: my grandmother and mom.”
All-time-favorite album?
“I’m a Gemini, so often I will battle between two solid options: The Battle of Los Angeles, Rage Against the Machine; Life After Death, Notorious B.I.G.”
What song has been stuck in your head lately?
“‘Whatever it Takes,’ Imagine Dragons. I listen to it to amp myself up a bit when I feel overwhelmed.”
How’d you make your first dollar?
“I crafted handmade fliers and schlepped a push mower around my neighborhood at age 10.”
If you could be mayor of Louisville for a day, what would you do?
“Eliminate plastic shopping bags and green-light mass transit.”
In one sentence, what do you actually do all day in your job?
“Put the finishing touches on my first feature documentary, Overload: America’s Toxic Love Story; advocate for local filmmakers; plan film-related events, quite often while rocking pajamas and yesterday’s mascara until it’s time for a lunch meeting or afternoon workout.”
Besides your current job, what’s the best job you’ve ever had?
“I used to produce and run the Humanitas Prize, an award for writers in film and TV. I got to surround myself with some of the most talented showrunners, studio execs and writers in the entertainment industry, all while having an office overlooking the Pacific Ocean.”
Favorite possession?
“I wear my grandmother’s turquoise ring at special life moments so I feel like I am sharing them with her.”
Favorite thing hanging on the walls of your home?
“A wooden propeller from one of my grandfather’s old planes.”
What’s on your nightstand?
“A humidity gauge because I seriously can’t keep it over 20 percent in my house due to the interior brick walls.”
What brings you the greatest joy?
“Bottom line: my mama, Linda Eastman. She is my best friend, my life coach, my storyteller, my audience, my world. Anyone in my life will tell you that the best part of being my friend is getting to know my mother.”
What should every person try once?
“At least once (A YEAR) do something that scares the hell out of yourself. In 2017, I tried a dating app, surfing (21 years after a spinal fusion) and ice skating and went naked at a Korean spa — all of which were mutually exclusive.”
What superstition do you believe in?
“I used to hold my breath when we would drive next to cemeteries because my cousin said I would breathe in the spirits.”
What tattoos do you have?
“I have always been more of a piercing person.”
If forced to get a tattoo today, what would you get?
“An outline of a paw print from Bitty Saweet, my raccoon-like wundercat who passed a few years ago. As a teenager, I wanted a giant tattoo on my lower back of Amsterdam’s flag, which features an XXX, so here’s a high-five to my mom for helping me rethink that one.”
What’s something you wish you had known when you were younger?
“That refined sugar is trash.”
One thing Louisville is missing?
“More Persian restaurants.”
What would you do if you won the lottery?
“Donate a third, invest a third, party like an ’80s metal band with my friends and family with the last third. Unless this is a scratch-off we’re talking about and then that all seems a little lofty.”
What makes somebody a Louisvillian?
“I hear visitors remark on how warm and genuine everyone is here. Other than the kindness, I would say we are not any one way. There is a great diversity to the people and interests in our city.”
If you could write it yourself, what would your headstone say?
“We cremate and go under a family maple tree, so my headstone would say, ‘Why in the hell do I have a headstone? I am supposed to be under a maple tree.’”
PLUS 8 MORE
What are you wearing right now?
“My uniform of sorts: jeans, Vans and a black shirt.”
Last online purchase?
“Tickets to go see my papa in Florida.”
What word do you overuse?
“Whatevs.”
Least favorite word?
“Hate.”
What Louisville dish have you eaten more than any other?
“Ramsi’s vegan queso.”
When/where are you most creative?
“Weeknights around 1 a.m.”
Your drink?
“Yerba Mate: five bags per 16 ounces, two tablespoons honey, served chilled.”
What three people (living or dead) would be on the guest list to your ideal dinner party?
“MLK Jr., Gandhi, Muhammad Ali. An intimate lunch meeting.”
This originally appeared in the February 2018 issue of Louisville Magazine. To subscribe to Louisville Magazine, click here. To find us on newsstands, click here.
