Every year, filmmaker Mary Haverstick makes a point of watching the Oscars, maybe having a few friends over if she can.

But it's not to check out the evening gowns, groan at the lame jokes or see the big celebrities.

"I like the show when it truly honors cinema," she says. "It shouldn't be about winning and losing, it should be about honoring the best. The performances, the sound design, the special effects. It's about honoring the craft.

It's a craft the Lancaster native loves. She's made three feature films and keeps busy with plenty of smaller projects, both artistic and commercial.

Most recently, she spent five years working on and promoting the feature length film "Home" (starring Oscar winner Marcia Gay Harden), which she wrote and directed and filmed in Lancaster.

"The whole 'Home' experience was the most fulfilling and toughest of my life," she said. "We got it out to a nice size audience and it was on Showtime. The whole thing was a fabulous experience that changed my life. But now I have to think ahead to what's next."

1. Do you see any themes in this year's nominations?

A lot of the films are set in the past. They are an escape back to the good old days, not a reflection of today.

In tough economic times, people want to escape. We don't want our strife reflected back on us just yet.

(Indeed, of the nine best picture nominees, only "The Descendants" is set in the present day.)

2. Two of the nominated films ("Hugo" and "The Artist") are about the early days of Hollywood. Is that just a coincidence?

I remember when I was very young, my mother talked about going to see silent films. We are two generations removed from them. They are part of history now, like the Civil War.

Movies always look back. I don't think there's a difference between history and cinematic history — not anymore. Movies shape culture; they have the gravitas to look back and inspect themselves.

3. So how is the film industry doing these days?

It's in a transitional stage. The big Hollywood films and the smaller films are experiencing the digital revolution and it's like a tectonic shift.

Everyone is watching to see how things shake out. Ten years ago, iTunes reshaped the music industry. That is happening with films now, just like it's happening with publishing.

Will we be watching films in theaters? On the Internet? On DVDs? That really affects how films will make money and how they will be financed.

And the ways films are being made is changing. People are making movies with their cellphones, with digital equipment that's much easier to use. This could be a good thing, opening up possibilities. But maybe some of the older ways are better?

Everyone is in flux. It's just like the economy. Everyone is unsure about the future.

4. How are independent filmmakers like yourself doing in the midst of this flux?

It seems like the true indies, the midlevel, real quality films seem to have dropped out of the marketplace.

Independent films are moving to be a little smaller if they want financing, and larger films are moving to be a little bit safer.

Right now, I am happily doing projects that are of shorter duration. Full-length feature films take five years of your life.

You have to be nimble while still looking for the story you fall in love with and must do, the one your heart and soul tells you to do.

I think in some ways it's just as hard on a bigger level. Look at Steven Spielberg. How long has he been trying to make a movie about Abraham Lincoln? Spielberg!

A great deal of it is what you must do, what you're compelled to do. How else would you be able to push through without that passion and commitment?

5. With all the change in the film world, does anything remain constant?

Story. Emotion. These things have remained the same from the silent era to today. So you focus on your craft, regardless of the way it's shown, and the financing. You want to have your heart moved in some way, whether you're watching that film on YouTube or in a theater.

That is what all these Oscar nominated films succeed in doing. They tell a good story, they take you on an emotional journey.

jholahan@lnpnews.com