Filmmaker Justin Hayward completes part one of his “seriously huge” feature, “Fireproof Gloves”

WHO HE IS: Award-winning director/photographer Justin Hayward, auteur of festival fave “Divorce Lemonade,” is co-producing, directing and editing his first feature, “Fireproof Gloves,” with a friend in St. Louis, his home town.

He will accomplish what he calls “a seriously huge project” in two stages. He just cranked out part one.

“Gloves'” huge character arcs include “over-the-top” leading persona, Len Nicely, who masquerades a cozy suburban existence to cover his alcohol and abuse-soaked marriage.

HOW HE VIEWS HIS JOB: “The most important thing to me besides executing the story visuals is making sure it doesn’t look like acting.”

He shakes actors up by giving them breaks, or invigorating them with jumping jacks. “I get to know actors personally and try to find things from their past to bring them to where I need them to be in the film.”

PROS: “The rush that comes from working on cool, creative projects.”

CONS: “You take on everything, including the blame for what doesn’t work. You can start to wonder why you’re doing this in the first place.”

KEY TO SUCCESS: “Being able to identify a decent story.”

BACKSTORY: After taking film classes at SIU, St. Louis native Hayward relocated to Chicago. He worked as a production assistant on commercials and indie films, including “Project Greenlight” contest winner, “Stolen Summer.”

He has since been a DP on countless shorts and features, including “Glass Turned Cloudy” and “Missy and the Maxinator,” now in post.

BIG BREAKS: His short film, “Divorce Lemonade,” screened at Sundance in 1996, then navigated a hectic festival circuit schedule throughout 2006, winning a silver plaque from the Chicago International Film Festival.

It was one of the top three downloaded shorts from the Sundance website. “That tiny little film has taken me so far. Sundance gives you credibility.”

WORDS OF WISDOM: “Why haven’t you done it yet?” Hayward asks all “broomstick cowboys” dreaming about filmmaking in this day and age of accessibility, which enables anyone to make a film.

HIS ULTIMATE GOAL: “To make a living by making films.”

ON THE SIDE: Watching movies of all kinds near his Woodridge home with Angie, his wife of two years. “It’s a blast going to the theater. It reminds me of when I was little.”

Justin Hayward’s phone is 773/401-6065; Email justinhayw@gmail.com.