BORN in Memphis, Tennessee, Ira Sachs has built up a reputation as an independent film-maker capable of delivering the finer feelings to the big screen.

His films include The Delta (1997), Forty Shades of Blue (2005), Married Life (2007), Keep The Lights On (2012) and Love Is Strange (2014). His newest film, Little Men, premiered at the Sundance festival this year.

It tells the story of a white married couple, Brian (Greg Kinnear) and Kathy (Jennifer Ehle), who inherit a house in Brooklyn. They move there and face a tough decision: Should they allow Leonor, the Chilean owner of the shop downstairs, to continue paying rent thousands below market value or kick her out? With Brian an unsuccessful actor, his family could use the money. But complicating the plot is the quick bond Brian and Kathy’s 13-year-old son Jake (Theo Taplitz) forms with Leonor’s similarly-aged son Tony (Michael Barbieri). The overlapping dilemmas lead to a delicately emotional film, which screens in Brighton with a special Q&A with Sachs.

ADRIAN IMMS asks him a few teasers.

I was just watching the trailer for this again. I know it seems obvious but it really made me want to watch the film. How did you decide what to include in it?

The film is about a very precise encounter between two families but within that story a lot of very big things happen so you want the trailer to get a sense of intimacy about the film but also the grandeur. Within the ordinary there is very much the extraordinary. Part of my job is to honour and pay attention to the small moments that maybe other film-makers don’t do so much.

What’s the genesis of this film?

I made Keep The Lights On about two gay young men and Love Is Strange about two older men. I felt there was a third film to make about children and that generation. It’s also about the conflict between those two generations. As much as it’s about friendship, it’s also about families, parents and children and became a vessel for the examination of life. It’s also about a neighbourhood in Brooklyn but the questions and thoughts raised are relevant to any town. This axis of conflict has been there as long as there have been communities. And children are very porous emotionally. That porousness means there’s always the potential for rupture. And I think that’s the drama of this film.

Born in Memphis and now openly gay at 50, what was it like growing up there in the 1970s? How did that inform your work?

It continues to be a city that has great division around race and economics. I had an experience in the 1970s in the Memphis Children’s Theatre. It was the first integrated community I felt I was a part of. I think that was a big inspiration for Little Men because one of the kids in the film wants to be an actor. Now in my 50s I’m running an organisation called Queer-Art in New York and the idea is to create work that involves everyone.

When did you decide you wanted to be a film maker?

When I was a junior in college I spent three months in Paris and ended up seeing two or three movies a day because I didn’t have many friends or speak much French. I realised I had a passionate connection to film. I was discovering things – Paris was and continues to be the great movie capital. There are these independent cinemas that have great support through taxation. That determines to a great extent the kinds of works that are made available to the public.

Your film Keep The Lights On was semi-autobiographical. Do you think it’s possible for a film-maker to entirely distance themselves from their own experiences when making a film?

No, not at all. What I have to offer is my personal experience and a translation of that into art and entertainment. The fact it’s personal gives it a level of depth and authenticity and an advantage when making films outside of the traditional Hollywood system. I’m not asked to translate my experience into something that will go global.

How did you feel about set-backs when you were younger if a film was deeply personal to you?

I have a pretty steady ego but that doesn’t mean I didn’t suffer sometimes. There’s always some struggle but this film has had a significant impact to the extent there is recognition that I have a filmography now, and that gives people confidence when investing in me.

With Little Men, it still carries a lot of emotional weight. It has been called a family film but at what point do you think the emotional content of a film is perhaps too much for a family?

I think people underestimate what children can appreciate and experience. The problem is people are simplifying their idea of what kids can understand. The big global animated films all push big emotions. They are sometimes simplified in imagined worlds but they become more nuanced in real life. Try to be clear with your story – kids are not dumb. With teenagers and young people who have been in the world, I don’t like to underestimate their intelligence.

Where did you find the young actors Theo Taplitz and Michael Barbieri?

Neither had been in a film before. Theo came through his agent and Michael came through an open call. I sensed very quickly that they would be a wonderful pair. They are different but share a warmth and sense of curiosity. They spent a summer making this movie and live up opposite ends of the country but they have a history which I think will mean they have a friendship.

How do you feel for new film-makers now?

I’m very involved with artists and have lots of those conversations. I encourage people to be realistic and make what’s possible within their scope and look very closely at the stories they can tell through their own lives. A lot of young people feel there is some external story they should be telling but they should look within themselves. The other thing to say is that all success is based on failure. Winston Churchill said success is the ability to withstand failure after failure with a sense of optimism. Nothing happens in a straight line.

How do you find the concept of live Q&A?

I love it because it’s the most personal immediate engagement with individuals and their thoughts and reactions to your work. For me I think of it as a good acting job and what that involves is showing up and being as open, honest and receptive to what comes at you as possible. And that’s how I think about acting.

Have you been to Brighton before?

This will be my first time in Brighton. I’m on a two-week trip in four countries so not staying long but I’m looking forward to it.

LITTLE MEN: IRA SACHS Q&A, Duke of York’s Picturehouse, Preston Circus, Brighton, Wednesday, September 14, starts 8.40pm, tickets £6.50-£15.50, call 0871 902 5728. Ira Sachs answers questions after the screening.