It's not unusual for a young filmmaker to have a mentor, but Arie Posin, whose debut feature, "The Chumscrubber," opens in theaters today, had one of cinema's greats: Billy Wilder.

Wilder, who died in 2002, made a string of classic movies in his long career, including "Some Like It Hot," "Double Indemnity," "The Apartment," "Sunset Boulevard," "Sabrina" and many more.

When visiting Moscow in the 1950s, he met Posin's father, Russian filmmaker Misha Posin. Years later, after the family had relocated to California, Misha Posin brought his then-13-year-old son to visit Wilder. That meeting was, Arie remembered during an interview in Seattle last month, "an incredible gift."

In 1990, Arie Posin was an undergraduate at UCLA, majoring in chemistry but intrigued by the idea of becoming a filmmaker. Summoning up his courage, he called Wilder asking for advice.

After a delay of many months, and many follow-up calls, "eventually, he just couldn't get rid of me, and he said 'OK, come see me,' " remembered Posin. "I went to see him. He said, 'What the hell is wrong with you kids? When I was a kid, we all wanted to be firemen. Now you all want to be directors.' " Go make a movie, said Wilder, and then we'll talk.

So Posin made a 14-minute short, which he now describes as "awful." He brought it to Wilder and strolled the director's art-filled apartment while Wilder watched the film in his den. "He said, 'well, to tell you the truth, it reminds me of a Hungarian stag film from 1912. But you might have a little talent. So here's my advice: Put this movie on the shelf, and don't ever let anybody see it again.' "

Wilder later wrote a letter of recommendation for Posin for the USC School of Cinema. "My joke is that I had a really good essay, too," said Posin with a grin. "You know, that sofa pillow could get into USC with a recommendation from Billy Wilder."

Over the years, Wilder watched Posin's student films and offered much advice, including what he said was the most important advice of all: "Don't ever be so in love with your own work that you can't throw it away if it isn't good enough."

What does Posin think Wilder's reaction to "The Chumscrubber" might be? "I suspect it would have been critical. But it would have been with love. His criticism came from a good place. You know, the way he was with me was also maybe the way he was with himself. You never rest on your laurels. Good is never good enough. You keep pushing, to make it better."

Moira Macdonald: 206-464-2725