Month: May 2024

Filmmaker Barb Barton (WE ARE STARDUST: THE INTERCONNECTION OF ALL THINGS)

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WE ARE STARDUST: THE INTERCONNECTION OF ALL THINGS, 15min., USA
Directed by Barb Barton
What connects all things on this beautiful and unique planet we call home? Can we reach deep into our collective universal past to understand that everything is carefully intertwined and dependent on everything else? Filmmaker Barb Barton presents a visually stunning and thought-provoking journey into the origin and interconnection of all things. This documentary short film is designed to inspire the viewer to see their place in life through a different lens and focus not on what separates but connects us. Can a broader view help us heal our relationships with nature and each other?

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557259140989

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I began learning astrophotography in the fall of 2022, which was the first time I had actually looked deeply into the sky. I had always known on an intellectual level that we were made of stardust, but something clicked inside of me spiritually and that knowing transformed into a much deeper understanding. As an endangered species biologist, I understand ecology and the connection of all life here on Earth. As I look around at the deep conflicts and divisions in our world right now, it seems like the perfect time to look at what connects us to promote healing and understanding.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

The photography, footage, and astrophotography was done over a period of years and specific images/footage were selected for this project. After the narration was recorded, the editing process took about a month to complete.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Inspirational awakening

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Finding good stock images and computer generated graphics that represented the beginnings of our universe and other events that happened billions of years ago.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I got tears in my eyes. I had hoped that the film would move people, and it does.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

I always wanted to make films. I remember as a single digit human checking books out of the library about how to make movies and costume design. It wasn’t until Microsoft Movie Maker was out in the early 2000s that I started creating videos.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
The Wizard of Oz.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

I am fairly new to the filmmaking world and would like to understand how one gets their film into Public Television circulation and on streaming platforms.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

Wonderful.

10. What is your favorite meal?
Vegetarian Pho

11. What is next for you? A new film?

This film is the first in a series of at least three documentary shorts, which all focus on our connection with each other and other beings on the planet. The next film will focus on sound.

Submit to the NY Science & Nature Festival:

Filmmaker Andre Leo (THE MIGRATION WEB)

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THE MIGRATION WEB, 10min., UK
Directed by Andre Leo
With the introduction of a spider from East Asia, the American people are frantically trying to figure out what to make of it’s arrival. For the spider it is just trying to build a new future for itself and live the American dream.

https://www.instagram.com/andreleo.films/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I became inspired by an article I read highlighting Andy Davis’s research surrounding the spiders shyness. I thought that it was so strange to hear someone describe a spider in such a delicate way especially because of the size of the Joros. After that I really just became interested in why we have this weird relationship with invasive species and thought it was a topic worth exploring.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

This film took around 10 months to develop and create all together.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

I would use the phrase “thought provoking” to describe my film. I hope anyone that watches it questions how we treat invasive species.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

The biggest obstacle I faced was trying to capture the spiders in action. If you spend a day with them, most of the time they are really just sitting on their webs and waiting around for food to come.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I got a feeling of pride hearing good things about my film from people who I don’t know. I think it is really amazing to hear what others have to say and try to reach as many people as possible when you make a body of work you feel is important.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

I realized I wanted to make films when I started taking a film class at around 16 years old. I took the class because I wanted an easy A but soon realized film was going to mean way more to me than just a passing grade in high school.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

I have probably watched Nosferatu the most out of any film. It is an absolute classic and I just love the overall vibe of the film.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

I think that having a meet up for the filmmakers and other industry people would be very beneficial for the filmmakers that participated in the festival. It gives them a chance to get their names out there further than just showing their film.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

FilmFreeway was very easy and straightforward to use. I like how you build your film’s profile to make it a smooth process submitting to multiple places.

10. What is your favorite meal?

My favorite meal is sushi.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

I am currently in the development stages of a new film. It is a history / natural history documentary surrounding the topic of Bison in America.

Submit to the NY Science & Nature Festival:

Filmmaker Annekatrin Meyers (NARCISS)

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NARCISS, 6min., Germany
Directed by Annekatrin Meyers
Narciss, who falls in love with its own reflection, becomes consumed by self-love and finds its tragic end by turning into flowers.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

Myths and ancient stories inspire me greatly because they are timeless and applicable to so many themes in our modern lives. I was already familiar with the story of Narcissus, but it wasn’t until I saw a painting in an exhibition depicting him surrounded by flowers as he dies on a meadow that I discovered Ovid’s Metamorphoses for myself – a true treasure trove of visual poetry.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

For many years, I had the image in my head of flowers taking possession of a woman, but I never knew how to achieve it without special effects. Then I thought to myself: Why not do it the old-fashioned way, with stop-motion? From that realization, it only took a few months to implement. The most time-consuming part was ultimately obtaining the music rights. That took six months.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Sadly beautiful.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

I mentioned earlier that obtaining the music rights was very demanding. The band was immediately enthusiastic about me using their music for the film, but communication with the German authority responsible for granting music rights proved to be very difficult and slow.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I was touched and incredibly happy that what I wanted to convey was communicated even without language. It’s so wonderful to receive direct feedback from real people. These feedback videos are a great gift.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

In my art studies, I actually stumbled into film as a minor by chance. During that time, I interned as a director’s assistant on a well-known German crime series. That’s when I got a taste for it.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Gattaca by Andrew Nichols – my all time favourite movie.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

Your festival is truly wonderful and unique because it’s so personal. Generally I would appreciate more personal contact with festivals when one is in the final selection. It often remains quite anonymous and you don’t know how many people or who exactly will get to see your films. For non-online festivals I would hope to be invited for the screening if my film is in the program.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

The platform makes it significantly easier to submit films to festivals. Furthermore, I am always kept up to date on which festivals are currently accepting submissions. What definitely should be improved is the transparency of festivals that are on FilmFreeway.
For example one usually doesn’t know how big the audience is or under what conditions the films will be shown.

10. What is your favorite meal?

I believe no German could do without German bread. Of all the bakery specialties “Brezen” (pretzels) are my favorite. Although it’s not a dish just a food item it’s simply always a good choice

11. What is next for you? A new film?

Of course 😉

Submit to the Experimental, Dance, Music Festival

Filmmaker Kathryn Roszak (WOMEN AT THE TOP)

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WOMEN AT THE TOP, 56min., USA
Directed by Kathryn Roszak
This is a documentary featuring the new movement of women’s leadership in dance, the challenges and achievements, and the inspiring stories of the women. Stories are told via interviews with rehearsal/performance footage, and brief creative narratives drawing the audience further into the lives of the women. Kathryn Roszak can be viewed as the Terry Gross of dance interviews. She presents engaging, thought-provoking, cutting-edge content that draws the audience in. People ask “Is there a history of female choreography?” and this is exactly why this production needs to be done now.

https://www.dlkdance.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
This is the moment where women are coming into leadership in the arts so I sought to capture this. As a woman in dance, I see that women are overlooked for leadership roles especially at the highest levels. This needs to change. The women’s stories are powerful and need to be heard.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
About a year

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Women skyrocket

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Funding. With more support we could film the women at work and their performances. Women are underfunded in film.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I was thrilled that they “got the film,” that it really reached home.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I’ve always loved films, storytelling. I see film as choreography, as a kind of a dance.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Casablanca

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
Having in person showings with top persons in the industry. Like Cannes.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
It’s a bit generic

10. What is your favorite meal?
Oysters

11. What is next for you? A new film?
Yes. More films making women’s stories visible. I’d like to do a feature, a modern film noir, no holds barred.

Filmmaker Deb Ethier (EFFIGY HOUSE)

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EFFIGY HOUSE, 5min., Canada
Directed by Deb Ethier
A meditative journey through the surreal inner spaces of the filmmaker’s mind as passing images and thoughts overlap, yearning to coalesce into a concept.

https://rustybolttheatre.zyrosite.com/
https://www.facebook.com/rustybolttheatre

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I had a basic and rather vague idea of rooms in the “house” of my mind; places where ideas for films dwelt, sometimes just on the periphery of my consciousness. By investigating these rooms, the film would materialize, almost in an interactive sort of way. I then created the rooms, not in any particular order. This was a very liberating approach as I didn’t follow a storyboard; the flow between scenes seemed to fall into place as I worked on the edit. The “wind” that blows through near the end is like an idea wafting through the mind that liberates other ideas. It is also a film about making films, and about past films I have made (which are always in the back of my mind, in the rooms of my Subconscious), so there are clips from my earlier films playing in some of the rooms, on walls or in cupboards…and even clips from this film itself tucked away in drawers.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

It took about five months, but some of that was finding the right composer for the project.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Mysterious; compelling.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Oddly enough, it was finding just the right composer – I had tried some other avenues, but when I heard Diego’s sketches, I knew he had hit just the right complement to the visuals; ethereal, a bit dark but emotional.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

I really loved experiencing the different reactions – some were exactly what I was thinking while making the film, so that was very gratifying. But it was also really interesting to see other reactions that were a bit different but equally valid; all part of the human experience when watching a film.

6. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

FilmFreeway has been my go-to since I started making films in 2016 (very late in life, as it happens).

It’s been an indispensable tool in my festival experience.

7. What is next for you? A new film?

I’ve been toying with an idea that would work best in Super8…a whole new adventure!

Submit to the Experimental, Dance, Music Festival

Filmmaker Faraz Alam (CLOSURE)

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CLOSURE, 4min., Czech Republic,
Directed by Faraz Alam
Within M’s poignant odyssey through fractured memories, she unearths wounds from former lovers, embodying abuse, deception, and death, all in her quest for self-acceptance.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

The film’s genesis was fueled by a profound resonance with its musical core. There was a story behind the lyrics and the whole track seemed to carry a narrative, begging to be visualised. Considering the period of life I was in, It felt like the ideal canvas for a cathartic exploration of its lyrical essence.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

From the first time I heard the track to the script through the shooting and all the postproduction it took roughly a year to complete.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Perceived Truth

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Just like many others, Production hurdles and budget constraints . Securing the right locations, equipment and excellent crew. The filming itself was also a big challenge – long shooting days trying to get the minimum shots, unfavourable weather and unpredictable thunderstorms.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

Someone get it! Witnessing the audience’s nuanced discussions was gratifying—a validation of thematic resonance and shared understanding.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

My journey into filmmaking was born from adversity, fueled by a desire to transcend the limitations of the geopolitical circumstances of the place I was born in. Let’s leave that story to some other day.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Wouldn’t be able to accurately quantify- Space Odyssey, Irreversible, 8 and a half, The dreamers.

Submit to the Experimental, Dance, Music Festival

Writer/Performers Gica Pucca and Constantin Augustinus Sieve (SAUDADE)

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SAUDADE, 6min., USA
Directed by Josie Hull
A dancer faces a ghost of her past and has to come out victorious to find her true self once again.

https://www.instagram.com/josie__hull/

Get to know writer/performers Gica Pucca and Constantin Augustinus Sieve:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

GICA: One night I was going through my drawer and I found a love letter from a past relationship. After reading all those words, my heart was divided in two. A part that wanted all those memories again and the other, that knew this was not quite possible. Maybe this is what old love letters do to you. I brought it to Constantin and said “I need to make a movie about this so I can understand this feeling.”

CONSTANTIN: I was curious to see how the emotional and intention of a love letter would express itself visually and physically. I couldn’t stop thinking about a duet between a girl and a ghost.

GICA: And then, we decided to explore how to navigate the rite of passage that follows the end of a love story, and give a name to the love that remains from it.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

GICA: Saudade took around 5 months to be created

CONSTANTIN: Most time was spent in pre-production and rehearsals.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

CONSTANTIN: Perilous

GICA: Longing

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

CONSTANTIN: A few weeks before our shooting date, we learned that our location was not available anymore. We tried to find a new one as fast as possible, but without any luck. A few days before shooting, Josie Hull came in clutch with the perfect location.

GICA: The chosen place was a dance school, which fits perfectly with our story of a girl who is learning how to dance alone.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

GICA: I couldn’t stop smiling. It’s incredibly rewarding to see a story that we told resonating with an audience. Knowing that Saudade was able to translate the feeling of heartbreak. And I am so happy that they talked about the music! All because of Hideiki, our composer, who made an incredible job creating our original soundtrack for this piece.

CONSTANTIN: Hearing how the different aspects of the movie left a mark was a pretty exciting experience. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

GICA: We thank everyone for the eloquent words. Feedbacks are what gives us knowledge to improve our craft and I am glad that we could enjoy them with WILDsound..

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

GICA: Films are one of many ways of communicating with the world. I’ve always been fascinated in being able to imagine something and bring it to real life. And films had shown to be a magic tool for this. Acting was always what teleported me to other worlds and after that, I just could stop. I think the urge to make films comes from a need to tell what others couldn’t see.

CONSTANTIN: I am a very impatient person. So i grew weary of waiting on audition calls or other opportunities very quickly. I saw my director and producer friends working non-stop, while I was just waiting for the next person to call me in. I didn’t mind it, but I wanted more. I wanted to be busy doing what I love. Filmmaking was for sure a scary jump, but I have grown to really enjoy the process. Watching the idea grow from a thought to a movie is surprisingly mesmerizing.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

CONSTANTIN: Not a film but a series: Avatar the last Airbender

GICA: Every year I do a marathon of Pirates of the Caribbean, so I would say the whole francize.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

CONSTANTIN: I am impressed by the great options your festival is offering.

GICA: Visibility is key to a filmmaker’s success. I believe that this festival offers all of that and more. Audience feedback, movie reviews, podcasts, online screenings and interviews, like this one we are doing right now, should be more widely provided among other festivals as well.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

GICA: So far FilmFreeway has shown to be a reliable and diverse platform for any filmmaker to submit their titles. The support and communication was clear and they always keep us up to date with the new festivals coming up.

10. What is your favorite meal?

GICA: An açaí bowl would make me so happy right now. It’s my favorite thing ever.

CONSTANTIN: Pizza by far! If I could eat one meal for the rest of my life, I would be totally content with Pizza.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

CONSTANTIN: Yes, I am currently working on 3 new films and one of my past films I have acted in is currently doing their festival run.

GICA: 2 projects that I acted as a lead are entering the festival circuit this next month and more shooting dates are coming. Emotions are definitely running high!

Submit to the Experimental, Dance, Music Festival

Filmmaker Lea Esmaili (THE ART OF COMPETITION)

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THE ART OF COMPETITION, 2min., France
Directed by Lea Esmaili
Two souls driven by one same goal, can someone win ?

https://www.leaesmaili.com/
https://www.instagram.com/heyimleaaa/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I always like to ask myself questions and then an idea will come up. This time I asked myself if competition is real in Art, because Art is so subjective. And what is making us always see projecting on other competitions ? The dance field is particular where our physiques also have a major role in our career.

2. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Duality and dance

3. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

I made this film with my own money and with my friends. I had no real budget. But I wanted it to look professional and demonstrate that with passion you can still make a good film.

4. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

Wow, I was sooo thrilled! It is my first time, so seeing people from across the globe talking about the message behind the film or the techniques that we used made me so so proud ! I also felt that the message behind my film was understood so that made me happy.

I think it would be Clockwork Orange.

5. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

I always had a foot in Art in general, but when I was 14 I fell in love with cinema, and since then I never stopped having this passion. It’s even growing more and more everyday. It really is my purpose in life!

7. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

I don’t really know yet I would have to look deep into the festivals, I’m still very new to this. Maybe some help fundings for the winners or new filmmakers ?

8. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

It’s amaaazing. So easy and informative to put your film on festivals, it’s great.

9. What is your favorite meal?

I love sushi ahah!

10. What is next for you? A new film?

Yes for sure but maybe in a few months, now i’m focusing on my freelance career and my exhibition in Paris!

Submit to the Experimental, Dance, Music Festival

Filmmaker Maziyar Khatam (THE SWEATER)

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THE SWEATER, 9min., Canada
Directed by Maziyar Khatam
Pressured into giving away his clothes, an emasculated young man obsessively attempts to reclaim his cherished sweater before it vanishes into the donation abyss.

https://www.instagram.com/funnybonepictures

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

This idea has been bouncing around in my head since 2017: a guy donates his sweater at his girlfriend’s request, but his male friends make him feel inferior, so he decides to steal it back at all costs to prove his manhood. Firstly, it’s a comedy, but it was also important for the story to feel personal, delving into masculinity, self-worth, and the struggle for validation.

At the time, executing this film didn’t seem feasible from a budgetary perspective, especially with one of the key scenes being set at a donation center/thrift store. Our team had no finances to shut down an entire store, hire background extras, and shoot such a scene.

Years later, we had been discussing another idea that would utilize a more guerrilla shooting style. It occurred to us that we could shoot The Sweater this way as a proof of concept for our other more expansive project.

So we used hidden cameras and snuck into locations, which gave the film a voyeuristic and personal feel. The result was a bizarre hybrid of real people and actors fusing into a single narrative.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

We started with a loose script but a clear vision. We wanted to give the actors a lot of leeway with the material and have it maintain a more real feel. Because we were shooting with real people, it was impossible to shoot to a strict screenplay but gave us an opportunity to adapt the narrative to unexpected outcomes.

We shot the film and had a first cut in under two weeks. Then we went back and re-shot certain scenes and shots after constructing the story, similar to a documentary approach.

The post-production was the longest period, since the real people in the film weren’t mic’d, we decided it would be better to have voice actors ADR them.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Fake, Real.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Editing was difficult because there were a lot of different options to choose from. There were probably like 30 different versions of this film that exist.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

It was amazing! Glad they enjoyed it.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

In drama class in Grade 6. It’s when I knew I wanted to write stories.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Goodfellas, Annie Hall and Face-Off

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmakinc career?

Doing live Q&As and talking to other filmmakers.

9. What is next for you? A new film?

We are in pre-production for our first feature and have a treatment for a television show.

SUbmit to the Festival via FilmFreeway:

Filmmaker Steven Wright Clarkson (DISMISSING THE ENVELOPE)

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DISMISSING THE ENVELOPE, 10min., USA
Directed by Steven Wright Clarkson
A young girl enters the painting world of four prominent artists

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film? Really it started with my collaboration with classically trained tabla player Shreyas Iyer. After collaborating on an EP, I felt that the music had entered into a territory that was bigger than both of us. I decided on using “Dismissing the Envelope” as it was Shreyas’ favorite track and had more of an Indian Raga feel in form and length.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? It was months to finish the EP. But once the music was completed, the idea to actually have a young girl enter the paintings in the art gallery came to me naturally. I thought to myself, what better way to dismiss everything we hold for granted in the world of art than to enter and spend time there. The film was extremely complicated as an AI project. It was actually five separate AI films edited together. The prompts took a long time to come up with, given the result I desired. I hope folks see this as a positive way to use AI. To have the individual as the visionary directing the program to produce exactly what the director hoped to accomplish.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!? Art Transcends

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? Really, to find the right people to accomplish my vision.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video? Pure joy! So many fantastic film makers’, musicians’ and artists’ alike influenced who I am as a musician and film maker today. This was an incredible validation that you can make films that are completely outside the box and still be relevant in todays’ World.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films? I have always felt my music works best when put to film or video of some kind. I just finished a music video production class at Berklee and that certainly cemented that my creative talents, whether film or music, will always be intertwined.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life? Monty Python and the Holy Grail

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career? Just keep taking chances on the little guy. The artistic community can be a little daunting for someone just starting on their career.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site? It’s a great site — when I stumbled upon it and won my first award for “In the Beginning”, I knew it would be a partnership that would stand the test of time.

10. What is your favorite meal? Sashimi — I spent 6 months after graduating college teaching English in Japan.

11. What is next for you? A new film? — I continue to work on my music daily. I’m hoping to continue to create films and also I would love to work on a score for a film.

Submit your Film to the Festival via FilmFreeway: