“Chain,” directed by Ling Han, is a 3D animated short film featuring charming characters and a sophisticated environment. It uniquely tells the story of the mantis catching the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
This was sheer perfection and I don’t say that lightly. It takes a village any time you make a film, but making an animated film can be even harder due to the characters involved. If they are animals who don’t speak you need to find a way of conveying emotion. Plus the task of making them endearing to the audience. Everything plays a part from the lighting to music to story to art style and this group of filmmakers nailed it.
Produced by Tzu-Ying Ho and Ling Han ( who also Directed the film ) found a highly skilled and talented group of animators, artists, look and lighting supervisors to give us an enchanting story about the circle of life. The look and feel of this film could fit into the Studio Ghibli realm of excellence. The world they created was realistic, vibrant and the right amount of anthropomorphism.
The story in and of itself made you feel empathy for the cicada, giggle at the antics of the spider and the mantis and feel the suspense when the oriole arrived on the scene. The music and sound effects added were brilliantly timed and helped heighten all those emotions. Sensational job to the entire team who worked on this!
Cast out by the academic community at her college for her extreme beliefs that artifacts belong with their cultures, not locked up in some museum, young historical photographer AMELIA SLOANE is shocked to learn a former and beloved professor has bequeathed to her a collection of valuable and rare artifacts – including the legendary sword Excalibur – and a mysterious message “You’ll know what to do with this.”
Review by Victoria Angelique:
Adventure awaits in CARVED IN STONE for Amelia after her mentor Dr. Bishop’s untimely death leaves her with his entire archive of literary objects believed to be items of mythology. The premise is exciting, with remarkable cinematic quality cinematography and graphics that bring the story to life.
The detail to props and characters are amazing. The filmmakers gave nods to the original Arthurian legend by introducing characters such as Tristian and Percival, names of some of the original knights of King Arthur’s round table. The prop design is mind blowing. The book was found in Turkey with the directions to the place where Excalibur should be returned and the beauty of the legendary sword itself, complete with a dead language.
The graphics and animation certainly captures attention. Animations coming from the book that show the location of the home of the sword in the stone as Amelia’s eyes turn to gold and her voice turns robotic was a pleasant surprise. It kept the heart racing. When Excalibur is returned to the stone, the fire shooting up to the sky and out in a circle was expertly created. It was quite clear that director, Porter Justus, cared about every frame being a cinematic masterpiece.
CARVED IN STONE seems geared towards a family friendly audience, a pilot episode that could lead to more exciting adventures as the series follows the adventures of Amelia and Tristan. Preteen audiences would love the flirtatious idea of a proposed romance between the two leads, while each episode could spark a newfound love of classic literature. A series like this has a world of literary adventures waiting for the characters to explore.
A cowboy about to order his very last drink at closing time meets his unexpected match: a cowgirl waitress who gives him the check (and a whole lot more).
Produced & Lead Cast: Elizabeth Marie Kallman
Review by Julie C. Sheppard:
Given the title, The Cowgirl, and the opening country music, we are tipped off that we might be about to embark on some form of emotional “ride”.
As the story unfolds, we get to enjoy the company of two compelling characters with intriguing stories under their belts. Both performers were able to gradually reveal their secrets and insecurities in a convincing, playful way.
The countrified wardrobe was right on point with the theme of the film. As for the bar setting, it perfectly framed the couple, who were filmed with skillful camera angles — both from the side and straight on. This adept cinematography allowed us to clearly see their expressive faces, as they eventually and rather sheepishly showed their true colours.
Without having to spell everything out, I liked the narrative choice to keep us guessing. An amusing, entertaining short, it was quite obvious that the ride was not over, even as the credits rolled.
“The Stage” – follows a young girl’s visit to a theater, where she is enchanted by everything, from the grand entrance to the velvet seats. Her innocent perspective is challenged when she accidentally enters the performers’ dressing rooms and witnesses their raw emotions. This thought-provoking art-house film explores how this experience alters her view of the world.
Review by Parker Jesse Chase:
“The Stage” is an art-house short film that captures a young girl as she explores the enchanting and eerie world within the theater stage. The film’s cinematography is both engaging and elemental, playing a crucial role in immersing the audience to join in on the girl’s experience.
The opening scene, with its 360-degree shot that transforms a stagnant chandelier into a spinning spectacle, sets the tone for the film, leading us seamlessly to the girl spinning on the floor—a visual metaphor for her descent into the surreal world of the theater.
The film excels in its use of camera movement, particularly in the dolly track shot that draws the viewer closer to the stage, focusing our attention on the performers. Each character is meticulously designed, striking, and memorable, contributing to the film’s overall visual impact. The young girl’s immersion in this theatrical experience is initially magical, but as the story progresses, a creeping sense of unease takes hold, hinting at the darker undertones that exist beneath the narrative.
As the girl inadvertently enters the performers’ stage or dressing room, she witnesses their raw, unfiltered emotions, leading her to question the nature of the world she inhabits. The film deftly shifts from the enchanting to the unsettling, culminating in a chilling realization that the theater may be a representation of hell itself. The final reveal—that the grand theater is, in reality, an abandoned, graffiti-covered buildin —forces the audience to reconsider everything they’ve seen. Are these performers the ghosts of the past, or is the theater a manifestation of the internal hell we all carry?
The film is a dazzling blend of beauty and darkness, using its artistic vision to juxtapose the two in dramatic fashion. The lighting, color schemes, and wardrobe choices are all meticulously crafted, highlighting what needs to be seen while allowing shadows to play with the imagination. The visual storytelling is poetic and biting, exploring themes of power imbalances, political ties, and societal injustices through a surrealistic lens.
“The Stage” masterfully uses subtle movements and thoughtfully composed shots to create art within every frame. The concept of showcasing the variety of human experiences—hunger, addiction, violence, and despair—through the eyes of a child watching a heightened theatrical performance adds a layer of complexity to the narrative. The film’s satirical take on excess and gluttony, reminiscent of the extravagance of the Capitol in “The Hunger Games,” underscores its critique of societal issues.
One of the most haunting sequences involves a puppeteer, where the eerie laughter and the dreamlike quality of the scene blur the line between reality and fantasy. The backstage moments, where performers reveal their true selves behind masks, yet remain voiceless, further enhance the dreamlike, almost nightmarish atmosphere of the film.
“The Stage” is a visual feast that challenges its audience to question the nature of reality, the roles we play in life, and the masks we wear to hide our inner turmoil. It’s a film that lingers in the mind, leaving viewers to ponder whether the theater was a glimpse into a fantastical world or a reflection of the hellish reality we often overlook.
A man wakes with amnesia after an explosion. Unaware of his identity, he’s a mafia boss targeted by a cartel. His past threatens their operations. As he regains memory, he confronts the dangerous crime world
Review by Andie Karvelis:
When an explosion gives a mafia boss amnesia, he wakes without realizing that he’s been targeted by a cartel because of his past. As his memories slowly start returning, he has to confront the dangerous crime world he was a part of.
I have mixed feelings about this film. On one hand, I really like the premise of the story that was created by Zedd K Ghazal. It’s such a unique storyline and it grabs your attention. Zedd created a wonderful action/adventure story that is suspenseful and intriguing. Yet there were some things that didn’t make sense to me but huge props to Zedd K Ghazal who also starred in the film, edited and directed this with Sam Salman. I really liked how the filmmakers chose to do the flashbacks. They added in special effects so you understood you were seeing something from the past. Also they did a great job with the music, it really elevated the emotion of the scenes.
Robert Zambrano was the Cinematographer/ Audio engineer and I have to give him credit because having multiple tasks on a production is hard. The cinematography looked really nice. Plus the Stunt Coordinator Billy Leo did a great job with the fight sequences. For me, I would have loved to see the camera angles help sell some of the hits. The devil is always in the details and in a full length feature there are going to be lots of devils to contend with.
All in all, I love the idea of this and I think the filmmakers are really on to something special.
The film, IMMERSION, captures the audience from the first few frames with spooky special effects and captivating cinematography. It gives the feeling of a ghostly presence in the empty house, a theme that continues as the people arrive as the effects evolve into playing with shadows to make the protagonist feel as if she’s going crazy.
The lighting design gives a nod to the classic horror films. The scenes set at night use blue and amber hues, allowing everything to still be visible in the frame. Shadows are able to be seen more clearly, along with the characters faces and ghostly movement. Nothing is kept in the dark, yet the film is still suspenseful. It’s the way this genre used to be made, where playing with the lighting added to the story in an artistic fashion.
The story has depth to it, rather than just a basic ghost story for the sake of scaring the audience. Alisha is dealing with the stress of a new move, trying to adjust as a new single mother and being stalked. Ghosts are just the icing on the cake, a factor that makes her think that she might actually be going insane. The story wraps up nicely, as she deals with the presence in her new home and her life issues.
Fans of ghost stories and drama might want to give IMMERSION a chance. The sound design gives a haunting score with the special effects and gripping story keeping the audience glued to the screen until the end.
Submit a screenplay that is only 1 page long and have it performed at the Writing Festival by professional actors.
(NOTE: The screenplay submission must be properly formatted.)
Submit for only $20. ALL of the screenplays will be accepted and performed. If there is a beginning/middle/end, and the grammar is sound, we will perform it.
A great way to get your words out there, obtain the Agent you’re looking for or just get your story and work seen by more people. Your story will be seen by 100,000s of people when it’s read online using top professional actors. It’s a rush you’ll never experience in your life seeing it come to life that way.
The RULES are simple:
1. Write a story that is 1pg. maximum. Edit the heck out of it. We accept all genres.
In the body in the email please add your: – FULL NAME – CITY AND COUNTRY – TITLE OF STORY – TYPE OF STORY (genres) – (optional) and a 1-2 line synopsis of your story.
3. Pay the $20 submission fee via the button below. Please put your full contact info (name, email address) on a title page:
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Watch Short Screenplays performed by professional actors:
9/10: Love Before the Fall. Directed by Daron Hagen
The myths of Orpheus and Charon are interwoven with the entirely sung magical-realist story of four friends dining in an Italian bistro who are fated to perish the next morning in the attack on the Twin Towers. At meal’s end, through magical realism, the restaurant’s mysterious strolling violinist is revealed to be Charon, hand extended, awaiting payment. Complying, each reconciles with death, and departs to the sounds of the next morning’s busy signals and the calls of first responders.
Hannah Ehman chats with composer/vocalist Gilda Lyons about working on the musical 9/10: Love Before the Fall, and her career as an artist.
NEW OPTION: For limited time – Option to submit and garner an automatic acceptance of your film. Agenda is to create exposure for the filmmaker and their film!
With that acceptance, you will receive an audience feedback video, plus 2 interviews (blog and podcast) to promote the filmmaker and film.
Submit via FilmFreeway:
Since 2016, the FEEDBACK Film Festival has been showcasing the best of Documentary Short Films. We now will be showcasing a Documentary Film Festival every month in the heart of downtown Toronto at the Carlton Cinemas.
We have created a hybrid festival with 4 tiers to enhance your film and your festival experience. All accepted films receive all four tier options:
Tier #1 – Your film plays at a private festival event where the audience will record their comments/reactions to your film on their camera or phone, then we edit them and send you a promotional video. No matter what you will receive a promotional video of your film of people commenting on your film.
Tier #2 (optional) – We put up your film live on our FILM FESTIVAL APP for 24 hours and invite a select industry audience to watch it. With this system, some films have already received a distribution deal as many platforms are looking for solid feature and short documentaries. We can not guarantee anything of course but this has been very helpful to many in the past. (see testimonials below)
Then (Tier #3) we will send you a list of questions to answer for our blog interview that will promote you and your film. Then after that (Tier #4) we will set up a podcast interview on our popular ITunes show where will we chat with you about the process of how the film was made.
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We also will be showcasing winning documentary treatments at our festival every single month.
Awards & Prizes
The Documentary Short Festival was created for filmmakers. The goal is to showcase the best of documentary talent in film from around the world.
MISSION STATEMENT: To provide filmmakers & screenplay writers of diverse backgrounds and/or with diverse stories a place to showcase their voice to a large audience and help further their careers as an artist! Free of stereotypes and degradation. We will bring a true multicultural experience represented for the artist and for the audience who attends the festival.
We support the following topics, filmmakers and communities: LGBT, Disability Culture, Racial/Ethnic Diversity, Religious Diversity, Family structures, as well as other social diversities including the aging population and youth in cinema.
This festival hub is part of the FEEDBACK Festival format that takes place at least 8 times a MONTH in Los Angeles & Toronto. Weekly film festivals and screenplay table readings occurs.
Festival Reviews 