NOSTALGIA TRANSPLANT, 6min, USA
Directed by Yuxing Xu
In a future world where people archive history as interactive virtual reality experiences called “Vistories,” “Nostalgia Transplant” introduces the “Vistorian” to relive the LA river’s historical stages. His emotional journey reveals a perplexing choice: to preserve a distorted river in the digital realm. Is it sanctuary, manipulation, or a reflection of his story?

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
I’ve been really into the cinematic history of the LA River and how VR tech is changing our lives. Movies such as “Point Blank” (1967), “Grease” (1978), and “Drive” (2011), which feature scenes in LA River, have been a big influence on me. And there were days when I was driving past and walking along the dry riverbed near the new 6th street bridge construction site, seeing the homeless folks around, it just clicked in my mind to create this film and help expand the rich narratives of the LA River.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
It took nearly a year to complete this film, with the last month dedicated to sound & music with my friend Santiago Amézquita, a truly talented music composer

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

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Time-Management as I had to balance my school commitments with personal time devoted to independently producing the film.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
It really got me feeling warm and fuzzy inside. It made me happy to see that all the effort I put into making the film was worth it. It just confirmed that I want to keep making more films.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021 while pursuing my architecture master’s at SCI-Arc, the shift to online learning exposed me to various digital tools. All of this inspires me to explore the creative potential of storytelling via digital films.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
“Mirror” (1975) by Andrei Tarkovsky

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
More networking opportunities among filmmakers would definitely help a lot, but so far I’m happy with the LA Feedback Festival’s offerings.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
I found it to be a very convenient and good tool for filmmakers. I appreciate the platform’s handy interface, search tools, and the ability to see other filmmakers’ feedback and ratings.

10. What is your favorite meal?
Ramen or Rice Noodles I guess?

11. What is next for you? A new film?
Yes, I’m currently in the post-production phase of my next film: “La Jetee(VR),” a VR adaptation of the 1967 French sci-fi classic, and it’s set in a fictional L.A.

Submit to the LA Feedback Film Festival:
 

GIFT, 19min,. USA
Directed by Graham Northrup
A young man escapes through the woods with his barely-conscious sister. Pursued by a warlord and his ruthless tracker, he must prevent her from falling into their hands again. But they will stop at nothing to control her unique gift – the ability heal others with touch.

http://www.northrupstudios.com/
https://facebook.com/northrupstudios
https://instagram.com/northupstudios

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I love sci-fi and its ability to ask probing questions of humanity while couching them in a future or alternate reality. Although I have written and directed dramas, comedies, thrillers and more, sci-fi is my preferred genre, and I wanted to do a complete project, from script to screen. I knew I had a gap between productions, so I wrote a short that could be accomplished in that window, and possibly open up more opportunities once it was developed.

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

I wrote the screenplay in just a few weeks, then ran a fundraiser campaign for about a month while simultaneously location scouting and crewing up. We rehearsed and shot over 5 days, then delivered the finished edited film 2 months later. So all told about 4 months.

How would you describe your film in two words!?

This film is an exploration of how we use the gifts we’ve been given. Do we use them to heal? Or do we exploit them for personal gain at the exponse of others? It’s also an adventure for a brother and sister who face overwhelming challenges in the world they inhabit, and it forces them to make incredibly difficult decisions, even as far as who lives and who dies.

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

Finding suitable locations was a challenge, but we ended up getting some great ones. Weather was a challenge on our first day of shooting, which made it a test of endurance. We also missed having our wardrobe supervisor on set due to illness, so others had to step up and fill in as best they could.

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

They understood it! It was very gratifying to hear them talk about the connections they made in the action and themes of the film. You always wonder if your intentions are coming across, especially if they are fairly subtle, but the responses showed that they were really getting it.

When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

Even as a youth, I loved watching “Movie Magic” and “making-of”-style shows about how they made movies. I studied theatre and film in college, and while most of my career has been in theatre, I kept coming back to film, and am now full-time as a filmmaker.

What film have you seen the most in your life?

I love The Court Jester with Danny Kaye. I love the wit and physical humor. I also love Gattaca, Aliens, Groundhog Day, and others.

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

The further along I get, the more I realize that networking, especially in film, is one of the best ways to find like-minded souls who can leverage each other’s knowledge and connections to make things happen.

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

It’s been great!

What is your favorite meal?

A variation on your traditional taco salad call Mexican Chef Salad, topped with sweet and tangy Western dressing.

What is next for you? A new film?

I have an award-wining Supernatural Thriller feature screenplay that is in line for development and production, and I’m currently working on a Aspen, Colorado-based romantic comedy feature that will shoot this winter.

REBIRTH, 9min,. USA
Directed by Jamezz Iaiahe Hampton
In this contemporary twist on the biblical tale, Adam and Eve are thrust into an unfamiliar world after being expelled from Eden. Struggling to discern what is truly good and evil in this complex environment, they embark on a journey of self-discovery in order to set them free.

https://www.1209productions.com/hampton-experience
https://www.facebook.com/Jamezzhampton
https://www.twitter.com/JamezzHampton
https://www.instagram.com/Jamezzhampton

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

My good friend and I had endless talks about what this project could be leading up to his passing, and I just wanted to get a piece of completed work with his name on it in memory of him.

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

From the Idea to the finished product, this project took about three years.

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

Fresh air

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

The biggest obstacle was getting the money to support my cast and crew.

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

My reaction was joyful, My friend would’ve been proud to have had that moment.

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

From the moment of our first brainstorming session.

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

Frozen(lol I have kids)

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 would have loved the opportunity to network with others in real time.

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

It has been great!

10. What is your favorite meal?

Turkey wings and Veggies

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

Rebirth the Series

THREE AM, 22min., Canada
Directed by Jeff Wolverton
Sometimes when you pray, it isn’t God who answers.

http://threeamfilm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556319635264
https://instagram.com/threeamfilm

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I’m always fascinated with the motivations of the bad guys, as their actions usually set things in motion. Nobody really “wants to be evil” or “wants to take over the world” and in real life? All of history’s REALLY bad bad guys thought they were the hero of the story.

So I wanted to find a way to investigate the motivations of the ultimate bad guy. In reading the various mythologies of the devil, was struck by how they all agreed on some basics: that the Devil was God’s son, he was born in Heaven as one of the first archangels God created and was for a while the best of all the archangels. Originally named “Samael” he became so good at bringing God’s light out into the universe that he was renamed the “light bringer”, or ‘Lucifer’ in ancient latin. He then gets cast out for the sin of Pride, for thinking he should be more than just God’s right hand man, but should be God’s equal, maybe even take over when the old man retires (the mythologies differ here a bit; in some he leads a war in Heaven against God, in other he’s just cast out.)

So I had this idea that if archangels bask in the love of God, for an archangel to suddenly lose that and not be able to feel God’s lover anymore must have driven Lucifer nuts. Then you’ve got this character that just wants the love of his Father and to go back home where he grew up, something we can all identify with. (Then we can literally have “Sympathy for the Devil”, which I kind of reference in the short; The Man in the Hat says “how about some sympathy, like the song? You know nobody’s rooting for ME to win.” Wanted to use the song over the credits but I can’t afford to pay the Rolling Stones.)

And for Lucifer to later God create humankind hear things like “For God so loved mankind that He gave his one and only Son”? I figure that must have REALLY driven him nuts (“…They break His commandments on a daily basis yet still get His love? And “one and only” son? WTF? My & my fellow archangels don’t even count?”)

But then I figure Lucifer hatches a plan: if he can show God that his beloved humanity is actually WORSE than Lucifer? That they will – by their own choices – make the truly unholy choice? In Lucifer’s twisted logic that means if God still loves humanity (once proved worse than Lucifer) then God have to admit He was wrong and love Lucifer again, invite him back home. Every time that doesn’t happen Lucifer gets angry but figures if he keeps upping the game, next time it’ll work.

So In “Three AM” we see the end of a long series of events where the real goal is revealed: to turn a pious servant of God into a serial killer. To show God that even the best, a lifelong followers of His commandments will break the biggest one of all. And all by humanity’s own choices. (Note that Lucifer himself never breaks any commandments, he doesn’t lie/cheat/steal/kill. Nor does he force anyone; they always have the choice to simply do nothing.) In Lucifer’s mind, this will eventually pay off and God will change his mind.

And to keep with the mythologies, the only sin Lucifer is ever guilty of is still Pride; he’s very proud of his manipulations and keeps trying to talk about them. (“Wanna hear how I got it? You see, there was this…” — then gets cut off or punched.)

Then I wanted to reveal this all in a fun way without ever needing to explicitly say it. (We never actually say ”satan”, “devil”, “lucifer”, “heaven”, or even “god” or “hell” except in off hand ways.) As a writer I liked the restriction of that.

I also imagined that Lucifer is still an angel, despite being a fallen one, that he’s still bound by all of God’s law and commandments. It’s just who he is, how he was created. (Kind of like how we are all bound by the laws of physics, we don’t get to choose which one’s we follow. But we DO get to chose which of God’s laws we follow, or we can follow none at all. I figure for angels that is flipped; they aren’t bound by physical laws but are by God’s laws.)

Would love to make a feature film follow up to this where the stakes are raised even higher.

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

About 3 months.

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

“Bad guy”.

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

Locations. We got rousted twice from the initial spot of the first scene (fortunately, this led us to a much better spot for the Man in the Hat scenes!)

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

Fantastic! First time I’ve seen an in person audience reaction! Also they were quite complimentary! (Ego-wise, I couldn’t help but get a happy jolt when one of them singled out the acting work on my character in particular. I loved playing the Man in the Hat.)

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

About age 10.

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

“Jaws”. Maybe 12 times.

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

A local viewing in Toronto!

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

It’s been great. Easy to keep track of what festivals you got into and how it went!

10. What is your favorite meal?

Sushi.

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

Making another short with my girlfriend (Willow Edwards, co-producer and actor playing Katie in “Three AM”) that we will shoot soon. A completely different story and a smaller, more contained location set.

Submit to the Fantasy/Sci-Fi Festival:

INCURSIO, 9min,. USA
Directed by Jonathan Sackman
On the day of Singularity, an ordinary man finds himself in the midst of an artificial intelligence attack.

http://jonathansackman.com/
https://www.instagram.com/jsfilmandtv/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I wanted to make a film on an epic scale for almost no money that would make people happy.

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

Two and a half years.

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

Big, Epic.

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

Forcing myself to move on from one shot and starting the next one. I would’ve loved to have been able to spend another week working on each one, but I never would’ve finished
the film.

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

I was nervous and excited!

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

When I was 10 years old.

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

Jurassic Park.

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 was totally satisfied with your festival.

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

Very easy.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Pizza.

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

I’m thinking I want to do something like a 90’s cop movie.

Submit to the Fantasy/Sci-Fi Festival: