Two former lovers, Robert and Cynthia, meet up to discuss their relationship. As the two revisit their pasts, the trouble that split them in the first place starts to rear up. They’re doing their best to set their differences aside, all the while being plagued by a single lingering question; is love enough?
Review by Julie Sheppard:
Acceptance is true to the title of this short film – – the central figure of Robert does indeed need to accept the fact that his relationship with Cynthia has ended. Despite his love for her, it is seemingly unrequited.
The two performers playing these roles are wonderfully subtle and believable in their frank scenes and the well-written dialogue reflects that. You can sense Robert’s searing pain at the loss and Cynthia’s honesty that she now belongs to another.
The gorgeous harbourfront setting near dusk is heavily symbolic as their relationship draws to an end, and the wistful orchestral refrains of the string instruments further help to achieve the tone of painful struggle.
The arresting camera close-up of the two rings tumbling off a railing adds to the theme of finality. This melancholy segment is in strong contrast to the soft and warmly lit, joyful flashbacks of the couple once happily together. By the film’s conclusion, it becomes universally relatable – – the very nature of life often demands acceptance of things that we cannot change.
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:
Submit via FilmFreeway:
Tier #1 – Your film plays at a public film 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) – Your film plays on the Film Festival streaming service for 30 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.
A festival designed to showcase the best of new environmentally themed films (shorts, features) and screenplays (shorts, features, TV pilots) from around the world. We accept any genre (animation, comedy, experimental, horror etc.) as long as it has an underlying environmental thematic. We seek to advance public understanding of the environment through the power of film and storytelling; which is why this festival has been created.
If you like us to do a video of your logline, we’ll peform it using a professional actor and promote it online on our site and popular YouTube channel and VIMEO Channel.
NEW: Every submission will get their Video Pitch Logline shown at the Festival for Trailers Monthly Event, and garner more exposure for their story.
Send your Video Pitch logline with the relevant information:
Title of Story:
Written by:
Logline: (see below for examples on writing the best logline)
Genre: (choose one of up to five genres) Action, Adventure, Animation, Biography, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Family, Fantasy, History, Horror, Musical, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Sports, Thriller, War, Western (or, choose your own genre)
Type: Short Screenplay, Feature Screenplay, Mini-Series Script, TV pilot, Short Story, Essay, Novel, Play
WGA Registration Number: (if applicable)
LOGLINE BASICS
Brevity is an absolute necessity of creating a good logline. You should go through many drafts to make sure every adjective is the most perfect and evocative and above all accurate. Get out your thesaurus find the best words for the job. You can’t afford a single extra character.
Choose your focus carefully. You need to pinpoint the most important through-line of your story. What you pick must be dynamic: you need to describe action, conflict, challenge.
The easiest way to phrase your logline is to state the genre, an attribute of the main character, and what the character needs to achieve to meet a challenge. Of course, you may see your script as a slice of life or a series of vignettes or something else that doesn’t lend itself to a clear statement in this form, but attempt it.
THE BARGAIN, 15min., USA Directed by Alec Patchin A young girl summons the Devil to get revenge on her former foster father who abused her. The Devil is willing to make a deal but the cost is more than she bargained for.
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?I was struck by the strange nature of revenge and the lengths people will go to feel like they “got even”. Often people are willing to go out of their way and further negatively impact their own lives if it means the person who wrongs them also suffers.
What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?I was super flattered and grateful for all their wonderful feedback. Sharing your movie with the world can always be nerve racking but you are never quite sure people will feel the same way about it that you do. But their feedback was so nice and I’m glad the movie we made resonated with them like we hoped it would!
Go to the Daily Film Festival Platform http://www.wildsound.ca and sign up for the free 7 day trial to watch a new and original festival every single day.
Santa Fe & Esmeralda – Crossroads, 16min., USA Directed by Christel Veraart In the transformative backdrop of Argentina’s evolving democracy and vibrant art scene from 1987 to 1996, “Santa Fe & Esmeralda – CrossRoads” chronicles the profound and enduring friendship between Kita, a young Dutch woman, and Lorenzo, the gay son of a prominent Argentine family. United by their love for music, they navigate complex family dynamics and the harsh realities of AIDS, with Kita becoming Lorenzo’s caregiver and preserving their bond through storytelling after his death, celebrating a love that transcends boundaries.
SARIAH, 11min., USA Directed by Jessica Orcsik A young lesbian struggles to envision her life apart from her partner, while finding solace and acceptance within her grief.
BENDER DEFENDERS, 25min., UK Directed by Ira Putilova Four members of a queer martial art club “Bender Defenders” in East London get together to celebrate trans people in sports through conversations about the necessity of anger, the pleasure of pain and the inevitability of friendship and joy as main tools of resistance.
STUCK, 13min., USA Directed by Emma Grace Lukens A couple’s ambiguous relationship becomes slightly more clear as they lie on their living room floor, discussing their dating lives.
UPSIDE DOWN PINEAPPLE, 17min., USA Directed by Cory Nixon The true story of her best friend’s mysterious murder would make the perfect prime time miniseries. . . but can former queen bee Penelope Pierce convince her reluctant clique to sign over their life rights?
This festival is designed to showcase the best of LGBTQ+ stories from around the world today! We accept screenplays (short, TV Pilot, feature) and short & feature films.
Submit via FilmFreeway:
Film Festivals:
Festivals occur every single month. We accept an assortment of shorts & feature films from around the world today monthly. We are proud to announce that we will be using the audience feedback format where all accepted films receive a video of people talking about their film at the festival. Excellent video to use for promotional purposes too. NOTE: To enhance the feedback video for the filmmakers, all festivals are held for a private selected audience only.
Screenplay Festivals:
We are proud to showcase 2-5 winning LGBTQ+ screenplays at our festival every single month!! Go to the site and watch the winning readings each month.
All entries receive full feedback from the industry. Accepted screenplays get their screenplays performed by professional actors.
One of North America’s leading gay destinations, Toronto has been holding Pride observances since the ’70s. The Pride parade draws more than 1.2 million spectators and participants annually, making it one of the top such draws in the world. The cinema is located in the Church & Wellesley area, where all of the Pride Events take place.
LGBTQ+ festivals occur 12 times a year. Go to the website for information on the next events.
All submissions receive feedback on their film no matter what.
Submit your TV Show/Pilot on FilmFreeway via the WILDsound Platform (Under TV FESTIVAL):
Probably the best and most informative feedback I have ever gotten for this! Thank you so much I’ve been trying to figure out what isn’t quite right with the script – the notes make complete sense! Thank you again, now I know what to do to tighten it up – Tania Penn, TV Pilot
TV SCREENPLAY FESTIVAL takes place every single month. At least 4-15 winning screenplays. Winners get their script performed by professional actors and then made into a promotional best scene video (see examples on the submission page). Submit via the site or via FilmFreeway.
This festival has a guaranteed 4-tier set up for each accepted script. (No matter what, all screenplays submitted receive FULL FEEDBACK on their work.)
1st Tier: FULL FEEDBACK on your screenplay (all submissions)
2nd Tier: Accepted scripts (25% on average of submitted entries) get a best scene of their screenplay performed by professional actors and made into a promotional video.
3rd Tier: We will send you a list of questions to answer for our blog interview that will promote you and your film.
4th Tier: Then we will set up a podcast interview on our popular ITunes show where will we will promote the winning writer and script.
(BONUS: 5th Tier. A winning screenwriter’s WhatsApp group has just been formed. Over 50 writers to date. Great way to share ideas and contacts with people in the industry.)
What this festival does is give the writer exposure. With our best scene video reading, plus the 2 interviews, this festival simply makes the screenwriter’s name and script searchable and out there to the world. Plus, submissions receive full feedback on their script no matter what.
BRAISING, 19min., USA Directed by Bryan Ribeiro Conroy –a crestfallen, fast food cook who dreams of becoming a chef– finds community with a peculiar “charity” organization, all while he strives to deepen his connection with his widower father.
What motivated you to make this film? I wanted to tell a story about group think. There’s always been a fascination about cults and mob mentalities and I wanted to explore what brings about a need to join the collective. The answers vary person to person but a lot of the cases I found illuminating were the ones where someone lacked a community of their own; they had no family they could rely on. Focusing on someone without a support system and seeing their descent sounded way too fun an opportunity. Food has always been something that brings people together and adapting that idea into a potentially negative tether was the last crux to bring everything together.
What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video? I was really floored by the initial reception. The warmth in the reviews were really validating and a lot of the analyses were thoughtful. It’s my very first video review so it was a bit surreal.
Go to the Daily Film Festival Platform http://www.wildsound.ca and sign up for the free 7 day trial to watch a new and original festival every single day.
IN THE DISTANCE, 10min., France Directed by Laëtitia Daché “In the Distance” is a choreographic triptych presented as short films, offering a perspective on the notions of complementarity and duality, expressions of resilience in the face of challenges.
COUNTERPOISE, 20min., Australia Directed by Matt Byrne, Larissa McGowan Counterpoise is a stirring dance video made in collaboration between Australia’s leading dance company working with artists with and without disability, Restless Dance Theatre, University of South Australia Connect2Abilities, Korean Dance Company 29Dong Dance Theatre, and Korean Music Project.
DANCE THE WALTZ, 12min,. Isreal Directed by Alona Milner “It is a dancing, whirling, almost hallucinatory ecstasy, an increasingly passionate and exhausting whirlwind of dancers, who are overcome and exhilarated by nothing but ‘the waltz.’” Said Ravel about his masterpiece “La Valse”.
FITTED SKIN, 6min, USA Directed by Karen Gayle Set against the horizon of New York City, Fitted Skin is a dance short about finding comfort in the skin you’re in. Like a fitted sheet, it is almost impossible to get each corner to perfectly cover each edge. Paolo Nutini’s powerful score Iron
EMERGING, 14min, USA Directed by Jessie Nowak, Monica Parra Allen Emerging narrates the tale of the Founders, dedicatedly constructing their civilization, and the Saurians, concealed within the woods. After years of isolation from one another, they are unexpectedly brought together. This encounter sparks feelings of curiosity, confusion, joy, and fear. In the end, they realize they are interconnected, regardless of whether they choose to embrace this connection. jessie.c.nowak@gmail.com
Jamaica Story is a documentary made to inspire Jamaicans worldwide to invest their time as well as their money to help create a brighter and stronger Jamaica!
Review by Andie Karvelis:
Every country around the world has heard of Jamaica. For those of us not native to Jamaica, it means different things. A vacation paradise, great food, wonderful music, a culture thriving with friendly and laid back people. For those people who are from Jamaica, it’s home.
Mikey Campbell has created a documentary that is filled with love and determination. His idea to inspire Jamaicians worldwide to invest their time and money, not only preserve their culture but to help it grow is sensational. This small nation has such a wonderful sense of community and the interviews all reflect how much they love their homeland. It’s absolutely inspiring!
The cinematography and editing was done by a team lead by Banks, and they did fantastic. This film had a great pace and helped non-Jamaicians understand just how important it is to create more opportunities and preserve the culture of Jamaica for future generations.
Home is something precious to all of us and we all should rally around the places we call home to help them grow. Mikey Campbell, I can completely see why Jamaica is so important and this film is a wonderful call to arms for all of us.
Festival Reviews 