THE GIRL FROM THE VILLAGE: A STORY OF HOPE, 40min., USA
Directed by Billy Surges
Join us on a journey of educational hope for students in poverty-stricken Kenya. Surging Films teams up with The Weiss Scholarship Foundation to bring the stories of various Kenyan scholarship recipients, hopefuls, and alumni to the forefront. In particular, we follow Christine Akoth’s journey as she travels from Kenya to America in hopes to fulfill an educational journey at Elmhurst University. Getting their start in Dago, Kenya, The Weiss Scholarship Foundation’s mission is to empower children with the gift of education while working to build a world where every child gets a great education.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
My high school teacher, Brett Weiss, started this foundation when I was in his class. I had followed the mission for many years and when the opportunity arose to head to Kenya with him and tell this story, I had to jump on it. After meeting the people of Kenya and Christine, I realized that this story is a lot bigger than any of us could have first imagined. There are 100s of incredible stories over there waiting to be told.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
It took 2 years from the time I took off for Kenya to the finished product.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Inspiring, yet eye-opening.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Basically being a one-man crew traveling to Kenya and then editing together hundreds of hours of footage into a short doc.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
This was incredibly valuable! It really meant a lot that the audience feedback understood the filmmaking aspect of it as well as the content.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
After I graduated high school, I was Zac Efron’s double in a movie and that sparked my passion.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Probably Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, or Bad Boys II. Guilty pleasures.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
The podcast would be great!

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
No issues!

10. What is your favorite meal?
Chicken Parm.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
We are actually creating our own film festival in Chicago called the Chicago Film Frenzy! As well as beginning pre production work on a tv/web series.

STAUNCH MODERATES EXPERIENCE, 39min.,
Directed by Gregory T Simmons
Welcome to the Staunch Moderates Experience, a story which takes us through the history & achievements of the Staunch Moderates movement through music. This film presents a unique experience with it’s multi-genre compilation of music videos from the three albums released by the movement.

http://staunchmoderates.org/
https://www.facebook.com/StaunchModerates
https://twitter.com/SModerates
https://www.instagram.com/staunch_moderates/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

Our motivation came from having started the Staunch Moderates Movement four years ago, covering the 2020 Election Year, then forming a multi-genre hip hop band, dropping three albums in the following three years, making an 83 minute Documentary Film, “Mission Peace,” about our first year in operation including founding a Bigfoot mascot named Staunch, and then having all these assets including our many tracks & music videos which tells the Staunch Moderates Philosophy and story in an entertaining way. Our inspiration came from processing our Staunch Moderates Movement & Entertainment Studio.

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

I think I just answered this in the above answer.

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

“Staunch Moderates” or “Commons Sense”

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? It’s an interesting question because it edited together quite naturally for us once we produced all our assets over the last four years. I will note that even though the hip hop industry has been good to us, it has been a challenging industry to navigate. Making each album is like being in a boxing ring!

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

When your audience reviews had come in two weeks ago, we had already received two great trade reviews, one from your festival and one from FilmThreat, so your audience reviews were a continuation of the very positive feedback of our film. All the above have been created an elated feeling of, “Yes, we are in the game, and this is fun!” It’s a good thing too, because we have a positive message that deserves to be heard. The more positives the response, the more it’s going to be heard.

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

It came out of wanting & trying to make a scripted comedy TV Show, “Aspen The Series®,” (www.AspenTheSeries.com) which was inspired from my being a patron at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival during the turn of the century. Since 2002. I spent two decades trying to get that show off the ground by moving to Hollywood, producing and distribution an interactive reality show about creating said show & doing everything I could to market, produce and distribute it for two decades, until I finally gave up in late 2019 and switched my efforts to creating and producing the Staunch Moderates® Intellectual Movement. Through the process we made a documentary about my “Aspen The Series” experience available via the home page of said website. With this background as soon as I started Staunch Moderates, I knew we were making a documentary film about it. It’s entitles Mission Peace and is available on Amazon Prime and will soon be on Apple TV. Our newest film, “The Staunch Moderates Experience,” the one this interview is about, is a result of us also being a multi genre hip hop band and then stitching together most of our music videos and MCing between them to tell our story and to echo what we feel are good values and should be considered by all as an effort to achieve peace.

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

Forest Gump or Point Break

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

As I was saying, you at Toronto Docs Fest have already been absolutely terrific,” my first experience of being properly supported by a studio per my show biz career outlined above.” For me this has been a tremendous experience that I appreciate.

If you could do anymore, it would be to help us get into a major: TIFF (already passed), Berlin, Cannes, SXSW, or Sundance. Am I missing one, and/or help us get a distribution deal like we have for our Mission Peace.

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

FilmFreeway has been an excellent platform for us. No complaints here.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Wild Duck.

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

As I mentioned above, we are also a multi genre hip hop band (of course all clean rap). We are “DJ Staunch® & the Bigfoots,” (searchable by “DJ Staunch” or “Staunch Moderates” on all music platforms). We are looking to be booked as a live act which will include most of this movie as a backdrop on a jumbotron to our concert including: Bigfoot “DJ Staunch,” rap star – Kyle Knight, our dance troupe the “Staunchhettes, ” and myself, GTS, also MCing and rapping some tracks. This concert will boarder on being a play, by not only being good music but also very theatrical to tell a poignant story, “peace through moderation,” a current day Hamilton so to speak.

HOTPANTS, 15min., Sweden
Directed by Vera Berggren Wiklund
A story about finding your way back to volleyball where the dress code in the sport and self-hatred of the body stands in between. The film is Vera’s process (the director) of re-approaching the sport after a break caused by hotpants and body hate. By meeting other young people who have played and plays volleyball, Vera wants to explore how others think about hot pants. Emma, Vera´s friend, who also stopped playing volleyball in her teens follows her through the film and their joint goal is to start playing again, in the clothes they themselves want to wear.

https://www.mvuandafilmproduktion.se/hotpants/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

Five years ago, I stopped playing volleyball. In connection with that, I got rid of my hotpants, those tight little shorts that we girls used to play in. Now, I want to play volleyball again but I don’t. I don’t want to wear hotpants, and I don’t want people to see me in them. That’s why I made this film: to approach the sport again after a break caused by hotpants and body hatred. By talking to my friend, who also quit playing volleyball in her teens, and meeting young volleyball players, I am reconnecting with the sport to find out what others think about the dress code and who it’s for.

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

I worked on the film for a total of two years.

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

Intimate, norm-critical.

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

The hardest part of making the film has been having the courage to trust that my own experience is valid and important. It has also been challenging to be in the film myself; initially, it was absolutely not an option, but with encouragement from people around me, it became so, which now feels essential to the film.

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

It’s very important to me that the topic is being talked about and that the film stimulates thoughts and emotions in people. It brings me joy, and I consider anyone who is brave enough to share their personal reflections on the subject to be truly courageous.

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

During high school, my friend Nina Winter and I created the short documentary Drivkraft, which focuses on young female gymnasts, their dreams, fears, and what drives them to continue with gymnastics. Creating a film that was deeply meaningful to me, and also impactful for other young people, was an incredible experience. The film became a way for me to, like the girls in the film, be fearless and pursue my own dreams. I realized that making films that are significant to me will likely resonate with others as well.

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

I believe it’s the film My Neighbor Totoro by Hayao Miyazaki. I appreciate the film’s universe: the endless imagination and playfulness of the environment. The film feels alive and magical, which really draws you into the story and makes you appreciate the creativity and joy that went into it.

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 appreciate networking events, workshops, and screenings with Q&A sessions. Being able to ask questions and learn about the filmmaker’s creative process inspires me and makes me feel more connected, that makes me feel less alone in my own filmmaking journey.

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

Excellent! The website is user-friendly and easy to navigate.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Right now, I’d say my favorites are dumplings or salmon sushi.

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

I’ve started a new project – a documentary film that, through the multi-sport athlete Meeri Bodelid, explores the Swedish sports world from a gender equality perspective.

WE’RE STILL BREATHING, AMHARA GENOCIDE IN ETHIOPIA, 23min., Ethiopia
Directed by Graham Peebles
We’re Still Breathing, Amhara Genocide in Ethiopia is a short documentary about the systemic silent genocide of the Amhara people in Ethiopia.

https://twitter.com/AAA_Amhara

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

A: The wish to bring the issue to the public attention and put pressure on decision makers

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

A: Eight months

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

A: Truthful. Emotional.

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

A: There were many obstacles. From the edit to the language, and working with a limited budget,

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

A: Pleased they were moved by the film

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

A: When writing human rights articles, it occurred to me that films may help spread the message.

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

A: No idea

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

A: Potentially project work in Sri Lanka & Gaza, and attempting to write fiction in addition to essays.

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:

1. 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.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
I’d say it was about a six-eight month process. We added an additional day of photography during post production once we saw the rough cut.

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

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Being an indie production the scope of the project was fairly large for the resources we had. Finishing the film took quite a lot of time and planning but we had a talented team to bring all these ideas alive.

5. 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!

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?\
I loved movies since I was a child but I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed being behind the camera till my mid-20’s. For years, I thought I wanted to be an actor but I find the creative journey of writing and directing behind the scenes to be a much better process for me. Now, I just hire all my talented friends to be in front of the camera!

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
As funny as it sounds, probably A Christmas Story. It was a family tradition to watch it every Christmas Eve.

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 love the audience feedback video. It was super fun and it’s rare you get such direct and thoughtful feedback. I’m also super excited about the possibilities of the What’s App Group.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
In general I find it very helpful but like any platform you have to do your own due diligence on the festivals. Not all of them provide an equal experience.

10. What is your favorite meal?
Sushi. Too much of it.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
We just completed my latest short and are about to start submitting it to festivals. It’s a modern adaptation of the Peter Pan story set in NYC.

DON’T LET THEM IN, 15min., Canada
Directed by Peter Collins
While dealing with the aftermath of escaping an abusive relationship, Heather starts to believe there is a vampiric shape shifting creature trying to trick her into getting inside her home. Memories of witnessing a traumatic event years ago involving the same creature come flooding back after she is mysteriously gifted the creatures calling card – a smooth stone engraved with a strange symbol. With the help of a supportive friend, Heather must finally confront her demons in the form of the monster that is haunting her, and summon her inner strength to finally defeat it.

https://www.instagram.com/dontlettheminshortfilm/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I had recently gone through a separation, so I guess I had that topic and those themes that comes with it on my mind and just wanted to express it somehow. I wanted to do something involving a character going through a similar situation to that as well, where they kind of want their ex-partner back but deep down they know it’s not good for them in the long run. The story sort of grew from there, to involve an abusive ex trying to worm their way back into the main character’s life, and the main character’s trust in people being damaged to a point where they can become suspicious of anyone at their doorstep. That’s where the title Don’t Let Them In comes from, it’s a cautionary warning about letting abusers from your past back into your life.

Around the same time I had an initial idea of a creature inside a room in a house, trying to trick the homeowner into opening the door to that room. That sort of got spun out into the shape shifting, vampire-like creature on the doorstep that’s in the final film. I thought that concept paired really well with the aforementioned theme of ex-partners trying to get back into your life, and that’s how this film came to be.

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

I wrote the first draft of Don’t Let Them In several years ago, back in 2020. It really wasn’t until Spring of 2023 that things actually began moving forward on pre-production. We had a 3 day shoot that October, and post wasn’t finalized until May 2024. So overall, it’s been roughly a 4 year journey.

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

Metaphoric Vampire?

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

I’d have to say that the biggest obstacle was just getting the ball rolling in the first place. It kind of felt like I was floundering aimlessly a bit at first, but once I had the producers on board things started to slowly but surely fall into place.

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

To be honest I wasn’t exactly sure how people were going to react. At this point I’m so familiar with this story and had seen it so many times I’m not even sure if it’s scary or fun or whatever, or if the themes are too heavy handed or handled in a clunky manner or not. I’m really glad that people seemed to enjoy it, though! Hearing the feedback put a giddy smile on my face. I love that all the hard work and effort that everyone put into this project has come together into something that seemingly resonates with people.

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

I feel like I was kind of a late comer to the world of filmmaking. I was actually working as an engineer for years before an untimely layoff made me want to try something else. I had always enjoyed films, and I liked watching breakdowns and analysis of movies, so I guess at some point there was kind of an ‘ah-ha’ moment where I realized that filmmaking was something I could actually try and do. I eventually started writing scripts and shooting small films on my own, and then some more with a few friends, and it just sort of progressed from there.

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

That’s a tough question, I have so many favourites. I think I’m going to have to say Jurassic Park. I watched the hell out of that movie growing up, and it’s still something I watch once a year at least.

Maybe an honourable mention goes to Halloween (1978). That’s required watching every October.

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 really enjoyed the viewer feedback video this festival does, but I think it would be beneficial for the reviewers to try and give even more pieces of constructive criticism. I know there’s definitely lots of room for improvement in my work still, so having people point out more areas that might be lagging would be a huge help!

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

The entire process is so streamline. It’s easy to search and discover festivals, including ones that you might not have known about, and it makes the process for applying to festivals incredibly simple as well. So, overall I’ve had a very positive experience with FilmFreeway.

10. What is your favorite meal?

I’m a sucker for pasta. A nice spaghetti and meatball dish is one of my main go to comfort foods. It’s something I ate a lot as a kid growing up so I guess there’s some aspect of nostalgia to it.

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

I’m doing a lot of writing. I have several scripts and ideas that I’m currently developing, both shorts and features, but I think my next immediate project will be another short film. I want to do something that starts off as a bit of a slow burn that builds into something very tense and suspenseful, and just dripping with atmosphere.