TURNING A NEW LEAF, 2min,. USA
Directed by Isabelle Alison Hibbard
Hazel and Willow, two teenage theater club members, exit from backstage after a rehearsal. Willow is upset by her role, and Hazel argues that no, being a tree and chorus member is the best. Hazel breaks into song, and the girls enter a magical abstract world filled with helpful leaf friends. The girls sing and dance through different scenes, and eventually, Willow comes to the realization that it’s not about being in the spotlight, it’s about being part of a team creating a show together. They exit the magical leaf land and finish the song, ready to take on any role.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
The main reason I made this film was because it was my senior capstone project- I couldn’t graduate if I didn’t make a film. But besides that, I wanted to tell a fun story from a perspective in theater sometimes overlooked.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
I worked on Turning a New Leaf for about a year and half. It started off as a silly two sentence pitch in December of 2022, and I made my final edits to the film in April of 2024.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
I’d say “Leafy” and “musical.”

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
My biggest obstacle was the time constraint, and balancing the project out with the rest of my life. I only had two semesters to actually make my film, and had to stay on top of my job and other classes at the same time. It was certainly a time-management lesson.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
It made me so happy! Everyone seemed to get the core messages I was trying to convey, which I really struggled with during “Turning a New Leaf”‘s writing stage. It was really nice seeing that strangers genuinely enjoyed my work.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I was in high school when I realized I wanted to go into animation. It’s such a fun way to tell stories, and that’s what I really want to do- tell new stories in a creative way.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Probably Finding Nemo. I watched it on repeat as a kid– I loved the ocean scenery, the music, everything about the film (except the part where the mom dies. That barracuda terrified me). The film definitely sparked my love of animation and music.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
Getting feedback from audience members was such a cool experience- I’d love it if other film festivals did something similar.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
Film Freeway made it super easy for me to find festivals that my film could be a good fit for. I recommend using it if you’re on the hunt for more festivals.

10. What is your favorite meal?
A big bowl of ramen is the go-to for me!

11. What is next for you? A new film?
My next goal is not nearly as exciting as making a film– I’m on the hunt for a job, and hopefully one where I can put my animation skills to use.

THE NEED, 15min., USA
Directed by Michael Rognlie, EE Tallent
David Alan Shepherd is constantly tormented by the ghosts of his own making, and the need to keep making them.

https://www.the-need-movie.com/
https://www.facebook.com/onthefenceproductions/

Get to know filmmaker Michael Rognlie:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
In the late spring of 2022 I entered a NYC Midnight writing competition with a friend. We traded stories to read, and as he moved on to the second round, he shared with me a little short story he called “The Need.” I immediately knew that I wanted to adapt this story “The Need” to the screen. My friend Kenny was thrilled to have a screenplay he wrote made into a film, even though I let him know that I’d add some new elements that truly bring “The Need” into the horror realm, shown in the form of flashbacks .

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you
to make this film? We had our first pre-production meeting in January 2023, cast the film and started principal photography in April 2023, and wrapped in June of 2023, for a total of 6 days spread out between the two months. The score was completed by august and post production was finished before September of 2023. However, an additional scene was shot a year later in August 2024 and placed in the ending sequence.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!? Um…The Need. Does that count?

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? The morning of our first shoot, the actress we cast to play Caroline had to suddenly leave town in an emergency and could no longer commit to the project. We lucked out that one of our extras was willing to step into the role, learned her lines and a song on the guitar that morning. We’re forever grateful to Brady Harvey for saving the production!

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video? It was really interesting to hear the audience’s perspective on the film. It is not every day that you get feedback from strangers on a piece of art that you’ve created, and I find it extremely valuable.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films? I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t drawn to films and filmmaking.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life? Probably either The Shining, Star Wars, or The Last Waltz.

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 enjoy festivals that have an awards gala, or opportunities to gather with other filmmakers and actors.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site? It’s a great platform for submitting films all over the world.

10. What is your favorite meal? I’ll have to go with a steak and a wedge salad, with a vodka martini. For dessert it’s going to have to be a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie, still hot with ice cream melted over the top. Or tacos.

11. What is next for you? A new film? I’m very excited about my new film. The working title is “Movie A” and we’ll be releasing the name of the film late this summer of 2024. We’ve already begun principal photography. The log line is “After a horrific attack that leaves her boyfriend dead, an injured young woman goes to stay with his parents, only to find out they are not what they seem.”

HEAVEN, 6min,. Finland
Directed by Masha Shalagina
A young woman struggles with feeling trapped inside her body, and the authoritarian and dystopian society she lives in. She clings on to hope as she desperately tries to escape.

http://www.cruxmusique.com/
https://www.instagram.com/cruxmusique/

Get to know Producer Björn Suomivuori:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

Natalya (producer) and I (executive producer) matched on Bumble during the covid lockdowns. She’s a former student of the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St Petersburg, Russia and I live in a city across the border in Helsinki, Finland. We knew we couldn’t meet because of the lockdowns but we talked a lot and connected. We wanted to produce something together. She loves dance, and I wanted to do a music video that’s cinematic and doesn’t have bands playing in it. We decided to do something about mental health. However when the war started everything changed, but we just went with it.

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

Two years from making the music to finishing the final product.

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

Experimental, Expressive

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

Definitely the war. Because I am from Finland and Natalya is from Russia, our countries hate each other. Being co-producers in this project was challenging because of visa issues, transferring money and then nobody wanted to see the film because it had ties to Russia. We are grateful that there are exceptions.

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

Honestly, I cried. Because, the way they verbalized it was amazing, and it was so cool to see that you had gone through the trouble of recording those reactions. I didn’t expect people to understand how it’s one piece of music and film and choreography, it’s not just music and film and dance, it’s one singular form of the same language.

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

Probably in High School when I saw Ingmar Bergman’s movies the first time. My role is to be an executive producer and focus on the idea creating, development, securing resources and the commercial side. This just naturally came together as a role for me through different career choices.

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

Probably Aliens (1986)

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

Honestly, you are already superior in your offering than all of the others I’ve submitted to.

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

They’re good, very happy.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Just a steak and French fries.

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

I’m working on a project about a nurse who treats terminally ill patients for a living. It will also be expressed through dance and music. I have found a cinematographer but still looking for a director.

CRESCENT HEIGHTS, 5min,. Greece
Directed by Yiannis Margetousakis
The concept is based on our inner battles to escape from our own thoughts and desires. The constant antithesis between light/hope and darkness is depicted through contemporary vibes to a classical feel. The title is inspired by the moon phases as a symbol to various and contrasting sentimental moods, a travel that we all make each and every day. The journey can be rough but the arrival point always is a quiet place – like our true home.

Interview with Composter & Producer Christina Mani:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I explored the field of cinema but the language of music won me over. It is worth mentioning that the inspiration for the composition “Crescent Heights” was born in Los Angeles in a mood of solitude and introspection and developed in Athens where I currently reside and compose.

As a music composer I like to combine classical elements with contemporary rhythms, pushing boundaries and limitations.

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

My first single “Crescent Heights” is a dreamy composition for piano and strings, inspired by the phases of the moon, as a symbol of different emotional moods, a journey we all take every day. Specifically, I composed this record when I lived on Crescent Heights Blvd in Los Angeles in a very old building “art deco”from the 1920s where I felt very inspired.

This music video is the vehicle for a magical journey in everyone’s imagination. The soundtrack to our wonderful feelings.

I began studying music at the age of four and has always had a passion for sharing music with other people. I have been working on this record for the past 10 years, however the music video only took a month from the time we decided to film it until we had the finished product.

The movie portrays the feeling of escapism but also that of contrasts. So, we had to “build” the music video based on those two concepts. There was no specific storyline, we were mostly interested in the overall aesthetic of the image.

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

The two words that mostly describe the music video are “escapism” and “antithesis”.

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

When I saw the audience feedback video I was happy because Its nice to see that finally your work gets amazing feedback from all over the planet.

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

The experience has been great many thanks to all the festivals that have selected our film, we re very honored and happy for the success of Crescent Heights- as it was a group project that involved a lot of hard work and discipline by everyone involved.

6. What is your favorite meal?

My favorite meal is Spaghetti Bolognese and anything that contains pasta really :))

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

My new record coming out and the release of my new music video “Sunset Prelude”.

JENNIFER THOMAS – UNDERWATER CARNIVAL RIDE, 8min,. USA
Directed by Jennifer L. Thomas
An innocent girl enters a carnival full of wonder, where everything seems whimsical and fantastical. She starts to notice that things are off and this carnival and the people are not what it seems. Twisted halls of mirrors, wolves in sheep’s clothing, and shark infested waters – this music film will leave you spinning for an exit.

http://jenniferthomasmusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/jenniferthomaspiano/
https://www.twitter.com/jennifer_thomas
https://instagram.com/jenniferthomasofficial

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I actually experienced I guess what one would call a “Dark night of the Soul” during the pandemic, and it involved leaving my lifelong religion. This was extremely difficult and required me to start over from scratch in terms of identity and getting to know myself outside of that context that I’d known for so many years. This entire film was based on a poem that I wrote while I was going through the angry phase of the grieving process, where I felt like the world I had once known was not what it seemed. It felt very much like an underwater carnival ride where I couldn’t breathe, I felt like I was drowning, and all the people and things I thought I trusted would turn out to be wolves or sharks. It felt like a never-ending ride that I couldn’t escape.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
I wrote the poem in 2021 and the film was finished in 2024 with all of the filming, production, and music. So 3 years total. I also wrote the music in this film and so there were multiple phases of this project.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
“Relatable Chaos”, haha.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
The locations were difficult because we couldn’t afford to shut down locations, so we battled filming in public and that’s always difficult. The weather in Seattle was always raining or something, so that was fun as well. Oh, and all the motion sickness from the carnival rides.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
To be honest, I was waiting for the negative because in this film and music industry I’ve just become accustomed to having to wear a thick skin with my art, so I was just reluctantly awaiting the negative critique. But I was pleasantly surprised and very excited to hear their positivity about my film. I loved it.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I’m primarily a composer and recording artist, and I’ve released 8 studio albums and also have composed the scores for a few short films and commercials. With doing what I do, I have made several of my own music videos over the last 15 years with a film crew. I’ve always had ideas in my head, and I’ve also been an editor for many years. I started directing and creating my own music films in 2017 and have grown a lot into my own filmmaking since then. It is definitely a passion that allows me to put visuals to my music for my audience to understand more with their eyes than just listening to the music alone.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Hands down White Christmas, haha.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
This was really an incredible experience. Thank you for all that you’re doing.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
I’ve used FilmFreeway since 2018 and it’s very easy to use. Love it.

10. What is your favorite meal?
Dessert. 🙂

11. What is next for you? A new film?
August 9th I’m releasing a new music film that I filmed in Scotland that is part of the series of films from this album, and in September I have a pirate/kids film that I’m hoping to release that I’ve worked on for the past 3 years.

RUINS WITHIN RUINS, 9min., Greece
Directed by Lefteris Parasyris
A group of dancers positions themselves between the ancient and modern ruins of the island of Crete, Greece. Drawing inspiration from its rich heritage, they craft a series of kinetic forms and patterns influenced by folk dances and Minoan frescoes. These installations, whether harmonising with or contrasting against the island’s culture, offer reflections on historical memory and the Cretan identity.

https://www.instagram.com/lefteris.parasyris/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

This film was a tribute to the island of Crete and its complex identity. It started as a photographic project but I quickly realised that these beautiful but peculiar locations would be the perfect “character” in a dance film.

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

About four years. This was my first dance film so it took a while to find the right team and bring people together.

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

Blimey, that’s hard. Meditative Oscillation

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

The funding part as usual. I did the editing myself and that was also quite complicated. This particular film required extremely meticulous and time consuming editing.

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

I was pleasantly surprised some of the audience got to experience the feelings I wanted them to experience through this film. A few of the comments were also very specific and well thought and I really appreciated this.

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

I always loved film. I spent my entire childhood watching all kinds of films. But I think the pivotal moment was around 13 when I watched Vertigo and Rosemary’s baby. I was like “Wow, I want to be part of this universe.”

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

I made my thesis on Ingmar Bergman back in my uni days which means I must have spent about six months watching his films. I’ve probably seen Persona more than 10 times. Rather than that, I love a good horror film. I must have seen The Shining a bunch of times for sure…

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 a bit of feedback is great. Most of the time, the filmmakers can’t attend the festival so in the end it feels slightly impersonal. I think a way to get something more out of it, is to connect the selected filmmakers virtually. Perhaps create a little platform or a social media group for the filmmakers where they can all come in contact or see each other’s films via password protected links.

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

It’s great actually. Once you get the hang of it and figure out all the little details. It’s kind of a luxury to have a platform where you can organise your festival strategy. I imagine it must have been so hard back in the day.

10. What is your favorite meal?

I love a good cheeseburger…But I also really like “Gemista”, a traditional vegan Greek dish with stuffed vegetables. The perfect summer dish.

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

I’m in preproduction of a music video at the moment. Later in the year, I’m embarking into a new dance film journey with the same choreographer as Ruins Within Ruins. I’m very excited for our next collaboration.

MITOTE – SMOKEY MIRROR, 9min,. South Korea
Directed by Jana Sturmheit
In today’s world us humans have developed a complex social system of rules and expectations. Children are taught from the day they are born on how they are expected to behave. They are told what is right and wrong, what is possible and what not. That is, by the standards of the children’s parents and other people in their surroundings, in other words the society they grow up in.

https://instagram.com/jaystorm24.mov

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
It was not a graduate requirement to make a film in my department of video content design, but I felt like it would be the perfect opportunity to create my first work as director and choreographer. I have choreographed stage performances before but never a video and I wanted to portray the vision that I had inspired by the opening excerpt from the book “The Four Agreements” by Miguel Ruiz talking about Mitote – the smokey mirror.
When I have a dance vision, it plays like a movie in my head, rather than a stage performance. Often I find dance visuals intensely focused on the movement rather than the cinematic aesthetics and depth that different camera angles, movement and shot size and cuts add on the final film. I find one of the decisive factors are the intimate closeness that you can create through a camera that is impossible in a stage performance. A second factor is that the camera can move in between the dancers, which a spectator of a stage performance can’t either in most cases.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
My initial idea for the piece was in summer 2022, I started working on the piece and pre-production in fall 2022, filmed in January 2023 and then edited while simultaneously writing my master’s thesis. Thus editing took bit longer, I was finished in June 2023 but did a final edit in October 2023, so it took roughly a year including everything.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
it would have to be a few more words: a trip through our mind visualized through our bodies

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
It was a very trivial detail but it made the edit of my piece a far more frustrating experience than it should have been – my university theater that I shot the video in had a black wall in the back – but instead of being a smooth surface, it seemed to be a taped polyester fabric. Lacking filming experience, I thought it would be easy to edit to a full black in post production. In fact that often made even the protagonists unbearably dark, or the taped background would be an ugly disturbing factor. If I had known this before, I would have either asked the theater if there was a curtain that could be closed in front of the wall or installed a large scale black backdrop. even if the curtain surface showed, at least it would not have been as ugly as the taped wall.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I was very happy that my artistic choices, intentions and rough storyline was well received and understood, as a first time filmmaker I was not completely sure whether my intentions would translate well to the viewers but I feel like they did. I also appreciated the diversity of feedback touching on different aspects of my film.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I was a dancer before I was a videographer. Many times I had thought “this should be recorded and put on screens” to be appreciated by a wider audience as well as preserving our performance art. I also often felt that I was seeing great choreography in video format but not great storytelling, as from a cinematic perspective. These reasons combined made me want to work behind the camera as well as in front and I am beyond happy to have chosen this path as it has led me into a new creative space and introduced me to many new people and opportunities already.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
That is a very good question. I don’t normally rewatch films often. It would probably have to be princess Mononoke by Hayao Miyazaki of studio Ghibli. His visuals and world making are stunning beyond belief, and his use of strong female leads have inspired me since I was a little girl.

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 believe the experimental/dance/music festival is already doing a great job at providing opportunities for participants to make the most of an event. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to showcase my debut dance film at the festival and to be able to answer interview questions giving more insight into the behind the scenes of my film.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
FilmFreeway is a great platform that compiles festivals into easily searchable categories and standardizes the application process in a way that it is possible for filmmakers to find, apply and communicate with festivals in a simple and efficient manner, my German heart is very appreciative about this.

10. What is your favorite meal?
My favorite meal would have to be a German style breakfast with bread rolls, muesli, eggs, fresh orange juice, fruit and veggies and lots of different spreads to choose from. I truly miss this the most about living abroad.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
I have just bought my first camera, a Sony a7s3 and can’t wait to buy a lens for it and get started with filming much more regularly. For now I want to focus on smaller dance video projects or making music videos for upcoming artists to build a portfolio and develop my style as director and DOP. I am beyond excited to be doing this in Sydney, where I am currently based, and following in Seoul, Korea, where I will return to by the end of the year. Luckily I have many creative friends around me that inspire me and look forward to working and creating art with.

SLOWLY, 4min,. France
Directed by Christophe Dachy
Paris, Place de la République, July 2022. Alone, facing the trampling crowd, the march of time, the freezing rain, she dances.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

As human beings, we are time slaves: it is an every minute gift, but also our worst fear because time flies, whatever we try to do to control it.

As big city dwellers, we are even more facing this time tsunami as we live in an extreme speed spiral.

So we thought, how could we stretch time to show the essence of speed? How could a duet between a dancer and a camera could show this?

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

Between the first chat we had about this project in 2019 and the end of the post production in 2023, it took almost 4 years to create this movie.

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

Time bending

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

Technically speaking, the biggest challenge was extreme slowness required, both for the direction and the choreography because Ambre had to learn from scratch to dance extremely slow. As a director, I had to work knowing that the video will be sped up 10 or 12 times.

We also both have full time jobs which means that we had to find moments to rehearse and to create together which explains why it took us so long to finish this movie.

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

We cried! We felt really moved by all those nice feedbacks.

We are so glad that people understood what we wanted to say and show.

And some people even saw things that we didn’t even think about, which make us really proud because our purpose with this movie was to let the audience create its own story.

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

As a director I’ve been doing films for a long time but the idea to create an art movie with Ambre came from our common wish to mix our expertise in dance and video. The fact that we have been friends for almost 20 years was also an important driver.

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

Interstellar

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 audience feedback was really great ! And it would be nice to also have the jury feedback on a more technical point of view, to understand what they liked and what could have been done to make the movie even better.

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

Great because it’s really simple and user friendly and the fact that many festivals use the same platform facilitates the submission process.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Steak Tartare + Fries

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

We are actually working on a new short dance film, on a different topic. We want to go further in exploring what could be created a dancer and a director.

Toronto DOCUMENTARY Feature & Short Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/TorontoDocumentaryFilmFestival
50% off code: torontodoc50off

THRILLER/SUSPENSE Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/ThrillerSuspenseFestival
50% off code: 50thriller

CRIME/MYSTERY Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/crimemystery
50% off code: crime50

ROMANCE & RELATIONSHIPS FESTIVAL
https://filmfreeway.com/RomanceFestival
50% off code – romance

ACTION/ADVENTURE Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/ActionAdventure
50% off code: actions50

FEMALE Feedback Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/FEEDBACKFemaleFilmFestivalFFFF
50% off code: female50

Toronto COMEDY Film & Screenplay Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/TorontoComedyFilmandScreenplayFestival
50% off code: torcom

FANTASY/SCI-FI Film & Screenplay Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/FantasySciFiFilmScreenplayFestival
50% off code: scififantasy50

EXPERIMENTAL, DANCE, & MUSIC FESTIVAL
https://filmfreeway.com/ExperimentalFilmMusicVideoFestival
50% off code – 50offexperimental

UNDER 5 MINUTE Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/Under5minFilmFestival
50% off code: under50

ENVIRONMENTAL Film & Screenplay Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/EnvironmentalFestival
50% off code: environment50

Toronto LGBTQ+ Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/LGBTTorontoFilmFestival
50% off code: lgbt50

New York SCIENCE & NATURE Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/NewYorkScienceNature
50% off code: nature50

HORROR Underground Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/horrorunderground
50% off code: underground50

WILDsound Film & Screenplay Festival
1st Scene & Short Screenplay Festival
Student FEEDBACK Film Festival
FAN FICTION Film Festival
https://filmfreeway.com/WILDsoundFilmandWritingFestival
50% off code: wild50