The Call is a powerful documentary that breaks the silence around firefighter mental health, offering an unflinching look at the trauma, PTSD, and suicide crisis facing first responders. Through raw interviews, real-life stories, and behind-the-scenes access to firehouses in New Mexico, the film explores the emotional toll of a profession associated with bravery, but rarely with vulnerability.
There are several words that come to mind to describe this film. Beautiful is the first. I’m not just talking about Charlie English’s cinematography that was gorgeous but the emotion, the honesty and candor that these firefighters had during their interviews. We toss around the word “hero” a lot, and these men and women are absolutely heroes but that word also leads to a misconception that you are unfazed by trauma.
Mental health support systems to process repeated trauma exposure is necessary for these amazing individuals. The statistics of suicide in firefighters was staggering and this film gives you a deeper understanding of what they go through mentally, physically and emotionally. It also was incredibly inspiring to see the programs that have been created and the firefighters/EMS embracing them. Talking about mental health is massively important.
Laura Boyd Owen and Charlie English produced and directed this incredible film and they really went above and beyond. It’s educational, inspiring, and the programs they highlighted in this film made talking about emotional issues approachable. The Fire that Burns Within, Skulls for Hope and the Yellow Rose Campaign are all amazing resources and the men and women behind their inception are just incredible.
Honestly, I loved everything about this film. From the music that was sheer perfection to the wonderful color by Erin Turney in the cinematography. This film was beautifully done. Thank you Laura and Charlie, and thank you to all the EMS and firefighters around the globe.
In the wake of sudden and alarming climate change, a team of brilliant citizens are assembled by the United States Government to counter the threat. Will they succeed in time? Or will private agendas get in the way?
“TROPOS” comes from the Greek prefix “tropo” meaning “reaction”, or “change”, which is in reference to the moral of this story: People must change before the world can change. Both I and my sister, Christina whom co-produced this film, had developed this project partly out of concern for the state of our planet’s future with regard to climate change. I believe it to be a symptom of a much larger problem; the lack of shared responsibility for our collective welfare. My intention with this film to appeal to a younger generation in the hope of inspiring change. The making of this film was also a personal challenge. Having never produced anything even approaching the scope of a full length feature, the production taught me a great deal about the complexity of the craft, and will forever remain an important footnote in my work history. I hope others may have the chance to appreciate it for what it was intended to be: a collaborative passion project that speaks candidly and earnestly about the price of indifference and the virtues of courage.
Right Hand Man, 3min,. USA Directed by Emma Greenman, Yaumara Carrion Lucas tries to navigate his first date with Cristine at a fancy restaurant; however, his conjoined hand puppet brother, Cade, also wants in on the fun.
Striking Gold, 2min., USA Directed by Marin Francis When gold miners Alonzo and Rufus come across a stuck nugget of gold, their disagreement on how to get it unstuck leads to chaos.
The Legend of King Nibbles, 3min,. USA Directed by Alison Chang, Selin Bekiroglu A hamster king is a victim of his own demise when he refuses to share his excessive wealth with the rest of his kingdom.
Total Opposites, 2min., USA Directed by Afek Felix Eyal Two beings, Dark and Light, fight to impose control of the world in order to achieve peace- only to realize peace can only come through co-existence.
Wall unit, 10min,. Poland Directed by Joanna Polak A ramshackle wall unit is a symbol of the monotonous life of a certain 40-year-old man living in a grey, dirty post-communist block of flats district. Right after his birthday, suffering from the midlife crisis, the man decides to change his dull and routine-based existence. Alas, his wife stands in the way.
Alyssum, 6min,. USA Directed by Alex King Alyssum follows Alyson, a young woman who’s struggling with perfectionism as she attempts to craft the perfect bouquet for her wife, Lilith. Overwhelmed by anxiety and self-doubt, she battles her inner critic, represented by corrupting vines. As she spirals deeper into self-doubt, she must decide: will she push forward and embrace imperfection, or will her fears consume her?
If I Were a Carpenter, 3min., Canada Directed by Elizabeth Lewis This hand drawn animated film is based on the classic song If I Were a Carpenter and sung by the great Bobby Darin. How can love conquer the social divide? This film is a tender slightly tongue in cheek story of how love can transform us and ultimately bridge our differences.
The Happy Balloon, 4min., Iraq Directed by Ahmed Najm The film talks about the dreams and ambitions of young people that mix illusion and reality, so the hero discovers the way to reach the truth he wants to achieve his dreams.
Self-Shot Film, 13min., Kazakhstan Directed by Marat Narimanov The pre-life, life and after-life of a human, featuring problems that we meet and decisions that we take. A surrealist film told in a non-narrative form: in non-concrete images, emotions and associations. A journey, a meditation, a disturbing experience.
Beautify, 1min,. Russia Directed by Elizaveta Makarenko Beautify follows a young woman’s surreal journey to self-acceptance as she confronts society’s beauty standards and embraces her true identity.
Beetle Summer, 3min,. USA Directed by Jian Yuan, Anyue Chen A young girl, Rika, who lives in the countryside of Japan, is raising a rhino beetle for beetle fights in order to gain friends. But before then, she needs to train and nurture it.
Date Knight, 3min., USA Directed by Amber Schmoyer, Kareena Bhatia A knight catfishes a dragon on a date in an attempt to slay her.
Dogs of Bishkek, 2min,. USA Directed by Viktor Niksdorf Set in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, a young boy named Sasha has to evade a ravenous dog on his way home from the market.
Harmonia, 3min., USA Directed by Alex Rodarte, Victoria Sjostedt In a magical forest, a reckless young knight discovers a music box but unleashes an ancient wrath upon winding it and must run to safety.
Jurassic Ward, 2min., USA Directed by Max “Amber” Bellomio A troubled employee for the “Wishes Come True Foundation” needs to bring a dangerous dinosaur through the hospital to fulfill a child’s only wish.
Loud & Proud, 2min. USA Directed by Eliana Anselmo A young volleyball player tells her story of how it’s not the tough conditions that make volleyball hard… “It’s her mom”, embarrassed by her overbearing mother putting strain on their relationship and her relationship with volleyball.
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Dystopian stories are a type of speculative fiction that explore the darker aspects of human nature and the human mind. They often serve as a warning about what could happen to modern society if certain aspects grow out of control.
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My film ” BEFORE EVEREST” won best feature film award and got shortlisted for discovery channel as worlds first mountaineering indepth film showing what life is above altitude .wildsound documentary communication was on time and they are doing their best to promote independent cinema and film makers…loved this award from them
Festival Reviews 