Ah truly fantastic experience all round. They really engage with you and your work – very, very highly recommended!
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My experience at the festival was wonderful, and I had the honor of winning the ‘Best Story’ award with my film ‘Submerged.’ The festival gave a lot of positive visibility to my film and the audience feedback is really helpful.
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We loved how this festival operates! We entered our film, Sanguine Deposit, and we were thrilled to screen with them, but the feedback video was amazing! For filmmakers submitting our first film, we found this valuable information and worth the price of entry. Thank you and best wishes on your ongoing festivals.
Deeply in debt and abandoned by his backer, hemmed in by storms and further twarted by a global pandemic, world champion motorcyclist David Knight must cut a path to his lifelong dream of racing in that deadliest of races: The Dakar.
Review by Andie Kay:
How can you not love that title? Makes you think of Heath Ledger, Alan Tudyk and James Purefoy in a rock n roll period film. This film definitely has the rock n roll, just a different kind of knight. David Knight. Who you’ll adore just as much as Heath Ledger. David Knight or Knighter as his friends and team mates call him is a motor bike racer, and a pretty incredible one.
Directed by Barney Edwards and written by Scott Allan, this feature film follows David’s career and the trials and tribulations he goes through to follow ( and succeed ) at his dream. It’s a feel good, marvelous story about going after your dreams and doing everything you can to attain them… with a killer soundtrack.
Andrew Brooke did an amazing job with the cinematography in this film. Watching David ride and the way this was directed, you almost feel like you are riding with him. The absolute stunning beauty of the drone shots left me spellbound.
Personally, I loved this film and getting the opportunity to hear David and his team mates talk about rally racing and getting to the Dakar Race. That race in and of itself is pretty intimidating and getting to experience what they all went through was really special. This had such a wonderful balance of interviews and stunning visuals, exciting racing to keep your interest throughout. If you have a love of racing, or just need to be inspired to pursue your dreams this is a film to watch.
In London’s gritty underbelly, Jayce, a luckless thug with a heart of gold, must retrieve his boss’s dog, Diesel, who unknowingly carries a secret that could save a life. As Diesel becomes bait in a chaotic chase through the city’s labyrinth of underground tunnels, Jayce navigates deceit, betrayal, and comedic mishaps in a madcap adventure. The race is on to see who will get Diesel first.
Review by Julie C. Sheppard:
Chasing Diesel is a UK short that offers edgy, cheeky entertainment from start to finish. The murky lighting, mostly in small rooms and cavernous passageways outside a castle-like structure serves the plot – – thugs strive to retrieve a valuable dog named Diesel.
The coarse but witty banter of the screenplay allows for developing allegiances between characters, particularly the rather kind-hearted duo of a thief and his kidnapper. At times, the piece has a film noir feel to it as shady negotiations go on between criminals and at other moments there is an atmosphere of a head-to-head western, complete with harmonica and heavy country refrains.
Cinematography choices are fabulous, especially when following characters down the long hallways, and close-up eye only shots as if cast members are in a shoot out at the O.K. Corral. An entertained audience will more than likely draw a sigh of relief as justice is done, and the unlikely good guys dodge a bullet.
When lust, jealousy, and envy take control over tearing apart a family, it’s up to one to repay the personal vendetta.
Review by Julie C. Sheppard:
The title of this feature, WACKO, does indeed match the chilling nature of what unfolds before us. But we do not just see a flat, stereotypical presentation of madness. This film gives us a many-layered look at a deeply wounded person, who has been through a lifetime of pain, trauma and betrayal. Numerous heartbreaking flashbacks of adolescent experiences provide a context for the central figure’s resentment and desire for revenge. The performances of the actors playing the captor and the captive are riveting. Jimmy gradually reveals how very bitter and unhinged he is, and Jack moves through several stages – – defiance, seemingly authentic contrition, and then a deep-seated, cursed hatred.
Pacing of the film is on point and the tension builds, as people outside the house, such as Jack’s parents and a determined police unit, close in on Jimmy’s lair. Heavy rock refrains that slyly creep in during moments of highly dramatic action and dialogue serve to make this film even more visceral and raw.
There is deliberately no reprieve from a menacing essence, given the constant murky lighting throughout. The terrifying hovel of a basement is suitably stagnant and claustrophobic, to keep the suffering Jack contained. The well-explored insanity stemming from early family tragedy, and vicious bullying comes full circle for the wacko Jimmy, leading him to a very dark place.
Daniel has a job interview via Zoom, but at one point, he finds himself face to face with a projection of his mind that puts him in difficulty and makes fun of him.
The short, The Interview, accurately plays into a nervousness many people experience before an important job interview. It clearly illuminates the negative self-talk that runs through the mind of the central figure, Daniel, personified by his alter-ego in the background in relaxed dress – – his harshest critic. Mental sabotage becomes a tangible thing, causing Daniel to question himself and to remember his interview mistakes of the past, and to worry about how the upcoming appointment will go.
A clever filmic convention is the ongoing use of a pesky laugh track, as if his annoying inner self is ridiculing his choices and how he will come off in front of the online interviewer, including if he has something in his teeth. The fact that we see just a central panel of video gives us the impression of the job seeker’s intense focus on the screen. Technically, it is also quite helpful to see the translated texts at the top of the scene, for ease of comprehension.
The set decoration that the interviewer will see in the background such as a stuffed toy, and Daniel’s wardrobe of a widely opened dress shirt and gold chains, both indicate that he is not the most professional of interviewees. But he is also relatable – – the fact that he has not considered wearing proper pants that may be viewed online is a problem for many in these days of Zoom meetings. He is indeed a sympathetic character, and viewers will likely still wish him the best in the job interview, a tense universal event that most of us have endured at one point or another.
Thank you Chicago Feedback Film Festival for awarding our short film, ‘emma’ Best Visual Design! Receiving the fantastic feedback was not only uplifting for all involved in the project, but helps so very much with marketing and promotion for future projects – which we will doubtless be submitting to this wonderful festival in the future. Thanks again!
A comprehensive research, 2min., Bulgaria Directed by Vladislav Ivanov A story of a meeting in a doctor’s office, the discovery of a natural phenomenon and an attempt to study it through the prism of absurdity in life and death.
TRANSFORMATION, 1min., Argentina Directed by Ileana Andrea Gomez Gavinoser A TRANSFORMATION OF A LIZARD- A STORY BY KELLY GAVINOSER
HAND IN HAND, 2min., Turkey Directed by Melihat Özdoğan Ağgül People who left their countries due to the climate crisis in the world come together. They overcome their differences, join hands and rebuild the world.
I have to really thank the actors for my reading, nothing short of terrific as they were, nothing short of incredibly smart, attractive, and perceptive as they were. They brought the script to life. – F. Maffai
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