REPLICA, 6min., USA
Directed by Marta Renzi
A house, a replica and its inhabitants, both somewhat removed from reality. Tenderness, delight and quiet companionship. How much is imagined? What does the future hold?

http://martarenzi.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/marta.renzi.54
https://www.instagram.com/renzimarta

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

The first inspiration was in choosing the dancers who are decades apart in age, live on different continents, and didn’t know each other!
But I knew their verve, their humor, their sensuality, their physicality makes them cousins / twins / anything but lovers!

The last quieter section – to Sylvan Esso music, was a gift to Arthur who had experienced a hard summer, and could use some tenderness.
The balloons were a lucky break – a beloved elder in the neighborhood had celebrated her 98th birthday in the performance space the night before.

BAAD! in the Bronx is a wonderful place, Arthur’s home away from home, and completely affordable.
https://www.baadbronx.org/

When I decided we should shoot there, I knew the blank back wall would feel too theatrical or empty.
So I went poking around for on the Internet Archive for some footage to enliven that wall.
And then, since it was near Halloween


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

A few months. Selina was arriving from Berlin to NYC for a brief stay. So we had 2 days of rehearsal and 2 days of shooting which ran from about Halloween till Election Day 2025 (that dark day.)
Then a few weeks of editing by myself, at home on my computer. For once, music permission was a breeze! Come to think of it, a few months later, I went back in and laid in some more sound effects. Next time a real designer!

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

Goofy. Sexy.

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

Doubt is almost always the biggest obstacle.
I guess a nagging doubt that it wasn’t good enough.
One friend – who I love, but who is wrong – suggested it wasn’t worth completing!

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

Delight.

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

When the equipment – computer, camera, software – was cheap enough that it was feasible – around 2006?

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

By now it’s probably Summer 1993, by Spanish director Carla Simon.

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 feedback videos are a gift. For me, trophies are completely beside the point.
I’ll let you know if I think of something.
Would I be interested in a feedback video that also suggested what DIDN’t work??

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

Excellent.

10. What is your favorite meal?

The better question is with whom?

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

I have a few in mind:

a portrait of a R&B singer in my town who absolutely deserves his own movie

a dance film with two very different Taiwanese dancers who I don’t know personally but who I would “commission” to work together, ideally shot in the parking lot above Port Authority NY with tall buildings all around.

time spent in a run-down horse stable in rural Pennsylvania with an extraordinary woman who is disabled by long chronic illness and is fiercely, poetically determined not to be pitiable.

Pie In the Sky, 8min., USA

Directed Susan Lim

“Pie in the Sky” is an enchanting music video that marries playful animation with the raw power of original recordings at Abbey Road Studio One, and a resplendent orchestral performance at the Barbican Concert Hall, London. The video opens with world-acclaimed pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet leading the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Robert Ziegler, in a captivating orchestral performance, his artistry setting the stage. From this vibrant live spectacle, we’re ushered into a whimsical animated adventure that playfully asks: “What is the ‘pie in the sky’?”

https://www.instagram.com/cosmicrhap/

Review by Julie C. Sheppard:

The title of this spirited short Pie in the Sky, which means big dreams that are likely unattainable, contradicts what the fabulous creative team is able to create – – this presentation is not a dream, but a tangible success, professionally, artistically and even romantically. 

Frames often offer a bird’s eye view of talented musicians in action, delivering a gorgeous melodic piece. Alternately, we see adorable, animated characters flying through breathtakingly beautiful outer space vistas, and discovering a high-tech utopia. It is a clever filmic decision to intermittently combine this animation with small onscreen boxes of the orchestral musicians playing refrains of the score. 

The film does a seamless job juggling shots of the orchestra in fine attire at a formal concert, with them in more relaxed dress at rehearsal in a large, brightly lit studio. Also worthy of mention is the skill of the articulate voice over artists during the animation segments – – so crystal clear and emotive. The absolute highlight of the piece is the culmination of all the hard work of the creators, with a joyful engagement scene – – an actual life experience resulting in an eventual wedding that is not at all “pie in the sky”, but tangible and real.

What’s Locked Behind That Door?, 4min., USA
Directed by John Gardner
In the visually arresting music video for Lunavox’s “What’s Locked Behind That Door?”, a series of metaphorical doors open onto the full spectrum of human emotion, drawing viewers into a surreal journey through fear, desire, and obsession. These portals also frame the chilling descent of a scientist whose relentless experiments lead him into darkness. Guided by the song’s pulsing rhythm, the two narratives intertwine as human vulnerability and scientific ambition collapse into a single vision of corruption and revelation.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

After two decades of producing brand driven work, where every decision passes through layers of approval, I needed a creative challenge without corporate oversight, something that let me explore my own ideas and push them as far as they could go. I wanted a project that followed instinct instead of consensus.

So I set out to make something that drew on everything I know: music composition, animation, editing, directing, sound design, and post production. As the creator of the post rock project Lunavox, this music video became that outlet. It was a chance to bring all those skills together into one cohesive vision, the kind of challenge I had been missing.

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

The project took about eight months from the first concept to the final render. The process involved combining 2D and 3D animation in After Effects and Blender, generating thousands of AI door variations, and compositing, rotoscoping, and match moving them into archival footage. Sourcing and reviewing public domain material was another demanding phase, as finding moments that carried emotional weight and felt cohesive took time and patience. The hardest part, though, was not technical but narrative, shaping a story arc that felt whole. There were many false starts before it finally came together.

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

Psychologically haunting

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

The biggest obstacle was staying accountable to myself, setting clear goals, and following through. Without external deadlines or feedback loops, I had to keep pushing forward even when ideas fell apart. In hindsight, each failed attempt became a way to discover something stronger and more intentional.

5. There are 5 Stages of Filmmaking: 1) Development. 2) Pre-Production. 3) Production. 4) Post-Production. 5) Distribution. What is your favorite stage of the process and why?

Post production! It is the stage where everything comes together – sound design, color grading, and visual effects merging into the final emotional experience. This is also where all the spontaneity happened, as ideas evolved and unexpected moments came to life.

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

Even though I didn’t realize it at the time, it probably started when I was a teenager. One summer, my brother-in-law and I put together a ridiculous home video movie inspired by “The Terminator,” which we called “Tarpinator.” The following summer, it grew into a series of silly films with some close friends, centered around a character called “Little Jimmy,” with fake commercials sprinkled throughout. We were using consumer grade equipment, so we only had one chance to get each take right, and that limitation led to some truly hysterical and absurd moments. I also spent a lot of time making flipbook style animations in my schoolbooks, so in hindsight, all the signs were there pretty early on.

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

Probably Dr. Strangelove. I have seen it more times than I can count, and each viewing still reveals something new, whether it is a line of dialogue, a visual detail, or a subtle bit of absurd humor.

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 most valuable outcome would be connections leading to collaborative opportunities or commercial work that allows for creative experimentation.

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

FilmFreeway has been exceptional. The platform is intuitive, easy to navigate, and makes submitting and managing festival entries straightforward and stress free.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Greek-Lebanese is by far my favorite type of meal!

Poetry Reading by Val Cole

—–
Get to know the poet:

1) What is the theme of your poem?
How the creative process works, and how the different factors – inspiration, tradition, beauty and in particular melody – all work together and relate.

2) What motivated you to write this poem?

I had been reading into prosody and how to create rhythm in poetry at the time. As soon as I came up with the image of each of these different creative factors as Muses, working with Saturn, I started – and wrote it in blank verse. A few months later, I decided an Ode structure would work even better, given I was essentially praising Melody, and so I set to changing it all around, with more of an emphasis on formal polish. It came out to my liking, and I started sending it around for publication.

3) How long have you been writing poetry?
A number of years now – but more seriously this year. It’s a passion of mine.

4) If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?

Either Shakespeare or William Blake – I think they both knew some pretty esoteric things, and it would be interesting to pick their brains.

5) What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a professional actor?

I thought the poem, with its rhythm, rhyme and cadences, would make for an interesting performance. I wasn’t wrong!

6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?

I’ve been building a meta-poetic system and lecture series called ‘The Ladder of Poetryhttps://essentialpoetry.substack.com/p/introducing-the-ladder-of-poetry’ on my Essential Poetry substack, and work with artists to help them understand their unique creative drive and signature. So lots of my creativity, if it doesn’t flow into poetry, goes in that direction.

7) What is your passion in life?
Poetry and teaching (I’m an English teacher), and – through my Ladder of Poetry framework – teaching poetry! So if anyone reading this is interested in learning more, definitely reach out – I’d love to help you understand your own approach to creativity at a deep level.

—–

Let us sing, Muse, not of your treacled, honeyed lips,
from which the murmurously buzzing poet drinks,
launching a host strong some dozen-dozen ships
only to cry ‘Calypso!’ at the last and in her deep eyes sink;
nor of your distant sister, the pale Lady Memory,
who dwells in the skies above, concealed by her long,
dark and starry robe, who sees all and knows much
of the blind man she loves, the seeming-fathoms of his mysteries.
No, to the youngest of your line and least themed in song
we will bend our humble rhyme with earnest and loving touch.

See how lightly as a cloud she frolics upon and passes
the verdure of Elysium, blown as by a breeze that haunts
the highest mountains and stirs the pleasant grasses,
this our Melody, who with her playful, ever-graceful nature taunts
her sisters and the solemn tunings of their strange, uncanny thoughts
in bursts and fits of happy disruption; sometimes she feigns their manners
(favourite pastime of the youngest child), sometimes she hoards her laurels
to work into their tightened tresses, and with unfurling passion exhorts
them to forget their office, let down their hair, for once unscroll their banners,
and draws from them, if this fails, another bout of sisterly quarrels.

For oft she breaks (such is child-cunning) their sage, impassioned circle
peacocked with fanned arrays and ravishments of girly colours;
they, all-knowing, cease their chantless tracts and open up their oracle,
till she their warm and loving beams accepts with preening flutters,
and imbues them with her native touch, making solemn tresses gay again
which, trinket-trapped, swing now as once they did in the golden youth of childhood;
and softened are their magic tones which treat of her with human and with hearty laugh.
So all, unbeknown to mirthful Melody, approaches her gentle ken,
meeting the errant music of the wild but natural wood
or of such as he who sings, holding steadfast the crooked shepherd’s staff.

By the ancient farmhouse with its incense rich of oak and cedar chips
stands the winter-weathered sovereign of that line, high, oft-consulted Saturn,
in whose dread wave the fired and mutinous city of Atlantis smoking dipped
to learn the icy currents of his rage and the consequence of passion;
ah, but in her presence his aspect is changed and less of terror now,
almost softened are his eyes, as even old ocean must be when the long-labouring sun
pierces the cloudy confusion of night to join in hands with earth,
his patient child, again, and not so deep seem the furrows in his brow;
for awhile Hydra rests with Atlantis, all his troubles are done
and he can joy with his daughter his share of mirth.

So is Saturn and his noble train made mellow
and reminded of their human traces by the playful youth,
and all are linked, one to each and man to his captive fellow,
all in a line with the splendours of radiant truth:
impeccable beauty’s dress, storied tradition
and the purity of rhythm, a comb of honey rich
for the priestly poet to drink deep and gift
to the thirsting masses of his mission,
who cry out nightly for a higher pitch
to harmonise with and curb their errant drift

Performed by Val Cole

—
Get to know the writer:

1. What is your short story about?
This short story was about my relationship with my mom and the way she
passed. I wanted to capture all the little moments I had with her, whether
it was in love or heartbreak, they were the moments that characterized our
relationship and they became emboldened in my memory.

2. What genres would you say this story is in?
This story was nonfiction, or realistic fiction. I probably dramatized some
aspects considering I was a bit younger when they took place, but to the
best of my ability I wrote from memory.

3. How would you describe this story in two words?
Emotional terrorism.

4. What movie have you seen the most in your life?
I’ve watched The Perks of Being a Wallflower more than a dozen times.
There’s just something heartbreaking about Charlie confessing his best
friend killed himself and not admitting to being abused by his aunt. There
was so much that was said so plainly or not said at all that just twisted
something inside me.

5. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most
times in your life?)
I’ve probably played Mr. Brightside by The Killers an abnormally large
number of times through my life. The lyricism was so clever when I first
discovered it and the way the music splits if you listen through earbuds
just scratches an itch in the back of my head.

6. Do you have an all-time favorite novel?
Ah where to begin? I can’t say I could ever pick a single book because I
love reading and consume too many books to ever commit to one single
favorite. That said, the ones that stand out the most are the Good Girls
Guide to Murder books by Holly Jackson and Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom
by Leigh Bardugo. Beautiful writing and memorable plot twists and character
arcs.

7. What motivated you to write this story?
I wrote this story when I was missing my mom. Even as time passes, I find
myself trying to think of ways to honor her and her memory and I knew that
this would be a good way to do that. Writing helps me process my grief and
I’m glad I was able to do so in a healthy and creative way.

8. If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that
be?
I think I’d like to have dinner with Edgar Allen Poe or Mark Twain. They
were decisively two of the most renown writers in terms of short stories
and especially horror or macabre. I took a lot of inspiration in their work
and found their writing to be fascinating when I was still in school.
Personally picking their brains would be enlightening for sure.

9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
I really love to read, I love watching movies, dancing, and my dog. Most of
the time I can be a workaholic, but in my free time, I’m usually cramming
in books or movies and cuddling with my German shepherd, Mikey. I do like
to dance whether it be a routine in a fitness class or just moving to a
good beat. Most of my hobbies revolve around being comfortable and relaxing
for sure.

10. What influenced you to enter your story to get performed?
Part of me wanted to have another work of mine published and experience
what it would be like to see it spoken and performed instead of written.
But another part of me wanted to know how people perceived my writing. What
does it sound like when someone else is reading it? Do my feelings come
across? Is this the way I intended my writing to be understood from an
outside perspective? I had to see it for myself and know what it would be
like.

11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?
Honestly, just write whatever is in your head. A weird phrase you thought
of but done even have a plot to put it in. A character without an
antagonist or even a problem. A complex plot that couldn’t possibly fit
within a word count maximum limit. Write it all, because inspiration will
keep feeding the more you listen to it. Your mind is a powerful thing and
giving in to it can create some amazing stories.

Performed by Val Cole

Get to know the poet:

http://www.deidrepowell.com

1) What is the theme of your poem?

The poem explores justice, advocacy, and compassion — giving voice to the child whose story is often buried beneath legal arguments and adult conflicts. It reflects both the fragility and resilience of children caught between systems meant to protect them.

2) What motivated you to write this poem?

As a family lawyer and mediator, I have witnessed how children’s voices can sometimes be lost in the process. Intimate partner violence affects children deeply and leaves lasting effects. This poem was born from a desire to speak for them — to remind the world that behind every case file is a child longing to be heard.

3) How long have you been writing poetry?

I have been writing poetry since I was about ten years old, but I began publishing recently. Poetry has become my second vocation, a bridge between law, faith, and love.

4) If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?

Maya Angelou. Her wisdom, courage, and cadence taught me that truth spoken with grace can move nations.

5) What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a professional actor?

I’m a writer, not an actor. I prefer to hear other people’s interpretations of my work. I wanted to hear the poem interpreted through another voice , to see how its emotional truths would resonate beyond the page. The idea of transforming advocacy into performance felt both healing and necessary.

6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc.?

Yes. In addition to poetry, I write children’s books and short stories. I have a few upcoming poetry collections such as Echoes from the Unseen and Who Else Cries in Silence. These poems examine global injustice and faith, while my children’s book Tell Me a Story, Grandma celebrates intergenerational love, faith, and storytelling.

7) What is your passion in life?

My passion is giving voice to the unseen, whether through advocacy in the courtroom or witness through poetry. I believe words can heal, illuminate, and restore our shared humanity. My passion is also leaving a lasting legacy of love, faith, and justice for my family.

POEM:

Justice,
before you rule,
Please hear me—
not as counsel,
but as one who has stood in that midnight kitchen
through her words,
through her trembling hands,
fighting for Pêpê’s best interest—
a child the law claims to protect,

yet leaves trembling.
It is not enough
when his hand explodes against her mother’s face,
the sound sharp as a rifle crack,
making the glass in its frame shiver.
It is not enough
when her cheek blooms red,
then fades too fast for the lens to catch.

Pêpê—her mother’s pet name,
whispered like a shield.
At night she lies rigid in her bed,
listening to her mother’s muffled whimpering,
each sob a small surrender.
She learns too early that comfort is dangerous,
that silence is armour.
I hear her in the pauses her mother cannot fill,
in the way fear wraps itself around every word.

She is six.
Only six—
and already her eyes know how to measure a room,
track his every move,
clutch her mother’s skirt as though it’s the only thing
anchoring her to safety.
She memorises the path to the door,
ready to run before she’s learned to ride a bike.

Do you know what it is
to argue a case with your throat closing?
To know that “best interest of the child”
is not a theory,
not a balance sheet,
but a warm bed free from dread—
and still watch the law lean to “access”
and “parental rights”
as if they outweigh
a child’s right to breathe without fear?

He does not feed her.
He does not clothe her.
He does not keep her warm.
Yet he claims the right to hold her,
to call it love,
to shape her into a silence that will last her life.

The mother is shamed as bitter if she speaks,
while he—
who punched a hole beside her face—
walks away smiling.
And Pêpê learns to fold herself into small spaces,
to call fear normal,
to believe this is what families are.

Justice—
I see her years from now,
laughing in a sunlit kitchen,
her footsteps light,
her nights free from dread.
Your choice can make that real.

You are not deaf
to her small voice asking:

“Do I have to go?”

Your gavel can crush—
or shield.

Choose her.

Carve a future
where Pêpê wakes to mornings of peace,
where only her cereal crunches.