Interview with Writer Scott Pierangelo (ROOM 08051212)

Performed by Val Cole

—–

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your short story about?

Without giving too much away, it’s essentially about a guy who works at job where he sacrifices so much of himself to get ahead. The ending though is really what makes the story.

2. What genres would you say this story is in?

It’s a horror story, but more of an existential horror.

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

Worth reading 😉

4. What movie have you seen the most in your life?

Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

5. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)

Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles.

6. Do you have an all-time favorite novel?

The Stand by Stephen King or Ulysses by James Joyce.

7. What motivated you to write this story?

I’ve seen a lot of people I know go down the route that the protagonist went down, and wanted to shed light on it in a fictional story that has a lot of basis in reality.

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

Stephen King

9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

I play the piano, guitar, and ukulele. I’m also an avid golfer, love reading, and inline skating.

10. What influenced you to enter your story to get performed?

I knew having someone else, especially a professional, read my story out loud would be a great experience for me as the author. When I first listened to it, I had a smile ear to ear, as I remember writing the story piece by piece (sometimes at 3:00 AM just to get the ideas out) and now it is being read by a professional actor.

11. Any advice or tips you’d like to pass on to other writers?

Write stories that you know you would like to read, and forget the rest. Also, many people will over analyze and misunderstand your stories, but that’s the case with any art form, as people see and hear what they want to see and hear. Finally, read a lot. I was reading fiction non-stop for a few years before I decided to try writing. When you read a lot of books, you get a nice starting framework of what good writing looks like.

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Submit your short story to the festival: https://festivalforhorror.com/horror-short-story

Interview with Screenwriter Nick Nelsen (THE OWNERS)

When a wildlife photographer’s bush plane crashes in remote Alaska, he and his girlfriend must survive a brutal game of cat & mouse with a family of fugitives eliminating witnesses, but the real danger may be what survival turns him into.

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

When a wildlife photographer’s bush plane crashes in remote Alaska, he and his girlfriend must survive a brutal game of cat & mouse with a family of fugitives eliminating witnesses, but the real danger may be what survival turns him into.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Thriller, Suspense, Survival, Action, Drama

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

It is a simple story with a small cast, minimal locations, a low budget, fast action, and room for audience interpretation.

4. How would you describe this script in two words?

Fatless Action

5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?

Outlaw Josey Whales

6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

Since October 2025

7. How many stories have you written?

3

8. What motivated you to write this screenplay?

A dream I had about this story woke me up to my crying newborn and I talked out the first couple scenes with him at 3 in the morning to calm him down.

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

Learning how to format. Industry standards in screen plays, and how the business works.

10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

Music and my family

11. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

I know that festivals are a way to get your foot in the door at least. I am new to this side of the industry and am learning as I go. This festival was a necessary stepping stone in the right direction. The feedback was also helpful, both validating my thoughts on the screenplay and challenging some ideas I was stuck on, which is always necessary.

Interview with Writer Libby Feltis (ALOHA)

Performed by Val Cole

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your short story about?

My short story is about a white, evangelical man who thinks he’s entitled to everything–especially women.

2. What genres would you say this story is in?

I would say this falls under dystopian, but it also related to current events.

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

Creepy AF

4. What movie have you seen the most in your life?

I watch the super long 1995 version of Pride & Prejudice twice a year.

5. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)

Hmmm… the live version I’d Rather Go Blind by Etta James

6. Do you have an all-time favorite novel?

Just one? The People We Keep by Allison Larkin is one I’ll always recommend to friends.

7. What motivated you to write this story?

I had been listening to a lot of true crime, and religious extremism was a common thread amongst most cults/cult leaders. So, I wanted to write from the perspective of a man who is on the road to becoming one of those guys.

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

My mom died when I was a little girl, and I’d like to have dinner with her again.

9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

I’m passionate about teaching writing. It’s why I’m finishing up a creative writing MFA now. But in my spare time, you can catch me singing blues in a dimly lit bar.

10. What influenced you to enter your story to get performed?

I’d had submitted it to a handful of journals with no success. I just wanted to see it out in the world.

Interview with Filmmaker Burton Rocks (LARRY’S BIG IDEA)

LARRY’S BIG IDEA, 2min,. USA
DIrected by Burton Rocks
Larry’s Big Idea tells the story of an imaginative boy who uses science to invent special batting gloves for his Little League game. The animated short is the first cartoon produced by internationally-recognized scientist and author, Dr. Lawrence Rocks.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

Dr. Rocks, my dad, has always been my hero and inspiration, as is my mom. My dad would often reflect on his days caddying as a kid, so I thought it would be great to incorporate these real life anecdotes with science in a cartoon. He’d often tell me how when he was 10 years old he would ride his bicycle from his home to the local golf club to caddie. In the caddie area at the club they called him “Double Duty Larry” because he once carried two bags, one on each shoulder, in a round. I thought this would make for a fun cartoon to help instill a love of golf and science in kids across the globe.

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

The cartoon short took about four months from start to finish.

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

GOLF ROCKS

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

The biggest obstacle was trying to make the science easy to understand and yet not over simplifying it.

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

I enjoyed the genuineness of the feedback.

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

I had always loved home movies and the idea of making films since I was a kid. I had heard much about the tv show Bonanza, as my cousin David Dortort created it, and he would later mentor me on producing and directing.

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

I can’t pick a specific film but I’ve probably watched and studied Bonanza more than anything.

Interview with Filmmaker Vincent J. Roth (SURGE OF POWER: WHERE THERE’S SMOKE)

Surge of Power: Where There’s Smoke, 68min., USA

Directed by Vincent J. Roth, Jeff Rector, Mario DeAngelis
Enjoy the latest installment of the “Surge of Power” indie superhero movie franchise known for having lots of celebrities from the sci-fi and superhero genres! “Where There’s Smoke” follows Surge as he teams up with guest superhero, The Smoke (former pro wrestler Eric Moran), as they uncover a mysterious plot of the villain group called The Council. Who is Falling Apple, struggling with childhood trauma and abuse, out for revenge over her father’s murder, and what is her role in The Council’s evil scheme?

Get to know filmmaker Vincent J. Roth:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

“Surge of Power: Where There’s Smoke” is our 5th movie. We started screening it in film festivals on the 20th anniversary of the film festival screening start of our first movie, “Surge of Power: The Stuff of Heroes.” The movies in between have been building out the Surge of Power world with new characters and subplots. The immediately preceding movie, “Surge of Dawn,” was a collaboration with a fellow filmmaker to crossover our worlds where one of his flagship characters, Dawn, a vampire witch, teams up with Surge and Mavis to take on a new threat. This trio of Dawn, Mavis and Surge indicated it is time for Surge to form a superhero team. I have had a few new characters in mind for some time, Kid Dynamo, Falling Apple and Grok. This natural evolution in Surge’s development to start teaming up with other heroes was an ideal progression to introduce these new characters and bring them into the fold. “Where There’s Smoke” was our “Avengers assemble” moment where a team forms. We are excited to reach this point where the stage is set for bigger adventures with our team of superheroes.

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

“Where There’s Smoke” was probably the most planned out Surge of Power movie to date. We were very careful laying out the story, making props and costumes, and filming in phases to allow us to focus on groups of scenes at a time. It took almost 4 years since “Surge of Dawn” for us to be ready to exhibit “Where There’s Smoke.”

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

Avengers assemble.

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

I find indie film crew members often don’t have a lot of experience shooting visual effect intensive movies. It takes a lot of planning, explaining, storyboarding and demonstrating for me to convey what’s needed. “Where There’s Smoke” is a very VFX heavy – almost 500 VFX shots. Even with all the planning we did for this movie, errors were made during filming, causing us to go back to do reshoots. Reshooting is expensive and time consuming. Even after reshoots, some shots were still not quite right, which was very frustrating. Fortunately, we have some clever VFX designers who were able to fix and work with the footage. This also caused extra work plus added time and cost to production. Thankfully, in the end we arrived at a product that was appealing and satisfying and has won 33 awards so far in film festivals. So, we got something right.

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

I was very pleased with the reviewer comments. I think they were very honest. I’m glad the reviewers appreciated what we accomplished with a low budget. They picked up on deeper elements and appreciated the complexity and heart that when into it, which sounded genuine. I’m glad the audience members enjoyed the humor woven in with dramatic stakes. It was also heartwarming to hear viewers notice the meta aspects of the story that touched on social themes as well as paying tribute to the superhero genre that they noticed from comics, TV shows, and movies.

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

For years I made costumes for myself of other properties’ characters before “cosplay” was a common word. Then there was a time when I was working in my second job as a corporate attorney where the company I was working for was promoting a new device with a marketing campaign that had a dark haired, muscular superhero character, they named Commander X. One of the marketing staff knew I liked superheroes and asked me if I’d make a costume, which I did. I really wanted this to turn out good. It was my pièce de resistance at the time. Management liked it so much, they would transfer me out of the legal department into the marketing department when they had trade shows and took me with them to be Commander X. I generated a lot of activity and sales opportunities. Having a company make me its mascot made me things that I should do something with characters of my own. That’s when the ideas of bringing Surge to the screen and making Surge of Power movies started.

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

When I was young, in the early days of HBO, my family and I watched many movies repeatedly. Also back then a movie could last in theaters for quite some time. I think Steve Spielberg’s “ET” lasted 11 months in our local theater. ET, Star Wars (A New Hope), and 9-to-5 were movies I saw many times. In more recent years, I went to see the first “Avengers” movie 4 times in theaters. I also saw the last Avengers movie, “Endgame” 3 times in theaters.

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

We enjoyed the festival experience and appreciated the collaboration and communication with staff to coordinate.

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

FilmFreeway is the standard for film festivals. We have been using it for quite some time. It’s very user-friendly.

10. What is your favorite meal?

I love sushi and Brazilian steak houses.

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

We have an ongoing web series, Surge of Power: Big City Chronicles,” that is about to start its 8th season. We also make ongoing, short motivational videos with Surge called “Surge of Power: Code of Heroes.” On the film side, we have one more movie adventure for Surge that picks up after “Where There’s Smoke” that is designed to wrap up the story we’ve been building since the first Surge of Power movie, “The Stuff of Heroes.” This will essentially be our Surge “Endgame.” We hope to be going into production on that soon.

Interview with Filmmaker Ande Case (QUENCH)

Quench, 14min., UK
Directed by Ande Case
Thirst is a cruel mistress.

Get to know the filmmaker;

1. What motivated you to make this film?

It’s one of those amazing moments as a script writer when a great idea just lands in your head. Of course it had rewrites and great suggestions from the cast and crew but fundamentally the core of the story and visuals remain. I had to get it made 🙂

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

2.2 days filming (budgetary reasons) and about 2 days post. Yes, that is not much time but does show what ‘can’ be achieved when financial reality means you ‘have’ to achieve it.

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

Non Standard

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

Location. Took ages to find the ideal location (one of my 18 roles is location scout) and then negotiate an affordable fee.

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

Absolutely humbling. It is one thing for you to know what you’ve made but to hear others experiencing the same thing (while avoiding spoilers!) was just an incredible experience.

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

About 10 years ago when I had scripts piling up, some winning competitions but absolutely nothing happening. But I only make one when I have enough to pay cast and crew their rates. I cannot abide the whole come work for me at a loss so my vision is realised – just so unbelievably selfish when people have bills to pay. If everyone did that more cast and crew would have a better life.

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

Now then, that’s a challenge but likely a close call between The Blue Brothers [1980] and 2001: A Space Odyssey [1968] with Alien / Aliens and Shawkshank Redemption not far behind.

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

You are doing an incredible job – you give feedback, screen our work, provide viewer feedback and much more – that is about 90% more than some of these festivals bother with. There are too many ‘festivals’ on FilmFreeway that are happy to take your money but offer next to nothing in return. And I don’t mean not winning but the whole you never hear anything from them again.

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

See above. I would love there to be a process where all film-makers get to vote on the Top 10 or 20 Festivals each year and they get placed into a special ‘spend your money on these’ category – so you know your money is going to someone who cares about boosting others.

10. What is your favorite meal?

I really want to say something fancy but honestly a well made Mac & Cheese would be just fine.

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

Yes. More challenging, really go to push my small team / actors but it will (I hope!) be worth it. Just working out how to fund it as apparently Angel Investors don’t really exist 🙂

Interview with Screenwriter Penny B. Jackson ($13)

$13, 8min., USA
Directed by Melissa Skirboll
When a long-time New Yorker introduces her niece to her beloved city, a doughnut and a waterfront view ignite memories of her greatest, but luckiest, loss.

https://www.instagram.com/melissadirectherfilm/

Get to know writer Penny B. Jackson:

What motivated you to make this film?

This film began as a monologue I wrote shortly after 9/11. I live in Manhattan, and I remember every hour of that day. In the aftermath, I kept hearing stories of people who narrowly missed being on the planes. One story stayed with me in particular: a woman who missed her flight because she received the wrong change at a Dunkin’ Donuts. The randomness of survival fascinated and haunted me, and it became the seed for the monologue that eventually became this film.

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

The project had a long gestation period. I originally wrote the monologue shortly after 9/11, but I didn’t return to it until the Covid pandemic, when I was looking for something creative to work on. I shared the piece with my writing collaborator and with my favorite director, Melissa Skirboll.

Melissa first filmed it as a monologue, but it didn’t quite feel right. We let it sit for a few years. Then last year Melissa suggested opening up the piece and turning it into a short film. She helped transform the monologue into a two-person screenplay and found the perfect location by the water in Brooklyn.

I always imagined Melissa in the lead role, and Meghan Martin—our line producer—became the young woman. I had already collaborated with Louis on music, and I knew Bryan Hamilton, our cinematographer. Tracy Boak joined us as a producer, and we assembled a wonderful team. Amazingly, we shot the entire film in one day—on a day when the temperature was over 100 degrees.

How would you describe your film in two words?

Haunting chance.

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

Time and heat. We had only one day to shoot the entire film, and it happened to be one of the hottest days of the summer—over 100 degrees. Everyone had to work quickly and stay focused despite the conditions. The fact that the team pulled it off in a single day still amazes me.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talk about your film in the feedback video?

I was deeply moved. When you make something so personal, you never know how audiences will interpret it. Hearing viewers discuss the themes of chance, survival, and memory—and seeing how the story resonated with them—was incredibly gratifying.

When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

I came to filmmaking through writing and theater. I’ve always been drawn to storytelling, particularly stories that explore the emotional aftermath of historical moments. When I saw how a written monologue could evolve into a visual story with actors, music, and imagery, I realized how powerful film could be as a medium.

What film have you seen the most in your life?

Casablanca. I never tire of its writing, performances, and emotional precision.

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

One of the most valuable aspects of festivals is the opportunity for meaningful conversations—both with audiences and with other filmmakers. Anything that encourages discussion, networking, and collaboration is incredibly helpful. Festivals that create spaces for filmmakers to meet each other, exchange ideas, and build relationships truly help sustain a creative career.

Interview with Filmmaker Valérie de Montmollin (PLUS JAMAIS (NEVER AGAIN))

PLUS JAMAIS (NEVER AGAIN), 4min., Switzerland/France
Directed by Valérie de Montmollin
“Plus jamais” deals with the violence I have experienced. I want to encourage women who are still in situations of severe abuse not to lose hope, and to seek help to find a way out—because it is possible to get out.

https://www.instagram.com/valeriedemontmollin/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
I released my biography (https://www.valeriedemontmollin.ch/order-form/ ) in November 2025 together with my new song ´Plus jamais’ and its music clip which you awarded as BEST STORY 2026 – thank you so much for this. Why did I make it? I wanted to visualise domestic violence just as I experience it myself. I was and still am the CEO of my own business, I wasn’t exactly the profile you would think would suffer of such circonstances. I want to help break this tabou and stigmatisation.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
I am quite efficient, so maybe 2 months?

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

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
I wanted the actors to be credible and really interpret my true story reflecting our characters and personalities.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I loved the feedback because it was so well worded and said with empathy yet still pragmatic.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
When I wrote the song it was clear to me that a music video needed to be produced too.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Walt Disney’s / Pixar’s ‘Nemo’ with my daughter when she was small. Again and again.

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

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
It was easy to submit and FilmFreeway was very supportive when I faced difficulties with one of the Festivals.

10. What is your favorite meal?
I am sitting in Paris in an excellent Indian restaurant as I write these sentences – I love Indian food.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
Tomorrow, that’s why I am in Paris, I am recording a new song ‘Touchée’ (Touched). It is about incest, another topic close to my heart. I might produce a video clip as well – surprise surprise, stay tuned.

Interview with Filmmaker Ryan Joseph (EVERGREEN MISERY)

Evergreen Misery, 4min., USA
Directed by Ryan Joseph
Music video about artist MOTHICA arriving at “Mothicorp” and discovering hidden truths within herself.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

Mothica had a compelling concept — her subconscious mind visualized as a corporate prison versus a lush, true inner world. That tension was too cinematic to pass up.

2. From idea to finished product, how long did it take?

About a month of planning, two days to build the set and shoot.

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

Subconscious liberation.

4. What was the biggest obstacle?

The set build. Figuring out how to physically construct two completely different worlds on a tight timeline took the most problem-solving.

5. What were your initial reactions to the audience feedback video?

It was fun. It’s genuinely nice to watch people react to something you made.

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

It started early. Growing up, Star Wars and Indiana Jones hit me in a way I couldn’t quite explain at the time. My dad gave me a Canon camcorder around age 10 and something just clicked — the idea that you could capture life and play it back in front of your eyes was fascinating to me. From that point on, my brother and I were in the backyard basically every day filming whatever we could think of. By high school I was taking every film class available, making shorts, recreations, experimental stuff — anything to understand how it all worked. It never really felt like a decision. It was just what I kept doing.

7. What film have you seen the most?

Hard to pick one — Interstellar, Dune, Mad Max, and Neon Demon have all gotten a lot of rewatches.

8. What elements could festivals implement to better support filmmakers?

Honest feedback from programmers goes a long way. The conversation around the work matters as much as the screening itself.

9. How has your experience been with FilmFreeway?

Straightforward and easy to navigate. Gets the job done.

10. What is your favorite meal?

On a serious sushi kick lately.

11. What’s next?

Always working. Just wrapped a Samsonite campaign, heading into a new round of music videos, and finishing up a TV pilot.

Interview with Filmmaker SI Reasoning (THE ENCARNE TRILOGY)

The Encarne Trilogy, 16min., USA
Directed by SI Reasoning
The Encarne Trilogy is a series of no-budget shorts regarding the creation of my son and his entrance into the physical plane. It won Honorable Mention for Best Experimental Film at the 2025 Paris Around Films International Film Festival (ARFF), Best Arthouse in the Absurd Film Festival Monthly (Milan) July 2025, and Bangkok Society of Film Critics Award for Experimental Film at the Bangkok Movie Awards for July 2025.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

This film originally were three separate shorts telling one story that was created as part of the International

“Echoes of Contemporary Surrealism” Festival in 2024 that was held in Birmingham, Alabama, US – Cairo, Egypt – Saint Cirq LaPopie, France – Budapest, Hungary. In 2023, LaDonna Smith, an incredible surrealist and improvisational musician, told me that I needed to create five-minute shorts for the festival. I had been sitting on this incredible performance by CillaVee and my son from the prior international surrealist festival that I shot back in 2018.

I felt there was a story in the performance but I could not find it. When CillaVee visited in late 2023, we did a few improvised skits in several places including a book store and LaDonna’s farm and I was able to find the story with the additional footage and other historical footage I shot in my archives. In 2024, in Saint Cirq Lapopie, the shorts were shown at the summer home of Andre Breton on the 100th Anniversary of his Manifesto of Surrealism.

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

The film itself encompasses footage from 2007-2023. I flirted and played with the footage from the 2018 international Surrealist festival for years trying to find the story and getting very frustrated with it. Once I found the story I was able to complete post-production within a few months.

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

Existential Transitions

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

There were multiple obstacles, but finding the story was probably the greatest.

Although a strong case can be made that a great problem I had in finding the story was that the state of creating effects was way too complicated for many years. However, Resolve had some recent updates that came out that simplified some of the effects I needed to create these films and that allowed me to complete the films in time for the festival.

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

I had some wonderful feedback from the international surrealist festivals and some personal showing to small audiences where they had time to think about each of the three sections independently. That helped give me the courage to put the current film out on the cinema circuit. During this time I had a tremendous amount of success in Europe and Asia but I got nothing from the Americas, which is why I applied to this festival, to see if I can find out why. I was very pleased with the results because it showed the various reactions that I had found with my own prior screenings had shown.

The first person was fully enmeshed with the short and the internal process of discovery through the imagery presented. The second person enjoyed viewing it but had no idea what was going on both visually and auditorially, and the third person was still in the initial process of discovery and trying to put the pieces together while reviewing it.

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

I was always interested in experimenting with video which began with the first video cameras that were sold in the late 70’s. You could see a lot of my playing with the camera when shooting family footage and footage of my first girlfriend, such as finding a color adjustment knob and pushing it to hot pink, as well as very close crops when people were speaking. I then started playing with video feedback and finding way to interact with it such as making the image spin or trail, or making the image dance to music.

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

probably Eraserhead by David Lynch. I met my first girlfriend at Eraserhead during the midnight movie scene. I loved how the story was told with few words and with your own mind interpreting the atmosphere and character quirks and personally creating the backstory for what I was experiencing. I also loved the discussions amongst friends as we explored our versions of what we saw.

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 am hoping that I can be part of the public screening in Toronto. In particular, speaking directly with the audience as they process what they have been watching. Possibly, we could show the short as it was originally shown during the Echoes of Contemporary Surrealism festival, as 3 separate shorts, with a pause to discuss each segment before playing the next one.

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

I like having one place to put up all of my material for the film and find festivals that I think would appreciate it or provide a service such as the FEEDBACK festival.

10. What is your favorite meal?

I am spoiled as my wife is an excellent vegan chef, so I have lots of favorites. My favorite meal to make is Lebanese Tabouli and vegan Grape Leaves.

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

My next project is even more complex than this one. A friend of mine created a filmmaking card game. As I travel the world when showing The Encarne Trilogy, I have been meeting other filmmakers, artists and others (such as people staying in the hostels with me) and play the game with them, where we create a potential film based on the card prompts. I am recording this process and discussions on the potential film and then we decide on a scene from that potential film and have that scene completed in post and sent to me. I will then attempt to create a feature or several shorts utilizing either the completed scene or elements from the scenes. Each segment; playing the game and discussing the potential movie, the scene created by the potential movie, and in some cases the actual movie can create links back to the other segments and potentially open up opportunities to showcase different filmmakers where the success of one segment can ripple into an introduction into other segments….