I like the person who commits and goes all in and takes big swings and then maybe fails; who jumps and falls down, rather than the person who points at the person who fell and laughs. But I do sometimes laugh when people fall down.
I just love bossy women. To me, bossy is not a pejorative term at all. It mans somebody’s passionate and engaged and ambitious and doesn’t mind leading.
Awards are not the only markers of success; I don’t judge myself just based on them. I believe that each cinema-goer has his own mental trophies.
You can either extremely love me or extremely hate me. But I don’t allow you to have no feelings for me.
“Before I got Gilmore Girls (2000), I was modeling. I went in for a call and was told, “Sweetie, you need to lose two inches off those hips”. I was 14. So I just replied, “I have more jobs than I can do. I’m in high school. I can’t go to all the trouble of losing the two inches, so I’ll pass”. Someone might tell you to lose weight, but you can say no”.
I was at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts for a year and I loved it. There are a lot of really creative people, there is a constant exchange of an ideas. We talk about what’s been done [in film] and all the rules for filmmaking and then we talk about how to break them.
Interior decorator Alice and college professor George have been married for fourteen years. They raise a son and a daughter together, and they are happily married in others’ eyes. One night, Alice waits at home for George to get back from work. What she gets is not only her husband, but also the news that he is going to leave them for an affair. The trivia of marriage life has used up all their passion; love burns into cinders in just a blink. And George is not sure about what is to come.
Review by Julie C. Sheppard:
The short film Cinders is a heart-rending story of communication breakdown. Off the top, the film uses a long silence of one the characters, the husband George, to make his eventual admission of infidelity even more dramatic and revelatory. He does not speak for over a minute of screentime with a one-sided conversation on the part of the wife, Alice. In advance of his first words, Alice’s lines and actions give clues to the husband’s reasoning for leaving her, such as her micromanaging him.
When dialogue between them finally starts and George admits to the affair, you get the sense that important topics have never been expressed between them before, such as acknowledgement of their sexual incompatibility, and the fact that Alice seems unaware of some of the things that have bothered him, like her lack of passion and playfulness, and her always trying to take care of him in a parent-child type of way.
The setting of the lovely residential home shows the external trappings of a together, well-heeled household. Both characters are neatly dressed and things seem tidy and organized. But looks are obviously deceiving. Even her admission that she always wanted to go to France, a place that George plans to take his new lover, shows how tuned out he is about his wife desires, and it seems like a fact that she has never told him before.
Other than evening crickets, there are no other sounds under the action, which gives this emotionally painful short verisimilitude. The camera work also mirrors this true-to-life essence, with the pace and editing being very deliberate. The use of these elements in a slow, methodic way matches the tone of the couple’s relationship, one that is obviously suffering from a lack of connection that, in turn, leads the husband astray.
A rock star bound by a devil’s pact drifts toward oblivion, haunted by forever regrets. Across the veil, a fallen angel mourns lost grace. Each seeks redemption—and in that search, confronts what they truly are, and what they might yet become.
https://www.melodiesoftheabyss.com/
https://www.instagram.com/melodies_of_the_abyss/
Review by Andie Kay:
This short film by Iwata Sam was inspired by the true events of Kurt Cobain’s untimely death with the names slightly altered due to legal reasons. Nirvana’s music has touched the lives of so many of us and Iwata Sam has given us a story that is intriguing and thought provoking. What would you do to fulfill your dreams? Would you make a deal with the devil?
I appreciated the attention to detail in the set dressing and the nod to Nirvana’s logo as graffiti on a wall. The cinematography was absolutely stunning, thank you Mark Kenfield. It had this beautiful, haunting quality about it that fit the storyline so incredibly well. There were several great practical effects, as well as the creative beauty in the text screen overlays.
One of the things that I adored was the casting. Andrew Steel as “Kurt” and Kym Jackson as “Courtney” – pardon me, “Lucy” was incredible. Their performances really captured the essence of both characters and the way they played off one another was simply spellbinding. Andrew also wrote and performed a couple of original songs within the film, so that was even more impressive.
This film serves as a cautionary tale but also one that would urge anyone who is experiencing depression, suicidal thoughts or substance dependancy to reach out for help. It reminds us all that we aren’t alone in our struggles.
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.
http://thecalldocumentary.com/
Review by Andie Kay:
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.
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1pg. RELIGION & SPIRITUALITY SHORT STORY Contest (everyone wins)
PSYCHODRAMA STAGE PLAY Writing Contest (get play performed by professional actors)
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______________
HORROR Short Story Contest 6000-8000 words (everyone wins)
HORROR Short Story Contest 4000-6000 words (everyone wins)
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HORROR Short Story Contest 2000-4000 words (everyone wins)
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HORROR Short Story Contest 0-2000 words (everyone wins)
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DYSTOPIAN Novel Video Transcript Reading
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DYSTOPIAN 1st Chapter Novel Festival
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DYSTOPIAN Full Novel Festival
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ROMANCE & RELATIONSHIPS Screenplay Festival
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TROPOS, 2min., USA, Environmental Feature
Director/Co-Writer: Peter Andrew Coutavas
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?
https://www.instagram.com/ardentroadproductions/
Director Statement
“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.
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Praying for Love, 2min., USA
Directed by Sofia Tonin
Female praying mantis struggles with cannibalistic tendencies while
looking for love.
https://www.instagram.com/sofiatonin_art
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.
https://www.instagram.com/egg.animations/
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.
https://www.instagram.com/mairinart
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.
https://www.instagram.com/alisonrchang/
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.
https://www.instagram.com/felixeyal
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?
https://www.instagram.com/alyssum_film/
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.
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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.
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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.
https://www.instagram.com/chelikot/
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.
https://www.instagram.com/dateknight_film/
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.
https://www.instagram.com/vikniksdorf.art
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.
https://www.instagram.com/Max_Bellomio
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.
https://www.instagram.com/anselmo.3d
Festival Reviews 