Tendon, 13min,. USA
Directed by Jannik Ehret
Recovering addict Rene sees a creature poison the city’s water supply and has to convince his skeptical sister and her no-nonsense boyfriend to stay away from the tap water.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I grew up in Germany from where Los Angeles always felt like a mythical place in another world. Through a street racing video game I was first introduced to the LA river; a concrete channel that splits Los Angeles in such a crude and inorganic way. At the time I thought it was an invention of the game designers. Why else would there be a perfect drag racing track going right through the city. Ten years later, when I first saw the LA river in person, I became enchanted by its otherworldly existence.

My parents are spiritual teachers. Witnessing their clashes with “the regular world” has forced me to contemplate the role of “the real” in our emotional lives. To an extent, the “real” is irrelevant if its effect is tangible. The fear we feel from the monster under the bed is happening regardless of the presence of the monster. With that in mind, people should treat the fears of others, no matter how otherworldly, with empathy. Tendon is the merging of my love of sci-fi, the LA river, the homelessness epidemic and my take on the deep seeded fear of not being believed.

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

to make this film?

I played around with the script for about five years. Once I landed on something I liked it only took about a month to get the project to the editing stage. Sound designing and composing was tricky since the film lives between genres but after another 4 months the project was done.

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

Truth, Paranoia

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

Shooting the sewer set in my garage. The actual build was pretty easy and cost less than $100. The main sewer pipe was a pre-built element we got from a movie set recycling place. The other materials I had collected while finishing up the script. Working with the finicky monster build and limited space was challenging.

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

Due to runtime constraints, there is a lot of context that is hinted at but never fully brought to the forefront in the film. This opens the film up to interpretation so hearing some of the viewers’ perspectives was enlightening. One viewer felt like the movie made a big picture commentary on the use of water as a political tool in our current world. Interesting…

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

I’ve always felt like I had more interests than time to pursue them all. At the end of high school, when it felt like I had to make a career choice, I chose film because it would allow me to explore the most amount of interest indirectly through the lives of fictional characters.

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

Love, actually (2003). And by a long shot. It was my family’s Christmas movie. As much as some like to hate on how corny it is, I actually think it’s quite clever and charming.

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

I already love this festival’s format but I do wish the feedback video contained a section of critique. As encouraging as the positive reviews are, giving the viewers space to express confusion or constructive criticism could be helpful.

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

Working well!

10. What is your favorite meal?

Schinkennudeln. A German dish with spaghetti, cheese, ham and eggs. Maximum comfort food.

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

I’m looking for funding for a feature documentary about a rock climber and a short film about a cow that grows a hand and (allegedly) writes college admission essays for shy teenagers.

1. What motivated you to make this film?

Triggered 2.0 was motivated by our desire to continue and finish the story that began with part 1 of Triggered.  The film starred Steven James Tingus, a dear friend and lifetime advocate of disability and diversity inclusion. Completing part 1 was his final wish, and upon the film’s completion and screening, Steven left this world. Following his funeral, we watched the film together with Steven’s family, and the question was immediately asked, When are we going to see part 2?  The story of part 2 was closer to the original script that was developed, and essentially turned the events of part 1 into a memory implant.  

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

Triggered 2.0 began conception in the summer of 2023 and began filming in the Fall.  Filming was completed in early 2024, and post-production finished in April 2024.  So this film took us 10 months to complete.   

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

Wild Ride 

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

The biggest obstacle is always time. Even with all of the preparation, there is NEVER enough time to complete the shots that you want while on set. And due to the budget limitations, we are always forced to make sacrifices.

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

I was glad to see that the audience “got it”.  I heard so many keywords in describing the film that I was hoping to hear, the weight of the story, the heavy Sci-Fi theme, and the fact that we made sure that the audience had a lot of fun along the way.  A lot of my favorite moments were theirs, so that made me happy to hear.  

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

I’ve wanted to make films for most of my life since early childhood. But the first time I actually believed that I could make a film was in 2002, after completing my first television role as a professional wrestler with Urban Wrestling Alliance, I wrote my first treatment for a film based on the experience.  

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

The Empire Strikes Back

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

Creating opportunities to connect with potential investors, distributors, etc., is a great part of the festival experience. Holding screenings followed by a Q&A with industry professionals in the audience, and the opportunity to connect following.  I believe doing this for the award winners would be a great thing for filmmakers.  

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

I have utilized Film Freeway for over 5 years, it’s always been a positive experience with little issues.  

10. What is your favorite meal?

Prime Rib (medium rare), with steamed veggies, loaded baked potato, and lobster tail. 

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

We are in pre-production for filming the final scenes for Triggered, which will allow us to make a final cut for global release in 2026.  I am also filming the final scenes for the pilot of a spaghetti western called The S.I.N.’s where I portray Adam Payne, written and directed by Lovie Ray Johnson Jr. 

Devil Makes Three, 9min,. Canada
Directed by Loken Charon
When two punk bands are double booked to headline Halloween night, they must decide who will play before something else does.

https://www.loganjfilms.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
Our team had just come off a featurette production with the same cast. There was a short film competition coming up shortly around halloween time and so we decided to try our hand at a low budget horror/slasher. We didn’t take it too seriously and just ran with what we had. Ended up becoming a fan favourite amongst the team!

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
We wrote it over a couple of weeks and then shot it over two days which were nearly a week apart. Post Production probably took me another 10 days or so!

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

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
We were on a bit of a time crunch with the locations we were using, so we did not get to have any rehearsals for the cast or crew and we had to make sure we got our shots done quickly. We only had the two locations for less than a day each.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I was just eager to hear what they thought! It was a bit of an ambitious film for our team to complete in two short shoot days, so hearing that the audience enjoyed the film was wonderful to hear!

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
When I saw Hereditary on opening night in 2018 I knew then and there that I wanted to make horror films. I started out in Editing and it wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic where I decided to get into Writing and Directing to fill my time!

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
That’s a hard guess. I think it might be either Finding Nemo or A Bug’s Life. I watched those films over and over again growing up.

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 think the audience feedback videos are such an underrated tool for filmmakers to get first impressions and personal reactions from people about their work. Something I would like to see in the future is a detailed rundown from the judges on why your film was chosen for a specific award, and then having an opportunity for the filmmaker to talk about those key points for others to hear/read. Maybe in a workshop or separate interview. I think if we can hear firsthand from a filmmaker about why their film won an award will give other filmmakers some valuable insight into how films are graded and what elements to consider when submitting to other festivals.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
I’ve been using FilmFreeway for a while and I personally have enjoyed how the platform operates. Simple and easy to use!

10. What is your favorite meal?
I’m a big fan of pasta. Lasagna or Spaghetti Bolognese are top favourites!

11. What is next for you? A new film?
I am working hard at getting a feature film off the ground!

inner necessity, 10min., USA, Experimental
Directed by Ethan Wagner
“The artist is not only justified in using any form necessary for their purposes, but it is [their] very duty to do so.”

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

“inner necessity” is the first in a four-part film series I created, inspired by some of the great abstract painters. This piece draws from the work of Wassily Kandinsky, often regarded as the inventor of abstract art. In his book Concerning the Spiritual in Art, he argued that art should not only depict what we can see, but it should also express what he called our inner necessity. He envisioned a future where audio and visual art would eventually merge into a single art form.

Given the current discourse around AI-generated art, I saw this as the perfect opportunity to explore how new technology can shift our understanding of and relationship to art. Much like the invention of the camera during Kandinsky’s era, AI now offers new possibilities for creative expression, both in collaboration with it and in response to it.

Inspired by action painters like Jackson Pollock, I recorded the audio in a single, improvised take. I then generated visuals influenced by Kandinsky’s paintings and his philosophy, combining the two guided by my own inner necessity to create.

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

The audio recording for the film took exactly as long as its length, so 9 minutes and 57 seconds. It took me about a month and a half to generate and compile all the animations.

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

neo-abstract expressionism

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

The time it took to generate the animations was the longest part of the process, but that was limited by how much I was willing to pay to speed up the process. I could have gone faster.

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

One of Kandinsky’s hopes was that the form and color of a picture would allow the observer’s mind to wander and find their own meaning. People seemed to have this experience with the film, so that makes me happy!

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

I grew up making music, so that has always been a part of my life. Once AI video generation became available, it gave me a way to bring the images in my mind’s eye to life. My ability to express myself visually has continued to grow ever since.

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

I love physics so it would probably be Oppenheimer.

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

This is the first time I have submitted to a festival so I have no complaints.

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

It was my first time and it was pretty easy.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Sushi!

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

I am working on the rest of the abstract film series, as well as making a multi-sensory immersive experience using all five senses with my wife.