BARRAGE, 43min., Italy Directed by Emanuele Filiberto D’Andrea The red thread linking Thailand and 1980s Colombia is formed by the blood spilled by bullets. Between past and present, Kitt will face difficult choices to survive, but perhaps in the smoke of battle he will find a family.
Get to know the filmmaker:
1. What motivated you to make this film?
I truly love these characters, and the concept emerged during a very delicate time for my family. That emotional core drove me to challenge myself with a high-energy action narrative, exploring how physical tension and choreography can actually power emotional storytelling. Ultimately, my motivation was to fuse that personal heart with a visceral, fast-paced experience that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
The entire process took about Three years. We spent around 11 months in pre-production, focusing heavily on action choreography and storyboarding, followed by four days of intense shooting, and the remaining time in post-production to fine-tune the editing, sound design, and visual effects.
3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Visceral ride!
4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Managing the action logistics on a tight indie budget was definitely the biggest challenge. Ensuring choreography looked impactful on camera while maintaining absolute safety for the cast and crew required meticulous planning and a highly dedicated team. E hat made it even more challenging—yet incredibly rewarding—was that our lead actress and several other cast members had absolutely no experience with screen fighting or action choreography. We dedicated a significant amount of time to training and preparing them from scratch. Watching them transform and push their limits to deliver those intense sequences safely was an obstacle turned into one of our greatest achievements.
5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
It was incredibly rewarding and surreal. As a filmmaker, you spend months to see the story/imagine how they grow up in your head but before you live it with these silent images inside…Staring at the screen in a closed room before anyone else sees them is just astonishing but hearing the audience connect with the pacing and energy of the film was both validating and deeply moving.
6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I think the definitive realization came when I understood that filmmaking was the only way to give life to the characters living inside me. For this project, I knew exactly what message I wanted to communicate to the world, but as the process began, I chose to step back and give the characters their total freedom.
In the end, they are a reflection of different parts of myself, and my deepest desire was simply to watch them run free. When you realize you have stories and characters inside you that demand to guide you and speak for themselves, that’s when you know you have to be a filmmaker.
7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
That would probably be Once upon a time in the west. Every time I watch it, I study its pacing, camera movements, and editing choices—it’s a constant source of inspiration for my work.
8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
Giving filmmakers the opportunity to connect directly with producers, distributors, and fellow creators is crucial for building the foundations of future projects.
9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
FilmFreeway has been an excellent, streamlined tool. It simplifies the entire submission process, making it incredibly easy to discover international festivals and keep track of deadlines.
10. What is your favorite meal?
A Margarita! Simple, classic, and the perfect reward after a long day on set.
11. What is next for you? A new film?
Yes, absolutely. I am currently in the development of my first film script. Now I want Barrage in cinemas as soon as possible but with a different story. New elements and a new world. This festival success and many others has given me a lot of momentum, and I can’t wait to get back on set.
I wanted to work in a specific genre that I hadn’t worked in yet and was inspired by some teenagers in the neighborhood I lived in at the time..
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
About 6 months.
3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Curious kids
4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
The special effects were quite difficult and time consuming. We played with a lot of options, including AI, and ultimately decided to go old school analog vibes.
5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
It was very cool to hear strangers discuss the film. Thanks for offering that.
6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
Late teens, early twenties.
7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Batman (Tim Burton, 1989) I was an avid Batman comic reader as a kid and I watched this movie on VHS almost everyday for like a year or more.
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 always am interested in networking with other micro budget indie filmmakers for potential collaborations or favors or friendships or whatever. I’d like to know more people that are making films in a similar way as me and my team.
9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
I have used filmfreeway for a while. It’s fine.
10. What is your favorite meal?
It’s a bowl of vegan Ramen at T’s in the Tokyo train station.
11. What is next for you? A new film?
Starting to write a new film with a long time friend.
FIVE STARS, 23min., USA Directed by Demetrius Joyette A retired veteran finds transitioning into civilian life tough, when a woman with a big problem enters his RideShare begging the question, can you really escape fate?
Get to know the filmmaker:
1. What motivated you to make this film?
During COVID I had a lot of time to reflect and invest in my creativity that I hadn’t before. I started with small shorts and videos to get my feet wet, and when timing/personnel/script all came together at the right time; I pushed to get Five Stars made. It’s truly a blessing that we were able to make it.
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
From conception to final export, Five Stars took me about 1 ½ years. The original idea was an 11 minute short I had written, but shelved. I had worked on an indie show that really spun my gears to beef up the short, and give it more texture and depth. What was once 11 minutes, grew to about 23 minutes, with more story, action and locations.
3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Virtuous action.
4. What was the greatest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Actually completing it LOL. On another note, post-production and b-roll were the hardest. Post-production because of all the layers involved (sound design, music, VFX!!!!, and color). B-roll because all I had was a little DJI drone and an old Lumix GH5 to get all the missing shots. Principal photography was 5 days, B-roll another 14, and about 10 months of post.
5. There are 5 stages of the filmmaking process: Development. Pre-Production. Production. Post-Production. Distribution. What is your favorite stage of the filmmaking process?
Honestly, I think it depends on the film. Reason being, each one of those stages sets the next and can be painful or gracious. With Five Stars, I really enjoyed pre-production because it materialized all my ideas, and visuals together giving me foresight into the final stages of the film.I stayed true to my original blueprint from the beginning to the end.
6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
Since I was little I always had an interest in creating films. The first student-type film I made was called “Absolute Madness” when I was in high school. It was really silly, but that was the point and it always stuck in the back of my mind. Acting gave me a very practical understanding of the logistics involved in filmmaking, and my creativity to develop the ideas. Putting them together helped tremendously in seeing the film through.
7. What film have you seen the most times in your life?
Blackhawk Down.
8. In a perfect world: Who would you like to work with/collaborate with on a film?
Sylvester Stallone. I really enjoyed Rocky, and the story behind it captivated/inspired me to write and pursue my own projects.
9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experience been working on the festival platform site?
FilmFreeway has been a breeze to use. Everything is easy to navigate, neat and digestable. I’m thankful that such a platform exists, and works as well as it does.
10. What is your favorite meal?
Pizza. My mom used to joke that I would turn into one when I was kid!
11. What is next for you? A new film?
Yes… hopefully! I’m currently working on the second draft of my screenplay called “Leadfoot”. It’s a heartfelt comeback story that I think many viewers could relate to. I have a full pitch deck on my website if anyone’s curious about it. https://www.demetriusjoyettefilms.com/coming-soon
ANJA’S LONGING, 33min., Taiwan Directed by Elen Ji “If I could live my whole life on my own will, what would it be like?” Anja, a 22-year-old biracial film school undergraduate, imagines her ideal life from birth to death. The perfection of her fantasy starkly contrasts with the incompleteness of her reality, highlighting Anja’s deep longing and the story of her life.
Get to know the filmmaker:
1. What motivated you to make this film? When I worked as a teaching assistant during my postgraduate studies in the Department of Motion Picture, I encountered a 5-minute doc by college student Anja about her original family. The film was short, but I was deeply touched by the unspoken emotions inside. I wanted to do a film about her, but didn’t yet know in what form. Later, I attended a course called “Documentary Production”, which required finishing a short doc in one semester. I thought to myself, instead of recording something ongoing, what about recording someone’s inner world? Anja came to my mind. I wanted to record Anja’s longing. So I developed an idea to shoot Anja’s fantasy about her ideal life and invited Anja to play herself in this world.
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? It takes about nine months. In the first three months, the crew developed the idea, shot the film, and made the rough cut. Then I put the materials aside and turn to prepare my graduation project. It was two years after my graduation that I came back to the materials and re-edited the film. It took another half year to finish the whole work.
3. How would you describe your film in two words!? Authentic & creative.
4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? Since it was the first time I told a story about another person in a non-fiction way, I needed to tackle the subject more carefully. I tried my best to present Anja’s inner world and real life. Meanwhile, I bore in mind that I needed to avoid any possibility of exploiting someone’s pain. So, regarding what to tell, how to tell, and where to draw the line are challenges for me.
5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video? The audience feedback is very sincere and insightful, extremely precious to me and the crew members. I was both impressed by their high levels of appreciation and deeply touched by their capacity for empathy. I appreciate that a lot!
6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films? When I was a child, like 5 or 6 years old, my favorite game with my pals was making up stories and acting them out. Now looking back, that “childhood pretend play” is the seed, and it naturally turns into making films.
7. What film have you seen the most in your life? The classic films by world master directors, such as Ingmar Bergman, Andrei Tarkovsky, Krzysztof Kieslowski, David Lean, Ozu Yasujiro, and Abbas Kiarostami. Recently, I’ve become a fanatic about Martin Scorsese’s “Taxi Driver”.
8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career? More physical screenings and more audience interaction.
9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site? As always, it is handy and efficient. However, as the platform expands and thus includes more festivals, you need to make a more careful selection.
10. What is your favorite meal? A daily meal cooked by my mum. She emphasizes the original flavor of the ingredients and knows how to make a nutrition-balanced one. Oh, I missed her cooking since we live in different cities right now.
11. What is next for you? A new film? At the moment, I’m working on my first feature-length script, a story about four women’s friendship and their entangled destiny. Hope everything goes well, and it will be made into a film in the near future.
EXPIRATION DATE, 8min., USA Directed by Deidre Belle In a near-future society, a government emergency broadcast reveals every citizen’s expiration date—the exact day they will die. With no explanation and no appeals, ordinary people are forced to confront love, power, faith, and purpose as time becomes the most valuable currency on Earth.
1. What motivated you to make this film? The motivation to make this film stems from personal life challenges and the current climate of our government and the state of the union.
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? “Expiration Date” took a year to complete. I wrote the project in one day. I sat on it for a few months, shot it in a day, and had it edited once I found a good editor who understood the concept.
3. How would you describe your film in two words? I would describe this film as a time matters.
4. What was the greatest obstacle you faced in completing this film? The greatest obstacle I faced in completing this film was the editing.
5. There are 5 stages of the filmmaking process: Pre-Production. Production. Post-Production. Distribution.
What is your favorite stage of the filmmaking process? My favorite stage of film making is Production.
6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films? I realized I wanted to make movies my freshman year in college.
7. What film have you seen the most times in your life? My most seen movie is “Grease.”
8. In a perfect world: Who would you like to work with/collaborate with on a film? In a perfect world I would love to collaborate with Quentin Tarantino.
9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experience been working on the festival platform site? My experience with FilmFreeway was an interesting yet surprising experience. Its one of the best platforms with every festival world wide in one place.
10. What is your favorite meal? My favorite meal is spaghetti.
11. What is next for you? A new film? Next, I plan to shoot an episodic in July. I plan to start shooting a catalog of short films before the summer ends.
A BREAK, 30min., USA Directed by Jill Corvelli A Break is a symbolistic narrative film. We all have multiple parts that make up who we are. It is so easy for all of our parts to be in disalignment, especially when we need then aligned the most. I have found that getting total alignment within yourself requires relentless effort, but that practice is a beautiful part of what it means to be human.
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film? I’ve always made films—mostly as family keepsakes—but this was the first time I felt compelled to tell a story for a broader audience. After decades as a therapist, I realized I was sitting with powerful, universal psychological patterns that don’t always translate through explanation alone. Film offered a way to show what inner experience feels like. This project was about bringing those internal dynamics to life in a way people could recognize themselves in.
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? The initial idea came quite suddenly after a personal growth experience. The full process—from concept through writing, production, and post—took about five months, as it was part of a program facilitated by Open Signal Community Media with a defined timeline. The shoot itself was short and intensive, with a volunteer cast and a two-person, first-time crew.
3. How would you describe your film in two words!? Inner Worlds
4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? We had no budget and were big in heart but short on experience. Many of my ideas about visual grammar were limited by my skill level in camera, lighting, and sound. That said, our intention was to have fun and learn—and I think we absolutely did. I’m proud of what we created together.
5. What is your favorite stage of the filmmaking process? I’m most drawn to writing and conceiving—figuring out how to translate psychological ideas into visual language. I have a lot to learn in this area and am excited to keep growing. I also found directing actors especially meaningful, particularly the warm-up work that helped them access the internal space of the characters.
6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films? I think I’ve always been making them in some form. But I realized I wanted to pursue filmmaking more seriously after a personal development experience that led me to shift how I spend my time—moving from being constantly “doing” toward more spirit-led work. That’s when the idea of extending my psychotherapy work into film really took hold.
7. What film have you seen the most times in your life? Big Night with Stanley Tucci. That film feels like a hug—it centers me every time.
8. In a perfect world: Who would you like to work with/collaborate with on a film? I’m drawn to filmmakers who trust the audience and explore psychological complexity through simple sets, metaphor, and visual architecture. Films like The Tango Lesson (Sally Potter) and Malcolm & Marie (Sam Levinson) come to mind. Collaborating with actors who can hold subtle internal tension is especially important to me.
9. How has your experience been using FilmFreeway? FilmFreeway has been very accessible and straightforward, especially for someone newer to the festival process. It makes navigating submissions and tracking progress much easier. I also appreciate that it creates space for new filmmakers to participate.
10. What is your favorite meal? Something simple, co-created, and shared. I’m less interested in the meal itself than the experience around it.
11. What is next for you? A new film? Yes—my next project explores neurodiverse relationships and what happens when two people experience the world in fundamentally different ways. It builds directly on my clinical work, but again through story rather than explanation. I’m also continuing to integrate filmmaking with my broader work in psychology, writing, and teaching.
In this short Higher, the choice of the title is multidimensional. The fact that the teen characters get high together is an obvious link. Another link is that, after an encounter with a glowing orb, they are sucked into a surreal universe, floating up in the air in an intoxicating, echoey, colourful chamber. The third more subtle link is that the characters, believably portrayed by the cast, are so intelligent and expand on ideas and questions that soar high above the comprehension of average young people, with lofty discussions about reality and art.
The handheld camera work of the film’s “director” brings an immediacy and intensity to the piece, especially during the intimate nighttime interchanges. Sultry opening soundtrack refrains are gorgeous, as the central couple drives by picturesque Italian scenery. A brilliant narrative moves the action back and forth in time, as the inciteful teens are pulled into the vortex and return again to reality. The multi-faceted nature of this piece truly elucidates what it means to go higher and higher.
Gliding through snowy streets, a young girl’s errand transforms into a heartwarming journey of kindness and connection. This animated Christmas movie evokes compassion, generosity, and the spirit of the holidays. With visual storytelling that mirrors a musical suite, it invites families into a peaceful world where silent moments speak loudest. Voice actor Hannah Alyea lends her talent to this serene holiday tale.
The short, Faith and the Christmas Star, warms the heart in the cold of a winter setting. The animation is delightful, from the design of bright festive decorations to the delicious looking treats in a local bakery, to the snow-covered winter wonderland throughout much of the piece. The Christmas star subtly appears at various moments in the film, especially representative of love for family and, of course, of the famous star of Bethlehem.
The score below the action accompanies the lead’s long journey to deliver a precious letter. Music is often joyful and rousing complete with peals of church bells and jingle bells while, at other points, it issues a sombre tone. In line with the season, favourite Christmas melodies often resound with expressive piano and a palate of other orchestral instruments.
The sweet narrative is segmented into several distinct scenes, each revealing the young girl’s trials and tribulations, including flashbacks of sadness and regret about her past treatment of her beloved grandmother, to a sense of joy and rebirth with her discovery of the adorable puppies. Another jubilant resolution is the fact that letters are finally both sent and received, of course with envelopes adorned with the thematic star. The Christmas story of the birth of Jesus is beautifully presented with the help of fine animation, and the talents of an expressive narrator. Overall, this magical tale banishes the cold with a nurturing, loving warmth.
Festival Reviews 