Get to know the writer:

1. What is your short story about?

The story is about the truth of the mysteriousness of my mother’s family, the monotone, I shall put it. Within their faces, you never knew what they were thinking or hiding. My aunt lives on Fox Hill Rd, and I thought what a perfect name for a trilogy. Also, they love Halloween as well. My aunt and mother are exact twins, so what more can I say?

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

The Genres are (Children’s/Middle-High School Grade Fiction, Mystery, Adventure, Young Supernatural)

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

How I would describe this book in two words (Mystical & Hooking)

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

I’ve seen it over and over again: Trading Places. I also love the movies of Robin Williams.

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

I don’t have a favorite song, but I have two favorite bands, the Eagles & Bee Gees

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

My all-time favorite novel is The Three Musketeers Alexzander Dumas

7. What motivated you to write this story?

My motivation to write this was that in a generation of technology i’m 20 years old and I see myself as old-fashioned, to write with a pen and paper to still use the gift of creativity and imagination, as well as I’m still a child in my heart.

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

If I could have dinner with someone, it would be Leonardo da Vinci

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

My other passions are playing the piano, knitting, creating, painting, woodworking, andabout mostly everything that involves your mind and hands

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

I’ve entered many competitions as well as awards. I started writing when I was sixteen, and I wrote my first children’s picture book series, with the third coming out, but on the side of that, I wrote stories. My greatest gift was to create stories. Some called me a liar because of all the stories that I came up with, but it was then that I saw my love and passion for being an author. When I saw that everyone’s a winner, I knew that this was a true writing festival for authors who put so much love into words, instead of all the festivals I’ve been kicked out of because I’m a self-published author or because I haven’t got a professional representative. I feel like you guys help the little guys out there, so thank you.

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

I’m just starting my career as an author, but I do have some advice. I had a dream that became a reality, and many people, even from my family, told me that it was impossible. Well, my best supporter was my father, as well as I. So always keep that child in you because remember you were a kid before you came, an adult. My best time for creativity and imagination is taking a walk through the park and going on the swing, be the kid who was there.

In a lawless frontier town, notorious outlaw Bill Creed rules with an iron fist and a twisted sense of justice. But his reign is about to be challenged by Ryder Calloway, a hardened bounty hunter with a quiet demeanour and a deadly aim.

Review by Julie C. Sheppard:

The title of this riveting short – – Ryder Calloway and the Bounty for Bill Creed – – immediately establishes a western tone. The film’s angle is resonant of the iconic phrase, “there’s not enough room in this town for the two of us” – – the narrative pits two strong characters against one another without hesitation. Tension between the evil outlaw and the courageous bounty hunter is immediate and gets more intense as their interchange continues. The outlaw’s sidekick adds to the tension – – a repulsive character, raping women without a second thought.

The location and props have all the trappings of a classic frontier tale – – the piece is set in a rickety wood saloon with flickering candlelight, and a sly, villainous face appears on yellowed ransom signs hanging on the dusty walls. As in many a barroom scene, the fight choreography is impressive, as is the resulting gore. Remarkable sound design engulfs the piece with atmospheric nuggets, such as heavy footsteps on the creaky floors, horses neighing, women screaming, gunshots, slow-paced harmonica, and the repeated use of a vibraslap to emulate a rattlesnake. 

The language of all the characters is on theme, with the use of “mister”, “mighty handsome”, “dead meat”, “tougher than a pair of old boots” and “mean enough to hunt bears with a hickory switch”. Even the onscreen text effectively uses wild west fonts.  

One of the most satisfying themes of westerns is that justice, however violent, is often served. View this entertaining film and you will discover whether or not there is indeed “enough room in this town for the two of us”.

Filmed at Hawai‘i’s Hapuna Beach, one of the most beautiful and dangerous shorelines in the islands, Pick It Up, America: Life Is a Beach is a heartfelt call for stewardship, ocean safety, and respect. Through interviews with lifeguards, keiki, locals, and dive experts, this short documentary reminds us that caring for our oceans means more than picking up your trash it means picking up awareness, responsibility, and love for the ʻāina. A vital message for families, tourists, and communities everywhere.

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Review by Andie Kay:

The ocean brings so many things to mind. Surfing, boating, marine life, warm sandy beaches and having fun with family and friends. Some of us aren’t fortunate enough to grow up near the water, I was one of the lucky ones. Learning from a young age the ocean can be as dangerous as it is beautiful and being educated on how to take care of it.

Director and writer Kimber Leigh gives us a gorgeous, in depth look at Hawaii’s Hapuna Beach. This film is not only breathtaking, but it’s incredibly educational and informative. The wonderful interviews with locals talking about Hawaiian culture and what it means for everyone to respect the water and the shore. I loved how artfully the interviews were crafted and the valid points
each person made without sounding judgmental or preachy. Locals and tourists have to work together to understand just how important it is to preserve our oceans and beaches.

Visually this film was stunning and I adore the drone shots from Ray Schmidt, they were absolute perfection. Music fit this film incredibly well and I love how editor Roman Aquirre kept a balance between the interviews, underwater photography and sweeping landscapes.

Honestly this film is an incredible guide and resource for everyone to watch and remember how important our oceans are and the ways we can take care of them. Mahalo.

In the wake of a mysterious family death, a couple’s night of mourning is interrupted by a strange delivery containing an antique dollhouse and a terrifying tale about its lone occupant.

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Review by Andie Kay:

This short thriller/horror film was adapted from JC Bratton’s novella, Dollhouse with the screenplay written by Nicholas Chow. After the sudden death of her sister, a strange dollhouse is delivered with a note explaining “This belongs to you now”. Ken & Livi Zheng directed this delightfully creepy short.

I never read the novella by JC Bratton but I do really appreciate how the filmmakers built up the suspense within the story. If you think dolls have a sinister creepiness about them ( Hello Chucky ) then you will enjoy the mystery surrounding this film. Cinematography was really gorgeous and we have Jeff Caroli to thank for that. Gage Robinson and Autumn Rose Loose did a wonderful job as the couple buying their dream home and encountering the dollhouse. Also Clara Carlo did amazing as the grieving sister.

Who doesn’t love a story with a dark, supernatural twist? I am obsessed with them. The Zheng’s adaptation gives you lots of intrigue, well done special effects, make-up and suspense but it only
skims the surface story wise. I can’t help but feel the story could have gone deeper and given
the audience more clues as to the why of it all.

Story by JC Bratton

Screenplay by Nicholas Chow

Directed by Ken Zheng, Livi Zheng

Cast: Dorian Burks, Clara Carlo, Gage Robinson, Autumn Rose Loose, Akanksha Kataria

In modern day Chicago, three women operate as covert vigilantes targeting hidden human trafficking networks. After discovering a young woman left to die in a locked dumpster, they trace the crime through tagged drop sites, sanitation routes, and corrupt intermediaries. Their investigation leads to a violent confrontation that exposes a larger exploitation ring, forcing them to confront the moral cost of justice when the system fails the vulnerable.

Writer/Producer: Taylor Chayil McMullan
Director: Phillips J.H. Payton

Review by Parker Jesse Chase:

Set in modern-day Chicago, Blood Pact drops us into a city where violence hides in plain sight and survival depends on who is watching. The film follows three women operating as a covert unit, moving through sanitation routes, tagged drop sites, and backdoor deals to intercept human trafficking networks the system refuses to see.

The inciting moment is blunt and chilling. A young Black woman is found barely alive, sealed inside a dumpster. The timing matters. These women do not arrive early, they arrive in time. What follows is less a procedural and more a reckoning. The film shows how trafficking moves through everyday infrastructure, trash collection in broad daylight, and quiet handoffs that no one questions.

One of the film’s sharpest choices is its opening sequence. A man calmly drugs food before serving it, the space clean and controlled, almost clinical. When the cameras roll, the danger is already in motion. This sense of interruption, of stepping into harm mid-act, stays with the story throughout.

As the investigation unfolds, the women connect patterns others ignore. Dumpsters are not random. Trash routes are not neutral. Power shields perpetrators. The trail leads to a politician, a man who treats exploitation like a business model. When the masks come off during the break-in, the film makes its stance clear. This is not sanctioned justice. This is vigilante action shaped by lived knowledge.

The interrogation scene is tense and unsettling. The man leans on threats and manipulation, dismissing the women’s evidence as fantasy. When pain is introduced, the truth surfaces fast. He claims ignorance of how victims are chosen, framing himself as a middleman, a seller. The banality of his cruelty is the point. Trafficking does not require monsters, just men willing to profit.

Parallel to the violence is a quieter story. One of the vigilantes recounts a medical experience of having her wisdom teeth removed without pain medication. It is not a throwaway anecdote. It grounds the group’s motivation in bodily memory, neglect, and the long aftermath of harm. Revenge here is not loud. It is deliberate.

The rescue is swift. The fallout spills into the open. Survivors are freed. News reports surface. The pact between these women is sealed not in bloodlust, but in shared responsibility.

Blood Pact is clear about its politics without grandstanding. Human trafficking generates billions of dollars annually in the U.S., with Black and brown women making up the majority of victims. The film does not try to explain everything. It shows enough to make clear how little most people want to know.

At its core, Blood Pact is about women watching out for each other in a violent world, when institutions fail and mercy has to be made by the femme fatale hand.

The famous actor comes to Herman in a dream, convincing him to make his feature “Bear Naked Amazonians from Mars.” If he makes the deadline, the film will take Best Feature at South by Southwest, making Herman an international celebrity.

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Review by Julie C. Sheppard:

Irreverent and hilarious, the feature My Movie Starring Paul Dano follows the steps of a man working to create a masterpiece Indy film. And what a film it turns out to be! Structured around a zany comic strip, the cast and crew also await the arrival of A-list movie star, Paul Dano, to show up on set. 

In the meantime, we get to witness the necessary steps in making a film, such as finding funding, writing, auditions, casting and eventual shoot days. At the same time, it is highly entertaining to witness the building of relationships, for good or for ill. In fact, competitive actors, on set romances and dubious funding methods all threaten to foil the film’s progress. 

Fortunately, there are so many amusing, melodramatic scenes that we overlook some of the less positive interchanges of the people involved. In addition to lots of quirky banter between characters, the farcical wardrobe pieces and props add to the humour. Bright and colourful animated artwork during transitions adds a fanciful essence to the project.

It is a clever concept to pivot the piece to become a full-fledged documentary of the creator’s process, who is eventually offered a chance to make it big. Aspiring directors would really enjoy watching this one, to give insights about the wild west of filmmaking and to show how true friendships can result, long after the credits roll.

Journey behind the curtain to witness the creation of “Star Among the Cosmic Clouds,” a powerful new song from the album ALAN: Cosmic Rhapsody. This documentary delves into the creative process, tracing the song’s origins from its soulful roots with composer Joi Barua to its grand transformation into an orchestral pop masterpiece.

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Review by Julie C. Sheppard:

A recent musical masterpiece was created, Star Among the Cosmic Clouds, with the efforts of a huge team of talented artists. The steps in the creation of this epic piece are beautifully revealed in this short, yet rich “Making of” documentary.  

Intimate commentary by the central creator of the project, Susan Lim, gives context to the origins, struggles and eventual triumph bringing these gifted people together to help elucidate her vision. Striking themes resound about the meaning of life in an age of AI, the power of storytelling and the balance between fact, fiction and folklore, and the importance of protecting the environment on Earth and in the cosmos. 

The vibrant animation, often focusing on a small band of brave animal travellers, is interspersed with vivid close ups of the musicians showing their skill and artistry in the development of this remarkable, uplifting work. The documentary viewer is also given a thrilling “front seat” chance to experience the soaring orchestral and vocal refrains of a polished performance in front of an enthralled audience.

Ana travels to Paris to confess her love, only to learn that her beloved Suzanne is about to marry the man she once swore to forget. Confronted with this news, Ana opts for a final goodbye. But can she truly break free from a toxic idyll, or will she remain trapped in a relationship that slowly erodes her?

Review by Victoria Angelique:

The short film, IN THE ABSENCE OF YOUR SMILING FACE, is a beautiful allegory to friendship, love, and heartache. The story follows Ana and Suzanne’s relationship, with Ana not being able to support Suzanne’s engagement to Jean. The audience can understand the past with these women as words convey an entire history. Suzanne has been hurt by Jean before and Ana doesn’t want to see it happen again, to the point she’s willing to break off their friendship. 

This feels like an ultimatum at first, though it is a light one. At first, it seems like Ana is projecting her own feelings towards Suzanne, not wanting her friend to marry for her own personal feelings. Once the story shows Jean, the audience can see that Ana’s concern for Suzanne is genuine. This is not a nice man. Suzanne doesn’t want to be alone for the rest of her life and should consider herself lucky enough to have a friend like Ana that was willing to travel to Paris in the hopes she could save her friend from a miserable and abusive marriage.

Jean isn’t abusive in the physical sense, but the way he speaks to Suzanne is a giant red flag. He is condescending towards this woman that he supposedly loves. It is natural to get annoyed when someone is texting while they eat with another person, it becomes an entirely different matter when Jean’s voice oozes control as he suggests to Suzanne that it is time to grow up. Ana watches from the cafe window, the look on her face showing that she knows Suzanne is doomed if she marries Jean.

The glimpse of hope is given in the final few seconds of the film. Ana is walking away from the cafe when she receives a text to meet her for breakfast the next morning. The film is left open, so the audience gets to decide if Suzanne actually marries Jean or if she is able to be persuaded at breakfast the next morning to not marry a man that will make her miserable.

WATCH: GERMANY IN WINTER – HANAU, 80min.,Drama/Political

Deadline Today: ENVIRONMENTAL Film & Screenplay Festival (41 FIVE Star Reviews!)