SERPENTINE PINK, 78min., USA
Directed by Vivian Sorenson
A dark surreal experience. A first of its kind, vortex of a lesbian?? John Waters film meets Yellow Rose meets early Almodóvar on a Lynchian induced trip??in the Mojave desert.??Serious Lost Highway vibes!

https://hardknockprod.com/serpentine-pink/
https://www.facebook.com/serpentinepinkfilm
https://twitter.com/HardKnockProdCo
https://www.instagram.com/serpentinepinkfilm

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
What motivated me to make this movie was the beauty and raw emotion embedded in Megan Breen’s words (Screenplay writer and playwright). The pain these characters endure is both devastating and strangely beautiful, and I felt compelled to bring their experiences to life. I love the desert and the visuals you can capture there. I wanted dance to be a part of the film and the strangeness, hostility of the desert to be a character as well. I knew it would require a unique approach—boxing gloves to tackle the challenging, brutal scenes, and soft mittens to smooth, coax, and nurture the words, scenes, guiding them into a compelling narrative flow. I also always love a good driving scene!

I’m drawn to horror, the starkness of wilderness and desert landscapes, and the emotional complexity they evoke. I also love working with actors as sensitive and talented as this cast. This project offered the unique challenge of transforming a piece that began as a play and evolved into a film script into a cohesive and captivating narrative that offered a perspective not usually seen in cinema.

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

1.3 years??

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

Gripping desolation

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

Low budget film challenges

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

It’s so thrilling to hear people you don’t know speak so articulately about the movie, made my day, week, month, on and on! It’s incredibly rewarding to know the film resonated with them on some level, sparked conversation, and is taking on a life of its own, which is ultimately the goal. Thank you!

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I studied Corporeal Mime when I was in elementary school in Albuquerque, NM- I think it started then, the realization that you could transform yourself and others through story, the body and in that case, no words.

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

The Shining, The Exorcist, Goodfellas, The Wizard of Oz, Babette’s Feast, Picnic at Hanging Rock

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

Watching and listening to viewers talking about their experience of watching the movie and sharing what they saw and felt is incredibly satisfying and inspiring. It makes me want to keep making movies, keep telling stories that have the power to transform or just to experience beauty, banality, ugliness and joy. The more opportunities to have a film screened the better! Please implement more Q&A’s and experiences of watching movies in theaters, getting people to the movies. I love that in a theater people breathe together as they watch a movie, I am hoping we all get off our phones and tv monitors and watch movies in theaters together.

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

10. What is your favorite meal?
Pizza, this crust, crispy, homemade tomato sauce, good cheese with an arugula salad. I like to put the salad on top and eat it all together. Maybe some hot peppers and honey, yes, I like the honey.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
I have a couple different scripted projects in the works, one is a thriller that takes place in NM, a mistaken identity story. I also have a doc feature called Fork In The Road about regional agriculture, we’ve followed small to medium farmers over 8 years. It will be in festivals and looking for distribution in 2025!

AFTERMATH, 10min., USA
Directed by Nevin Bolla
In a post-apocalyptic world, two survivors are caught in a tense struggle within a decaying building. As they confront their harsh reality, a siren signals the end of a critical survival round, forcing them to grapple with their fears and fleeting hopes.

http://www.nevinbolla.com/
https://www.instagram.com/nevinbolla/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I’ve always been fascinated by post-apocalyptic worlds where humans are forced into these intense fight-or-flight situations. When I started writing Aftermath, I wanted to bring that vibe to life while still keeping it character-driven. The idea was to make the world feel bigger than what’s shown in the short, like a teaser for something larger. With limited time and budget, I couldn’t dive into elaborate effects or massive world-building, but I could hint at it.

The goal was to test the waters for a story that could expand, maybe even into a series someday. I drew inspiration from I Am Legend, Hunger Games, and Squid Game, mixing the best elements to create a mysterious world that leaves the audience with questions, not about what’s happening to the characters in the moment, but about the world itself. That’s the kind of storytelling I love, where curiosity keeps people hooked.

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

It took about 3 to 4 months. Writing was maybe the first month, then came pre-production, assembling the team, scouting locations, and getting everything ready. Post-production was the longest part. I like to handle editing and color correction myself because I want every detail to feel right. A lot of time went into sound design too, which is super critical in a film like this. So yeah, it was a few months of hard work and a lot of love poured into it.

How would you describe your film in two words?

Survival and Connection.

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

Location. It’s always the toughest part, especially for a post-apocalyptic setting. You need somewhere that feels isolated, away from traffic, airplanes, or any signs of modern civilization. Scouting those spots is tedious, and then there’s the challenge of hauling expensive gear to remote areas, plus dealing with nature. We had rattlesnakes and tarantulas to worry about!

One example: during filming, a wildfire broke out about 10 miles away. The smoke didn’t reach us, but helicopters kept flying over to drop water. Things like that can really throw you off schedule. So yeah, finding the right location and managing everything there was a huge challenge, but we made it work.

How did it feel to watch the audience feedback on your film?

It made me smile. My goal is always to create something magical, and hearing people talk about the creativity in the shots or the direction was so rewarding. No film shoot goes perfectly, we had our share of issues, like reworking shots or cutting things in post. But seeing the audience still connect with the world we created and appreciate its originality was incredible. It’s moments like that that make all the effort worth it.

When did you realize you wanted to make films?

Honestly, I just got tired of waiting. I’m an actor at heart, but at some point, I realized I couldn’t keep waiting for someone else to create the projects I wanted to be part of. So I decided to teach myself everything, from pre-production to post-production, even contracts and insurance.

It wasn’t some epiphany moment; it was more like staring at a door for too long and deciding to just kick it open. My goal isn’t to make one-and-done films, it’s to build worlds through shorts that can grow into series or larger projects.

What’s the film you’ve seen most in your life?

That’s a tough one because my answer changes all the time. Honestly, it’s probably whatever’s on TV during the holidays, Elf, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or even The Thing. I don’t rewatch movies often because I’m usually working or writing, but holiday movies seem to stick around.

What can film festivals do to help filmmakers like you?

It would be amazing if festivals created opportunities for winners to connect. Like, if a writer could meet an editor or a director could talk to an actor who also won, it’d be a great way to network and exchange ideas. I love hearing other creatives’ perspectives, and it would be cool to have something like Zoom calls or meet-ups to facilitate that.

How was your experience using FilmFreeway?

I love it! It’s my go-to platform for finding festivals. It’s super convenient, you can filter by themes, deadlines, or popularity. Whether it’s a small festival or a major one, just having people watch your work and give feedback is invaluable. FilmFreeway makes that process so easy, and that feedback is what helps us grow as filmmakers.

What’s your favorite meal?

Easy, pizza and a Mexican Coke. There’s just something about that glass bottle and real sugar cane that makes it unbeatable. The pizza? Thin, crunchy, and not too greasy. And if I’m in the mood, maybe some buffalo wings on the side. That’s the dream meal right there.

What’s next for you?

I’m actually in pre-production for my first romantic comedy! It’s a big shift from the darker, more intense stories I usually do, but I’m excited to try something new. It’s a fun way to take a break and explore a different tone. If all goes well, we’ll have it ready by early 2025. Can’t wait to share it.

HONORABLE, 16min., USA
Directed by Zachary Scott Clark, Mariah L. Richardson
Two months after he denounces the Nation of Islam and nine months before his assassination, MALCOLM X SHABAZZ has a chance encounter with his estranged brother and mentee MUHAMMAD ALI.

https://linktr.ee/Honorablefilm
https://www.facebook.com/Honorablefilm
https://www.instagram.com/honorablefilm/

Get to know writer/producer/actor Mia Bible:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

My need to create for creation’s sake and grief. The idea of “Honorable” began as a 3-minute scene where Ali & Malcolm X would simply have a conversation. The plan was for me to write it and Jason Little who plays Malcolm X in the lm and Zach Clark who portrays Muhammad Ali to star in it. All three of us worked together on a play called “The Meeting,” and it was super successful so I was condent in what they could do. However, in the same year I was dreaming this up, I was also processing the death of a close friend who passed away at the age of 27. He was an actor and my rst producing partner. I knew nothing about Ali and Malcolm’s brotherhood so once I began researching it, I came across Ali’s quote about regret in his autobiography, and it triggered deep sorrow and a confusing desire for my friend to have a second chance at life. I wrote to get my feelings out.

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

Four years. I wrote the script in 2019 and we completed the proof of concept in 2023.

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

Magnetic and daring.

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

Limited access to capital and resources almost left Honorable on the cutting room floor. The funding for filmmaking and the arts is there, but who receives it and how much are the real questions. It led a prolonged timeline, and eventually burnout. What should’ve taken months to accomplish took us years, but not nishing was never an option for me or my team.

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

I stopped breathing. I cried then I thanked God.

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

It’s a new realization for me because acting remains my first love and I always see myself here when producing fades away but 2019 is when filmmaking as a career became realistic and from there I make what moves me.

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

“Friday” with Regina King, John Witherspoon (rip), Ice Cube, and Chris Tucker, Nia Long. IT’S A CLASSIC.

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

My satisfaction with Honorable’s festival experience has been like the perfect ending—fulfilling but leaving me excited for what’s next. With virtual festivals, more ways to connect with the filmmakers would be the cherry on top! And cooler laurels.

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

Easy, it’s a one-stop shop.

10. What is your favorite meal?

I’m way too neurospicy to have a favorite meal. Right now it’s yellow curry or a smoked salmon sandwich with bacon.

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

Yes! I have a few acting projects. I’m in a period piece called “I Bear Witness: The Untold Stories of American Race Riots,” “Vision,” a thriller and a romantic drama, and I produced a documentary “Ten Years Later: Talking While Black” that’ll be touring in 2025.

REMEDY, 30min., USA
Directed by Pat Mitchell
An intelligence agent must relive his past to remedy a mistake he once made.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2147487/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
I love Sci-fi Films. Not just any sci-fi films but the surreal ones. The films that blur the lines of reality and fiction.

Films with heavy degrees of realism are my kind of films. Science fiction by definition is the belief that using science can explain what we can’t explain.

I have always been intrigued by how far reality can be pushed before becoming fantasy. Once you can’t explain your story grounded in science, your film is fantasy.

Don’t get me wrong. Fantasy can be intriguing but it comes at face value at times. Basically any existing nature leaves unexplained like fully industrialized extraterrestrial planets, Middle Earth, magical beings.
But nothing tops an imaginative story with its limits bound to what is right outside your window. Star Wars vs Star Trek debates always come to mind.

There is a major disconnect between the real world and Star Wars. As much as I love those movies, I prefer the rooted reality of Star Trek.

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

I made this film almost a decade ago. I decided to remaster it based on the knowledge I have now.
It took me around a month or so to write it. If I can recall directly, It took me 2 weekends.

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

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
I had made the film and at that time did not have a composer. I really wanted to upgrade and work with a composer and learn that whole process.

Andrew Scott Foust, my scorist for my films, contacted me about scoring Remedy after asking in a community page for filmmakers.

I really thought the film needed its own score and Andrew wanted to be that scorist. Much appreciation to this film. Its the first film I made with an original Score.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I recalled a face from my Apples, Oranges, Lemons & Limes reaction video. I love the positivity and acceptance of the movie. I try to write these new found ideas optimistic it will work.
It’s always great to hear a compliment about your film and especially in detail.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
Early on… at 14 I took TV media classes. it was always in the back of my mind.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Forrest Gump, The Dark Knight,

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
Networking is always a huge plus. I think more can be done sometimes finding the filmmakers who did love your film.

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

10. What is your favorite meal?
Pasta is something I will never let go off. Everything else has its ups and downs.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
I am in development of a feature film called Lake O. I am currently seeking investors for it.
My Latest film “Apples, Oranges, Lemons & Limes” is now available with you guys as well as Fawesome & Tubi.

GROCERY SHOPPING, 38min., USA
Directed by Harry Roseman
I am at the grocery store three to five times a week. It has become a ritual, picking out the items, going over the shopping list, interacting with the same people year after year. It seems to me, an important aspect of my and many other people’s lives. Something utterly familiar. Though filmed it becomes somewhat mysterious, seen anew, to be rethought about.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

My work takes many forms. An aspect of some of my work in photography, installation, and film centers on my interactions with people in my community as I go about doing errands. I had done some shorter film focused on checking out at the register with my purchases. These interactions are important to me because of the frequent interactions I have with the same people over months and years. They are specific kinds of relationships, These exchanges have an aspect of friendship, though bracketed by the relatively brief interchanges but enlarged by time and repetition. This film stems from those interactions, but also a way of showing a frequent and mundane activity as being worthy and possibly interesting as art. Possibly giving the viewer a new take on their own regular day to day activities, In addition I found aspects of the visual possibilities rather beautiful, as still lives, such as piles of fruits and vegetables. The added addition of bits of conversation that either I had with people or overheard was also interesting to me.

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

The film all took place on a single shopping trip. It was originally about twice as long and then edited. The editing took a few days, so the whole process wasn’t that long.

One though, might include the related films and some of my work leading up to this film as integral to making this work.

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

Casual and Thoughtful

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

Having to do all the filming with one hand and the shopping with the other.

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

I was very curious to hear what viewers thought about this film.

Though straight forward, I felt I was asking a lot of the viewer to watch a film where on the surface it didn’t feel like much was happening. I got a kick out of the person who kept thinking they were missing something fundamental about the film and said at one point that they thought it felt like possibly I didn’t know the camera was running. It made me laugh and think about the lack of self-consciousness that the film has. Which strangely may not be the easiest thing to do.

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

My work, as I previously mentioned, continues on a number of paths. Most children do draw, which I did. But I also took photographs continually since I was about ten years old. My first impulse to make a film was probably in 1968 on a trip to Europe, which would have been more like a GIF. But I have not made that work, but weirdly do have in mind to go back to those photographs and make a short animation. The first film I made was in 1963, which I had done when in art school and was a live action film. I have made a number of films in between then and now. I have been steadily making more films since 2013 both live action and animations.

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

Probably The Umbrellas of Cherboug.

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

Just being discerning audiences and helping more people see the films is always desired. I consider myself an artist in a general way and even though, like all of us, I like recognition for what I do, I don’t see the films I make as being particularly commercial. So, I don’t really know how to respond to the idea of a career as it is usually thought about.

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

Excellent

10. What is your favorite meal?

Do you mean breakfast, lunch or supper, or what foods?

I shop often and only cook sometimes. My wife is a great gook so I get to eat extroardinary meals frequently.

Not sure if this is relevant to the question, but I am crazy for custards.

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

At this time I am in the midst of two films. One is also partly about shopping. It is a Thanksgiving film. That includes four days of shopping, more interaction with other people and the meal and guests as well. The other film is the 14th in a series of experimental animations that I have been working on since 2019 (the series, not number #14).

They are about a trip I took to China in 1987 and only use still photographs (about 3,500) I took on that trip and the sound tracks come only from recordings (about 30 hours) I also produced on that trip. I knew I was going to make something out of that body of work but it took me over thirty years to figure out what that consisted of.

I have been working on #14 for probably 6 months and it will probably be another 6 months before it is completed. I have the first 12 in this series on a website named – www.harryroseman-china1987.com.

Some of those have also been screened in film festivals, both in NYC and internationally.

STILL PUSHING: A SKATEBOARDERS PUSH THROUGH TIME, 17min., USA
Directed by Stan Nalewski
Still Pushing is a nostalgic skateboarding documentary that takes viewers on a thrilling ride through the lives of a tight-knit group of skaters who called Roselle Skatepark home for more than a decade. Blending the heartwarming camaraderie of “The Sandlot” with the wild antics of “Jackass,” this film revisits the golden days of youth filled with hijinks, fun, and unforgettable memories. Through a blend of old and new footage, “Still Pushing” explores Roselle Skatepark as a cherished third space where lifelong friendships were forged and adventures unfolded, capturing the essence of skate culture and the passage of time.

http://bettercheckyourtone.com/
https://instagram.com/bettercheckyourtone

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
Being in a new stage of life and looking back on the past really influenced the making of this film. Wanting to make a skateboarding film that not only skaters could relate to and enjoy was at the core of it all.

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

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

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
The two biggest obstacles were that the film couldn’t happen until enough time had passed to both see the evolution of these people and places. And the other obstacle was making a skateboarding film that people who never skateboarded before or had any interest in it could also appreciate and enjoy.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
It was really powerful to hear just how much it connected to them all. I could tell that everyone watched the film and had a critical eye to it. So hearing them all talk with such specificity to moments they loved or how the overarching themes resonated with them, or how they related it to something in their lives that hit close to home was truly special.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
The winter of 2023 I knew I wanted to make a film about skateboarding. Initially it was just going to be a short 1-2 minute video for the internet, but after looking through the archive of footage I still had I knew there was a much bigger story here.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Fittingly, I think skate videos growing up are some of my most watched films ever. Yeah Right! Pj Ladd’s Wonderful Horrible Life, Cliche Bon Appetit, Flip Sorry, too many to name.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
The only other thing I could think of would be to do some kind of physical premiere or Q+A with films and filmmakers.

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

10. What is your favorite meal?
Girl and the Goat – Chicago

11. What is next for you? A new film?
Hopefully, a bit of the behind the scenes and exploring the cast of Still Pushing with a spinoff series. There were so many questions that people had after they watched. I think the best way to address alot of that is another video series with that cast of characters.

KITTY BRAVO IN FREEFALL FAILURE, 1min,. USA
Directed by Spencer Bryant, Gabrielle Chiong, Megan Hecklinger, Anthony Juarez, Corain Marneweck, Hannah Paul, Emma Peace, Ashley Smith, and Noel White.

This animated short film is an action-packed rollercoaster featuring daredevil cat Kitty Bravo!

https://www.instagram.com/kittybravo3d/

Get to know filmmaker Spencer Bryant:

1. What motivated you to make this film? This was my senior short film while at Texas A&M! I was on a team with two other seniors, three juniors, and three sophomores. We wanted to make something cartoony, comical, and iconic. Corain Marneweck pitched the story, Emma Peace wanted the character to be a cat, Hannah Paul drew our character in the Johnny Bravo pose, and Kitty Bravo was born! We all also wanted to further our skills of course! I had a wonderful experience leading the team as Production Manager, Megan Hecklinger excelled as the Prop Model and Motion Graphics Lead, Emma Peace expanded her skillset as a look development artist as the Groom FX Lead, Gabrielle Chiong added Unreal to her software tool belt as the Lighting Lead, Anthony Juarez studied new cloth simulation techniques as the FX Lead, Noel White deftly navigated between Maya and Unreal as the Layout and Set Dressing Lead, Corain Marneweck iterated quickly to deliver Kitty Bravo’s final model as the Character Model Lead, and Hannah Paul and Ashley Smith delivered a great final edit as the Compositing Lead and the Sound Lead. I’m proud of the whole team and I’m so glad the world is seeing our hard work!

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? We made this short film in a single semester, from August to December.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!? Orange-cat behavior.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? About halfway through the project we realized rendering with Pixar’s Renderman may be too long and risky of a move considering the number of effects in our short. We opted to render in Unreal Engine instead, which required transferring the entire layout into Unreal and performing rigging, animation, and effects tests. Ultimately it was the best decision for the short!

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video? I was so glad to see everyone’s positive reactions! It was especially nice to hear which aspects people liked most, like the art direction, sound design, and animation.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films? I realized I wanted to go into animation while watching The Good Dinosaur in theaters in 8th grade.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life? The Mitchells vs the Machines!

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career? As someone who could not attend in person, I would love if in-person festivals sent out screeners for accepted filmmakers.

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

10. What is your favorite meal? Tacos!

11. What is next for you? A new film? For most of the team, they are completing their undergraduate degrees and have some more short films and their capstones in their futures. Keep an eye out for Gabrielle Chiong, Anthony Juarez, Corain Marneweck, Hannah Paul, Ashley Smith, and Noel White in the 3D animation industry! Megan Hecklinger is currently a graphic designer at HP, and myself and Emma Peace are currently on the job hunt, though we’re always working on some new project!