Author: festreviews

EP. 1246 – FILMMAKER SEAN WINSLOW (PETEY POSSUM)

festreviews PODCASTS

PETEY POSSUM, 5min., USA
Directed by Sean Winslow
Oh no! It’s *enter name here* birthday and Petey’s running late! Follow him on his journey to make the party.

https://www.instagram.com/seanpwinslow

Get to know the filmmaker:

I like to write sketch comedy, so I was thinking about random funny ideas. I have a memory from my 6th birthday party at Chuck – E – Cheese of a TV above the stage showcasing Chuckie getting ready in quick clips before appearing in front of a bunch of screaming children riding a sugar high. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be funny if he was getting ready, but things kept going horribly wrong as each clip progressed?”. That’s where the idea started.

Subscribe to the podcast:

https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/

https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod

Today’s Writing Festival Deadline: TV SCREENPLAY FESTIVAL. SUBMIT TODAY.

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Probably the best and most informative feedback I have ever gotten for this! Thank you so much:) I’ve been trying to figure out what isn’t quite right with the script – the notes make complete sense! Thank you again, now I know what to do to tighten it up:):)
– Tania Penn, TV Pilot

TV SCREENPLAY FESTIVAL takes place every single month. At least 4-15 winning screenplays. Winners get their script performed by professional actors and then made into a promotional best scene video (see examples on the submission page). Submit via the site or via FilmFreeway.

Submit to the TV FESTIVAL via FilmFreeway (use the TV FESTIVAL link):

This festival has a guaranteed 4-tier set up for each accepted script. (No matter what, all screenplays submitted receive FULL FEEDBACK on their work.)

1st Tier: FULL FEEDBACK on your screenplay (all submissions)

2nd Tier: Accepted scripts (25% on average of submitted entries) get a best scene of their screenplay performed by professional actors and made into a promotional video.

3rd Tier: We will send you a list of questions to answer for our blog interview that will promote you and your film.

4th Tier: Then we will set up a podcast interview on our popular ITunes show where will we will promote the winning writer and script.

(BONUS: 5th Tier. A winning screenwriter’s WhatsApp group has just been formed. Over 50 writers to date. Great way to share ideas and contacts with people in the industry.)

Today’s FilmFreeway Deadline: WILDsound Film & Screenplay Festival

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This festival now takes place every single day giving filmmakers 4 tiers to showcase and promote their film (All accepted films get all four tiers).

1) Screening #1 where you will also obtain your audience feedback video.
2) Screening #2 virtually on the streaming service WILDsound TV
3) Podcast interview at WILDsound Radio on ITunes
4) Blog interview promoting you and your film.

Submit via FilmFreeway:

All festival dates are now presented in private screenings with the same Audience FEEDBACK videos made for the short & feature films, and recorded script readings performed by professional actors for the screenplays. This is our way of showing community over distance so everyone around the world can experience our Audience Feedback videos.

WILDsound Writing and Film Festival – Daily Deadlines

Short Film Festival – Occurs at least 7 times a WEEK in Chicago, Los Angeles and Toronto

Your film will get screened in front of a large, broad audience.

– We are a feedback festival and you will actually hear what the industry and film lovers think of your film.

NEW Showcase: Submit your FEATURE FILM and receive an audience feedback promotional/testimonial video of your film. Great video to use to get into more festivals and/or promote your film. All submissions receive the committee’s feedback notes on their film no matter what, as per their request.

All festival videos garner 100s of views and set the film and filmmaker up to be accepted to more festivals from around the world.

Watch Today’s Film Festival: ANIMATION Shorts Festival – Best of WORLD – May 30/31 event

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Go to the Daily Film Festival Platform http://www.wildsound.ca and sign up for the free 7 day trial to watch a new and original festival every single day.

Go to the festival page directly and watch dozens of films:
https://www.wildsound.ca/todays-film-festival/

Watch the Festival HERE:

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/may-30-animation-world

See the Full Lineup of Films:

THE IMPROVEMENT OF HUMAN REASON, 10min., Iran
Directed by Hossein Moradizadeh
A baby alone on a remote island is suckled by a deer. He grows up, covers his body in imitation of animals, makes a weapon from a tree branch to defend himself, and discovers fire with lightning. He thinks of the sky and knows the world as a living body.

http://www.moradizadeh.com/
https://www.facebook.com/hossein.moradizadeh.7/
https://www.instagram.com/mora.films/

IT WILL PASS AWAY, 5min., China
Directed by Nan Yao
After the end of a relationship that went nowhere, a woman’s complex emotions seem to be amplified, and in the midst of insomnia she feels she can touch the many subtle voices…

https://www.instagram.com/ninanona_yao

SONG OF SEA FISHES, 1min., Russia
Directed by Denis Vasilev
18 century, sea. Sea fishes want to crash a ship. The sailors and ship animals begin to protect the ship.

https://www.instagram.com/merlin_movie_vfx/

DREAM I, A POEM BY GRACIELA SUÁREZ, 1min., Argentina
Directed by Ileana Andrea Gómez Gavinoser
EYES OPEN IN THE NIGHT

HORIZONTES, 2min., Argentina
Directed by Ileana Andrea Gomez Gavinoser
BIRD SEARCHS HORIZONS

https://www.facebook.com/grupouniversodearte/
https://twitter.com/@ileanagavin

TAKIFUGU, A STORY BY ADOLFO CHOUHY, 3min., Argentina
Directed by Ileana Andrea Gomez Gavinoser
A STORY OF JUSTICE

TIME, 3min., Argentina
Directed by Ileana Andrea Gomez Gavinoser
TIME PASS

THE MORGUE, 1min., Iran
Directed by Majid Farzolahi
A zombie girl comes out of the morgue and is horrified by the image of the movie The Ring on the TV. (Real voices of ghosts are used in this movie)

WETSITALES: THE SUN AND THE MOON, 3min., Philippines
Directed by Jade Dandan Evangelista
The newly married couple started their relationship right, however, a promise was broken and the marriage fell apart. A version of the Sun and the Moon folk tale from the Visayas of the Philippines.

https://wetsiponworkshop.com/
https://www.instagram.com/wetsipon/
https://www.facebook.com/wetsipon/

Short Film Review: THE OLD LADY. Directed by Andres Romero

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Synopsis:

A lonely old lady is slowly dying in her old mansion when the arrival of the daughter of her caretaker mysteriously changes her future prospects.

Review by Andie Karvelis:

Who doesn’t love a good mystery? Especially one that is part psychological thriller. The Old Lady centers around Dona~ Ana ( really wishing I could put the tilde where it belongs ) who is slowly dying in her vast mansion. Yet, strange things start to happen when her caregiver’s daughter comes to visit.


Screenwriter, ANGELE MARTENS, gives us a slow burn of a story. Creating a breadcrumb trail of clues for the viewer to follow so their inner sleuth comes out. The cinematography is absolutely stunning and the aerial photography only adds to the beauty to this film. This is due to the Director of Photography, David Garcia and Miguel de Uliarte who work wonderfully together.

Director, Andres Romero, clearly understood how to create a mysterious environment and it shows with how wonderfully the actors did. Manuela Garcia, Angels Martens and Tamara Pena~ ( again, wishing I could have the tilde on top of the “n” ) gave nuanced and authentic performances which drew you into the story and kept you engaged. The ending is a twist that every mystery lover will appreciate.

Short Film Review: THE DOLPHIN DILEMMA. Directed by Olivia Andrus-Drennan

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Synopsis:

Imagine, waking up being covered in third-degree burns, that’s what it’s like for the Burrunan dolphins in Australia. But why is this happening? That’s what Dr. Duignan, Director of Pathology at The Marine Mammal Center, Dr. Stephen’s from Murdoch University, and Dr. Robb from the Marine Mammal Foundation had to find out. This film explores this international collaboration that proves for the first time that these lesions being found on cetaceans around the world are only caused by climate change.

Review by Julie Sheppard:

From the opening frame of this short film “The Dolphin Dilemma” warning that the “program contains scenes that some viewers may find disturbing”, I was gearing up for the worst. And, after watching the film in full I did find myself, at times, feeling quite disturbed. The film does an excellent job presenting the case that climate change is responsible for catastrophic damage to the globe. Specifically, the film displays in a crystal clear way how climate change is causing Burrunan dolphins in Australia to develop life-threatening skin lesions, due to the increase in heavy fresh water rainfall in otherwise salt water, the water in which dolphins usually thrive and for which their skin is suited. The devoted local scientists and PhD candidate do a convincing job in their interviews, detailing their processes of investigation about these lesions, and how they finally deduce that climate change is indeed the culprit.

The film masterly uses CGI diagrams to explain the increase of fresh water in the area after heavy rainfall, and how the cells of dolphin skin can no longer keep water out due to the increased exposure to fresh water. It also explains climate change using CGI in such an effective way, to non-scientific types such as myself.

The display of terrifying still photos of lesion-ridden dolphins is fortunately offset by the playful under and over water footage of frolicking dolphins shot from the boat of the observing scientists. The effective soundtrack often moves the tone of the piece from ominous to fanciful and upbeat.

Presenting a rather optimistic outlook overall, the film gives the viewer an inside look at the development of the Marine Mammal Foundation, which helps to educate and strive for policies to combat climate change, by acknowledging that the dolphin is an important “indicator species” to show the state of the world’s environment. For such a short film, it really stirs the fire for change in the viewer seeing one of the most beloved mammals suffer in this way. It swimmingly achieves its goal. 

https://www.bigskygenesis.com/films

https://www.facebook.com/BigSkyGenesisProductions/ https://www.instagram.com/bigskygenesisproductions/

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-dolphin-dilemma

Producer Gabi Lowe (GET ME TO 21 – THE JENNA LOWE STORY)

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GET ME TO 21 – THE JENNA LOWE STORY, 88min., South Africa
Directed by Diana Joy Lucas

The extraordinary story of a young South African girl, her battle to get to 21 and the lasting impact she has had on the world around her. A riveting and inspiring story of advocacy, rare disease, organ donation, courage and hope.

https://www.jennalowetrust.org/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/710845692340944
https://instagram.com/jenna_lowe_trust

Get to know Executive Producer Gabi Lowe:

1. What motivated you to make this film? PH is a rare, cruel and silent disease and way too many people die from it before even being diagnosed. I know that if I can get Jenna’s compelling story out as far and wide a possible, it will impact thousands of people through earlier diagnosis which equals HOPE for a longer life and better quality of life. But that is not all that this Doccie s about … …illness and suffering aside, there are so many inspirational learnings to be found in this story such as the extreme grace, courage and a fighting yet gentle spirit that Jenna demonstrated that I feel the world can benefit from right now. Finding ways to truly live, make a difference, give back and find meaning even in the face of extreme suffering… now THAT is something we all need to learn and aim for.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? Two years in total … we thought we were there after one year and then a kind but very professional person in the Industry in London gave us some hard yet important and valid feedback that we took on board. We had to scamper to raise some funds and re-convince our very small team of 4 (this always was a passion project, not a commercial venture) to rework it … and reworking took another year. So two years in total; with all of us holding down other jobs as well.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!? Heart-wrenching AND inspirational

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? Time, money, resources, (inexperience on MY part only as Exec Producer; but not so for my Director, Editor or DOP who have been in the industry for decades thank heavens). ALSO – being very honest, the fact that as Executive Producer yet also Jenna’s mother it was at times emotionally very difficult and triggering; yet we all had to maintain perspective and objectivity. That was a difficult and sensitive balance for all of us who knew and loved her.

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

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films? My Director, Diana Joy Lucas, and my Editor Mary Berry and her husband Stephen Berry DOP have all been working in the media and television industry for many decades. From my side, I never ever thought I would make a film OR write a book and I have done both since the loss of our beautiful Jenna in order to tell her story, continue spreading her legacy, making a difference and helping to save lives.

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

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career? All I want, is to get his Documentary in front of as many people as possible to encourage earlier diagnosis for others and spread hope and courage – if there is ANY way you can help me do that I would be most grateful. I need intro’s to the right Distributors or Agents

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? Oooh … Prawns? Roast chicken? Slow roast lamb? Or a simple Caeser Salad

11. What is next for you? A new film? We have started a clinic in Cape Town for others with this disease … if I can find a distribution deal for the Documentary my team can be paid for some of their hours and hours and hours of time AND we can continue to fund and grow the clinic and our patient empowerment programmes.

Filmmaker Mike McKay (JAYA)

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JAYA, 50min., USA
Directed by Mike McKay
It is a rare blessing to meet someone filled with such joy, kindness and inspiration that they leave such a mark on you and your life is changed forever.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

The story of evolved over a number of years, but really what began the inspiration was Jaya’s spirit and energy. I always found him to be a great personality in the community and one of the opportunity to get to know him and his life better.

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

The first time we shot in relation to this film was in 2014. While we didn’t work consecutively all of those years the project was always in the back of my mind and it wasn’t until spring of 2022 that I decided to make the full commitment to seeing this through to the end.

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

Compassion – Kindness

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

Honestly, the biggest obstacle has been finding support for the film both in the production and now finding an audience for the film. It is a world that I find difficult to navigate and this was the first time that an audience got to see the film. I’ve had people along the way support the film, but nothing has really gained traction in terms of finding its proper home.

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

It means a lot to receive that type of feedback, and to know that I was on the right track. Certain comments that were made caught me by surprise because I thought elements would go unnoticed. For example, the third person’s comment about the pacing and the way that the story unfolds. This actually is one of my favourite parts of the film yet this was the first time anybody commented on that.

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

Filmmaking is my second career and this film is my first feature film. Prior to this I made two short films that gained very good response and helped me with my confidence as a filmmaker and storyteller.

When I think back to my childhood, I’ve always been connected with Films and stories. As I grew up, I think it is just natural part of my being to connect with stories. Filmmaking is my way of expressing the characters and stories I see.

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

That’s a good question. I could name a lot of films that I’ve seen many many times and films that I connect to on many levels. Life Is Beautiful is the film that I would say I saw most in the theatre. I always admire comedy and it’s ability to tie story elements together from start to finish, and the way that the story was told mirroring tragedy in the film, I don’t think I’ve had an experience like that with a film before. I saw it six times at the theatre.

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

That’s a good question and I believe that festivals really are a way to connect audiences to Films. The otherwise wouldn’t see to achieve engagement and connection in a way that you can’t in in other ways.

For a film like this I would find it interesting if there was a way to connect with new means of finding a way to get this story out and find a home for this project. I’m wide open to ideas.

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?

daal & rice 🙂

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

I am working on a film about an indigenous canoe, builder, and his connection with the land as he passes on his knowledge to urban youth. He is a very strong character much like Jaya and a lot of what the themes represent are very timely with indigenous, traditions, connection with the land and climate change.

Screenwriter Batoul Shay Mourad (AJNABIYEH)

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Watch the Screenplay Reading:

As Israel occupies her home in 90s Lebanon, a stubborn teenage girl and her family who have returned to the homeland after growing up in Australia struggle just to get by socially as they brave the real danger around them, their judgemental peers. In this show, the scariest thing about The Middle East may very well be their teenage girls.

Get to know the writer:

  1. What is your screenplay about?

Ajnabiyeh is a comedy series focused on a 15-year-old girl and her family
and friends living in Lebanon during the Israeli occupation in 1998. It’s
based on my mom’s experience being born in Australia then moving to
Lebanon in her adolescence. I thought the kind of reverse fish out of water model was interesting. The characters are in a space that is technically their home, but they feel like foreigners or outsiders anyway. I think despite the specific premise, the feeling of outsider status is quite universal to any immigrants or children of immigrants.

  1. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

The subject matter is intense, but it is a comedy. I think it’s important that
there’s a comedy set in the Middle East. It’s a strange experience when the only media with people who look like you are war films or soap opera-like dramas where the men are villains and the women are victims. I think the highest form of normalization and integration of a marginalized group of people into mainstream media is when there’s a family sitcom about the group. That, and a rom-com, I feel are the “alright, we’re in” signs of the industry.

  1. Why should this screenplay be made into a show?

It’s always the right time for humanizing and humorous stories about
misunderstood groups of people, but now more than ever, the world is in
desperate need for images from the Middle East that do not involve death
or destruction. I also just love the teen genre from My So Called Life to
Stranger Things and think that the space can benefit from some new blood and life in the teen space.

  1. How would you describe this script in two words?

Facetious history.

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

Probably Shrek 2. I love the whole franchise. And it’s one of those kid
movies that only get better when you get older, not worse. I really
appreciate the subversion of the disney tropes and now knowing about the dreamworks-disney feud, it makes it that much more fun to watch. It’s
always great when children’s screenwriters don’t underestimate their
audience.

  1. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

3 years at this point. It started when I realized one night that the name
Maryem with a space in between is Mary Em and that idea of a girl going by not a new name, but just a different writing of her own name stuck with me and she was a kind of alter ego for myself and represented a part of myself I wish I was allowed to express growing up which was loud and irresponsible and mischievous. I also love that her initials spell out Me. She was in a couple other stories I wrote before she became the heroine in Ajnabiyeh.

  1. How many stories have you written?

I have 2 other comedy pilots, a spec script for Abbott Elementary, a comedy feature, and an original children’s TV pilot.

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

Landslide – Fleetwood Mac

  1. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

I was a history education major in school, so I really had to teach myself
screenwriting format. I would watch my favorite comedy pilots a million
times, break them down scene by scene, analyze each scene’s purpose and function, read a lot of scripts to get a hang of the many ways script writing differs from prose writing, and used whatever online resources I could find to learn what it is a producer is looking for. Thankfully so much of this information is free on the internet.

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

I love history. It’s kinda why it seeps into so much of my writing. Traveling
is a really fun extension of that and something I got to do more of this year.

It’s like the world goes from 2 dimensional to 3 dimensional when you step into what it was in the past. You feel very small for a moment. It’s the same feeling as binge watching a great TV show and losing yourself for some time.

  1. You entered your screenplay via Network ISA. What has been your
    experience working with the submission platform site?

It’s pretty comparable to services like coverfly but it has this unique feature where production companies or agencies will be looking for certain projects and genre types. I’ve had my script get downloaded a few times, but nothing further than that yet.

  1. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on
    the initial feedback you received?

I got really great feedback and I don’t mean that in that it was just glowing
reviews but in that it was so specific and constructive. Feedback can be a real hit or miss – I’ve once gotten feedback where I just know they only read the first 8 pages cause that’s all they would reference, but the feedback I got references and quoted lines from the very first to the very last page. I remember taking the feedback and after each sentence “replying” to each thing, writing out how I would address each piece of feedback, creating a to-do list of revisions to make and making each one.

Screenwriter Cory David Bortnicker (MY NAME IS JONAS)

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Watch the Screenplay Reading:

A young gay songwriter in the grip of meth addiction must face his past when he learns he is actually a prophet who must save New York City from Judgement Day.

CAST LIST:

Narrator: Val Cole
Mayor Bloomberg: Steve Rizzo
Officer: Sean Ballantyne

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your screenplay about?

My Name Is Jonas tells the story of a young gay songwriter in the throes of crystal meth addiction who gets a second chance at life when he meets God and learns that he’s actually a prophet. It’s a modern retelling of the Book of Jonah based on my own experiences as a person in recovery. The pilot episode introduces us to Jonas on his first day in rehab where he tries to convince his counselors that he’s a prophet who has been sent on a mission from God to save New York City from Judgment Day.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Drama / supernatural / dark comedy

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

Although there are lots of great addiction and recovery stories out there, we’ve never seen one that deals with crystal meth addiction in the gay community, even though it’s been a decades-long crisis. Meth addiction is different from alcohol and opioid addiction; it comes with its own unique set of problems – compulsive sexual behavior, paranoia, delusions, psychosis. In a word, it’s intense. In addition to giving voice to this underrepresented issue, Jonas explores the spiritual nature of addiction in a unique way by casting the main character as a modern biblical hero. In short, it’s a unique take on an addiction story that we haven’t seen before.

4. How would you describe this script in two words?

Questionably insane.

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

Groundhog Day

6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

A little over a year. I’m now adapting the story as a novel, as well.

7. How many stories have you written?

1 pilot episode (Jonas), and 1 feature screenplay

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

My Name Is Jonas by Weezer comes to mind, for obvious reasons.

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

I was in rehab when I started working on this story, so in addition to literally having my computer taken from me, I was dealing with a lot of my own struggles as I was trying to figure out the story I needed to tell. The good news is that deciding to take the writing seriously became one of the most powerful motivators for me to stay clean.

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

I’m a musician and a songwriter, as well, so I love to make music. I also directed and acted in a short film version of Jonas, so filmmaking is something I love, too. I’m currently submitting the short film to various festivals, including a lot of LGBTQ+ ones.

11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?

It’s a useful tool for discovering and submitting to various competitions and festivals.

12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

I’m passionate about getting this important story out there, and I think LGBT festivals is a great place to start. Feedback is helpful in honing the story, and making sure it’s got the best chance to land.