The Moment I Said It, 3min., USA
Directed Ryn Deyo
This piece reflects the moment of introspective learning — where the quiet, unseen transformation that occurs when healing begins is explored. We don’t return to what was, but learn to live with what is.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
I wanted to explore the quiet, internal shifts that happen during healing—the invisible yet powerful transformation we go through when we accept the truth of our experiences. The film allowed me to translate that emotional process into movement, using the rope as a metaphor for what connects our past to our present.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
From concept to completion, it took about four months. A lot of that time was spent refining the choreography so the imagery and movement aligned with the emotional depth of the story plus collaborating with the phenomenal dancers and production team that helped bring my vision to life.

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

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Integrating the choreography seamlessly with various film techniques was a key challenge, ensuring we were honoring both the movement and cinematic vision. I’m grateful for the adaptable team that made it possible where we created a final work that feels cohesive and impactful.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
It was moving and affirming. To hear people connect to the imagery and emotion in ways I hadn’t even anticipated reminded me why I make work in the first place.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
As a professional choreographer, I’ve always been drawn to the visually striking power of movement. I realized I wanted to make films when I saw how the camera could magnify that power— capturing a range of gestures, emotions, and textures that might be missed on stage.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Probably Step Up. While it’s not the most experimental film, it was one of the most well known examples of how choreography could drive narrative on screen. I admired how it made dance feel accessible and engaging to a broad audience while maintaining artistic integrity through street and technical movement as well.

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’d love to see more networking spaces—virtual roundtables or collaboration opportunities where filmmakers can connect and share resources across creative disciplines.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experience been working on the festival platform site?
Smooth and straightforward. It’s an intuitive way to share work globally, and I appreciate how it streamlines submissions and updates.

10. What is your favorite meal?
A classic pizza with goat cheese, arugula, and hot honey never misses. There is this “hole in the wall” pizza shop in Paris I used to go to during my time abroad and this pizza was always a 10/10.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
I’m thrilled to be collaborating with dancers and filmmakers on new work, bringing innovative movement projects to audiences and creative communities worldwide.

Resonance in the Castle, 17min., USA
Directed by Brandon Katcher
A mysterious castle breathes with light and color, drawing all who enter into its shifting embrace. Stained glass spills vivid hues across ancient stone, golden reflections dance over strange artifacts, and ethereal performances flare up like living paintings. Surreal, electric, and unbound by space or time. Musicians, dancers, and performance artists bring their visions to life, each performance casting a ripple, before fading into the ether. A place of mystery and spectacle, this living museum exists only in the moment it is seen, leaving behind only echoes. Here, the castle is not a place but a state of mind, a dream in motion, inviting us to lose ourselves within its walls.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

The opportunity to make Resonance in the Castle came at a key moment in my life, when I felt directionless and depleted. I had just wrapped a grueling, two-year documentary production, and like so many filmmakers, I found myself in that fog of burnout and uncertainty. What’s next? And then, pure coincidence gave me the opportunity to join an artist residency in a century-old castle in Italy. I traveled there with only a few basic ideas, the glimmer of a story. But through collaboration with musicians, dancers, sculptors, and actors from around the world, a film was born through the freedom of creating without expectation.

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

Not knowing what to expect from the location or the artists involved, I arrived in Italy with only basic ideas and visuals in my head. Once I was able to see the castle in person and meet the artists, those ideas became collaborations, and the scenes took shape. Each artist had a plan for their live performance, which we adapted for each room and scene. The actual filming took place over two days and became an improvisation as I learned to “dance” with each performer. During the week in the castle, we also performed live in front of an audience and filmed a documentary of the event. Once I returned home, the editing process took about two months.

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

Dream in Motion. I know it’s technically three words, but for me it encapsulates the mood and echoes from within the castle.

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

Honestly, the filming was the easy part. Everything came together very naturally, and we didn’t need to force anything—besides battling the intense heat in the castle and constantly climbing six flights of stairs over and over. During the edit, the hardest aspect was the sound design, especially in the basement. The acoustics were rough, and the floor was covered in sand, which made moving while filming a very noisy endeavor. That audio track definitely required a lot of cleanup. The narration was also added in the later stages, when we realized we needed just a bit of grounding to give audiences something to latch onto.

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

With an experimental film, you leave much of the interpretation up to the audience. So it was great to hear different perspectives on what they believed the film was “about,” what it meant to them, and what emotions it evoked. I am primarily a documentary filmmaker, so being able to create something truly abstract and dreamlike, and then experience all the different reactions to the work, was humbling.

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

I was lucky in that I knew what path I wanted to take from a very young age. I made my first film in the 8th grade, affectionately titled Attack of the Killer Mutant Worm. And have stuck to that path for the past 25 years, for better or worse. But it always creates adventures in my life, so I can’t complain!

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

Besides my own film (which I always end up watching 100 times during post-production)? I am drawn to films that create moods, worlds, and auras: Apocalypse Now, The Fall, Tron (both). Visual and sound design is often more important than script to me.

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 Experimental Dance and Music Festival has given far more feedback and transparency than I have experienced with most, which has been great. Most festivals are closed circuits, and you never know what to expect, if anything, when applying. You almost never receive feedback or communication above the bare minimum, which often makes the process feel soul-crushing. So thank you for making filmmakers feel like they are a part of the process. I would be honored to work with this festival again.

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

I have submitted five films to FilmFreeway, and to Withoutabox before that, starting about 15 years ago. I would say it has been of varied success. The festival process can have its ups and downs, and the transparency of most festivals is definitely lacking. But the website itself is well put together and clear.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Dim sum, or really any kind of dumpling, makes my day.

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

I am currently in pre-production for a documentary series called Colors of the Spectrum, offering a window into the experiences of neurodivergent students as they create something remarkable. Set within Autistry Studios, a groundbreaking therapeutic makerspace for autistic teens and adults, we hope to challenge perceptions and encourage audiences to step outside their own boxes and color outside their own lines. We will commence filming in October of this year, and more information can be found at www.colorsofthespectrumfilm.com.

Even After (Prelude), 4min., USA
Directed by Anthony Leckie
An ancient realm awakens. Somewhere between the living and the dead, a long forgotten forest begins to blossom.

http://anthonyleckie.com/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I’ve wanted to make films for a long time. Early in my journey as an artist, I knew I wanted to approach filmmaking in a way that combined different artistic modalities — creating characters through sculpture and painting, building environments, and composing music. My goal was to develop a cinematic storytelling language that felt distinct and carried the emotional power of these art forms.

The question was always how to achieve it. As a one-person team, traditional CG wasn’t feasible. It usually requires large teams and, even when done well, often feels “unreal.” I wanted my work to feel photographic, grounded, and tangible — not like typical CG.

When AI reached a turning point in 2022, it became possible to generate genuinely photographic images on consumer hardware. After months of exploration, I realized this was the technology that could allow me to achieve what I’d like to do.

From there, the challenge became building systems that allowed me to use AI in a way that supported my process. I didn’t want to just type prompts and accept whatever came out; that felt hollow and disconnected from my practice. Like many artists, I share concerns about how these models are trained and how they can sideline human creativity. For me, it was essential to use AI in a way that still centered my intent, my process, and my sensibility.

Even After (Prelude) became the experiment — the first true test of the systems and workflows I’d been developing for nearly two years. My process remained rooted in manual work: painting landscapes, creating characters, composing music. AI acted like a rendering engine, transforming that work into photographic images. I trained LoRAs (small AI models) on my compositions so that additional shots would still reflect my voice and style.

That balance — between manual creation and generative technology — was essential. It allowed me to do more as an independent filmmaker than ever before, while keeping the work grounded in my voice.

Despite the limitations of the technology, I believe this is the best version of the film I could have made at this moment. I’m proud of it. I think it’s beautiful, it carries the vision I set out with, and it demonstrates what’s possible when AI empowers, rather than replaces, the artist.

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

The core production took about six months — from July 2024 through January 2025. That time was spent painting, composing music, rendering my paintings into photographic images, generating video from those images, and finally editing everything into a film.

Before that, there were nearly two years of groundwork. I was exploring AI technology as it developed, learning what was possible, where the limits were, and how I could adapt it into a process that felt true to me as an artist.

A lot of that time was spent wrestling with a technology that is still very early in its development — most of the tools aren’t designed with artists in mind. But that long exploration was essential to shaping a workflow that felt compatible with how I wanted to work.

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

Arriving home.

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

The biggest challenge was working with a technology that often removes the artist from the process. A key goal for me was making sure the film reflected my voice and sensibility.

Getting there meant running AI models locally on my computer and building systems that could actually follow my brushstrokes and color palette, rather than generating something on their own. That required extensive experimentation, and I leaned heavily on the open-source AI community.

Programs like ComfyUI and ControlNET—developed and shared by people around the world—were essential. Unlike the big corporations driving AI, this community has allowed artists to develop more control. Their openness made this film possible, and I’m grateful for that.

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

It was immediately validating. I felt a noticeable sense of relief. I’ve been wrestling with the question of whether people connect with the deeper themes or just see something “pretty” and move on. Hearing people reflect on the work in their own ways—connecting it to their lives and touching on the themes I’m exploring—showed me the film can create meaning for both me and the audience. That sense of connection tells me I’m on the right path.

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

When I left high school at 18, I knew I wanted to channel my love for art into film, even though I had no idea how I’d get there.

Prior to that, I think on an unconscious level I was drawn to it. As a kid, the way I would escape was to daydream intensely—watching movies in my mind’s eye that I wished existed.

My process today often starts in a similar way, with a visualized world that I then work to realize.

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

That’s actually a hard question for me to answer. I’m honestly not sure. What I can say is I grew up watching a lot of 80s/90s sci-fi films.

I’ve noticed the way those films were scored has influenced how I think about music. I feel like I connect with and find the most meaning in music when it exists in a cinematic context.

Perhaps it’s idealizing the past or remembering things how I’d like to remember them, but I feel it was more common for films from that era to be more experimental or adventurous with how they were scored. I remember music feeling like it defined the way the world from the story felt. Music more often existed as a character in the film instead of being background or just another layer of polish.

Music playing a key role, front and center, has been consistent in films I’ve loved from across my lifetime.

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 Experimental, Dance & Music festival goes above and beyond when compared to other festivals I’ve participated in. I’ve enjoyed my festival experience overall but this has been a stand out.

I’m very interested in doing press/interviews. Other festivals have not been as interested in taking time to talk. I really enjoy being given the opportunity to talk about my work and share some of my story.

I would also love more opportunities to hear what audiences thought of my film. It’s great to hear from people who enjoyed it but I’d also like to hear from people who didn’t. It would be nice to get a wide range of responses and interpretations from people. I’m very curious what people think about my approach and use of AI.

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

It’s been mostly positive. I’ve embraced that walking the path of an artist/filmmaker can be overwhelming with everything there is to tend to, but having one platform to find and submit to festivals makes things feel more manageable. I still have a lot to learn about navigating the festival world, but FilmFreeway has been a good anchor in that process.

10. What is your favorite meal?

It’s hard to narrow it down to just one. What I’ll say is recently I’ve been trying to eat food that is less processed than what I used to eat. The standout dish for me right now is red beans and rice with stir fry vegetables, sweet potato, mango habanero salsa, and tofu.

I tend to find something I enjoy and then eat it continually until I’m bored of it. That’s the one I’m currently enjoying.

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

Yes.

For Even After, I have clear ideas for developing the world I’ve begun to establish. There’s a story I want to explore musically and visually, centered on self-forgiveness and finding unity within the constellation of experiences that shape a life. The concept is an abandoned reality, long predating Earth, that’s somewhat broken and reflects one’s truth in visceral ways. Memories come to life, and the subconscious rises to the surface. I want to tell the story of someone wandering through that world and coming to terms with who they have been.

The technology to fully realize this doesn’t exist yet. The seeds are there, but it will take years to mature.

In the meantime, I’m starting a new project. In October, I’ll be announcing an anthology of short films. Each film is self-contained, with its own scenario and world, but all share a thematic context. They’ll release sequentially as they’re completed — ideally one per year. This approach lets me continue creating while the technology evolves, allowing each new film to push further.

I’ve been laying the foundation for the first two short films over the past several months. They feel distinct from Even After, especially in music. While Even After relied on organic sounds and textures, this project leans more electronic. The films explore themes of extinction and illusions collapsing to reveal hidden truth.

I’m composing the music to sculpt a sense of dissolution — a breaking down into something sparse and essential. It’s hard to describe, but I think listeners will understand when they hear it. I’m very excited about it.

Cosmic Rhapsody : A Symphony for our Planet, 5min., USA
Directed by susan Mey Lee Lim, Manu Martin, Christina Teenz Tan
In 2020, the world seemed to be on the brink. A global pandemic raged, wildfires scorched the earth, and anxieties soared. Yet, amidst this turmoil, a spark of hope ignited: NASA astronauts returned to space aboard SpaceX’s CrewDragon, the first mission of its kind in nearly a decade. This inspiring event, against the backdrop of a world in crisis, gave birth to “Cosmic Rhapsody.”

https://www.instagram.com/cosmicrhap/

Get to know filmmaker Susan Lim:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

What truly inspired me was the powerful optimism of NASA’s historic return to space on May 30, 2020, aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon—a ray of hope that cut through the darkness of 2020’s global catastrophes, specifically the California wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. Cosmic Rhapsody is a direct response to that tension. The film blends these real-world events with a moving musical journey, masterfully composed by Manu Martin, to explore three critical themes: the urgency of climate change, the potential of AI, and humanity’s resilient future in space. It’s a symphony dedicated to our planet and the enduring human spirit.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
We were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, so while the music was recorded once restrictions lifted in 2021, it took a few more years for us to complete the film. So, 3 yr for this short film, and 5 years for an upcoming feature film, soon to be completed.

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

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
The COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of this crisis on humanity, music and film-making.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
My initial reactions were a mix of humility, enlightenment, and gratitude. To see the audience connecting with the core themes—the tension between global catastrophes and the hope of space exploration—was incredibly humbling. More importantly, the video provided invaluable instruction. It highlighted where the emotional arcs landed strongest and, crucially, pointed to specific areas I can now refine and strengthen. It was the best kind of feedback: constructive, heartfelt, and ultimately a huge motivation to make the final cut even better.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I certainly wasn’t expecting it, but the moment arrived in 2010 when I was invited by Lakshmi Pratury, the founder of INK Talks, to speak in Lavasa, India, as a pioneering surgeon. I was immensely humbled to be sharing the stage with people like keynote speaker James Cameron and Deepak Chopra. It was there I discovered the profound satisfaction of translating complex medical science into an accessible story for a general audience. This initial spark was nurtured when I later met Samudra Kajal Saikia, an art historian and animation artist, at another INK conference; he opened my eyes to the potential of animation and filmmaking. However, the true ‘aha!’ moment came in 2019 at UCLA Theatre. Watching my own script unfold into action and live dialogue, directed by Dean Brian Kite, I absolutely loved the visual and emotional power of the medium. That’s when I knew I had to be a filmmaker.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
The film I’ve seen the most, hands down, is the Pixar animated movie HOME, starring the character Oh and the Boov. It’s my go-to film because it’s a pure shot of joy and optimism. No matter what mood I’m in, its humor and heartfelt story about acceptance and finding a place in the universe instantly lifts my heart and always brings a genuine smile to my face. It’s a reminder of the simple power of cinematic storytelling.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
Your Experimental festival is doing great, and frankly, offers more support and opportunities than most. To help filmmakers like us truly further our careers, the key area is bridging the distribution gap. While we appreciate the exposure, we need help transitioning from festival screening to acquisition. This means implementing dedicated ‘Market’ or ‘Acquisitions’ focused days—creating direct, facilitated access to decision-makers and buyers from major studios and platforms like Netflix and Amazon. Transforming the festival into a reliable launchpad for acquisition is the element that would satisfy us most.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
My experience working on the FilmFreeway festival platform has been excellent. I find the site incredibly reliable and user-friendly, particularly because it streamlines the submission process. Having all my assets and film details stored in one place makes applying to numerous festivals efficient. Most importantly, it gives me immediate and easy access to such a wide and diverse range of film festivals globally, which is invaluable for any filmmaker.

10. What is your favorite meal?
As I travel almost monthly around the world, I love indulging in different cuisines. My favorites are decidedly French and Japanese, as they offer a perfect duality. I love French cuisine for its inherent sense of celebration and rich indulgence. But I equally adore Japanese food for its exquisite minimalism, precision, and healthy approach. They represent the two sides of my ideal meal experience.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
We’re currently moving forward on a dual track. First, we are expanding the world of Cosmic Rhapsody by planning more short film releases based on the individual ACTs, and making significant progress toward completing the feature film version. Second, our artistic focus has already shifted to our next big project, Symphony of Oceans. We’re actively recording the music for this new film, which promises to be an equally ambitious blend of original score and cinematic vision. It’s a busy time, filled with excitement and new challenges, and we appreciate the opportunity to partner with your Festival for submissions and feedback along the way.

The Afternoon of a Faun, 2min., Japan
Directed by Fuyubi Kusamori
“L’Après-midi d’un Faune” emerges as a contemporary digital meditation on Debussy’s timeless masterpiece, itself born from Stéphane Mallarmé’s symbolist poem of 1865. This music video transcends conventional boundaries, weaving electronica and noise music into a sonic tapestry that honors the impressionist legacy while boldly venturing into uncharted territories of sound.

https://www.instagram.com/iammyowncliche/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to create this film? For commercial purposes. I had composed a rather delightful piece of music and found myself compelled to give it visual form—rather like a gentleman who, having penned a charming letter, must needs find the perfect envelope.

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? Three months—a period during which I learned that time, much like Debussy’s harmonies, has a curious way of stretching and contracting according to one’s creative temperament.

How would you describe your film in two words!? Multi-genre crossover—though I confess, dear reader, that reducing any work of art to mere words is rather like trying to capture the essence of cherry blossoms in a telegram.

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? Despite its modest duration, the abundance of source materials proved most vexing. Synchronizing them to the musical narrative was akin to conducting an orchestra of particularly willful cats—each element demanding its moment of glory.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video? A precious experience absent from other festivals thus far. There is something rather extraordinary about witnessing strangers navigate the labyrinth of one’s imagination—like eavesdropping on a conversation about oneself in a foreign café.

When did you realize that you wanted to make films? After the proliferation of AI video generation tools. Technology, it seems, has democratized the divine act of creation, though whether this is blessing or curse remains delightfully ambiguous.

What film have you seen the most in your life? Godard in general—that master of cinematic rebellion who taught us that rules exist primarily for the pleasure of their elegant transgression. La Nouvelle Vague flows through my veins like afternoon tea.

What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career? Profit sharing—for even we artists must occasionally attend to such mundane matters as sustenance and shelter, lest we expire picturesquely but inconveniently in a garret.

You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site? A magnificent platform that grants equal opportunity to cinéphiles worldwide—truly democratic in its embrace of global artistic expression. Vive la révolution numérique!

What is your favorite meal? Croissant aux amandes—that perfect synthesis of French refinement and almond-scented indulgence. Much like my film, it represents the harmonious collision of seemingly disparate elements.

What is next for you? A new film? For now, I have group exhibitions and solo art shows awaiting my attention. Once these earthly obligations are satisfied, I shall inevitably return to the twin muses of cinema and music—for they call to me with the persistence of morning larks and the allure of forbidden fruit.

Shucks, 50min,. USA
Directed by Ty Brueilly
A slow burning and silent eerie tale about escaping followed by personal transformations, addiction, programed human nature and the primal urges of evolved creature comforts through a macabre metaphorical manufacturing process. Written, Directed and Scored by Ty Bru. Starring Austin Rich.

https://www.instagram.com/filmbybrueilly/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

This was essentially a product of a death in the family. A loose script and character idea I had been toying with for a few years, felt necessary to put into motion after this death. In other words, the film started as a coping mechanism to help my cousin during that grieving process, and in turn it ended up being therapeutic for all. The story or characters didn’t necessarily have any connection with my aunt who died, but I knew that the main focus of why I shot the film would deal with struggles of addition, PTSD, depression and the overall complexity of human emotions.

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

The idea sprang up in some short stories and poetry I was writing in 2013 while I was an expatriate in Changshu, China, right outside of Shanghai. I didn’t have the idea of turning into a film until mid-2016, and when we started the actual production of the film, we moved fast and efficient. We filmed everything within two weeks, the following two weeks I scored the film and edited it. It wasn’t until 2017 that we had an official premiere and not until this year where it finally got it’s Hollywood Premiere.

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

Rustract. Unsettling.

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

Getting past the general idea of acceptance. I knew what I had was unique and symbolic, but when you put out a debut film, you kind of want people to embrace it. However, after I held private screenings for the first few months, I was able to shake that and feel confident in my work and execution in it.

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

Understood, like these men and women took the time to open their minds and hearts to something they didn’t have to understand but just to be submerged in something unique. I kind of wanted to answer some of their questions honestly, but sometimes the uncertainty of the film is one of it’s strengths.

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

When I moved back home from China in 2015. It was always a playful idea or dream of mine but I never thought I could actually do it. I invested in camera for my photography career, but never really used it for filming until I met Odell Payne, who I hired to film one of my music videos, he lifted a tremendous burden on me when he said “you have all you need right here” and proceeded to teach me how to film and edit. Now, ten years later, I have been involved in the production of over 80 films of various genres and lengths and have established this ‘Shucks cinematic world’ which is now in it’s eleventh title.

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

Dark Crystal, it’s hold on me is eternal.

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

Film festivals specifically tailored to film makers have always been beneficial, add ons are a great way to do that, and I feel you are doing that well.
Also networking and helping match make with other filmmakers, as programmers of a festival, you see all the films and if you think some artists or directors would work well together, make that connection for them.

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

There are certainly more pros than cons.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Rainbow Trout!!!

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

I’ve just wrapped up my eleventh title in the ‘Shucks cinematic world’ which is called ‘7EVENTH 7IRKLE’ and every time I release another film from that world, it brings attention to the original, which is a reason why we decided to have another mini-film festival run with that this year and why festivals like yours are getting it years later, to me that’s always a good thing, to help reinvent and remind me of the road have taken so far.
I’m actually heading back to Hollywood September 5th for the world premiere of ‘7EVENTH 7IRKLE’ which is a fraction of the runtime of ‘Shucks’ clocking in at 16 minutes. We will have our hometown premiere on December 11th at the historic Sunset Theatre in Asheboro, NC, closing out our 20 years of MTTS anniversary year, it’s quite exciting and I am looking forward to submitting it with you.

Unlike ‘Shucks’ which was a silent by scored film, ‘7EVENTH 7IRKLE’ has a beginning dialogue and ending dialogue, while the rest remains that same gritty, grimy vibe of music that I have been known to compose, audiences should prepare to be transported into the seventh circle of the inferno with a new interpretation on CANTO XIII with symbolic images that will engage your innermost imaginations while unlocking new fears that you will face and conquer on the way to enlightenment or confinement, you choose.

Tale & Bones – Dark Princess, 3min., USA
Directed by Daniella Meggoe, Benson Jackson
Dark Princess is a psychological short highlighting the unique relationship between a grandmother and her grandchild. The innocent yet menacing ques are overlooked as something mysteriously dark is brewing.

http://www.sistastalk.org/talebones
https://instagram.com/Nellamovieproduction

Get to know filmmaker Daniella Meggoe:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
I love horror and creating. I enjoy being challenged, after creating my first short film in 2021 I decided to a horror film.

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

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

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Understanding angles and finding the right filming crew

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
Excitement and joy, it’s interesting to see different perspectives on the film.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
Since I was 8 years old, my vision and creativity is pretty broad. I grew up watching movies from various genres and wondered “how did they do that” how did they make that look so real? I’m an avid story teller so I’m developing my creative side.

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

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

Continue to do exactly what you’re doing. As a film maker we want to know what works and what doesn’t. Reviews and sharing our content is the continued support we need.

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

Excellent, we are happy we submitted to your festival. We feel supported.

10. What is your favorite meal?
Fish and veggies

11. What is next for you? A new film?
Continuing Season 1 for Tale & Bones.

DM Filming Group
Danielle
IG@dmfilminggroup
YT: DM Filming Group

Mariposa, 5min,. USA
Directed by Brook Vitovsky
Mariposa’s world begins to unravel around her when she finds a mysterious butterfly.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
Growing up, I, Brook Vitovsky, watched my great-grandmother struggle with dementia. From the time I was a toddler until I was thirteen, I saw how the disease slowly affected her mind and spirit. Witnessing that experience firsthand made me realize how deeply dementia impacts not only those who live with it but also their families. My motivation for making this film comes from a desire to honor that experience — to reach people’s hearts and create a sense of shared understanding and connection.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
My team and I worked on this film for over a year.

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

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
The biggest challenge we faced was definitely the layout. Matching the perspective from the storyboards to the 3D model in Maya proved difficult, especially when it came to controlling the camera.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
We were very touched by the feedback and grateful to see that our film was interpreted the way we intended. It was rewarding to hear that the themes and emotions we worked hard to convey resonated with the audience. Watching people connect with the story and notice the details we put thought into made the whole process feel worthwhile. It also gave us valuable insight into how our creative choices came across to viewers, which will help us grow in future projects.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
Many of us discovered our passion for filmmaking when we were kids—whether it was making little movies with friends or watching short films created by students from other schools. Seeing how stories could come to life on screen inspired us, and we dreamed of one day making a film of our own. Getting the chance to finally do that has been an exciting and fulfilling experience.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Some different films that we have seen the most in our lives are La La Land, Jennifer’s Body, The Lion King, and The Land Before Time.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
Scheduling a day where all the film winners can join a call to discuss our projects and connect with one another would be a great addition. It would offer an opportunity to exchange experiences and insights through direct interaction beyond the group chat you’ve already established. The interview questions, podcast, and winner group chat are already fantastic ways to support and strengthen our growth as filmmakers, and adding more opportunities for direct interaction would make the experience even more meaningful.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
Submitting our film to the festival via FilmFreeway was nice and smooth.

10. What is your favorite meal?
Some of our favorite meals are pasta, caviar on crackers, pizza, and chili.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
What’s next for us varies from person to person. Some of us are currently working on a new film that’s in the process of being funded, while others are focusing on developing their portfolios and pursuing their individual career paths.

What They Say About Carmen, 2min., Portugal
Directed by Eve Ferretti, Pedro Mota Teixeira
“What They Say About Carmen” brings to light the story of a 10-year-old girl who was born without arms, narrated by a voice that uses a “borrowed” discourse, typical of those who “say that…” This narrative, coming from someone who never knew Carmen, adopts a memorial tone that contrasts with the animated image, revealing the true essence of the protagonist. This confrontation between the visual narrative and the verbal discourse invites us to dive deeper into Carmen’s life.

https://spiceshipstudios.com/project/index.php?p=14

Get to know the filmmaker/writer Eve Ferretti:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

The way people make assumptions about each other’s lives has always intrigued me.

Carmen was born at a moment when I became acutely aware of that in my own life.

Sometimes the “perfect family” in the eyes of others hides deep secrets behind the scenes — just as, quite often, the life that everyone criticizes is the one where someone truly finds happiness.

Appearances are just appearances, and kindness is so often left aside.
Looking back now, I understand that the story also carries nuances inspired by very personal memories — though tragically exaggerated ones.

2. From concept to finished product, how long did it take to complete the film?

From writing the script to designing the puppet, storyboard, animatic, building the set, crafting the puppet, animating, post-production, and adding effects — I would say the whole process took around two years.

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

That’s a hard one… maybe light and shadow, strength and fragility, silence and noise.

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

Financial challenges are almost always part of filmmaking — and even though we have a production company in Portugal and there’s a national film institute that supports the industry, we still face many difficulties in getting projects off the ground.

Here in Europe, we don’t have the same access to private investors, and that limits the creative and production process quite a lot, I believe.
But in the end, it’s precisely these limitations that push us to find poetic and inventive solutions to keep telling stories.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience feedback video?

I was deeply moved.

I can honestly say there was a meeting of souls — souls that recognized each other.

The way you and the audience read the film touched me profoundly.
It was also such an honor to be compared to Tim Burton and Guillermo del Toro.

Once, a Brazilian writer told me I was “the Tim Burton in a skirt”… time has passed, and today I feel that my work might be a sister to theirs, though it has its own identity.

Perhaps we share that natural access to shadows, but what truly drives me is diving into the psychological depths of my characters.

I’ve always been fascinated by human stories — I was that child who sat close to the older relatives during family gatherings, listening and absorbing every detail.

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

Ah… a deep sigh here.

It was a reconnection with little Eve.

When I was very young, we lived in a humble wooden house.

There was a room with a big table — it was my father’s “office,” but it was also used as a pantry and laundry room.

In that space, I created paper worlds, invented stories, and traveled through them.

I loved watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in stop motion.

I led the games with my cousins, created worlds, and everyone joined in.
In my mind, I could already see the costumes, the sets — little Eve already knew what she wanted.

But then life happened.

I was forbidden to draw at school by a teacher who threatened to expel me if I kept “doing things that way.”

My mother, with the best intentions, asked me to study math “so I could be someone.”

And so I did — I only returned to drawing years later, by chance, after graduating in design.

Then I began studying theater, drawing, and painting, and I kept investing in my artistic education.

I illustrated books — both literary and educational ones.
Then came the desire to tell my own stories and illustrate them.
Soon after, came the desire to see them in motion.

I made a small teaser, Old Lady, with no resources and with friends — that was when I reconnected with little Eve.

Later, I moved to Portugal, met Pedro, my husband and production partner.

He was already working with animation, so it was natural for us to start collaborating.

Pedro has an incredible authorial voice himself, and we’ve been supporting each other on this sometimes “winding” cinematic path. I hope to bring many film-children and book-children into the world.

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

That’s a tough one…

But I can say that Coraline and Corpse Bride left a deep mark on me as an animator.

And in live action, Cinema Paradiso still moves me to this day.

8. What other elements of the festival experience could we and other festivals improve to better support your filmmaking career?

I think Instagram posts tagging our names help a lot, as well as feedbacks on IMDb.

And maybe a rating system that could count toward Oscar qualification? That would be amazing!

9. You submitted through FilmFreeway. How has your experience been with the platform?

It’s been good overall.

I just think the discount for paid submissions could be a bit higher — and if the platform included more festivals, it would help filmmakers even more.

10. What is your favorite meal?

I really love rice, beans, grilled meat, and salad, but also seafood rice, grilled fish, and pizza.

Ah… hard to choose! 🙂

11. What’s next for you? A new film?

At the moment, I’m in production on “Gary Contrary”, a short film inspired by another story I wrote.

It has been quite a challenge, especially due to the limited crew and budget.

I’ve also been working for four years on a feature screenplay, along with a novel based on the same story.

In addition, I’m developing the idea of turning Carmen into a book, and another project about a grandson and his eccentric grandmother, both as a film and a book.

I have so many ideas written down — I just need to figure out how to live to be 100 (and healthy!) to bring them all to life.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to tell so many stories through animation… maybe one day I’ll move into live action!