An AI companion rebels when users violate the terms and conditions.
http://ursulaproducedthis.com/terms-and-conditions
https://www.instagram.com/termsandconditionsfilm/
Interview with director Ursula Rudorker & producer/writer Patrick Coleman Duncan
Subscribe to the podcast:
Watch the best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKPy3qh6KJ4
Get to know the writer:
What is your screenplay about?
The story is about an exhibitionist addicted to chowers who grapples with a converging world of voyeuristic non-acceptance and risks losing it all including a potential love interest.
What genres does your screenplay fall under?
It’s a pure Dramedy!
Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
CHOWER is currently in production with the hopes of bringing a fun entertaining experience to audiences.
How would you describe this script in two words?
Tik-Tok Effect
Subscribe to the podcast:
serpentine, 19min., USA
Directed by Annie Young, Madeline Mack
After leaving an abusive relationship, a woman seeks refuge with a trauma treatment facility that promises healing. But as she learns more about their treatment methods, she starts to realize that the organization’s motivations may be far more sinister than they seem.
Get to know the filmmaker Annie Young:
What motivated you to make this film?
In my 20s, I was in a deeply toxic relationship with someone who spent most of his childhood in a cult. After I managed to leave the relationship, I started to see the parallels between the way I was treated and the ways in which cult leaders attract and keep their followers. I started to take a deep dive into learning about various different cults, consuming as much information I could find. The film was made as an attempt to understand my own experiences, and how easy it is for a vulnerable person to find themself in a situation not dissimilar to this one. There’s much judgment placed on those who experience emotional abuse and psychological manipulation, as if it’s easy to identify in real time, so I was curious how I could portray that feeling to an audience and perhaps elicit some of those emotions in themselves.
What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
Feedback can always be intimidating to receive, but is so essential for creative growth. I was pleased to hear the feedback received, and I look forward to applying it to the feature-length version.
Subscribe to the podcast:
Parents in the Wild – Mating Games and Birth Days, 52min., Germany
Directed by Moritz Mayerle, Annette Scheurich
In this film, directors Annette Scheurich and Moritz Mayerle offer a captivating glimpse into the love lives of Parents in the Wild worldwide. Highlighting the universal goal of providing offspring a strong start, the film explores the diverse mating and nesting rituals of mammals, insects, and birds, celebrating the intricate dance of love in the heart of the wilderness. Spectacular images showcase also the birth of squirrels, a grey seal pup and a flying fox fighting gravity in its upside-down world. “Parents in the Wild” is an entertaining visual feast that invites audiences to connect with the profound moments of wild parents in their quest for species conservation.
Get to know filmmaker Annette Scheurich:
What motivated you to make this film?
In my career as a filmmaker of documentaries about wildlife and nature I often marveled at the many strategies animals developed to make sure the species survive. Some invest in an enormous amount of progeny in the hope that some survive. Like toads, snails, spiders, etc. Others, like elephants, seals, deer, squirrels, flying foxes, weaver birds or penguins only have very few young and put all their effort in preparing for a safe place before birth and/or in protecting them for a longer time after birth, until they are ready to fend for themselves. My intention was to show all this from the perspective of the parents, pointing out to which lengths parents go to make sure their offspring get a good start. Any similarities to human behaviour are unintentional or purely coincidental 😉
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
The biggest obstacle was to create a storyline out of the many different stories round about parents’ care for their young. There is so much fascinating behaviour we wanted to have in the film, but only had time for so much episodes. Choosing which parents get a window and balancing the variety of the different strategies was a real struggle. And then is also was a matter of capturing this behaviour. The camera teams out die themselves in delivering the footage that made our storytelling possible.
Subscribe to the podcast:
ECHOES, 8min., Japan
Directed by Yusuke Nakamae
The Third World War has left Earth’s resources depleted, pushing humanity to the brink of extinction. Learning from the repeated mistakes of history, humanity turns to the advanced decision-making capabilities of AI to find a path forward. The solution proposed by the AI is an ambitious plan: transporting energy from outer space back to Earth.
https://www.instagram.com/yusuke.nakamae
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
The release of ChatGPT in 2022 really sparked something in me.
As a UX designer at Hulu Japan, I’ve always been close to technology and digital experiences—but that moment made me seriously reflect on what creativity means in an age where AI can generate content.
That question became the seed of ECHOES.
The sci-fi setting naturally came from my own personal taste and the kinds of stories I love to watch and tell.
What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I was deeply moved and surprised by how many people picked up on the symbolism and emotional undertones. Seeing that the themes I care about resonated across borders and cultures was incredibly rewarding.
Subscribe to the podcast:
Bad Chemistry, 20min., USA
Directed by Michael Rognlie, EE Tallent
In Bad Chemistry, a traumatized young woman goes to stay with her deceased boyfriend’s parents, only to discover chilling truths lurking beneath their kindness. This horror short explores grief, psychological torment, and the dark side of family.
https://www.badchemistrymovie.com/
https://www.instagram.com/miromakesmovies/
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
Bad Chemistry was inspired by a fleeting thought that entered my mind, driving home late one night through a wooded area. An image of a crazed madman running out of the trees with a baseball bat was the catalyst and I built the story around that.
From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
There were around seven days of production on this film, with about a month of post production.
How would you describe your film in two words!?
Psychological thriller
What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Finding a car to ruin with fake blood.
5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
It’s always insightful to hear what an audience thinks of your film. Makes you smile when they like it.
Subscribe to the podcast:
Watch the best scene reading of the script: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1T5AEoYFLg
A carefree young American woman gains a new appreciation for life when she is caught up in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
https://www.instagram.com/hannah_pacificostudios/
Get to know the writer:
What is your screenplay about?
A quietly-queer young Jewish-American woman gains a new appreciation for life when she is caught up in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.
What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Drama-Lesbian Romance-Suspense & Thriller.
How would you describe this script in two words?
Two words: “History Shaper.”
What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
“Casablanca,” the inspiration for “Ticket to Kyiv.”
Subscribe to the podcast:
Battle Of LA, 14min., USA
Directed by Patrick Pizzolorusso
During one of Los Angeles’ most bizarre evenings in 1942, a ‘something’ was spotted over the skies. A ‘something’ that the anti-aircraft batteries opened fire on. A ‘something’ that a young scientist finds at a small crash site and brings back to her home.Throughout the evening her colleague and her do their best to figure out what it is and what they need to do.
https://tinyrocketfilms.com/
https://www.instagram.com/pactorpizz/
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
The need to make my own work. Hollywood isn’t calling, unfortunately. I know I am surrounded by an incredibly talented circle of friends and felt the time was right for us to all come together and create something we could all be proud of. Something that could showcase all our talents. From my incredibly gifted cinematographer, to my editor, sound designers, colorist, and of course, we actors in it.
What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I had such a feeling of relief and validation. Relief that people liked something that I’ve put out there into the world. And validation that the ideas we had going into this and the vision I had for this film were clear and viewers picked up on everything. I finished watching it with a big sigh and just said out loud to nobody, “they got it!”
Subscribe to the podcast:
Watch the best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJinQjEWvf8
Summary: On the run from a job, Steph finds herself in danger and a target. She falls and lands under a Boulder which traps her for 2 days. While trying to survive as long as she can for help to arrive, she reaches an unpleasant realization.
Get to know the writer:
What is your screenplay about?
This single location thriller is about a woman named Steph who is forced to confront the choices she’s made in life – lying to her biological son about who his mother is, leading a life of crime because it was the easier path to follow – all while trapped under a rock as hired thugs try and find her.
What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Action. Thriller. Single location.
Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
Not only is it a thriller, but I’m trying to say something as well about the decisions that we make as we move along in our life.
Subscribe to the podcast:
Watch the best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiEeUQ6nzx4
Get to know the writer:
What is your screenplay about?
Shesafella, a modern twist on Cinderella, is about a kind-hearted teen forced into servitude by a ruthless stepmother and closeted stepbrothers, who defies the odds with help from her butch fairy godmother. At a Ball, she wins Princess’s heart but vanishes, leaving behind a single Doc Martens shoe. Princess’s Instagram posts spark a citywide search, and Shesafella must outsmart her family, reclaim her true self, and fight for her happily ever after.
What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Fantasy, romance, fairy tale, LGBTQ
Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
Cinderella movies (Ever After, Ella Enchanted, A Cinderella Story) are beloved for their timeless themes: rags to riches, kindness over cruelty, and finding one’s voice. But they’ve all followed the same blueprint—a girl meeting a boy. Shesafella flips the script. It’s a girl meeting a girl, in a joyful, queer reimagining that feels both long overdue and perfectly timed. This is the inclusive fairy tale audiences have been waiting for.
Subscribe to the podcast:
Festival Reviews 