A Princess’s Plea, 8min., USA
Directed by Brooke Thornton, Madison Hubler
Princess Circe awaits in her tower when Vince Davenport, crown prince of a rich kingdom, comes to claim her as his wife. But with the beast left unslain and the princess left unimpressed, Vince’s quest takes a dark and unexpected turn.

https://www.instagram.com/aprincesssplea

Get to know filmmaker Madison Hubler:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I have always loved dragons since I was a little girl. That is what originally drew me to the realm of fantasy, and when I discovered Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones, my world shifted. It was the equivalent of a comic book kid seeing his favorite superhero come to life on screen. I had an epiphany: That is the kind of character I want to play. Being a ‘dragon queen’ became a self-proclaimed part of my identity, and it shifted the way I moved through the world. It gave me confidence and strength- to put myself out there and claim my place. I felt this creative fire inside me, pushing me to write a story that would bring that dream to life. When the idea came to flip a well-known trope on its head, nothing could stop me. All this to say, the story came from deep within my soul. I created it for myself, and everything that comes after is just the cherry on top to one of the best things I’ve done in my life.

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

The film took about one year to make. The writing and filming process went by pretty quickly. I had a very clear vision going in and knew exactly what story I wanted to tell. The bulk of the time was spent with the editor, watching over his shoulder, nit-picking each second, and then working up the courage to actually show it to people when it was finished.

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

Fun and unexpected!

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

My biggest obstacle was getting the perfect crew together. I actually had a lot of people drop out during the making of “A Princess’s Plea” including one or two the same week that we were going to film. It really taught me to believe in myself and persevere at any cost because I knew the right people were going to find the project. And they did! Everything happens for a reason, and everyone who showed up was an integral part of the filmmaking and the story’s success.

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

I absolutely loved it! I think I watched it at least 10 times. Hearing the audience members admire the story and film components was such a great feeling. Every little detail was meticulously planned, and yes, “Shrek” was a big inspiration in creating the style of the project, so it’s nice seeing all the layering really pay off.

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

I knew I wanted to be an actor since high school, but I didn’t discover my love of filmmaking until after college. I was pretty fed up with the auditioning process at the time and hated feeling like my success in the industry lies in the hands of others. It felt like waiting for an opportunity, so I decided to just go out and make it happen myself. I’m so happy I did because I found an immense love for the process of creating my own stories. I was able to develop my voice as a filmmaker, and in turn, I’m a better actor and overall artist. Now, I have so much respect for every role on a set, and I’m able to watch movies with a more appreciative yet critical eye knowing what goes into the making of it.

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

I love a comfort watch. For me, it’s Wicked or the animated How to Train Your Dragon movies.

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

You already have many unique elements to your festival, like the audience feedback video, which I now wish every festival would provide. If I had to choose something, I would say an in-person screening or award ceremony would really set your event apart from others.

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

The site has been really helpful having all the information about festivals in one place. It has made the process easy and given me the chance to submit to festivals across the globe which I would’ve never imagined. It has been amazing watching “A Princess’s Plea” be enjoyed by so many people from different countries and backgrounds all over the world.

10. What is your favorite meal?

I’ve got to say nachos. Load it up with everything on it, and I can devour a giant plate all by myself haha. The more authentic the better.

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

Oh yeah! I will continue making movies till the day I die. This time, I’m looking forward to exploring work in other genres as well. Fantasy will always be my home, but my next film will most likely be an action trilogy of shorts because I love doing stage-combat and want to continue making films that I have fun with. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see where the inspiration strikes! Until then I hope you enjoy my very first film, “A Princess’s Plea”.

FIELD REPORT | FLACK FAMILY FARM, 15min., USA
Directed by Travis Limoge
Nestled in the hills of Enosburg Falls, Vermont Flack Family Farm has been contributing to the vibrance of their community through their symbiotic work in the soil for nearly a half a century.

https://www.instagram.com/underblkflag/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
As a Chef I have spent the last decade of my career dedicated to researching and implementing community based solutions to the industrial food complex. I have made many impactful relationships with farmers who are working hard to revitalize their local food sheds and felt inspired to share their stories as the majority of the documentaries currently available on food and food production are either glossy or focused on a specific problem rather than demonstrating the collaboration between farmer, soil, and community, the struggles they face and the actions of resilience they take on a daily basis.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
We had a good idea of the message we were trying to relay in the film and when we set out on the farm to shoot the story unfolded chronologically as we were working hand in hand from harvest to production of the fermented products, when we got to post it was quick work as we were smitten with the story we had captured, all told the whole film from start to finish took a month.

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

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
The organic nature of the production didn’t really come with obstacles, just lessons, Flack Family Farm welcomed us in and took the reins, we just followed along.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
It was wonderful to receive feedback from the audience, it was touching that they were able to really connect with the message and the feedback let us know that we had captured the story we were trying to tell.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I have always loved film as a format of art that can trigger emotion, as a child I felt a deep connection with film as an escape to a new world, a window into an alternate reality that can inspire deep thought and inspire change. Although this project has been a dream for a while I would say that I became motivated to share messages of resilience through film while watching the world shake during the global pandemic.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Taxi Driver, it was as a child and continues to be my favorite film. The story of lonely man in one of most populated cities in the world is something I think many can relate to and the cinematography was is incredible.

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 think open, honest discussion is important. I appreciate the feedback aspect of the festival and hope that more festivals take note.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
FilmFreeway is a wonderful resource, it allowed us to hone in on the festivals and viewers that we felt would connect with our story, the function is seamless, we really appreciate the site and all it offers for Film Makers of all ilk.

10. What is your favorite meal?
I am pretty simple, some sort of organic/regenerative grain, grass fed beef or bison, black beans, plantains, grass fed cheese and fermented vegtables.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
We are currently in post on more FIELD REPORT films and we have a project in pre production called “VENAS ABIERTAS” inspired by Eduardo Galleanos book “Venas Abiertas de America Latina” where we will focus on the effects of industrial agriculture on Latin American farmers, slated for Spring 2026 release.

Trail Mix, 50min,. USA
Directed by Glenn Robert Sweitzer
Trail Mix follows a 2,000-mile journey from Georgia to Maine, uncovering the personal struggles and healing of hikers seeking solace, purpose, and transformation. Directed by Glenn Sweitzer, the film reveals how nature becomes a powerful path back to wholeness.

http://trailmix.film/
https://instagram.com/trailmix_film

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I wasn’t planning to make a film. I was just dealing with a big curiosity, a bad hip, some extra weight, and a big ol’ question mark about what was next for me in life. The Appalachian Trail kept showing up — like the universe was nudging me. So I grabbed a camera, threw on a backpack I barely knew how to use…, and started walking. I was looking for answers… and I ended up finding stories way bigger than mine.

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

It took about three years from concept to completion — but really, the idea was evolving in me long before that. The physical trail is over 2,000 miles, and I hiked about 1,100 miles of it. But the emotional journey behind Trail Mix was even longer. And to be totally honest… the film almost wasn’t finished. Right after the filming concluded, my mom and then my brother, got sick. They passed away about a year apart, and that destroyed me. I basically shelved the project until a friend re-motivated me.

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

Nature heals.

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

Doing it solo. I mean truly solo. No crew, nobody to give advice, no safety net and no investors. I was the director, interviewer, camera guy, driver, sound guy, and at times, therapist — mostly for myself. But also the emotional weight of it… hearing these raw, beautiful, often heartbreaking stories from hikers — it got to me. And I had to carry them with care. There were times I felt I was not adequate to be the guy opening up these heart felt and truly emotional stories.

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

I got emotional. I did not expect to feel that way. You spend so much time alone with your work, being vulnerable in the film and always wondering if it will connect. Hearing real people respond — seeing that it really touched them — was deeply validating. It made every moment worth it. It truly affected me. It reminded me why I made this in the first place. I especially love the fact that everyone takes something different from the film. The feedback was so positive, that I wondered if they watched the right movie!!

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

It took a while. I career was in graphic design and music video production, but storytelling — real, vulnerable storytelling — started pulling at me. I found I loved creating “behind the scenes” for music videos more than the actual music video, because there was so much story in those. Why the song was written, what it means to the artist and how the fans embraced the music. All incredible stories. When I made my first doc about wild mustangs years ago, something clicked. I knew I didn’t want to just design things anymore… I wanted to say something… I wanted to affect.

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

Probably The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. It’s that whole leap-into-the-unknown thing. That quiet longing to really live. I get that. Especially at this point in my life. But the cinematography and the locations alone sucked me into it. I can watch it over and over.

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

Connection. The real kind, from the people who put them on, to the audience and their reactions. I think festivals that create spaces for filmmakers to meet, collaborate, share struggles and ideas — those are the ones that stay with you. Oh, and anything that helps with distribution or visibility? Huge.

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

It’s been great. FilmFreeway makes submitting so easy — even when you’re in a van in the middle of nowhere with bad Wi-Fi. It’s been a solid tool for getting Trail Mix out there and custom picking festivals that fit your concept and genre.

10. What is your favorite meal?

This is easy, if you’re talking about backpack food… Campfire chili from Packit Gournet. You need to try this dehydrated camp food. And of course cornbread after a long day on the trail. Add in some stars, a little smoke in the air, and a spoon that maybe I carved myself? Perfect. Yes, I learned how to carve wooden spoons and coffee mugs from wood I find on the trail.

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

Yes! A few actually. I’ve got one brewing about how music heals us — mind, body, and soul — and another exploring the forgotten history (and future) of America’s forests. There’s even a really fun doc about reindeer I have been working on. But whatever’s next, it’ll be rooted in transformation. And probably have a little dirt on it.

Routine, 5min., Canada
Directed by Abo Fall
Meet Benedicte, a happy young woman living in a beautiful, heavenly garden where she doesn’t have a single worry in the world. She loves to wander around, lay on the grass and simply live in the moment.

Get to know Abo Fall:

What motivated you to make this film?

In an ironic way, I think I was trying to get out of a routine myself. It had been a minute since I made any short film or even attempted to finish old scripts. I started feeling trapped in the 9 to 5 life and saw that, unless I made the effort to pursue my passion despite the obvious obstacles, the current life I’m living would be it forever. It pushed me to get out of my comfort zone and make things happen. We filmed this short film with an iphone and a very restricted budget.

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

I’ll say about 4 months. The main issue was that I work in Nunavik but wanted to shoot the short film in Montreal. So, there was a moment where I had everything ready from the script to finding the right team but had to wait for the occasion to fly back to Montreal and finally get to shooting. But once I was on site, things went fast. We shot the entire script in 3 weeks, mainly because we had to work around everyone’s availability. And then I spent about 2 months with Vincent Loiselle-Latour, who worked on the sound engineering and Julien Ferland who worked on the score, to create an atmosphere for the film that we would all be satisfied with.

How would you describe your film in two words!?

”Literally me”

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

Time! There was never enough time and, as I said, I work in Nunavik. I had to shoot everything before it was time for me to go back and I had exactly 3 weeks !

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

I was thrilled the entire time! I really loved one of the critic’s comment, when he said the movie inspired him to want to go make movies himself, that’s what’s up ! That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day. Hopefully the story pushes more people to want to try something new and get out of their own ”Routine”!

When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

I was about 18 hanging out with friends in Senegal (where I’m from) that were just as passionate about videomaking as me. Some of them went on to make a cult classic superhero movie named ”Sandaleman”, a movie about a senegalese super hero who’s superpowers reside in his sandals. I’m not sure anymore at what point I thought to myself that I wanted to make films since up until then I was mainly making short skits, but somewhere around that time, something in me felt like it was the path to take.

What film have you seen the most in your life?

Spider-man! The first one, by Sam Raimi.

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

To be frank, this has been a beautiful adventure and I wouldn’t be sure what to add to it.

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

Intimidating because of my initial lack of understanding of how to get one’s film to festivals (this is my first time). But once you understand how the website works, it’s nice seeing all the different options being offered and it feels like no matter how niche your project is, there’s a festival out there for you that filmfreeway can recommend to you if you know the right filters to use.

What is your favorite meal?

It’s a Senegalese dish called Mbahalu Saloom. Mainly rice mixed with peanut !

What is next for you? A new film?

You bet! I’m very excited for this one, concept wise. We’re still in preproduction, though !

A Fair Sister, 8min., USA
Directed by Matt LaCorte
Two sisters meet up and share secrets.

Get to know screenwriter Ray Chang:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
I wanted to explore the grey areas of having and affair and also what love is. Life is not black and white. Can an affair actually strengthen relationships? Is sibling love greater than life partner love? Is there a difference between sex and love? And if you say yes, and most of you will, why can’t a healthy relationship have a sexually charged one on the side. If your partner is not interested in sex but is an amazing partner in life, is it so wrong to “self care” and find someone else to have sex with? I don’t offer answers, only questions.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
In this day and age, with the equipment and technology, it should not take long. That said, I do think it’s important to have something to say. or ask good questions. if there is substance behind your film and why you want to make it, it’ll not seem long at all. And who cares. I’ve been on big films that literally finished editing days before a huge nationwide release and I’ve seen things sit and stew forever.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!? She didn’t?!?!

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? Bad excuses. No time. No money. Procrastinating the promotion of this film. I just want to get on set and create.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video? It was the most satisfying part of this festival, seeing film pros get it.

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

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

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 would love to get together with other filmmakers and work as a team ala Sundance Film Lab. Can you get together a bunch of creatives in Toronto? Get an airline and a hotel to get us there and put us up. We can spend a couple weeks together creating.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site? This is a great way to do the festival thing. I love it.

10. What is your favorite meal? I had the best meal ever in a Chinese Monastery, all vegan (I’m not vegan at all). It blew me away that there could be so many tasty things without meat being the center of the meal.

11. What is next for you? A new film? American Sons, a feature that I’m producing will be shot in spring time. “A Priest, A Rabbi, A Bhukkhu and an Imam Walk Into a Diner…” is a fun documentary that I’m directing about human connection. I’ve got two daughters who just graduated from college and are in show business, I expect to be helping them on their projects as well.

NOT MY COAT, 1min., Russia
Directed by Denis Talanov
Too often other people push their own life rules on us guided by
their own fears, doubts and restrictions. It’s like they try to
put someone else’s coat on us sewn not to our bodies and souls.

https://instagram.com/talanovd

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
At the end of last year, I faced a situation where people again tried to tell me how I should live and create — putting their fears and limits on me. I felt like I was being pushed into a coat that didn’t belong to me — again. That moment made me realize: I can’t be quiet anymore.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
It happened really fast. The whole process took about a month and a half — from idea to the final film.

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

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

Actually, everything went really smoothly. We enjoyed the whole process and didn’t have any serious problems.
Funny thing — we wasted a full Polaroid cartridge just trying to check if the old camera worked.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
It was an incredible feeling. People from different countries understood what I wanted to say.
It felt like we spoke about something important — and it really touched people all around the world.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
When I was 15, I started shooting a web series with friends. It was a very naive idea, but that’s how my journey began.
We made episodes about teenage life, and they got 100,000 views without any promo. I learned filming and editing by doing it.
Later I started doing event videos — weddings, birthdays. I didn’t study film directing (I have a degree in show direction) but after working in the show industry, I realized I really missed personal expression — so I came back to filmmaking. And now, for the last few years, I’m fully focused on it.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Definitely Harry Potter. I watched all the parts again and again as a kid — I was a huge fan.
I spent so many hours watching those movies.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
It would be amazing to get photos and videos from the screening of my film in the cinema. That would really help to feel the presence and share the moment.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experience been working on the festival platform site?
FilmFreeway is super easy to use. It’s great that with just a few clicks you can send your ideas to the other side of the world.

10. What is your favorite meal?
Pasta. I love pasta in all forms.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
Yes! Me and my team are now working on a new big project.
It’s an art film about psychological trauma and the way it shapes our soul.
We’re reimagining the story of The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersenand through dance and performance, we focus on the character of Kai.