The Way Back Home is a two-minute poetic film that unfolds underwater, where a woman’s expressive movements accompany a powerful monologue on identity, womanhood, and self-ownership — written, directed, and narrated by the filmmaker herself. As the performer drifts through silence and resistance, the voice rises against the weight of judgment and expectation — reclaiming scars, softness, and the right to become. A cinematic meditation on finding one’s way back to the self.

Project Links

•  Website
•  Instagram

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I wanted to create a visual letter to my daughter—and to every woman— and I had created this film for women’s day, and all I could think about is that I am the mother of two beautiful daughters and mostly because I know about the invisible pressures we carry from before we are born, especially in the Middle East. The underwater space became a metaphor for silence, strength, and survival. It allowed me to express what words alone couldn’t say: the constant act of rising back to the surface.

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

The idea came very instinctively, and the film was created within just a week, I had a clear vision of how I wanted to do it. I gave my friends a call, they jumped on board and off we went to filming… everything flowed naturally. The post-production, sound, and narration were done also within another week where I completely isolated myself and did the edit and all voice recordings.

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

Depths of a woman

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

It was the funding, but it didn’t take long before I contacted a friend of mine who offered the full funding of the film. Keeping in mind that many people worked on this project voluntarily as well, believing in the project.

5. There are 5 Stages of Filmmaking: 1) Development. 2) Pre-Production. 3) Production. 4) Post-Production. 5) Distribution. 

What is your favorite stage of the process and why?

My favorite stage of this project was its filming because it felt very soothing, very spiritual and the energy in that aquarium studio was magical.

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

Ever since I was 18, now I am 44 years old.

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

Malèna by Giuseppe Tornatore.

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

Connecting filmmakers with curators, writers, producers, and distributors through creative talks or one-on-one mentorships would be incredibly helpful. We need not just exposure but genuine dialogue and exchange.

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

It’s been easy and inspiring. The platform gives independent filmmakers visibility and accessibility that once felt impossible.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Anything Mediterranean—simple, fresh, and full of flavor. I am also a great cook, and always prefer homemade meals that are cooked from the heart, and food that has soul!

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

I’ve just filmed a new underwater piece with artistic nudity — imagined as a parallel world where a woman finally feels safe to be her truest self. It’s the beginning of a narrative short that continues my exploration of women’s emotional and visual freedom.

“Somewhere.. between reality and dreams, The Artist begins his Descent… towards the light”

“Devil’s Cry” is a short film that blends visual art and music.

All Music and Sound Design were Composed and Performed by Michele Fraternali using only electric bass.

This Opera and the Caracters were inspired by the timeless journey of Dante’s Divine Comedy and the magical world of Devil May Cry.

Project Links

•  Website
•  Instagram

1. What inspired you to make this film?
Hello everyone, and thank you for this interview! After experimenting with directing my first music videos, I felt the need to challenge myself further and create a short film that could capture part of my introspective and spiritual journey — through the characters, the story, and the music.

2. How long did it take to make this film, from the idea to the finished product?
I’d say it took about as long as a baby’s gestation — roughly nine months from conception to the end of post-production.

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

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Definitely composing the soundtrack for the film’s most crucial moments. I set myself the challenge of using only electric bass for the score, and together with my brother Gabriele — who directed the music production — we managed to find solutions we were truly satisfied with.

5. Making a film consists of five phases: 1) Development. 2) Pre-production. 3) Production. 4) Post-production. 5) Distribution.
What’s your favorite part of the process, and why?
I prefer the production phase, especially editing and composing music, because that’s when all the pieces come together and the work takes shape. It’s a stage that requires a lot of focus and care.

6. When did you realize you wanted to make films?
I never really did — I just followed my need to express myself when it became too strong to ignore.

7. What film have you watched most often in your life?
The Matrix.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you advance your filmmaking career?
I think personal feedback is very important — it can help audiences better understand the film’s key themes and encourage more people to watch it.

9. You submitted your work to the festival via FilmFreeway. How was your experience working on the festival platform?
It was very rewarding, I must say — especially unexpected, given the numerous awards and official selections I’ve received, both nationally and internationally.

10. What’s your favorite dish?
Pizza — I’m Italian.

11. What’s next for you? A new film?
I still need to bring several ideas into focus, but it will certainly be a continuation of my journey of spiritual discovery.

Filmed in an intimate setting supported by a mid-wife, an eight-year-old sibling’s delighted reactions and questions of birth are heard off-screen while her baby brother is being born – with all who are present also experiencing the elation of birthing. 1. What motivated you to make this film? A neighbor-friend was about to give birth to her baby and we both were eager for me to capture the moment with my 16mm film Beaulieu camera.   2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? About two months.   3. How would you describe your film in two words!? Joyous childbirth.   4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? This was one of the easier of my films to make – after transferring the sound captured separately, I edited the film with a Steenbeck flatbed editor, and then prepared the A/B rolls myself, and sent it out to the lab for processing at W.A. Palmer Films, in 1983. After receiving a faculty research grant, I sent my original 16mm out to ColorLab in Rockville, Maryland where the film was scanned to digital. The film has had selected screenings, in both forms, projected in 16mm and digital.   5. There are 5 Stages of Filmmaking: 1) Development. 2) Pre-Production. 3) Production. 4) Post-Production. 5) Distribution.  What is your favorite stage of the process and why? Production (filming) – I love the act of filming and capturing the action on film. It’s immediate, challenging aesthetically to get all of the right angles, and allows me to “be there.” I love post-production also, but it is a more solitary meditation experience.   6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films? As a child we had a regular-8 camera when I was about nine years old, when I was able to do some of the filming and photography on family trips. After taking darkroom photography courses at Miami-Dade Junior high-school, I began with 16mm experimental filmmaking at the California College of the Arts that brought this all together and launched my career in filmmaking and teaching production on the university level.   7. What film have you seen the most in your life? Most memorable was my orientation into art film when I saw The Red Balloon (1956 directed by Albert Lamorisse), at the Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore, that inspired me at age five.     8. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site? The ease of having a one-stop distribution website helps  with an easy process – upload the movie, poster, etc., and find festivals – that facilitates getting the work out to world-wide audiences, attending international film festivals, and deadlines that prompt completion.   9. What is your favorite meal? Mediterranean sampler.   10. What is next for you? A new film? I’ve recently completed or completing Charlotte Salomon’s Letter and Ottilie Moore Heiress in the Resistance, and Charlotte Salomon Portrait of the Artist, in my trilogy related to my great aunt Ottilie Moore who sheltered and rescued refugees in the South of France during WWII, including the artist Charlotte Salomon, and then finalize my mini-series Ottilie Moore and Charlotte Salomon in the Nazi Era. As far as other new work, I plan to continue with experimental and independent production on various films currently in development.

LUCKY ALIEN, 15min., USA
Directed by Jasmin Please Haugstuen
“Lucky Alien” is a gripping short film that explores one woman’s fight for love and dignity against the merciless bureaucracy of immigration, shedding light on the dark corners of a broken system. This social drama with a sprinkle of dark humor will evoke feelings and moments of intense suspense, witnessing uncomfortable but real situations that happen everyday on these country borders. With it’s fast-paced dialogue and seemingly endless levels of hell, the cast of characters in this world of limbo will make you laugh and cry, and hopefully inspire conversation and actions for change. – BASED ON A TRUE STORY

https://www.instagram.com/luckyalienfilm/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
Honestly, while this was happening to me there was a point where I saw my reflection sitting there crying holding on to my Teddy Bear and I told myself I would make a movie about this one day. When I came home I tried contacting news outlets in Norway telling them my stories so they could warn people about this – but I never heard back. I never got any opportunities to tell the story in a way I felt was going to reach as many people as possible. This could happen to anyone and I don’t think anyone is prepared for this, so I wanted people to know to be very careful. I wrote a blog post about it and hoped maybe it would garner some attention – it did not. 10 years later and I still have travel anxiety, but I felt distant enough from the trauma to be able to tackle it as a film – so it felt like the right time.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
Since it wasn’t really an idea, it was something that happened to me – over ten years. When I decided to make it, it was probably around 8/9 months of fundraising, preproduction and then eventually shooting, and another year in post, still trying to fund the editing, color grading and festival submissions. A long time! I probably could have spent more time tinkering with it in post, but I felt done. I just wanted to send it on it’s merry way and hope it would reach the right people and make an impact. I needed to move on to a lighter subject. But I’m very proud of it, even though it’s not perfect.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Not fun.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Funding. I could not have done this without the support of people who donated. I worked pretty much full time begging and scraping while crowdfunding and it took 6 months to raise 15K, and I didn’t even have everything we needed when we started shooting. So I was terrified I wasn’t going to be able to pull it off. The locations had to be nailed down too which is hard with a low budget, AEROMOCKUPS were amazing and helped me a lot and we were able to work out a great deal with them at their really amazing airport and airplane sets. It was the first film I wrote NOT writing around locations I already have, it HAD to be set in those locations as it was based on a true story – That was challengning.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
It was so great. Just wonderful hearing that people appreciated being sort of alerted to that this happens (although its become a super topical thing of late and more people know now) that was one of my biggest goals. I also loved how every single one of them commented on Noa’s performance. She is an incredibly talented actress and carried this film, I immediately sent it to her so she could see for herself what an impact she made. I also loved how people could appreciate that it was told through a privileged POV, which sadly sometimes is a more effective way to get people to pay attention and empathize.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
When I was watching them as a kid, wasn’t sure in what capacity – just that I wanted to be a part of the circus somehow. Initially I wanted to be an actor, but fell in love with the collaborative process so much that I wanted to be even more involved.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Probably Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban hahaha

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 really think the really well curated and set up networking experiences are the best. A lot of the time it feels like people are just there to see their own film and they don’t care about anything else. But when a festival starts off with a great networking event with a speed dating setup so that you don’t have to muster up the courage to approach people – but there’s a facilitated way to meet people, I find that I care more about other people’s projects and connect more naturally.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
It feels impossible, and like a numbers game, and sometimes rigged. The platform is user friendly and okay, but you really have to spend time looking at the right festivals.

10. What is your favorite meal?
Gah that’s hard. No. I can’t. I love foooood

11. What is next for you? A new film?
SPACE T.I.T.S ! My next project is a Sci-fi 10 minute proof of concept for a feature fllm. It’s a Barbarella meets Star trek, with an all female cast set in spaaace with silly stuff, practical effects, puppets, awesome costumes etc.

It Came to This, 25min,. USA
Directed by Sheldon Schiffer
It Came to This is a short romantic fantasy comedy about a woman writer and her boyfriend whose plans to move in together are interrupted. Love should inspire compromise, right? At least until an ugly lamp becomes more than just a light, but the flame that could light their relationship on fire.

https://www.instagram.com/sheldonelias

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I have lived through many romantic relationships. I was recently going through a process of reflection on those relationships. One day, while teetering a little depressive cycle between remorse and regret, I took a break by doing some stress-relief thrift shop cruising. I was perusing the aisles and found the lamp that is the main prop of the film. When I saw the lamp, I picked it up and thought, I am going to make a movie about this lamp, and two lovers are going to fight over it. And because it is so weird, mysterious and culturally distinct, the audience is going to laugh, and then maybe learn something about creativity, the imagination, and the exotic.

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

Three and a half years. But in that time, I fathered a new born with my spouse. Moved to a new city. Started a new job, and lost one too. And sadly, we also lost our little girl.

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

Absurd Jealousy

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

The pandemic. We wrapped production one week before the shutdown. It was very hard to complete a few pickups and get postproduction started when everyone was afraid of getting sick by sitting in the same room with others.

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

Delight. Wow, these folks totally understood my film. So happy that it resulted in the smiles that usually come with completing a puzzle.

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

Age 15, after watching an old film, Ordinary People, directed by Robert Redford with Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore. I knew I wanted to make films about relationships.

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

Le Ecclisse (Antonioni), Quest for Fire (Anaud), Blade Runner (Scott), The Sacrifice (Tarkovski), kind of a tie

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 helpful if festivals could provide some audience architecting direction and templates for social media campaigns. I think many filmmakers are a little under-informed on how to use social media to find, define and expand their audience in sync with festival events, whether in person or online. With a template and a timed events, festivals could coordinate or simply inform filmmakers on what could they do and when they could do their outreach on a day by day basis leading up to the event.

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

Film Freeway works well.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Breakfast. Smoked salmon omelets

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

My new film has a working title of The Collector. It’s about a street art collector who collects postcards. He finds a postcard that describes a rendevous decades into the future. But that future date is coming up. So, he hijacks the romantic date and shows up as the man in the postcard. What becomes of him is a lesson in getting more than what you wanted.

Yep, another relationship film.

Routine, 4min., USA
Directed by Russ Emanuel
During a mysterious pandemic, Cassie’s quarantine life has turned into a routine, day in and day out. Nothing new seems to happen, until she realizes she’s out of coffee. And she’s determined to get her cup of joe, even if she must face the horrors of the outside world. Because “she’d kill for a cup of coffee.”

https://www.instagram.com/russem31/

Get to know filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

a. My late filmmaking partner Emile Haris (who passed away in 2023) and I decided to make this film during the beginnings of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Even though everything was shut down, we didn’t want that to stop us from making something so we hired a non-SAG actress named Paige Laree Poucel to play Cassie and Haris and I became a 2-man team and filmed at my condo over one shoot day. And for the exterior third act, we hired DC/Marvel Comics artist Dave Beaty to draw it in animated form.

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

a. We began formulating the idea on March 9, 2020, filmed on April 24 and completed the film on June 29. Because of the success of this film, we were able to make a feature sequel film called “Staycation” (which just got distribution as “Apocalypse Death Party” through DeskPop Entertainment, a subsidiary of Twin Engines Global, and will be released on October 31, 2025 for DVD and streaming).

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

a. Zombie Pandemic

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

a. It was definitely the Covid-19 Pandemic which had shut down everything from local shops to the SAG-Aftra Union.

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

a. Immense gratitude.

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

a. Ever since I was a little kid and fell in love with film music, especially those of composer John Williams.

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

a. The Empire Strikes Back.

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

a. What you are doing by publicizing my works really helps me to get the word out there for my previous films including my 6 feature films I’ve had the privilege of directing and for future feature films I’m currently planning, including the sequel to “Staycation”.

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

a. I love FilmFreeway.

10. What is your favorite meal?

a. Ice cream.

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

a. The aforementioned “Staycation 2” (aka “Apocalypse Death Party 2”). You can see all my past/present/future film projects at my production website www.russem.com.

Requital, 3min,. UK
Directed by Ande Case
A short Animation of how history repeats itself. Frustratingly.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
The original idea was from my partner who talked about history repeating itself. We despise inequality, that people so wealthy they will never want for anything still end up being so cruel and disgusting. The worst of us. They have the ability to end hunger, disease, homelessness yet they always end up being fascists who only want to visit cruelty upon others.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
About 6 months from script to final version as Lucy, the animator, was very kindly developing this film in between all the other work she had on and, due to budget, we had to rethink some scenes and visuals.

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

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? Finance, it’s always finance. I have reached a point where ‘funding streams’ are some fairy tale old filmmakers tell newbies about how good it was in their day 🙂

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
Humbled. That others understood the story, the journey, the messages I was trying to communicate. As a scriptwriter / filmmaker that to me is the most important part of the creation – no good someone saying the film was beautifully shot if they have no idea what it meant.

6. When did you realise that you wanted to make films?
At least 20 years ago but it took another 10 years to actually believe I could. Then there was the whole creating scripts, building networks, understanding all the mechanics. Then being a finalist in a major script competition which I assumed meant Hollywood next and in fact led to absolutely nothing. The harsh reality has kept me focused though.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
That would be a stupidly long list as I rewatch so many but ones that spring to mind are Shawshank Redemption, Singin’ In The Rain, Apocalypse Now, Serenity, Princess Bride, Hot Fuzz, Bladerunner, Jaws, Alien and The Matrix. But, if you are forcing me to pick one then 2001: A Space Odyssey for the practical effects alone.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
Difficult but certainly one Festival made clear (after you had paid) they would only accept 10 Short films. But they had 100’s applying. However you want to look at that it feels like money making not supporting the creative community. For me though, if you are selected or better still Win you get actual, tangible networking opportunities.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
Been using this platform for a while and never had any difficulties with it. Of course, with so many other platforms closing, it has pretty much become the one to use and hopefully that may better shine a torch on emerging talent who get a chance to take their career further.

10. What is your favourite meal?
I want to say something exotic and amazing but really buttered toast with a ‘good’ scrambled egg and a pinch of salt and pepper.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
Yes, a new film. I have several scripts I want to make but, of course, it is all about having the finances in place first.

Masai Mara, 3min,. Italy
Directed by Andrea Bufi
In the heart of the Masai Mara, amid the smiles of children, Masai dances, and the wild breath of the savannah, an intense and authentic visual story unfolds.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
The motivation came from the desire to discover a world so distant from ours, a place with different cities, sounds, landscapes, animals, and cultures. I was deeply inspired by the bond between nature and humanity that exists in the Masai Mara. It’s a place where time slows down, where the connection between the earth, animals, and people feels pure and sacred. I wanted to capture that emotional balance, that peace between “sky and earth” and turn it into a short but powerful visual experience.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
The project began with the simple idea of documenting and keeping a memory of my trip to Kenya. I had no intention of submitting it to festivals, and it wasn’t even on my mind at first. The first version, about five or six minutes long, was edited directly while I was still on vacation. The final version, shaped for festivals, came later, after reflecting on and revisiting all the footage, turning it into something deeper and more personal.

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

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
It happened during a complicated period, both personally and professionally. I was going through a difficult emotional situation and felt overwhelmed by work. One day, I decided to challenge myself to see if I could truly stand out in the filmmaking world, which has always been my ambition. More than anything, I wanted to understand if my work could be recognized, to regain self-confidence and remind myself of what I’m capable of.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
It was truly moving. Seeing people connect emotionally with my images, feeling that same sense of peace and wonder I experienced there was incredibly rewarding.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I realized I wanted to pick up a camera not necessarily for cinema itself, but as a tool for work and personal growth. I wanted to build a future as a videomaker, to tell stories and convey emotions, above all, to do it out of passion.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
I wouldn’t say I have one favorite film, but rather several directors whose style I deeply admire. There are many films I love for different reasons, and choosing only one would be too limiting.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
Festivals like this already do something extraordinary, they give visibility to independent filmmakers. It would be amazing to have even more opportunities for networking, collaborations, or masterclasses with other filmmakers, a way to grow not only as artists but also as a creative community.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experience been working on the festival platform site?
It was smooth and efficient. FilmFreeway makes it easy to discover new festivals and connect with people who truly appreciate independent cinema.

10. What is your favorite meal?
Pizza, of course.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
I’m trying to find the right moment. Work keeps me very busy, and it’s not always easy to focus on my personal goals. But I’ll find a way, maybe for another short film where I can dedicate myself even more and continue to grow as a filmmaker.