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Interview with Festival Director Alecs Nastoiu (SHORT TO THE POINT (STTP) )

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SHORT TO THE POINT (STTP) is an international network of distribution, broadcast and promotion of short films. Since 2009, SHORT TO THE POINT has gone through several steps and right now it has gathered some awesome projects under its umbrella.

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Matthew Toffolo: What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?

Alecs Nastoiu: The most important thing I guess is that we screen films every month. The classic annual festivals usually screen few shorts, one time per year. And the next important thing is that we screen short films in unconventional spaces like pubs, bars, museums, theatres or terraces. We try to bring short films to the audience, not the audience to cinemas. And another good thing is that we screen short films simultaneous in over 30 cities from Romania and Moldova. And very soon we will start doing this all over the world.

2) What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2018)?

We are a monthly festival, with monthly awards and screenings. But we have an annual event as well. Each year we change the host city. This year we will organize the annual edition of the festival in Bacau, Romania at the end of July. We are screening all winner films of the monthly awards editions from past year. So we offer the opportunity to the filmmakers to discover new cities each year and to meet with filmmakers from all over the world. Every time we have new audience, and new locations. So I think the experience of Short to the Point Film Festival is continuous and you will never get enough of it.

3) What are the qualifications for the selected films?

We accept any kind of short films in our festival. We have a lot of categories. And each category has it’s own selections and winners. So the qualifications are different from category to category. But our jury is looking for good stories and good filmmaking all the way.

4) Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why?

There are a lot of film festivals in the world so I think each film has its opportunity to make it to the big screen. It’s all about filmmakers. They have to know where to submit their films.

5) What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

First of all we are filmmakers. So we like films. And Short to the Point offer us the opportunity to meet people from industry, to find good ideas that maybe will inspire us in the future and of course to understand what is the trend in cinematography at the moment.

6) How has your FilmFreeway submission process been?

In my opinion FilmFreeway is the best thing in film festival industry that has happened in last 3 years. It’s the best film submission platform on the market. It’s easy to use and it has a lot of options that makes our job as a festival much more easier.

7) Where do you see the festival by 2023?

In 2023 Short to the Point will have screenings in unconventional spaces all over the world.

8) What film have you seen the most times in your life?

Because I edit my first feature length movie (Billion Star Hotel) for over 6 months, I can say that I saw it the most times. But If we speak about other directors, I can say that I saw over 30 times ‘The man who wasn’t there’, directed by Coen brothers.

9) In one sentence, what makes a great film?

A great film is a product that combines perfectly all ingredients: script, directing, cinematography, editing, acting etc

10) How is the film scene in your city?

I was born in Bucharest but for 6 years I live in a small city from Transylvania called Targu Mures. Here I started with some friends the first film production company in the history of the city. And I made 2 feature films. First of them Billion Star Hotel has 19 awards at festivals around the world and the second one is in post production. Short to the point is screening short films here every month, so I can say that the film scene is animated for the moment by my team.

 

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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 20-50 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every single month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto, and Los Angeles at least 3 times a month. Go to http://www.wildsoundfestival.com for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

Interview with Festival Director Daniel Wesseik (Pannen op Het Dak)

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Pannen op het Dak is Breda’s first and real roof-top festival and it will take place between 22nd of June – 1st of July. Come enjoy the various culinary options, cultural programs and of course a summary view of the entire Breda city. The festival is free and is for both the young and the older.

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    • Matthew Toffolo: What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?

    Daniel Wesseik: Pannen op het Dak is a festival for culture and culinary and attract various audiences. Thus, the filmmakers’ work is shared with audience that don’t often get exposed to independent animation filmmaking. I think that this is special.

    2) What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2018)?

    Pannen op het Dak is a rooftop festival, and visitors can expect an ideal experience of good food, beer and animation. Can it get better that that?
    The audience will be able to enjoy our two screening programs –
    1. Afternoon program with films created by young talents from Belgium and NL, that gives a beautiful overview of the films that were created here lately.
    2. An evening main program with films that are made by professionals and that are currently on their festival route, swiping awards.

    3) What are the qualifications for the selected films?

    For the young talent – Must be Belgian or Dutch.

    For the professional films – Outstanding artistic voice.

    4) Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why?

    Asian and arabic films. They are so different from European standards, but there is obviously a simmering creative community in many of these countries.

    5) What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

    Love for animation and a will to expose more audience to the medium.

    6) How has your FilmFreeway submission process been?

    Easy and convenient.

    7) Where do you see the festival by 2023?

    By 2023 I hope to have 6 years of successful programs, at some point with a competition as well.

    8) What film have you seen the most times in your life?

    Animated feature film – Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
    Animated short film – Choir Tour

    9) In one sentence, what makes a great film?

    Three P’s: Practice, Planning and passion.

    10) How is the film scene in your city?

    The city hosts the great Playgrounds Festival that focuses on various disciplines, but Pannen op het Dak is the only festival that aims to focus on animation exclusively.
     

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    Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 20-50 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every single month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto, and Los Angeles at least 3 times a month. Go to http://www.wildsoundfestival.com for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

Film Review: THE INCREDIBLES 2 (USA 2018) ***1/2

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Incredibles 2 Poster
Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) is left to care for Jack-Jack while Helen (Elastigirl) is out saving the world.

Director:

Brad Bird

Writer:

Brad Bird

Stars:

Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell

 

If one is making an animated action hero movie for the family, it makes sense to make the family movie about an action hero family at that.   THE INCREDIBLES 2, the sequel to the successful THE INCREDIBLES is just that, keeping the spirit of the first one intact while introducing the new addition to the family, the tot, Jack-Jack for extra good cheer.  And of course, this baby has super powers too, not only unknown (and multiple ones) but unharnessed as yet, much to the chagrin of papa Incredible.

The super action hero family is comprised of Bob Parr aka Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) and wife, Helen Parr aka Elastigirl (Helen Hunt) with their son, Dash (Huck Milner) who has superhuman speed and daughter, Violet (Sarah Vowell).  Father’s best friend is actually a robot, Frozone, Lucus Best (Samuel L. Jackson) who can turn humidity into ice.  This is probably the only film that Jackson never gets to say the ‘mother….The family have assorted super powers that they use to fight crime, only that there is one problem.  They are not allowed to as the government has established that more damage have been caused by the super heroes fighting come than the crimes themselves.  This is observed in the film’s opening sequence when the Incredibles chase after  the villain, Underminer (John Ratzenberger) as he flees in his drilling vehicle, stopping him before destroying City Hall. But the level of damage caused by the debacle is more than the authorities can handle. Rick Dicker (Jonathan Banks) informs the Parr family that his department in the Super Relocation presses most of the acts 

With so many action movies in the theatre (especially the marvel superhero Universe and the Star Wars films – last month saw three action hero movies HANS SOLO, DEADPOOL 2 and AVENGERS) , there is the need to differentiate THE INCREDIBLES 2 from other similar genre films.  The plot therefore does not include the saving of the planet or the universe as the main issue at hand.  The main issue here is the legalization back of the super heroes – to allow them to return to fight for humanity.

Most of the actors in the original INCREDIBLES reprise their roles with  Bob Odenkirk, Catherine Keener, Sophia Bush and Isabella Rossellini, voicing new characters.

THE INCREDIBLES 2 has an over convoluted plot involving the different villains and the hypnotic shields that will all prove too much for younger kids to understand and parents to follow if they are in the theatre controlling their kids.  The film runs a bit long at almost two hours, not counting the short animated featurette.

THE INCREDIBLES 2 ends brilliantly and spiritedly, keeping the spirit of both the need for action heroes and (also the need) of the family alive! 

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5qOzqD9Rms

 

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Italian Contemporary Film Festival: THE GIRL IN THE FOG (Italy/France/Germany 2017)***1/2

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La ragazza nella nebbia Poster
Trailer

Special agent Vogel is sent to an isolated town in a remote mountain valley to investigate the case of a sixteen years old’s disappearance.

Director:

Donato Carrisi

Writers:

Donato Carrisi (novel), Donato Carrisi (screenplay)

Stars:

Toni Servillo, Alessio Boni, Lorenzo Richelmy

 

Italian author Donato Carriso makes his film writing/directing debut with a top notch European-style mystery thriller set in a small mountain community of Avechot where a girl goes missing a few days before Christmas.

  She was last seen going into a fog.  The film opens with a meeting between the psychiatrist (the always excellent Jean Reno from the Luc Besson films) of Avechot, and police officer Vogel (Toni Servillo), famous for his inquiries and love of television appearances.   Then there’s a flashback: young Anna Lou Kastner, daughter of parents belonging to a fraternity of religious fanatics, leaves home two days before Christmas and disappears into the fog, allegedly abducted by a maniac assassin. Vogel arrives to investigate along with the television troupe, including hyenic journalist Stella Honer (Galatea Ranzi).

The first to be suspected is a mischievous kid, which then points the investigation towards a charming but well-behaved high school teacher (Alessio Boni).  But nothing is what it seems.  Carrisi accomplishes the task of keeping his audience glued to his well played out whodunit with his expert but flawed inspector.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZpThEgTtyM

 

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Happy Birthday: Jim Nabors

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jimnabors.jpgHappy Birthday actor Jim Nabors

Born: James Thurston Nabors
June 12, 1930 in Sylacauga, Alabama, USA

Married to: Stan Cadwallader (15 January 2013 – present)

QUOTES:

I think this story sums up my career the best. One time I was walking in an airport somewhere and I saw this woman with her young son. The son looked up at me and it was obvious that he recognized me. He thought for a second and he said ‘Mom, there goes an old Gomer!’

I never knifed anybody in the back. It was just not my nature at all and that is why I was so surprised that I made it in show business at all.

It’s pretty obvious that we had no rights as a couple, yet when you’ve been together 38 years, I think something’s got to happen there, you’ve got to solidify something. And, at my age, it’s probably…

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Happy Birthday: Timothy Busfield

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timothybusfieldHappy Birthday actor/director Timothy Busfield

Born: Timothy C. Busfield
June 12, 1957 in Lansing, Michigan, USA

Married to: Melissa Gilbert (24 April 2013 – present)

Jennifer Merwin (11 September 1988 – 2007) (divorced) (2 children)

MOVIE POSTERLITTLE BIG LEAGUE
1994
dir. Andrew Scheinman
Stars:
Luke Edwards
Timothy Busfield 		MOVIE POSTERFIELD OF DREAMS
1989
dir. Phil Alden Robinson
Starring:
Kevin Costner
James Earl Jones
TV POSTERBEST of THE WEST WING
Over 100 pages of BIOS and PICS 		TV POSTERTHE WEST WING season 1
Created by Aaron Sorkin
TV POSTERTHE WEST WING season 2
Created by Aaron Sorkin 		TV POSTERTHE WEST WING season 3
Created by Aaron Sorkin
TV POSTERTHE WEST WING season 4
Created by Aaron Sorkin 		TV POSTERTHE WEST WING season 5
Showrunner John Wells
TV POSTERTHE WEST WING season 6
Showrunner John Wells 		TV POSTERTHE WEST WING season 7
Showrunner John Wells

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Film Review: PRODIGALS (Canada 2018) *** Directed by Michelle Ouellet

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Prodigals Poster
When a young man returns to his hometown to assist with a friend’s trial it soon becomes clear that he isn’t the beacon of success that everyone thought he was.

Director:

Michelle Ouellet

Writers:

Nicholas Carella, Sean Minogue | 1 more credit »

Stars:

David Alpay, Sara Canning, Kaniehtiio Horn

 

As Canadian as it gets, a big city dreamer, Wesley (David Alpay from THE VAMPIRE DIARIES) returns home to the small Ontarian town of Sault-Saint Marie from Toronto to testify for an old friend on trial for murder.   The script by Sean Minogue and Nicholas Carell based on the stage 2011 play by Minogue ups the angst by making it clear that Wesley is not a lawyer that everyone in the town thinks he is.  The old friend on trial is quite the asshole.

  In Sault-Saint Marie, Wesley struggles between an urge to reignite his relationship with his ex-girlfriend, Jen (Sara Canning) and his friends’ expectations for him to save the trial.  Despite Wesley’s good intentions, he often comes across as quite the jerk.

Jen initially treats him with disdain, blaming him for leaving him behind.  But, as stories like this goes, they rekindle the times they have had with a good old fashioned roll in the hay.  But Jen (fortunately) has learnt her lesson and would not dream of letting Wesley get the upper hand again.  complications also arise as she is also going steady with another man, commonly known as Nips.

Director Ouellet captures the atmosphere of small town, Ontario complete with run down strip malls, dodgy pubs and moody skies.  It is winter or at least close to it as snow and ice can be observed on the ground.  The town is claustrophobic and there is no where to escape from the old friends Wesley has.  The story is told from Wesley’s point of view.  It is a film about twenty-somethings,

PRODIGALS contains a simple story of a man still trying to grow up and gain respect of his friends.  There is not much where the story can go.  Given the story’s limitations, Oulleet keeps his film always on track, trying to keep the audience’s attention.  It helps too that the lead actor Alpay, good looking and charismatic despite his character’s faults.  Caning and Alpay show off good chemistry as a couple.

The film contains a lot of confrontation scenes which reminds the audience that the film is based on a play.  But Ouellet, at least, puts these confrontation scenes in different settings.

As dramatic adapted plays go, PRODIGALS is a film where drama, acting and atmosphere are most important with crowd pleasing entertainment kept within limit.  PRODIGALS ends up a successful  realistic youth drama with real small town issues that sometimes cannot be solved.  Such is life!

Trailer: https://icff.ca/movie-2018-il-colore-nascosto-delle-cose/

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Italian Contemporary Film Festival: EMMA (ll Colore Nascosto Delle Cose)

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Il colore nascosto delle cose Poster
Teo has a good job, a fiancee, a lovers, no intention to assume any responsibility in his life. The meeting with Emma, a blind woman, will upset his convictions.

Director:

Silvio Soldini

Writers:

Davide Lantieri (screenplay), Davide Lantieri (story) |4 more credits »

Stars:

Valeria Golino, Adriano Giannini, Arianna Scommegna

 

EMMA is basically a romantic comedy with a slight difference.  One of the couple, in this case the female is blind since the age of 16.  Emma (Valeria Golino), the blind osteopath meets general womanizer Teo (Adriano Giannini) on an outing which takes place totally in the dark.  Mersmerized by her sexy voice, Teo uses his charms to make her his new target. 

The film tries to remain cool and respectful despite the fact that this is romance with a kinky twist which translates to prejudice against the blind.  So how does one do an erotic scene between a blind woman and a man?  Eroticism is provided  when Teo goes for a complete physical emanation conducted by her when two is in the nude.  She uses her bare hands (no gloves) to press certain parts of his body.  “It takes pain to heal,” she advices him during the examination.  “You notice how the waiter ignores me, I am blind, not deaf.” 

 Despite a few ideas and difference in this romantic comedy, the well-intentioned totally predictable Harlequin romance fails to entice, entertain or enlighten.  A total grope in the dark with no light at the end!

Trailer: https://icff.ca/movie-2018-il-colore-nascosto-delle-cose/

 

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Interview with Festival Director June Daguiso (World Music & Independent Film Festival)

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Nine years ago, June created World Music & Independent Film Festival (WMIFF) with the mission and objective to create a platform for Indie filmmakers to showcase their work of art, for building a global film community, and supporting emerging filmmakers.

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Matthew Toffolo: What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?

June Daguiso: Most of the filmmakers who won in our festival in beginning of each month of the year, will easily get other nominations and wins in other film festival. Majority of them also landed distributions.

What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2018)?

2019 will be a very special year because we will be celebrating a decade in existence as a community of artists. I hope to see most of past winners at the 10th year anniversary-reunion of the World Music & Independent Film Festival to be held for the 4th times on the cruise ship leaving from Tampa, Florida to Costa Maya,Mexico, Belize, Roatan Honduras and Cozumel, Mexico on Saturday, January 26 through Saturday, February 2

What are the qualifications for the selected films?

We have several judges that watch certain categories and they make a recommendation if we can include their films as officially selected films.

Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why?

When I started submitting my projects to big festivals, i never get any good feedback and the notification that they sent me is a generic. I don’t think they even watch my film. The bigger the festival, the less chance that your film get selected.

What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

“My mission and objective was to create a platform not only for the DC, Maryland, and Virginia indie filmmakers, but also to provide a platform of achievements for international cinema artists.” Since its early beginnings in 2010, WMIFF has continued promoting filmmakers and musicians to a global audience.

We are dedicated to building a global film community and supporting emerging filmmakers. WMIFF has continued to strive and improve on its mission to promote and provide opportunities for artists of all genres to hone their skills and gain access to opportunities via our events, promotions, and networking opportunities.

How has your FilmFreeway submission process been?

Film Freeway is really awesome. Not only its free for all festival organizers, but they also have the tools and everything you need just like withoutabox.

Where do you see the festival by 2023?

This is our 10th year. It’s been a struggle since we don’t have any major sponsors, but we manage to run the festival every year. We waive submission fees to about 20 % to mostly 3rd World Countries that cannot afford to pay the submission fees. There still a good amount of filmmakers that pay the fees to keep us going.

What film have you seen the most times in your life?

I watch average of 150-200 indie films every year, so I rarely go to a movie theater to see Hollywood films. My favorite film in my collection that I watch all the times is Saving Private Ryan.

In one sentence, what makes a great film?

A great film must have the combinations of a good story, acting, cinematography, and original sound tracks.

 

 

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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 20-50 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every single month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto, and Los Angeles at least 3 times a month. Go to http://www.wildsoundfestival.com for more information and to submit your work to the festival.

Interview with Festival Director Alex Gardner (PHILADELPHIA UNNAMED FILM FESTIVAL)

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It’s year three of the Philadelphia Unnamed Film Festival! Last year’s PUFF brought an eclectic mix of horror, science fiction, and bizarre films to the genre fans at the beautiful Proscenium Theater at The Drake in Philadelphia.

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Matthew Toffolo: What is your Film Festival succeeding at doing for filmmakers?

Alex Gardner: PUFF is not an awards farm like some film festivals. We succeed at promoting great films and connecting them to distributors. Almost every single feature film we have screened has gone on to find distribution.

What would you expect to experience if you attend the festival this year (2018)?

PUFF is four days of film, food and fun! We don’t want the festival to be where you see one film and go home. We want people to come to Philadelphia and have a great time. We try to make PUFF an experience the minute you walk in the door. This year we hope to have more of an interactive experience in the lobby, and there is always plenty of booze floating around. We hope people not only see a bunch of great films, but that they stick around, have a beer and talk to each other about what they just saw. Then they can go out and enjoy the great nightlife our city has to offer.

What are the qualifications for the selected films?

We are an alternative film festival. We are looking for great, unreleased films that are typically ignored by mainstream film festivals. This includes horror, sci-fi, experimental and so on.

Do you think that some films really don’t get a fair shake from film festivals? And if so, why?

Depends on the film festival. While I think some type of films get ignored by more mainstream festivals, there are plenty of genre and alternative film festivals to accommodate most films.

What motivates you and your team to do this festival?

Fun. There’s no point in doing this unless we’re having fun.

Where do you see the festival by 2023?

Hopefully I’m just alive by 2023, but if we make it that far I want PUFF to be a multimedia experience that is a destination for film fanatics. The aim of PUFF is to not only bring great films to Philadelphia, but to incorporate the city nightlife. Philadelphia is an up and coming city that offers our own culture, history, art, great food, beer and more.

What film have you seen the most times in your life?

Unfortunately, Look Who’s Talking. I feel like that film was on television every second on my teenage years, but if you mean on purpose it has to be Congo. Congo is an underappreciated master piece of comedy, action and horror.

In one sentence, what makes a great film?

The ability entertain.

How is the film scene in your city?

To be honest, not so great, and that’s why we created PUFF. Philly is a sports town first, and it always will be, but it has grown so much over the last few years. We hope to be the driving force behind making the film scene better in Philadelphia.

 

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Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 20-50 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every single month. And the FEEDBACK Monthly Festival held in downtown Toronto, and Los Angeles at least 3 times a month. Go to http://www.wildsoundfestival.com for more information and to submit your work to the festival.