Feature Film Winner from the BLACK Feedback Film Festival.
Afeni shakur and the trial of the Panther 21, 70min., USA Directed by Ray Barron- Woolford FRSA The Untold inspired story of Afeni Shakur one black woman pregnant with the rap star Tupac, charged with 156 acts of terrorism with no lawyer or legal training fought her corner to be found NOT GUILTY on every charge
Adam Kirley is one of the best stunt performers in the world today. He has performed in over 60 films in the last 16 years, including: Iron Man 3, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, X-Men: First Class, Terminator Salvation, and Munich. He was Daniel Craig’s stunt double in the landmark James Bond movie “Casino Royale”. He is also a Screen Actors Guild and World Stunt Award winner.
Interview with Adam Kirley:
Matthew Toffolo: The action/comedy “Grimsby” is currently playing at a a theater near you. What can we expect to see? How was your working experience doing stunts on that film?
Adam Kirley: Grimsby is a mix of a Bond/Bourne action mixed in a Sacha Baron Cohen comedy film. It was a challenge to do believable gritty action without loosing the SBC comedy elements.
MT: Have you suffered a lot of injuries doing stunts? If so, what has been your worst injury?
AK: Unfortunately its the nature of our game. You can reduce the risk as much as possible but there will always be an element of risk that remains. I have had the usual cuts and bruises that most performers receive on a daily basis. My more serious injuries include: 6 knee surgeries, 1 shoulder reconstruction, and a broken back. These actually weren’t caused by a big accident just years of wear and tear.
MT: You’ve done stunts on over 60 films in the last 16 years alone. Do you have a favorite experience? What film are you most proud of?
AK: I think my proudest moment as a stunt performer would have to be working on Casino royale stunt doubling for James Bond. The Bond movies are such iconic action films with so much history its quite an honour to be a part of.
PHOTO: Adam jumps from crane to crane in the opening scene in Casino Royale:
MT: What does a Stunt Coordinator do on set?
AK: On Set the stunt coordinator basically choreographs the stunt team to perform the scene. The job of the stunt coordinator starts well before the shoot day, we have to look at the script, and with the director design the action required. Then we assemble a team that is best suited to perform the action.
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MT: Has there been a stunt that you love to perform that you haven’t performed yet?
AK: I have been very fortunate over my career to perform a wide range of stunts so really don’t have an outstanding stunt I wish I could do.
MT: How did you get into the stunt performer game? Was there extensive training involved?
AK: My beginnings were on a traveling stunt show. I performed the human torch & human cannon for 2 years then I did my training to join the British Stunt register which consisted in getting to a high level (Instructor) in 6 different disciplines. I did Swimming, Scuba diving, Judo, Fencing, Trampolining and Gymnastics and had to get my Actors Equity card also. This training is just to get you to a level of fitness and show you have the aptitude to learn new skills. The real training begins when you start working on set with the more experienced stunt performers and coordinators.
PHOTO: Adam jumps off a cliff with another performer and a car:
MT: Where do you see the future of green-screen stunt performing in the motion pictures?
AK: Green-screen sets seem to be increasing on every production I work on. I think its mainly used to reduce costs on set builds and give the director the creative freedom to change things in post Production. It doesn’t really change our job a great deal it just makes it a little boring staring at green walls all day.
MT: What’s the biggest high risk stunt you’ve performed to date?
AK: I think the most dangerous stunts I have ever performed would have to be the ones on Casino Royale. I was one of the doubles for Bond so was kept very busy. I was one of the guys that jump from crane to crane for the opening sequence and I also got to drive the Aston Martin DBS that climaxed with a crash at 85mph that ended up being a world record. (see slide show of this stunt below)
MT: Have you done a lot of stunt driving? What type of training does one have to do to become a stunt driver?
AK: When I was about 8 years old I wanted to be a racing driver and after doing a few years of karting, it became very expensive so unfortunately it wasn’t an option. Then when I was 17 I started out in stunts doing traveling shows for 2 years. It was an auto stunt show so was a great place to learn stunt driving. I then went away and practiced a lot and picked up small stunt driving jobs that built my reputation. Its quite a long process becoming a stunt driver.
MT: Do you have a stunt performer mentor?
AK: My mentor was my Step-Father (Steve Griffin) who is a stunt coordinator and a 2nd unit director. He was very helpful showing me how the industry worked in my early days and still offers me great advice.
PHOTO Slide Show: Adam does a car stunt. (Don’t ever try this!)
____ Interviewer Matthew Toffolo is currently the CEO of the WILDsound FEEDBACK Film & Writing Festival. The festival that showcases 10-20 screenplay and story readings performed by professional actors every month. And the DAILY Film Festival held online and in downtown Toronto on Thursday’s of every single month. Go to http://www.wildsound.ca for more information and to submit your work to the festival.
Very impressed with the table read of ‘Auberon’s Last Chance’. Far more professional than other’s I’ve seen. Full marks to all at the Toronto Festival!
Self discovery, healing from trauma and beating the ubiquitous “imposter syndrome”. It is a comedic and sometimes horrific, plant medicine fueled, spiritual journey of self awareness for 3 diverse yet troubled Americans where they emerge victorious and more god-like.
It is a prescient story that reminds viewers of the importance and power of Mexican culture. It also represents a very different story for gay and trans people. One is battling depression and PTSD due to police abuse, and the other, impostor syndrome. Conditions that are the most prevalent mental health challenges today. They are both battling for self-love instead of societal abuse (which does happen). It also reinforces the importance of plant medicines for healing our minds and spirits, which is experiencing more mainstream acceptance. Many cities in America and across the globe are realizing the life-changing healing properties of Psilocybin and Ayahuasca and are legalizing them for use in healing depression and PTSD.
3. How would you describe this script in two words?
Self Love
4. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
The Wizard of Oz because it’s about an individual’s spiritual journey towards enlightenment. I read a book that covered the back story on L. Frank Baum’s inspirations for the Wizard of OZ and how the author created the story as an allegory for Buddhism. The yellow brick road was written as a metaphor for an individual’s “golden path” to enlightenment. I love the character development and the world-building. Also love how the story totally immerses you and takes you on an unexpected journey. I feel Pueblo is similar in structure. Basically, the hero’s journey.
5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
So the seed of the story happened about 10 years ago. I had written many notes over that period. The time to write the actual screenplay took about 3 months. It was after a day trip to the ruins of Ek Balam near Cancun Mexico. My best friend and I planned to go visit the ruins but after many unexpected events getting there we felt like we went through some kind of 5th dimensional portal where time and space didn’t exist. Weed aka “The Devil’s Lettuce” was involved so that helped but going through the jungle was many levels of surreal, kind of like Dorothy when she goes into that nightmare forest. We saw so many strange things and once we got to the ruins it had just closed so we never got to see them but the small town adjacent to the ruins was also creepy and a bit of a time portal and we couldn’t find a way out for a bit. Add to this while on the way driving through the jungle on a one lane highway, my best friend shared a story of a past-life regression he had where he saw that he was a Mexican peasant that died a miserable death as an alcoholic. Needless to say, my creative juices started imagining a story that incorporated this wild experience and my favorite ancient culture – the Mayans with their rich mythologies.
6. How many stories have you written?
I have 4 features. 1 is titled The Cuban American Dream, which coincidentally just placed as a top 10 finalist in Screencraft family Contest on the same day I received the email for this win. I also have 2 short film screenplays and 4 TV pilots with 2 pilots having 2 episodes completed. 2 published children’s books (Harper Collins) for ages 3-8 about nutrition and coping with fear. Finally, I am currently pitching a fictional spiritual adventure manuscript that explores benevolent beings from across the galaxy and the Universe written for Middle Grade to Young Adults. It’s kind of like a prequel to The Little Prince.
7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
So I have a list of stories that I am constantly developing, and I factor in current events and the zeitgeist of our time on whether I complete one screenplay over another. With the current trend of authoritarian governments using LGBT+ individuals and immigrants as scapegoats to gain support, I felt this specific story needed to be born now. It is a story of two LGBT individuals who are successful financially and not battling any of the issues we see in most LGBT+ films (coming out, abuse, etc). They are battling for a full and absolute, unconditional self-love. The other main character, Jahari, who is a heterosexual male, is best friends with Wallace, a gay man, which mirrors a normal situation where many heterosexual males have at least one gay friendship. Jahari is trying to achieve the “American Dream”, battling his materialistic, money-hungry ego that mirrors the psyche of most Americans today. Most films show a female with a gay best friend. I wanted to break stereotypes across the board, especially with Odys, who is a gorgeous, dynamic Trans woman who passes for a biological woman. She owns her own business and is thriving, but her only demon is herself.
The other social issue I wanted to shine a spotlight on was Mexican culture and its many contributions to society today. It seems to be a focus point for our current President Trump to attack and characterize them as rapists and evil people as well as going after trans individuals. I wanted to honor the Mexican culture. To remind Americans that the Mayan civilization was highly sophisticated, making advances in mathematics, agriculture, astronomy and architecture that lasted for over 3000 years and left many contributions to our society today. They invented the number zero, cultivated cacao (chocolate) as a food source, and their calendar was more accurate than the European one at the time. Their cities were more populous and sophisticated than Europe’s largest capital cities. The only thing they didn’t have were guns. That and immunity to foreign diseases ultimately led to their downfall. Being an archaeologist who has studied their rich culture for decades, I used the Mayan Hero Twin Myth as a structure for Pueblo. Our main characters are led down the same path as the Hero Twins in the Mayan underworld (Xibalba) where they are tested in underground houses inside a subterranean cavern system and eventually come out more god-like. Pueblo is essentially like Disney’s Coco, a homage to Aztec and Mayan culture and how their lessons can be applied to modern people of today. I wanted people to remember the importance of Mexico and its fallen empire as a mirror to the United States, which seems to be an empire in decline.
8. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?
Not many. Like I said, I have a lifetime of research on the subject of the Maya so that really helped make sure I was getting their story right. I also hired Rhys Ernst, a trans producer of HBO’s Transparent, for a sensitivity read to make sure the trans character was correct in every way, and he added a few notes that improved Odys overall. Being a gay man myself, I didn’t need help getting Wallace right.
9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Anthropology and Archaeology. I’ve done a few digs in Egypt and Bosnia and am a freelance journalist for Popular Archaeology magazine. History overall fascinates me because as they say the past is prologue and we are destined to repeat the same mistakes until we learn the lessons of our past. History is a rich repository for fascinating myths and stories.
10. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?
To be honest, there aren’t many LGBT focused screenplay festivals out there, so you came up in my Coverfly feed, and I really love Toronto, so an alarm bell went off to enter.
11. What movie have you watched the most times in your life?
Come to think of it, it’s a tie between The Fifth Element and The Wizard of OZ.
As Long As You Want, 22min., Canada Directed by Matt Santos For as Long as You Want is a tender, conversation-driven short film about two actors, Liz and Brad, running lines in a quiet basement one afternoon. What starts as a simple rehearsal slowly turns into something deeper as they begin to open up about their relationships, their dreams, and the things they’re afraid to admit out loud. Liz is in a relationship that no longer feels right, with someone who doesn’t really see her. Brad’s charming, grounded, and unexpectedly honest. As they talk, laugh, and share food, the connection between them grows easy, real, and a little bit electric. With Liz’s train out of the city approaching, she has to decide whether to go back to the life she’s been trying to make work, or stay in this moment just a little longer. Quiet, raw, and full of heart, For as Long as You Want is about timing, chemistry, and the things we don’t plan for.
Many things. I had been wanting to make a film for a while, that unlike my previous ones, I would actually release. Unfortunately, I didn’t have access to any equipment beyond my iphone and a couple of mics. Being a big fan of Richard Linklater’s Before trilogy and the way in which its entirely conversation driven, I figured I could do something similar, except have it all take place in one intimate location. The story itself is very closely based on a real experience that I’ve had, and so the main goal became to capture that feeling of connecting with another person. Lastly, my co-star, the amazingly talented Liv Corriveau, had directed a riveting romantic drama called “When You Come Over” in which we discovered that we have natural chemistry on screen. I wanted to make something that would be complimentary to her film, but different in that the characters get a happy ending. I like to think that our films are perfect for being watched back to back.
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
Roughly five days. I got home after a lunch meeting feeling very inspired and wrote the script in a couple of hours. The next day I decorated the set, my basement, and tried to give it a specific colour palette. The next day we spent about 16 hours shooting. The final two days were spent with my eyes locked onto the computer screen as I edited non-stop.
3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Human Connection.
4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
The biggest obstacle I faced in making this film was being both behind and in front of the camera. A lot of time was spent running back and forth trying to figure out the shots. I have never received any formal training in the technical aspects of filmmaking, but I did major in cinema studies in University. However, my vision for this film did take into account my lack of technical skills and equipment, and thus the final product ended up fitting the vision very closely.
5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
The feeling was indescribable. Knowing that these lovely people that I am not acquainted with took the time to watch my film and analyze it means the world to me. It was especially interesting to hear that a different aspect of the film stood out to each of them.
6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I always wanted to be an actor, and I always loved writing. I started making little homemade films when I was about five, and they grew more elaborate as time went on.
7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
It feels like I’ve seen this one the most after the many hours I spent obsessing over it. But, in reality, it’s probably Once Upon a Time in Hollywood or Fight Club.
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 have had an amazing experience with your festival and believe that other festivals should be more like yours. I love the fact that you offer a full package of options to help launch films.
9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
Having never submitted to festivals prior to this, I expected the process to be tedious and complicated. I was pleasantly surprised by the ease in which filmfreeway allowed me to gather information and submit my film to multiple festivals in such a short period of time.
10. What is your favorite meal?
Steak with some kind of potato variation on the side.
11. What is next for you? A new film?
My plan is to focus on acting for a while. I am currently a full time student in the acting program at Toronto Film School. In the past few months I’ve been very lucky to get cast in a number of really cool projects and work with many talented people. So for the meantime, I plan to continue auditioning for everything that comes my way, and seize every opportunity. However, I absolutely plan to make more films in the future. Including a sequel for “As Long As You Want” that delves into the testy realities of relationships after the “honeymoon phase” has ended.
Meevil the Weevil: Breakfast of Champions, 4min., USA Directed by Kyle Arneson Meevil https://filmfreeway.com/submissions/32428116#ff_javascriptthe Weevil is a little bug with big dreams of being a stuntman. “Breakfast of Champions” mixes stop motion animation with live action footage where we follow Meevil’s thrilling ride across a 1970s breakfast table on rocket roller skates.
1. What motivated you to make this film? The film came about after developing the character as a hesitant hero with big dreams of grandeur. It’s strongly inspired by the stunt men and women of the 1970’s and 80’s that I found so captivating back when the world was a little more shag-carpeted and wood-paneled. During this initial creative period I lost my father unexpectedly and it was at some point in the haze of the grieving process I realized that the relationship between Meevil, and Olis, his coach, mirrored that of my relationship to my father. So with that guiding light, the ethos of the project became clear and bringing it to reality became a goal for me as a way to honor my dad.
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? From idea to final prduct this film took 3 years to make. Nothing happens fast in stop motion animation, the puppet had to be designed and built, all of the props and sets were hand made and the entire film was shot one frame at a time.
3. How would you describe your film in two words!? Nostalgic fun!
4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? The biggest obstacles faced in completing this film were time and financing. Stop motion animation is the unique outlier in the field of animation that utilizes every artform and filmmaking department (illustration, sculpting, painting, puppet building, fabrication, set design, cinematography, rigging, lighting, VFX, post, etc) and requires a lot of time, space and hands to accomplish. Because this was an out of pocket venture with a very small crew it meant very incremental progress with a number of pauses in order to take on paying jobs to help propel forward momentum.
5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video? It was so heartwarming and meaningful to hear that the film resonated with a group of thoughtful and earnest viewers. I was delighted to learn that the pacing felt right, that the humor landed as hoped and that the spirit of the project delivered as imagined.
6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films? I knew I wanted to make films and be involved in animation and puppetry since my first exposure to Jim Henson and the Muppets as a child. I started making stop motion films as a lad in the 80’s, first just manipulating clay in front of a borrowed video camera and then progressing on to sculpting characters and telling epic (and entirely nonsensical) stories with a cast of strange creatures.
7. What film have you seen the most in your life? This might be a 3-way tie between Henry Koster’ Harvey, Stanley Donen’s Charade and John Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China.
8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career? Having recorded feedback is exceptionally meaningful and helpful so it’s very hard to imagine anything else!
9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site? It has been a mostly positive experience. We’re slowly learning how to vet the thousands and thousands of festivals available through the site and how to maneuver the festival landscape a bit more thoughtfully.
10. What is your favorite meal? I love all things Thai food! Either yellow curry with tofu or Pad See Ew (but really, just about any dish).
11. What is next for you? A new film? We are diligently working to expand the Meevil the Weevil world into episodic stories. This character appeals to children and adults alike so finding that perfect balance is a very fun and challenging pursuit. I am also working on a faux-documentary feature film story about a fan that grew up with Meevil as his hero in the 70’s and 80’s and now, as an adult, is trying to reconnect with the Stunt Bug to bring him back into the public consciousness.
The Abiding, 11min., USA Directed by Ally May A lonely woman reminieces about the three great loves of her life while she decides if trying again is a risk worth taking.
Get to know the filmmaker:
1. What motivated you to make this film? Honestly, my motivation was/is to take every opportunity to develop as a director. I was at a festival, I had a room, a crew and actors, so I put it together really fast and shot it.
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? I wrote the script several years ago and had it sitting in my computer. Then I got the bright idea to shoot in about a month before we did. So, realistically, about a month.
3. How would you describe your film in two words!? Intimate, mature.
4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? The biggest obstacle was blocking the scenes. We did not have access to the hotel room until the day we shot, so had no time to plan out blocking.
5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video? The first woman was very sterile, it seemed like she hadn’t watched it and was just reading text. The other two that gave feedback seemed very genuine and thoughtful.
6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films? When I was a child.
7. What film have you seen the most in your life? Too hard to answer truthfully. Star Wars, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Bridget Jones Diaries, My Life as a Dog, The English Patient, The Piano, Splendor in the Grass. I’ve seen the movies I love so many times I can’t keep track. I watch them over and over, to learn from, to cheer me up, to calm me down, to inspire me.
8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career? As a director, the thing I need most is to be connected with people in search of my skill set. So help us actually make connections with producers looking for directors.
9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site? Always good and always reliable.
10. What is your favorite meal? Risotto with fresh peas and asparagus.
11. What is next for you? A new film? I’m shooting my first feature film in October. STAGULATION – A woman strangled by routine begins to unravel when the past—both imagined and real—starts to dance around her.
JP Cenzo – What You Want (It’s Not Me) Official Story Video, 4min,. USA Directed by Paul Cenzoprano JP Cenzo band music story video, the birth, life and death of a relationship.
[JP Cenzo Band’s Paul Cenzo: I was motivated by a vision of the song’s deeper meaning. The song is about relationships and how they come together and fall apart. I believed a visual would add depth and perspective to a song I believe speaks to the universal issues of love and relationships that we can all relate to.]
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
[JP Cenzo Band’s Paul Cenzo: It was a one day shoot in September 2024, that took about 1 ½ months to prepare and about another month of editing sessions to complete]
3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
[JP Cenzo Band’s Paul Cenzo: Broken Romance]
4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
[JP Cenzo Band’s Paul Cenzo: Renting a vintage automobile for the shoot. The shoot would not have worked without it. I had so many options I was working on and felt like it was turning into a disaster procuring a the car. Owner’s would let me drive it or want extra insurance, or just would not commit. The week of the shoot I got unbelievably lucky. I company called Cloud 9 Exotics had a vintage 1966 Cadillac
DeVille convertible and I rented it like a regular rental. It was awesome. Cloud 9 Exotics car was more of a luxury/Sports car rental IE Lamborghini and Ferries, but they purchased the 1966 Cadillac in an Estate Sale. The car only had 1200 miles on it.]
5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
[JP Cenzo Band’s Paul Cenzo: I thought the feedback was insightful and provided some perspectives I had not fully considered, like the use of masks, as way to hide yourself from a partner. Also it felt great that many of symbolism and subtext was picked up by the audience, IE that Sasquatch represented conflict between them.]
6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
[JP Cenzo Band’s Paul Cenzo: When we were completed the final mix and speaking to Don Chaffin who was engineering the final mix and was helping produce the final song suggested shooting a video with a vintage car and that he had a drone camera we could use.]
7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
[Fifth Element]
8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
[JP Cenzo Band’s Paul Cenzo: Doing broadcast interviews, raw public reaction in addition to the feedback. I think this Festival has done a fantastic job, having the audience feedback on video is unique and first festival I have encounter that is doing that and send it to us to watch😊]
9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
[JP Cenzo Band’s Paul Cenzo: It’s a great platform, and I use it to keep track of my projects and the status of the festivals I have entered.]
10. What is your favorite meal?
[JP Cenzo Band’s Paul Cenzo: That’s easy, root beer, Sicilian pizza slice and for dessert, Savoiardi cookies and milk]
11. What is next for you? A new film?
[JP Cenzo Band’s Paul Cenzo: We just finished shoot four song episodic videos, each song start with an late-night format, show host introduce a comedy sketch, then a song from JP Cenzo performance. We start editing in two weeks. We used the same actors from the “What You Want (It’s Not Me) Video.]
She Loves Her John, 7min., USA Directed by Ivan Alejandro Rivero “She Loves Her John” is a story about redemption, the feelings that arise after betrayal, and the thoughts of moving forward.
Get to know the filmmaker:
1) What motivated you to make this film?
I really wanted to push myself to be able to tell a raw and honest story. Something that resonated with people, but the kind of something where you dont really want to share it with your friends. Something that made everyone watching feel human.
2) From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
I think it took about 10 month for full completion since the day Gordon Williams, the writer and producer, put the project on my desk! I think this is something hes been working on for years, which shows in the level of honesty and how raw the script is.
3) How would you describe your film in two words!?
Raw Love
4) What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
For this script I knew I had to find the right actors for the role. We needed people that understood these emotions to a deeper level than what was written on the page. Aside from that I was truly blessed to have Gordon by my side, all the other minor inconveniences were taken care of by him!
5) What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I love that they enjoyed the film and were able to get something out of it. Thats the filmmakers dream, to be able to tell a story that resonates with audiences in one way ot another.
6) When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I’ve always loved movies and I originally wanted to make music for them but once i started college i was able to dip my toes on film and telling short stories and I made a friend there that was just as obsessed with movies as I was and we started doing them for projects little did I know i was getting more and more addicted to it the more i did it. Ive always been a story teller, i was just happy i found my favorite medium to tell them and i’ve been blessed to surround myself with good friends that are also obsessed with it.
7) What film have you seen the most in your life?
Treasure planet has to be the one.
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 love the idea of the audience feed back, very sad to miss and not be able to go personally to a festival so its very fun to ble able to see what people thought about it.
9) You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
Filmfreeway is definitely easy to use and very user friendly.
10) What is your favorite meal?
A good lasagna is hard to pass up. I love cooking but thats one of the few meals ive always been weary of cooking due to the long preparation process!
11) What is next for you? A new film?
I’m taking a break at the moment from narrative work, but i’ve been preparing to film a documentary soon and i’m very excited for it! After that I’m planning on making more narrative films, hopefully a feature.
Shame, 5min., USA Directed by Kelly Lynn Warren When a woman is sexually assaulted by a mutual friend the night before, her confrontation with her best friend leads to tragic consequences.
I was a peer counselor in college and know of people in my life who have been sexually assaulted. I wanted to raise awareness of the issue and show it from the perspective of two friends instead of focusing on the assailant. The ultimate goal of Shame was to take it to universities and spark dialogue among students.
2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
9 months
3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
must-see, impactful
4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
One of our actors had an emergency and had to back out of filming on Day 1, so I had to recast the same night because we were shooting the next day. Our actor, Sophia Cofino, stepped in and nailed the part.
5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I was grateful to see the positive responses. The audience understood the message of the film and felt the emotions that the director, Kelly Lynn Warren, and I were hoping people would feel when watching it.
6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I was an actor first and then learned how to make films in the pandemic. I realized very quickly that after directing several projects that I would prefer to attach a director to my projects instead. Collaboration is what filmmaking is all about! Kelly Lynn Warren did a great job directing the short film, Shame. I could not have done it without her and the rest of our amazing crew.
7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Jurassic Park
8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
Your festival is unique in that we actually got feedback which is always nice to know. It’s useful and it helps us see what resonates with people who are watching it for the first time. Other elements of festivals that we’ve enjoyed are physical screenings and well-moderated Q&As where we get to network and meet other filmmakers afterwards.
9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
Film Freeway makes it easy to apply and it’s convenient.
10. What is your favorite meal?
Butter Chicken with Garlic Naan
11. What is next for you? A new film?
My next short film, Reminisce, is a proof-of-concept for a feature film. I have submitted it to film festivals and am waiting to hear the results.
Festival Reviews 