Bay for Blood, 18min., USA
Directed by Harry Waldman
James and Rob are hiding out in isolation to fix their mutual issues. As time progresses, the two reveal facts regarding their disturbing past relationship. An acquaintance of James’, Jessica, finds herself in an uncomfortable position as she contemplates the best way to handle the situation.

https://www.instagram.com/hwaldman18/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
-I had a pretty toxic relationship with a friend in high school. He pretended to be my friend, but seemed to enjoy watching me suffer more than anything. His behavior around me was very fickle, sometimes being really kind to me, and at other times, being the complete opposite. I felt that I needed to get this story off of my chest, which has been very cathartic.
James is actually very loosely based on myself at my worst moments. Of course, I don’t condone anything he does throughout the film and have never hurt anyone the way he hurts Rob and Jessica, but I empathize (even though I also fear and despise him) with the character in that he feels that he is always being let down by those around him. In general, I believe that creating complex characters often requires giving them flaws that can make them unlikeable at times, and I always do my best to try to walk in the shoes of the anti-hero or villain in order to portray them in a more genuine manner.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
-From writing the script to finishing shooting, it took about half of a year. The script took a couple months, auditions took around a month, we held 3 rehearsals and gathering the rest of the team took some time. The shoot was 4 days and lasted over the span of about 1 month or so. But post-production took a handful of months, and when I was getting ready to submit the film to festivals, COVID happened. So, the whole process did end up getting dragged out a while, but it was an incredible journey and I am very happy with how the final product turned out.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
-Uncomfortable tension. From others’ critiques on my film, “intense” seems to be the word that is most often used to describe my films. In general, I love to build tension and put my audience on edge while watching my narratives, a feeling that I have come to really appreciate from watching other films in recent years.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
-The biggest challenge for me was dealing with the shot list and lighting setups. The shot list is what I have always struggled with the most, particularly with understanding how to minimize setups by ordering the shot list properly. As for lighting, this apartment was a bit cramped, especially the bedroom, which a large percentage of the film takes place in. Because of this, my Gaffer, Dru, had to set up most of the lights in the bedroom on the ceiling. Lighting setups took longer than I initially expected, but Dru did a fantastic job overall, and I was very happy with how the lighting looked in this film, especially in the bedroom.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
-I really liked the reactions overall. It can always be nerve wracking hearing others’ opinions on your films, but I thought that the analysis was pretty spot on. I was really pleased with how many of the individuals in the video recognized my actors’ strong performances, and the word “intense” was used quite a bit, which is often the case with my films. I especially appreciated one person’s comments regarding the fact that the relationship between James and Rob was pretty complex, which added some depth to the film. Their relationship sometimes confuses people, so I am relieved that it came through properly in this specific instance.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
-I have loved movies since I was just a few years old, but I was always someone who was a bit too “practical” when it came to my career, despite the fact that my dad has been a successful artist since I was young. I assumed that you were supposed to graduate college and then work at a job that you weren’t passionate about in order to pay the bills. The thought really depressed me, so I tried not to think about it too often and focused on my hobbies, which included watching movies, playing video games, sports, listening to music and hanging out with friends.
I studied business in college, which did teach me how to be a good leader as a film director/producer, but the content didn’t interest me too much. I just assumed that I would get some business marketing job out of college that I wouldn’t really be passionate about. I started to have these fantasies about finding myself working a marketing gig on a film production during my junior year of college, and while this dream excited me, it also depressed me because it didn’t seem realistic considering my situation.
During the second semester of my senior year of college, a few weeks after watching “The Social Network”, which is one of my favorite films of all time, and which I believe had an influence on what I am writing below, I had a dream that I was going to a top tier film school, taking various filmmaking courses, collaborating with other students to work on film projects, etc. Near the end of the dream, I met a psychic who told me that one of my closest friends (Inspired by Mark Zuckerberg stabbing Eduardo Saverin in the back) would steal my film idea, but despite this awful fact, I would become a successful filmmaker. While I believe that I get along well with most people, I can be a vengeful person if I feel that I was wronged. What really shocked me about this dream was that I was so excited about the prospect of me being a successful filmmaker, that it completely overshadowed my distress over having my film idea stolen by my best friend.
Suddenly, I woke up, jumped out of my bed, grabbed my backpack and jacket and ran to the front door of my apartment, getting ready to go to one of my “film classes”. Then, I realized that it was around noon on a Saturday; that I had just been at a bar the previous night with friends; and that I wasn’t a film student at a prestigious film school, but a marketing student at a business school; and I would graduate college and find some job that I hated; and that would be the rest of my life…this was the single most depressing moment of my entire life.
I stared at my bedroom wall for about 20 minutes and then a lightbulb popped on inside my head. I told myself, “So you finally figured out your passion as you’re graduating college. That’s unfortunate, but you’re still only 21 years old. You have plenty of time”. So, from that moment on, I immediately came up with a plan for my filmmaking career. I would graduate college with my business marketing degree, and find a decent paying job in business after college during the day while pursuing my filmmaking career during the evenings and weekends. This plan launched the beginning of my exciting filmmaking career, from watching youtube videos on filmmaking and working as a Production Assistant on film sets while working in Insurance to pay the bills to being able to direct and produce my own films as my main passion, while working in post-production for a living.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
-“Memento” is the film that I have probably seen the most times in my life (I have honestly lost count how many times I have watched it). I first watched it at a friend’s house in 7th grade. It was actually his parents’ recommendation, and I was kind of a rebellious kid, so I was a bit skeptical. Though, I was quickly proven wrong, and while I was confused with what exactly happened in the final act, I was also very intrigued and immediately wanted to watch it again.
I forgot about the film for some time, and about two years later, I stumbled into it at a Blockbuster. I became so obsessed with the movie that I watched it 5 nights in a row, learning something new every time as Christopher Nolan dropped so many Easter eggs throughout the film. In general, I really prefer to watch new films and I often get tired of repetition, but “Memento” is one of the few films that I can revisit over and over without ever becoming even slightly bored with it. Because of the ingenious plot structuring, intelligent script, incredibly complex characters and insane twist ending, “Memento” is the first film that I became obsessed with and is still my favorite film to this day.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
-For your festival, I don’t have any notes. This is the second time I have collaborated with you, and I am honestly so impressed with the level of communication and detail provided. Your festival is very generous, considering the written interview, online interview, double screening of the film, in depth analysis video, etc. With other festivals, I have had more mixed results, but overall, I have still had a very good experience on the festival circuit.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
-It has mostly been positive. I have been to some festivals over the past few years. I have had more of a mixed experience with the online festivals, though I have been a part of a few online fests that I really enjoyed. And there are quite a few scam festivals out there looking to exploit newer filmmakers, but I have learned how to detect which ones those are, and have been able to avoid them recently. Filmfreeway does a good job dealing with the scam fests and is really helpful in general, which has made the experience a very positive one for me overall.

10. What is your favorite meal?
-My favorite meal has to be a 14-16 oz ribeye steak (medium), mashed potatoes with a lot of butter and salt, french onion soup, chocolate mousse cake with vanilla ice cream on the side, a glass of Coke and another glass of water. In order to eat all of this, I would likely need to skip lunch and go on a long run beforehand. There are few things (filmmaking being one of these few things) that I enjoy more than eating a quality meal at a nice restaurant for dinner.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
-Once the festival runs are complete, I am hoping to get online distribution for “Bay For Blood” and two of my other short films, “Enter the Room” and “In the Backseat”. I am currently editing my debut feature film, “The Corridor Crossing”. Post-production has been taking a while, but I am happy with how the product looks, and it should only improve as time goes on. The initial cut was almost 130 minutes, and I now have the film at 90 minutes. I am also cleaning up my script for my next feature film, “Incautious”, which I am hoping to put into production in September. I am also storyboarding a short animated film, “Slivered” with my dad, who is a professional artist. I have always been a huge fan of animated films and am trying to start to consistently make animation in addition to live action filmmaking.

Hover City, 22min., Canada
Directed by Stephen Angelo Puiia
Hover City is a prequel to the 2017 novella, Lucky Duck Cola. Everyone in Hover City is getting high-fived by their favourite celebrity, Blaine The Block Bronson–that is everyone except for his most devoted and loyal fan. This man will stop at nothing to experience, the hero, Block Bronson’s patented high five. Hover City addresses the corrosive nature of narcissism within the individual and throughout society. It is a one man show, starring the producer Stephen Puiia, and is a comedic-horror.

https://www.hovercitymedia.com/
https://www.instagram.com/hovercitymedia

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I’ve always wanted to make a film. In the past I published a novel. It gave me the feeling you get when you go to the store to buy a shirt but leave with a pair of shoes. I liked my new shoes but still needed a shirt.

After writing the novel I moved to China for 8 years. When I came back I wanted to get my old friends together to make a movie like we did when we were younger. I didn’t get any takers for this. So I felt compelled to make my own movie.

The need to accept myself motivated me to make this film. At the time I made it I was trying to deal with a romantic rejection that deeply confused and affected me. The film was a means of processing emotions related to that relationship and the alienation I experienced while living in China.

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

It took about two years. I played around with the ideas for about four months, built the props and wrote the script over a couple of months, filmed and edited over 3-4 months. Post production for music, sound mixing, and all the rest took about a year.

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

Profile narcisism

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

Finding collaborators was the most difficult part. Also, learning to edit was challenging. I was 37 when I made this and it was my first film. When I was younger my friends and I would create videos that we would script and act in. It was easier to find collaborators back then.

When I came back from China, most of my friends had moved on with that part of their career or had other priorities. Also, the social environment now is potentially less forgiving to an individual who would show themselves film like this than it was 15 years ago. It was a difficult conclusion to come to—that I would play all of the roles and edit the film.

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

It was really gratifying. I’ve never had an experience like it really. My previous work was a book and the thing about books is that you can’t see your audience react while they are reading it. I loved that process but it was disappointing in that way. This was the first time I got to see audience feedback from something I produced creatively.

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

I think I wanted to when I was young, like 14 or 15. I pursued it a little bit when I was in my early and mid twenties but not in a sustained or organized way. I always knew I would do this though. Just when the time was right.

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

The Princess Bride

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

This is only the third festival I have participated in so I don’t have much to compare against or base feedback on. So far my experience has been great.

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

The experience has been really great.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Lasagna

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

In a month I am releasing a text book on mindfulness. I am currently building the props for Hover City 2 which I should start filming later this year.

Red Wins, 77min., Italy
Directed by A.M. Nonnis
Six people play a dark and ruthless gambling game in which every card can either grant significant rewards or decree a death sentence. With each turn, a mysterious red light selects the player, inexorably determining the fate of every participant.

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I was driven by passion and stubbornness. I almost had no money to make this project, but I had amazing and talented people around me who made it happen. I was allowed to use our town’s beautiful theater for filming, found the actors, arranged a crew, and then I said to myself, “You know what? We can do this.” Red Wins was in my mind, and I needed to bring it to life as soon as possible.

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

It took around 3 years. I started writing Red Wins in early 2021 and finished post-production at the end of 2024. By January 2025, I finished the last small corrections, and then Red Wins was ready for the festivals. I’m not gonna lie, it was so hard to let it go. I kept making little corrections for a while!

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

Irregular and oppressive.

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

Let’s be real, shooting Red Wins was no piece of cake! It was my first movie, the budget was low, and even if everyone who joined me in this adventure strongly believed in the project, I couldn’t hold them up for too long. We had breaks, some even lasting months, between different phases of filming. The post-production part wasn’t any easier. I had to focus on other work as well and find time for Red Wins. I had to keep going through the night sometimes, and it was exhausting. Covering different roles was hard, but no doubt, I put every piece of my soul into Red Wins.

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

It was so emotional and moving. People from the other side of the world had watched my movie and were giving me feedback. I can’t even explain what I felt. When you first send your movie to festivals, you just let it go. You get and respond to emails, but everything feels so far away and untouchable. When you see real people talking about your film, woo, that hits differently. I was so glad that I’d shared my work, and it traveled across the world. When I saw Red Wins was voted Best Feature, I was on cloud nine. You can’t imagine how grateful I am.

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

Since I was little, I’ve been completely in love with cinema. I wanted to become an actor first, but then as I grew up, I realized I’d rather stay behind the camera and create stories. During the last years of high school, I was 100% sure I wanted to make movies. This is just the beginning. I can’t wait to see how my real-life movie continues.

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

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. If you could enter my brain like Inside Out, you’d definitely find a Harry Potter island! I’ve always loved this story, and the magic of Harry Potter sparked that passion inside me that made me fall in love with cinema as well. The music, the atmosphere, everything about this movie is magical and mysterious. It takes me far away and makes me feel like the child I was when I watched it for the first time. I’ve seen it at least 100 times.

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’ve had a great experience with your festival so far. Maybe it would be good to watch the movie remotely with the audience. It would be like being there.

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

The platform is very well done and gives filmmakers the opportunity to share their movie easily.

The interface is good and simple, and I’ve always had the chance to communicate easily with both the Freeway team and individual festivals.

10. What is your favorite meal?

You’d probably think I’m the stereotypical Italian, but there’s nothing better than good, simple granny’s pasta with tomato sauce!

11. What’s next for you? A new film?

There’s a lot going on this year. I’ll be working on a documentary, a TV show pilot, and a music video. I can’t wait to start a new project, but I don’t know what my next big move will be yet. For now, it’s Red Wins time!

THE MERMAID, 105min., USA
Directed by Soudabeh Moradian
A mysterious girl is saved from drowning by a fragmented family living in a desolate beach house. Her strange relationship with them becomes intimate and complex until everything reaches to a point of no return.

https://www.instagram.com/themermaidmovie/

Get to know the filmmaker:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
The Mermaid was born out of a personal urgency to explore the psychological aftermath of trauma—particularly when it’s silenced or dismissed. I wanted to create a space for a character who’s constantly gaslit, both by her inner world and the people around her, and to blur the line between dream and reality. It’s a reflection on emotional abuse, xenophobia, and isolation, wrapped in the aesthetics of psychological horror.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
It took more than three years from the initial concept to the final cut. Development and writing were fairly quick, but production and especially post-production were long and complicated—partly due to budget constraints and doing so much of the work myself.

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

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Financing and post-production. I wore multiple hats—writer, director, producer, editor —and managing everything independently while teaching full-time at Syracuse University was incredibly draining. There were moments I truly thought it wouldn’t get finished.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
It was surreal and deeply moving. Hearing people connect to the emotional undercurrents, even if they interpreted things differently, made me feel like the risks I took paid off.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
I was drawn to storytelling as a child, but I fully realized I wanted to make films after watching how cinema could articulate things I couldn’t find words for. It became both an escape and a confrontation—something I needed. So I started my work as a documentary filmmaker and a war journalist and then gradually brought what I witnessed and observed – the human stories – into my narrative films.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
Probably Persona by Ingmar Bergman. Every time I watch it, I find a new crack in the psyche, a new meaning in silence. It’s like looking into a mirror that’s always slightly fogged.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
Intimate roundtables or meet-the-filmmaker sessions would be incredibly helpful. Also, helping connect filmmakers with distributors or curators—even via informal mixers—would really elevate the impact festivals can have.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experience been working on the festival platform site?
FilmFreeway has made festival submissions more accessible, but it can feel impersonal at times. I appreciate when festivals reach out directly after selection—it humanizes the process.

10. What is your favorite meal?
Persian tahchin—crispy saffron rice layered with chicken or eggplant. It tastes like home, and it’s best when shared.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
Yes—I’m currently developing my next feature, Wild Berries, a film that explores generational trauma and immigration. While it’s rooted more in reality, it retains an emotionally haunting tone through its nonlinear, time-travel narrative. The project has started and stalled several times over the past couple of years, but I’m now focused on securing funding to move into pre-production.