Film Synopsis: After serving time in prison for a crime that shattered her family, a mother returns to reconnect with her estranged daughter for the first time in fifteen years, only to realize that her daughter is on the verge of moving overseas to start her own family.

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1. What motivated you to make this film?

It initially started with me, wanting to challenge myself to craft a short film with emotional depth and compelling characters. As a director, I am always interested in exploring relationships on-screen in unconventional settings. I also had almost nothing to show for my work before that other than a short 3-minute scene I directed during COVID, so I was eager to prove myself. After brainstorming, I became interested in exploring the theme of forgiveness and the relationship between a mother and a daughter. As the script developed, I felt a deep connection to the story, and that further pushed me to make the film.

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

The screenplay itself took me almost 10 months to write and re-write. The pre-production and production were about 6 months due to so many scheduling conflicts, and post-production for about 6 months. So almost two years! 

NAFKOT - YEARNING, 70min., Israel, Documentary
Directed by Malka Shabtay
An Israeli Anthropologist traveling throughout Amazonia to meet the descendants of the Moroccan Jews who immigrated to this region since 1810. Together they are sharing their unique story of resilience and persistence in this special part of the world, as well as their daily lives and their deep feelings towards their Jewish origins, which sometimes still exist only in their hearts.

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I worked with the community two years before we did the film. i did my research to understand their story..and after two years they were ready to share their story with the world.

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

Since we started the shooting until completing it took very intensive two years.

How would you describe your film in two words!?

Life mission

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

The biggest obstacle is to do a film with a hidden community, oppressed and full of fear. to get their trust and collaboration and belief that the film will help in their struggle.

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Turmoil – Chapter One, 6min., Lebanon
Directed by Sary Andre El Asmar
A young woman lives between two worlds: Europe, where she’s built a life, and Lebanon, the home she can’t stop longing for. Torn between memory and desire, she drifts back and forth, riding the emotional rollercoaster of exile, identity, and belonging.

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

What motivated me to make this film was the complex feeling of belonging and displacement that many Lebanese expats carry. I started filming randomly with no clear plan.
When my friend, who lives in Germany, came back to Lebanon we spent many days together, and after that i began to sense the constant push and pull, the urge to return to her home but at the same time the desire to leave again. For me home is where your roots are, but it’s also where safety feels uncertain. The film became a reflection of living between two places, two lives, and two versions of what “home” means.

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

Well actually, I have been shooting randomly for about 1 year and a half. I am a sea lover and mountain lover. So I used to shoot randomly every time I went out. But the idea of putting those shots into the final product took me like 3 months.

How would you describe your film in two words!?
Wandering Roots

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

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?
4) Post-Production because this process is where the real story telling happens , where I can put all my emotions and meanings to start to take shape.

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Watch the best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c35q4I1NZss

When an unnamed virus begins to kill off human males, a family takes refuge on a sailboat in hopes they can escape the virus.

Get to know the writer:

What is your screenplay about?

This story, like all of the stories I seem to write, is about my daily agony knowing one day I will have to say goodbye to my only Son, and figuring out how to make the most of the little things in life that bond us and my family.

The story itself is about an unnamed, new virus that is causing a mass die-off of human males. A father takes his wife and young daughter to his own father’s sailboat on the Atlantic Ocean to try and evade the virus.

What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Drama.

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

If I can pull this film off, it has the potential to be visually stunning, relying on the simplicity of a sailboat, human drama, moments of levity, grief, and elation. My attached actors, the stellar and criminally underutilized John Conway and a fantastic tiny powerhouse of an actress, Mila Rose, have the ability to push you far into the reaches of emotion. I am looking forward to working with a very intriguing, talented actor, Heidi Danea Crane who is also signed on.

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Conversation with Co-Director/Co-Writer of the multiple award winning film “Memoria Obscura”, David Christopher Nelson, on the making of the film and filmmaking in general.

Synopsis of film: In a world where memory erasure is a legitimate industry, the underground black market known as Memoria Obscura serves as a hub for stolen and repurposed memories.

David Christopher Nelson is an award-winning filmmaker whose talents are as diverse as his projects. A native of Los Angeles, David has been working independently since 2015, shaping himself into a well-versed visual storyteller with a passion for editing, cinematography, and directing. He strives to bring each story to life with cinematic depth and emotional clarity.

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An actor faces the dilemma of going back to her roots in Austria in pursuit of her vocation and belonging or staying in the UK for love. ‘To be or not to be’ is the question within the question: 'Is love as important as belonging?'

https://www.instagram.com/alinejewell/

Conversation with director/actor Aline Jewell. Star Katarina Gerlich and co-star Alex Crockford.

Director Statement

With CHOICES, I delve into a character-driven story that explores the themes of belonging, language, love, identity, and self-assurance.
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An insecure Korean-American woman struggles with old resentments against her beautiful best friend, exposing the impossible beauty standards that caused them.

https://www.instagram.com/iwishiwere_pretty/

Conversation with actor/director Hanah Chang & Producer Quand C. Robinson

Director Statement

I Wish I Were Pretty is not just the title, but also a phrase I have constantly thought since I was old enough to understand that with beauty comes power. Many of the elements included in this story are inspired by my personal experiences. One of my constants while growing up was hearing my mother say to me that I would be prettier if I had “ssanggeopul” (double eyelids). I will never forget the drunk customer from my bartending days who asked me to bring him a pretty server. And more recently, when my father saw a K-Pop music video and asked if that is the kind of thing I want to do, his then-girlfriend said “that is for the young and beautiful.” These experiences were painful, and I wanted to redeem them by turning them into part of my art.

The struggle to feel that we are enough is felt across all genders. As I was revising the script, I sent it to a family friend in the film industry in Korea, only to find out he had just recently undergone plastic surgery. I both hate that he felt that he had to make that choice and understand it. After all, I can understand how much emotional turmoil he had to suffer for him to decide to permanently alter his physical appearance.

Because I know how important representation is both in front of and behind the camera, I hope this film will be inspiring specifically for folks who work in the industry. I am so proud to state that I made this film with a crew of mostly womxn/people of color from beginning to end!

For these reasons and more, I believe this film will be impactful, influential, and monumental. There are already many Korean dramas and movies about beauty standards, but the story typically begins after the protagonist undergoes plastic surgery. My intention with ‘I Wish I Were Pretty’ is never to judge anyone who chooses that, but to provide a fresh take and a different way to deal with what we have internalized. And my hope is that we will learn to be kinder to and more accepting of ourselves as we are.

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Director Locky Boaretto, Co-Writer Loki Acciarito, & Actor Tom Simpson join the podcast to talk about their “Jumping at Shadows” series.

In a world secretly at war with an ancient alien race, a teenage girl discovers a crash landed alien, and uncovers shocking truths about her estranged father… After teaming up with a pair of rebel brothers, she uncovers a galaxy-wide conspiracy and an impending alien invasion. When one of the brothers is captured, the team must risk everything to rescue him from the alien mothership before it can begin its invasion of Earth. Amidst explosive battles and impossible odds, she must face her family’s dark past and rewrite their legacy in order to save the future.

https://www.instagram.com/lochnesslegendsproductions/

http://www.youtube.com/@lochnesslegends

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Terrific conversation with screenwriter/actress Bella Martinez, chatting about her multiple award winning film “Once More, Like Rain Man”.

Beautifully directed by Sue Ann Pien, and also starring Matt Jones & Joe Mantegna.

Synopsis: ‘It’s up to you to make a future that has you in it…’ We follow Zoe (Martinez) and her dad, Gerry (Jones) in a ‘day in the life’ of an autistic actress running the gambit of stereotypes she has to deal with - and her dad’s battle in supporting her forging that path for herself - in a funny, frustrating, painful and sometimes triumphantly sarcastic kind of way.

https://www.instagram.com/omlrmovie

http://www.omlrmovie.com/

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Al Chang is back on the podcast, chatting about his recent award-winning film CINDY.

https://www.instagram.com/4lcfilm

"An aspiring rapper takes a vague driving gig hoping for a quiet night to himself. Instead, he meets Cindy, a bubbly and unpredictable passenger who drags him into an absurd and unexpectedly heartfelt adventure.
"CINDY" is a quirky dramedy about connection, detours, and the strangers who change our lives."

Director Statement

Storytelling, for me, is about finding truth in unexpected places. I’m less interested in delivering a message than I am in creating a space where audiences can feel something genuine and walk away with their own interpretations. Every film I make is a chance to explore a new genre, to challenge myself creatively, and to discover how far we can push with limited resources.
I’ve always believed that good filmmaking isn’t about scale, but about intent. Whether it’s a contained drama, a high-energy comedy, or a tense thriller, I approach each project with the same focus: building honest characters, crafting sharp visuals, and shaping rhythm in the edit until it feels alive. I like to leave room for humor, tension, and vulnerability—because that mix is what makes stories resonate.
At the heart of it, I see filmmaking as community-building. Each project brings together people who might not have otherwise crossed paths, and in that collaboration, something greater emerges. My goal is to keep creating films that entertain, that spark conversation, and that remind us of the power of storytelling to connect us.

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After being kidnapped and forced into a brutal assimilation camp where the English language is used as control, two teenage girls from different countries must find a way to escape, before they are stripped of their identity.

Conversation with director Felipe Marinheiro https://www.instagram.com/marinheirofelipe/

& actor/producer Carolina Liz https://www.instagram.com/caaliz/

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“The Planet That Doesn’t Exist” is an 8-minute Animation film from Israel, based on the Graphic Novel by Navy Bird Revital Bronshtein.

Navy Bird passed away at the age of 24 last year, caught in the midst of a terrorist attack. Her mother, Liora Bronshtein, brought a team of artists to make this film.

You can watch the film here: https://youtu.be/2fKOtua6s1I?si=bvEzOPU1Afe2Sq0n

Conversation with the director of the piece, Nadav Embon, on the making of the film.

Synopsis:

Professor Star l'Etoile set at her desk, her notes, were packed into spiral leather bound notebooks, stacked one atop of the other. They contained years and years of calculations, which sprung from her notebooks and rose up in a spiral, covering hundreds of desks and antique gold plated wooden boards, that covered the entire room.

BIO:

Nadav Embon is an Israeli director, animator, and multidisciplinary creator. His graduation film Talk About Samson screened at festivals in Japan, Russia, Romania, and Israel, and is taught in both academia and high schools as a tool for biblical studies. He later became Creative Director at Kan, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, and co-founded the global commemoration initiative Zikaron Basalon. Today he lectures at Bezalel Academy and Minshar College, leads a new digital content house at NMC United, and directs In Your Face, a portrait-drawing talk-show blending performance and illustration. His latest work is the animated short The Planet That Wasn’t There, adapted from Navy Bird’s graphic novel.

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Vapor Trails, 11min., USA

Directed by Matt Jenkins

Mandy has just given Jethro an ultimatum, quick vaping or else. His friend Chuck thinks its going to be easy to quit.

https://www.instagram.com/misfits_of_film/

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Black People Don’t Tango, 13min., USA

Directed by Robert Xavier Clark

An African American man learns to tango after a trip to Argentina.

Based on a true story.

What motivated you to make this film?

This short film Black People Don't Tango is adapted from a feature-length film script that I developed in 2019. That feature script is further adapted from a short story that I wrote in college.

The primary motivation for the short film is to function as a proof of concept for the larger Black People Don't Tango idea.

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

Roughly one month.

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

Scheduling and securing locations. The short film was put together and shot in a very tight timeframe. Also most of the people in the film are not professional actors, so getting everyone on the call sheet to show up on specific days was challenging. We also had some late talent and location changes happen, so we had to stay flexible and adapt.

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Heal avec Delphine, 30min., USA

Directed by Delphine Breyne

Heal avec Delphine is a deeply personal docuseries that follows individuals navigating life after cancer, trauma, alopecia, and other challenges. Each episode invites viewers into a powerful journey of reconnection and renewal—beginning with an intimate look at the person’s world, followed by a transformative beauty restoration at Delphine’s atelier, and ending with a meaningful surprise to mark their new beginning. Through heartfelt storytelling, emotional connection, and light-touch artistry, the series introduces a new era of beauty and healing, where feeling truly seen becomes the start of renewed self-confidence, emotional healing, and personal transformation.

https://www.instagram.com/delphineeyebrowcouture/

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Detectives & Dragons, 8min., Canada
Directed by Lucas Candelino, Benjamin Kostecki, Evan McDowell
A know-it-all detective is tasked with incriminating a murder suspect through a fantasy role-playing game by recreating the scenario of the killing. Tensions escalate when he goes off-script.

https://instagram.com/candelino.jpeg

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-detectives-dragons

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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.

https://www.instagram.com/angyaklyjammal/

Director Statement

The Way Back Home is a film I created from a place of deep honesty — not just as a director, but as a mother, a woman, and a human being who has lived through motherhood, silence, pressure, and transformation.
After completing the film, I sat with my daughters and told them: “I want you to watch this film when you are 20, again when you are 30, and again when you are 40.” Because this is not just a short film — it’s a piece of my story that I want to leave behind for them. A reminder that pain, scars, and growth are part of becoming. That they are allowed to own their voice, their truth, their transformation — no matter what the world tries to impose.

With a single performer, a voiceover, and the silence of water as its backdrop, this film holds everything I wanted to say to them — and to the women who might need to hear it too.

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What's Locked Behind That Door?, 4min., USA

Directed by John Gardner

In the visually arresting music video for Lunavox’s “What’s Locked Behind That Door?”, a series of metaphorical doors open onto the full spectrum of human emotion, drawing viewers into a surreal journey through fear, desire, and obsession. These portals also frame the chilling descent of a scientist whose relentless experiments lead him into darkness. Guided by the song’s pulsing rhythm, the two narratives intertwine as human vulnerability and scientific ambition collapse into a single vision of corruption and revelation.

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Versipellis, 26min., UK
Directed by James Rigby
In this spine-chilling horror film, a young girl, Sophia, faces the dilemma of choosing whom to trust when an imposter infiltrates her home.

https://www.instagram.com/versipellis_film

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I wanted to challenge myself by making my first horror film. I was curious about how to approach the story, its themes, and the craft of building fear in an audience. I researched the genre, studied other films, and asked myself: what do I personally find scary, and why do I react that way? That exploration shaped the direction of the film.

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

The script was originally written and pitched during my time at Arts University Bournemouth. After taking a short break from it, I came back with fresh eyes, refined the concept, and pushed it forward. With the support of people around the world, we successfully crowdfunded £1,500, which allowed us to bring the project to life.

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Differently Water, 8min., Italy
Directed by Daniele Catini
Two Arab women meet underwater to express their love. The sea becomes an accomplice to a secret in which their eyes reveal that desire hidden from a world that cannot understand

.https://www.instagram.com/daniele_catini21

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-differently-water

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