SKATE FAST TURN LEFT, 1min., USA
Directed by Mary Hawkins
Two friends, Fifi Fleshwound and Little Mary Switchblade, have a quick conversation about their roller derby years…

http://tookaturn.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thngstookaturn/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

My friend Andrea came up with Things Took a Turn, and I’d wanted to submit ever since I’d heard about it. It’s an animation anthology for women and gender minorities, and it just sounded like good weird fun… I told Fifi about it, since I’m not a writer-of-things and she is, and we chatted a bunch about ways to react to the prompt for that season: the End of the World. We’d meet in a diner, talk for about fifteen minutes about how we were going to approach the project and then veer off into old derby gossip. Eventually, I told her that we needed to nail things down and while we were at it… why didn’t we make the film about us and our experiences. We’d been coming up with little fictional scenarios, but our actual experience was better and more interesting. We’d put years of work into roller derby. It’s an all-consuming hobby and a really interesting community.

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

I loved the reactions! People put so much love and thought into their feedback and I really enjoyed hearing what they had to say, especially since most of the people who’ve talked to me about my film have been people I already have a connection to, either because they’re friends or also played roller derby or live in NYC. To see that total strangers were also interested in my film and really got what it was about really made my morning. My movie is only 45 seconds long. so nearly any description of the film is longer than the film itself.

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Hannah Enhman chats with Canadian actor J.C. Williams about his leading role in the feature film “Home Swiss Home”.

HOME SWISS HOME, 72min., Switzerland
Directed by Geert Smets
Mike, a defiant New Yorker, is left by his girlfriend Julie, who argues that he doesn't have the necessary means to provide for the future family she so desperately wants. Determined to win her back, he sets out to secure his long-awaited promotion.

Follow Interviewer Hannah Ehman on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ehmanhannah/

Watch Hannah’s national commercial spots: https://www.ispot.tv/topic/actor-actress/bP8/hannah-ehman

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TRUE ROMANCE, 29min., Canada
Directed by Katherine Costal
A lovesick teenager tries to rekindle her relationship with a past boyfriend by inviting him to a surprise party, only to discover the harsh truth behind their romance and the love lives of the guests.

https://www.instagram.com/kat_costal/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I got the idea for it after watching other people’s love lives, and seeing all the emotionally immature and unaffectionate behaviours they encountered. I noticed that a lot of people fall into these kinds of relationships but it happens most commonly to the younger crowd. I wanted to depict some of those dynamics from an outside perspective and show what observing the dating culture can look like. I think that when you’re in your teens and early twenties, love and romance can be too serious of a thing for you to know how to navigate, so your early relationships will likely end badly. For that reason I think it can be difficult to find love in the world when you’re a hopeless romantic. At the same time, there’s societal pressure to begin dating at a young age, and that pressure’s just not necessary when it’s perfectly okay to be single and use that time to understand yourself. I wanted to tell people that they shouldn’t be disheartened by the hurtful or incompatible behaviour they may experience, and that they should wait for the person that satisfies the idea of romance they have.

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

I enjoyed hearing the audience’s thoughts and what they each took away from the film. I especially appreciated how a lot of them identified the types of relationships I was depicting and I hope that they understood the satirical nature of this film. It was fun to see them react to the conflicts and listen to how they perceived the surrealistic way the characters talked and behaved. I had speculated before what viewers would think of the semi-surrealism that I put into it so the feedback video is very helpful to me in gauging that. I really liked how each of them seemed to have their own favourite thing about the film and it’s nice to hear their opinions.

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RESURRECTION UNDER THE OCEAN, 3min., Turkey, Experimental
Directed by Serkan Aktaş
“Resurrection under the Ocean” is about the resurrection of a man who was helplessly sinking to the bottom of the ocean, after falling to the bottom of the ocean, with a symbolic narrative.

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

“Making Resurrection under the Ocean was driven by a deep personal and creative desire to explore themes of human resilience and transformation in the face of adversity. The ocean has always been a powerful metaphor for the unknown, for both the depths of the human experience and the mysteries that lie beyond our comprehension. I wanted to create a story that reflected the fragility and strength of life, much like the ocean itself—where vast, powerful forces exist beneath the surface, often unseen.
The inspiration also came from my fascination with the idea of rebirth. In many ways, the ocean represents a kind of infinite possibility, a place where life can be both created and destroyed. This duality resonated with me on a personal level, and I wanted to explore the transformative power of human experience, especially in the face of environmental change and the shifting tides of society.

The film also stems from my love of storytelling that combines both the physical and emotional realms. The underwater setting allowed me to visually convey feelings of isolation and survival, while also diving deep into the psychological effects of confronting the unknown. Ultimately, Resurrection under the Ocean is a reflection on human survival, connection, and renewal, all set against one of the most powerful and mysterious forces in nature.”

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

“Watching the audience react to Resurrection under the Ocean in the feedback video was both humbling and exciting. It was incredible to hear their thoughts and to see how the film connected with them. The feedback was deeply insightful, and I was moved by the emotions it evoked. It reassured me that the story resonated with people, and it reinforced my passion for filmmaking.”

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KITE, 6min,. Canada
Directed by Jerry Trieus
A short film about a dancer on a mission to experience flight. The journey is disappointing and filled with challenges. The result is a transformation as the dance artist finds strength through perseverance and ultimately freedom.

Get to know writer/producer Virginia Duivenvoorden:

What motivated you to make this film?

Kite began as a stage piece where I incorporated film on stage in the form of projections. I knew that I eventually would like to also see it as a film on its own. It all began as a photograph by Brooke McAllister. in one of the photos, I was wearing a black skirt and dancing with a 7 yard piece of tulle fabric. I loved the photos. In 2021 I decided to choreograph a dance to match them. That’s when Kite was born. When I started the choreography, I was in too much physical pain to think about performing. That’s when Brynne Harper started working on KITE. We spent two years developing the stage piece and we shared it in three different performances two were outdoor performances and one on stage for a work in progress showing. I approached Kites in all aspects from building and flying them to studying the history. All of the processes became part of the kite story from the failed kites that never flew and then to the handmade windsocks , which were actually amazing. It became a story about transforming from looking outside oneself to looking inside and finding that sense of flight and freedom from within the body. That was a journey that I really needed to make in order to process what was happening in my body with the pain and other medical conditions that I was coping with during the creation process.

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

I felt emotional seeing that the piece was clear in its message and was being received very much in the way that I had hoped for. It was rewarding to see that the message of resiliency and strength had shone through.

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NEW WORLD, 3min,. USA
Directed by Kevin Brayant Osorio
New World is a chaotic and bizarre song, featuring a stop motion music video just as chaotic and just as bizarre. New World has an angular dark burn and a certain obliqueness. New World is the kind of chaos we all get

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/faine1/faine
https://www.instagram.com/werefaine/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?
Originally, we were going to make a hand drawn, frame by frame animation for the music video. It was laid out and storyboarded, but it didn’t pan out. The best alternate/immediate option seemed to be making a stop motion music video instead.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
It’s very nice and flattering to see the audience’s reactions. Most times, you know people have viewed something you’ve made, but that doesn’t mean you’ve gotten a “reaction” from them; especially online. Creating can be very one sided. Initial/immediate reactions are interesting to me. You can only make one first impression.

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WAKING CONUNDRUM, 11min., Canada
Directed by Dale Loon, Alyssa-Rose Hunter
Waking up in a room with a ceiling that seems to never end. A man struggles with his memory of recent events but remembers everything else from the past. The man meets a woman and brings him down to great disbelief and shock that shakes every atom in his body. A scheme is planned to escape this room. But is the plan for real?

Get to know filmmaker Dale Loon:

What motivated you to make this film?

Your not gonna be so impressed, but at the time when I was in school. I came to a point where I needed a script in order to advance in the Toronto Film School program. And I only had one class, 4 hours to do it. 20 minutes was spent making beats of the story. Another 40 minutes character building. Then the last 3 hours was spend writing the script in a rush.

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

The one thing I expected for sure was the unseen betrayal from Venora. The audience saw a connection sparking between them, then at the end? They were shocked and shooked. Everything I wrote is what I wanted in the audiences reactions, and it was puuuuurfect!

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TAINTED, 11min,. Singapore
Directed by Ian Wee
In a world driven by corporate greed and unethical genetic experimentation, Darien, the pioneering human clone, finds himself obsolete against a superior 2nd Generation Clone, leading to his and his mentor’s targeting. Following his mentor’s death, Darien’s hidden hybrid nature—combining human and vampire DNA—surfaces during a critical confrontation, granting him unexpected survival. Marked as a “Tainted” failure yet possessing newfound powers, Darien faces an ambiguous future, embodying the narrative’s critique of ambition’s perils and the poignant fallout of manipulative sciences.

http://www.brightvoxelstudios.com/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551387412655
https://www.instagram.com/film_tainted/

Get to know writer/producer Graham John Lamb:

What motivated you to make this film?

I was Virtual Production Supervisor on a film in Singapore, when the IMDA (InfoComm Media Development Authority Singapore) announced that they were funding projects in this particular area. My producer, director and director of photography were at the time over in the UK at the National Film and Television School also attending a Virtual Production immersion program aimed at industry professionals to learn about this new way of film making. So excited with this new surge of enthusiasm I asked Jeffrey about joining this content creation initiative and we all got together and created Tainted.

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

Honestly I got a little teary, when I was looking at the reviews, I am greatly appreciative that the reviewers talk about the whole film in general from stunts, makeup, sound & music to performance and that really shows that the team was really the best – such a dynamic group all around and I have nothing but high praise for everyone involved.

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CATHY & HARRY, 40min., USA
Directed by Marta Renzi, Daniel Wolff
A revealing and humorous double-portrait of Catherine Murphy and Harry Roseman whose work is in collections from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Metropolitan Transit Authority. “Cathy & Harry” documents how their lives revolve in joyous, dizzying intensity around work, food, friends, and each other.

Get to know the filmmakers:

What motivated you to make this film?
We thought these two were special people, whose work and relationship should be documented.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
We were pleased that the message came across – and a little surprised that the message seemed to be so much about their relationship.

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AN UNDOING, 10min., USA

Directed by Lyall F. Harris

In this 9-minute and 55-second experimental film, viewers are taken on a journey of "undoing" as the film's author-protagonist unstitches her way to healing and catharsis, one stitch at a time, after the end of an abusive 20-year marriage. The subject: their wedding garments.

http://www.lyallharris.com/

https://www.instagram.com/lyall_harris

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THERAPY TIES, 30min., USA

Directed by Christine Evette Giles

The effects of Wanda’s unresolved childhood trauma forces a tsunami of events to take place in the her family. This leaves her husband, Malcolm, as the primary caretaker of two children, one of which has a disability. Traditional and nontraditional therapy becomes the epicenter of their daily life.

https://doc.storydoc.com/DJgAFJ

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SING ME TO SLEEP, 25min,. USA
Directed by Mario Valdivieso
“Sing Me To Sleep” follows the story of a young couple by the name of Marc and Julia. Julia has been diagnosed with cancer and she is at the point where her disease has become terminal. Marc decides to take his dying wife home so they can make the most of their last days together.

https://www.instagram.com/sing_me_to_sleep_film/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I’ve been with my partner Kira (also a producer on the film) for five years now. We started dating three months before covid. When covid hit, we decided to move in together as she is immune compromised which made the prospect of her getting covid extra dangerous. Unfortunately she ended up getting covid and spent several weeks in the hospital with double pneumonia and even the doctors at the time were unsure if she would survive. She did recover thankfully, but it got me thinking a lot about telling a story about a relationship ending when it was just getting started. The nugget of that concept became “Sing Me To Sleep”. I also wanted to tell a realistic portrayal of what it is like to care for someone who is sick.

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

My reaction to watching the feedback video was relief, relief that what we set out to do with the film was clear to the audience. I was moved by how moved the audience members that provided feedback were. And I was so impressed at how thoughtful all the comments were, the three members really took the time to give us some great feedback. When you make a movie, a filmmaker always wants to feel validated that what they put together will be enjoyed and felt by the audience so watching the reactions was extremely validating.

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11 BLOCKS TO GO: THE BET, 10min., USA

Directed by Nathaniel P. Claridad

Samantha, a free-spirited hapless romantic, discovers her 30-something-year-old BFF Drew, a gay high-functioning drug-addled sex addict, hosting an orgy in lieu of honoring his personal commitments.

http://www.11blockstogo.com/

https://www.instagram.com/11blockstogo/

Conversation wth the screenwriter & stars of the film Jack Utrata & Ashley Alexander.

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THE VISITOR, 11min., USA
Directed by Nikolaus Aldrich
With his relationship in a rough patch and his career stalled, A man tries to find new purpose by retreating to the Pacific Northwest. While there, strange things begin to happen as he grapples with his sense of reality.

https://www.instagram.com/thevisitor_shortfilm2024/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

As a kid I was always fascinated by the subject of UFOs and Aliens. But I never really spent much time thinking about it as an adult. Then last year it was in the news a lot. It sort of re-ignited that curiosity I had as a child. There was so much storytelling potential that I drafted out a whole trilogy of films based on an idea that had come to me. I decided to start small and develop this as a short. The short film is essentially the opening prologue for the feature. While writing the short I wanted to make sure that it could work both as an intro to a feature but a self contained story as well.

I wanted to map the films in a way that naturally progresses through the emotions of what I imagine one would go through if they were to experience this. So starting in a Sci-Fi/Horror genre made sense to me. But if I’m lucky enough to expand this further it wouldn’t necessarily stick with that genre throughout the story.

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

It was surreal. There were some things mentioned that honed right in on specific points I was trying to make. The idea of the Visitor(s) and how technically all the characters are alien to this location was a very intentional bit. I was happy to see that point come across. It was also so fun to see how the audience brought their own interpretations to it, what kinds of genres it fit into and filmmakers it reminded them of. There was a lot of hard work put into the film from every department and I was very happy to hear that those teams were given mentions. They really pushed the film into the next level.

The reaction to the film has been so positive. With its inception coming from a relatively dark time in my life. I really don’t have words to describe how incredible it feels to hear others talking about the film and engaging with it enthusiastically. My initial reaction was that this whole strange journey was worth it. I couldn’t be prouder of how it turned out and hearing the reactions to it made me a bit emotional if I’m being honest. I was very moved by the whole experience because it’s surprisingly pretty rare in the festival circuit to really get that kind of direct feedback on your work.

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And The Balls Roll On… The Real Story of the Beautiful Game of Skee-Ball, 93min., USA
Directed by Thaddeus O. Cooper, Kevin B Kreitman
This is the story of Skee-Ball—a unique game, patented in 1908 by a long forgotten inventor living in Vineland NJ: Joseph Fourestier Simpson. The film explores the era in which the young inventor grew up, as the industrial revolution created the new middle class, and the explosion of amusement parks that allowed them to flee their crowded industrial neighborhoods for a few hours of pleasure.

http://www.nomoreboxes.com/AndTheBallsRollOn.html
https://www.facebook.com/atbrothemovie

Get to know the filmmakers Thaddeus O. Cooper, Kevin B Kreitman:

What motivated you to make this film? 

Thad wanted to get back into shooting video and was looking for a small project—a 10 minute YouTube video about the history of Skee-Ball. He started digging into the real but unknown inventor, and discovered a surprisingly dramatic and moving story, and then the rest of the saga that has its own drama and memorable characters…and we knew we just had to tell the story.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
Thad: Dumbfounded! When you work on a project for this long, you don’t know what the impact is going to be. You have a skewed perspective.
Kevin: I was just thrilled. It hit exactly what we were trying to get the film to do. They appreciated the drama, the weaving of history through the Skee-Ball story, they liked our narrator and voice actors, and it made them nostalgic!

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FLY AWAY, FROGGY BOY, 8min., Canada
Directed by Mia Lobo
Fly Detective Francis McFly loses his partner to the infamous ‘Croaks’, a frog gang at the centre of his most recent investigation. Stricken by grief, he decides to get revenge, and go head to head with their ravenous leader, The Frogfather.

https://mialobo.com/home

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

Fly Away, Froggy Boy was my final year thesis film. Everyone in their final year at my animation program was required to pitch a film idea, present it to our final year classmates, and the film ideas were chosen based on popular vote. The idea came from a joke between me and my partner (the co-creator, foley artist and voice of McFly), quite literally “Imagine if you pitched a film about a fly getting revenge on frogs”. I decided to pitch it to my class to see if anyone would be drawn to the idea as much as we were. We ended up one of the four films chosen to be made that year! People really love the idea.

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

It was a great feedback video!I found it really interesting to see what aspects of the film jump out at people. The whole project is a lot less surprising and fresh for me because I worked on it for so long. Being able to hear people talk about the specific elements of the film that they found really unique, fresh and fun, reminds me of how great the project is, and how I felt the exact same way during the process.

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GIN RUMMY, 17min., USA
Directed by Suzanne Baird
I’m excited to share our project made from love and friendship..
Three best friends have been playing Gin Rummy every week for over 50 years. On this Gin Rummy night they have made other plans as a final bonding of the trio.

Get to know the filmmaker Suzanne Baird:

What motivated you to make this film?

There were several motivators. The biggest was that my mother was dying from Dementia. It was an illness that she had for about 10 years and was in the final phases. At the same time, Roe V. Wade was repealed, and this required an examination of the question of choice on many levels. Do we have dominion over our bodies, male or female, to make choices about our health and existence.

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

I was really gratified! They were so positive and thoughtful. It was a great
feature of your festival. So appreciated!!

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KIDS OCEAN DAY / A LOVE PROJECT, 9min., USA
Directed by David Creech
A behind the scenes look at the the educational philosophy of Kids Ocean Day founder, Michael Klubock.

https://www.kidsoceanday.org/
https://www.facebook.com/kidsoceanday
https://twitter.com/kidsoceanday
https://www.instagram.com/kidsoceanday/

Get to know filmmaker David Kreech & Featured Cast Michael Klubock

What motivated you to make this film?

David: I participated in several KOD events and I felt compelled to tell the story of Michael and the volunteers and kids

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

David: I felt the comments were accurate
Michael: I appreciated the time and effort to review the film and the kind words of support,

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RED, 5min., Canada
Directed by Marlea van Grinsven
Red depicts the story of a romance gone wrong, where paint is used to show the side revenge and how it slowly passes through everyone until revenge has taken over. It follows our couple as they work through their budding romance slowly getting more and more torn on the outcome as they go, until at the end, revenge wins and takes over.

http://www.movementwithmarlea.com/
https://instagram.com/_movementwithmarlea

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?
They always say that the best art comes from the worst trauma, and I was hoping it was right. I went through a very traumatic breakup and I wanted to turn a dark time in my life into something beautiful. Dance has always been how I’ve expressed myself and creating this film allowed me to process my trauma in a beautiful and creative way.

What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I was overjoyed with emotion. It was an amazing experience to hear people talking about my film and loving it. I always fear that the audience won’t get my story but to hear that they understood the story behind it and appreciated the difficulty of execution to create this film was delightful.

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Watcth the screenplay reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsW9eL6aqck

A woman plays a poker game for a second shot at life, but what are the stakes and what is the real prize?

(NOTE: Podcast stopped abruptly due to a power outage.)

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