2022 Judge: Annemarie Sawkins

Annemarie Sawkins is a Milwaukee-based-curator, art historian, and recent co-author of A Creative Place: The History of Wisconsin Art (2021). She has curated several exhibitions for the Charles Allis and Villa Terrace Art Museums including Afghan War Rugs: The Modern Art of Central Asia (2014), and More on Less: The History of Burlesque in America from Lydia Thompson to Amber Ray (2015). 

Her exhibitions which often include videos have traveled to museums across the United States. In addition to being a former juror of the Milwaukee Short Film Festival, Annemarie has been a foreign extra in Japan and in movie shorts produced by Jeff Fitzsimmons and Karen Lindholm-Rynkiewicz.

2022 Judge: Jeff Olm

Jeff has been on the cutting edge of multimedia, VR/AR, television, theatrical and electronic presentation technology creating Academy award nominated and award winning movies like Titanic, the Fifth Element, Minority Report, Armageddon, Mighty Joe Young, Spiderman, Harry Potter, Avengers, Terminator, and The Revenant.

Jeff has been working and involved doing research in User Interphases for Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality as well as researching retail Virtual and Augmented reality retail and shopping experiences.

Working in Cinematic Virtual Reality experiences the past 3 years Jeff directed Warbird Veterans, and Fireworks in Virtual Reality, And was part of the creative, production and post production teams for Disney, Paul McCartney, The National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball. He has been in supervisory roles for Dreamworks, Disney, Sony Imageworks, Warner Bros. Universal and New Line.

www.jeffolm.com

2022 Judge: Jeremy Ross

Jeremy Ross has more than 20 years of experience in content creation, broadcast journalism/ storytelling. That career includes 5 Emmys, a Murrow and dozens of writing and production awards from the Associated Press and state/regional journalism/content organizations. 

Ross has worked in Lansing, MI, Milwaukee, WI and Chicago, IL and his work was seen across CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, Yahoo, MSN, CBS/AP Radio Network. 

Ross graduated from the University of Michigan and received his master’s in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. He’s since taught Multi-Media Storytelling at Northwestern as an Adjunct Professor and runs JRoss Communications a content creation business focused on video storytelling.

2022 Voices Heard Judge: Immanuel Baldwin

Immanuel Baldwin is an award-winning storyteller, coffee lover and tech enthusiast whose always had a proclivity to create things for people to experience. He’s held many roles on various production teams and has a deep-rooted love for the art of filmmaking. Currently Immanuel resides in Milwaukee and is a digital content creator for an advertising agency. He is very excited to be a part of this year's film festival.

2022 Voices Heard Judge: Theophilus Jamal

Theophilus Jamal is a Filmmaker/ Visual Raconteur whose work is informed by life's "complex
simplicity”. He is a 2015 DVID Fellow with Kartemquin Films, has developed instructional
programs at The Boys & Girls Club of Lake County and Waukegan Public Schools, and has
managed for several prestigious film festivals (Sundance, SXSW, CIMMfest, Chicago
International Film Festival). He is currently an Instructional Designer at Driehaus College of
Business at DePaul University and can be found performing stand-up comedy across Northern
Illinois under his stage name Theo Chicago.

2022 Films: Phoenix 2021/A Survival Guide

Phoenix 2021/A Survival Guide by Stilvi Psilopoulou
Athens, Greece(Milwaukee Premiere)

Running Time: 9 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday, Sept 10 at 6:30PM
Drama

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Phoenix 2021/A Survival Guide revolves around depression and the struggle that a great deal of people undergo every single day in order to fight against it. The film identifies as the root of the problem the social taboos which entrap us into small boxes in which we all suffocate. The main character works at a very toxic environment that has nothing to do with what she wanted to be as a little girl. This leads her to antidepressants and the decision to put an end to her life. Will hope prevail in the end or it's too late?

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Director Bio:

Stilvi Psilopoulou is a distinguished actress received her Bachelor’s degree in Acting in 2014 from one of the top Drama Schools in Athens, Greece, the Mary Vogiatzi-Traga Drama School while being already a holder of another Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature from the very well-known institution The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

Stilvi Psilopoulou has been working as an actor for almost a decade with some of the very best Greek actors like Elisavet Konstantinidou, Ilias Logothetis, Alexandros Stavrou, Katerina Didaskalou, Nikitas Tsakiroglou and more. She has also worked with the most prominent Greek directors like Dimitris Arvanitis, Yorgos Oikonomidis, Panos Aggelopoulos and more.

In the years 2006-2009, Stilvi Psilopoulou has been the lead in many theater productions in Thessaloniki. Later on, she moved to Athens where in 2011 she took part in the very well-known TV series Stolen Dreams. In 2014 she started expanding her creativity directing this time herself A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the participation of the students of Mavrommati School.

In 2016, she was the first to translate the British play Yard Gal in Greek in which she also starred and was the line producer. Under the direction of Alexandros Stavrou Yard Gal became a great success. One year later, she wrote, produced and starred in the short film Black Boxed which was nominated by the Female Filmmakers Festival in L.A. and awarded with special honors by the Artfools Eco-Fashion Film Festival in Greece. Black Boxed is what she calls her feminist manifesto. She has also taken part in other short films as well.

In 2017, she took part in The Saviors Of God-Spiritual Exercises which was staged at Odeon Of Herodes Atticus. The following year she starred in Prisoners at Vault Theater and a few months later she also starred in What Are You Doing There? which was staged at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, in London.

In 2020, she starred in Ciao Italia film and she also took part in Balland for a Pierced Heart.

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2022 Films: Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls by Tara Sickmeier & Victor Bellomo

Palo Alto, CA (Milwaukee Premiere)

Running Time: 5 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday, Sept 10 at 6:30PM
Drama

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At the edge of her life, a woman must confront a cascade of hopes, desires and fallen dreams.

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Director Bio:

Tara Sickmeier is a Tony Award-nominated Broadway producer, film/TV producer, and entrepreneur. In 2013, Sickmeier co-founded HIPZEE with Rob Baunoch III, a Brooklyn-born entertainment company that specializes in edgy, boundary-pushing storytelling for stage and screen.

Victor Bellomo is an American filmmaker, animator, singer-songwriter and composer. He sings the song for the soundtrack of Niagara Falls. He has received numerous awards and accolades for his films.

Director Statement

Alfred Hitchcock said, "When we tell a story in cinema, we should resort to dialogue only when it's impossible to do otherwise.”

Niagara Falls tells the story of a woman's quiet struggle to remain in life. The aim was to make a silent film linked to a song.

The lyrics say: "Ten thousand people in barrels, every day go over this thing, mostly in quiet obscurity, it’s of these people I sing."

This of course could be any of us. The song references to the historic rides people made in barrels over Niagara Falls in the early 1900's.

The woman enters a hotel room carrying a letter and a rose. This room is not a "hotel room” per se; we soon see that this room is her sanctuary, her shrine, her safe house. When she enters we immediately see that this place is special to her. She has been here many times before and enters with a ritual befitting a sacred place. She places the rose in a vase of wilted flowers. We soon get the sense that this room contains parts of her soul embodied in letters and objects that she has kept hidden from the world and perhaps to some large degree, from herself.

The letter she finally reads shatters the fragile stability of her world. She rips up the letter and proceeds to destroy the hidden contents of the room, revealing countless falling letters, postcards, photos and precious objects. In the end her space is littered with torn words and keepsakes. At the edge of her life, she must confront this cascade of hopes, desires and fallen dreams.

"At the bottom where water meets water, where each one’s ride is done, some slink off in the underbrush, some dry off in the sun."

Hitchcock's emphasis on telling a story through image and music, rather than dialogue, echoes the marriage of the visual and music narrative of our film.

2022 Films: Pandemia

Pandemia by Sam Sorenson
Verona, WI (Milwaukee Premiere)

Running Time: 8 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday, Sept 10 at 9:15PM
Drama/ Thriller

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In early 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic was beginning, a group of people in a waiting room come together to right a wrong.

Director Bio:

Sam Sorenson is an award-winning filmmaker and TV veteran. He is a four-time Emmy Award winner, and has more than 20 Emmy nominations. He also won the prestigious National Edward R. Murrow award, and several Associated Press and Wisconsin Broadcasters Association awards. He is a two-time winner of the 48 Hour Film Project and his films have screened at Film Festivals across the country.

Sam travels around the country shooting documentary videos, narrative films, and brand messages.

2022 Films: Yungsnag

Yungsnag by Erin Hastings

Milwaukee, WI (Milwaukee Premiere)

Running Time: 8 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday, Sept 10 at 9:15PM
Drama/ Documentary

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Up and coming Milwaukee rapper, Sanjiv Chheda, AKA Yungsnag, details his life experiences and how that impacts his music.

This film was made in Milwaukee by those of us who live here.

Director Bio:

Erin Hastings (Yungsnag) is a freelance filmmaker based out of Chicago and Milwaukee who loves anything and everything about film, so much in fact, that I am a film major at UW-Milwaukee.
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My primary focus is video, but as time has gone on I've really enjoyed focusing more on photography. I've worked baptisms, birthdays, anniversaries, fundraisers, and other special events.

2022 Films: Unspoken

Unspoken by Joseph R Lefeber

Neenah, WI (Milwaukee Premiere)

Running Time: 10 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday, Sept 10 at 9:15PM
Drama

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A young couple must learn to communicate after an accident leaves one of them deaf.

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Director Bio:

From an early age, loved movies. Jurassic Park wasn't the first film I had seen but I remember watching it in a theater and being in awe of the fact dinosaurs were brought back to life. Ever since then, film became a passion.

As I got older, I took that passion and began to learn filmmaking. I attended film school at the New York Film Academy and started making short films. My focus is on telling emotional stories that connect with audiences.

Director Statement

Unspoken was made for the Madison, WI 48 Hour Film Project. Despite only having 48 hours to write, shoot and edit the film, I wanted to tell an emotional story that focused on a relationship, communication and overcoming challenges.

2022 Films: Blossom and the Decrepit Man

Blossom and the Decrepit Man by Tim Schwagel
Eau Claire, WI (Milwaukee Premiere)

Running Time: 3 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday, Sept 10 at 6:30PM
Drama/ Dark Comedy

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Blossom wakes up in the forest tied to a tree, and something is ticking...

Director Bio:

Tim Schwagel. I'm a filmmaker based in Eau Claire WI and I've loved movies ever since my dad took me to see "Dinosaur" when I was three years old. Eau Claire doesn't have a large film community, but it is strong and I feel lucky to be able to do what I love right in my home town.

2022 Films: Undecided

Undecided by Betty Allen & Andy Woodward

Milwaukee, WI (Milwaukee Premiere)

Running Time: 10 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday, Sept 10 at 9:15PM
Drama

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Three women’s different perspectives on motherhood collide in a workplace bathroom while one waits to discover whether she is pregnant.

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Director Bio:

Betty Allen has a degree in film from UW-Milwaukee. Her Premiere projects are more organized than your house. She’s worked on projects for Sara Bareilles and Margaret Cho and doesn’t even brag about it. Betty is a full-time badass mom and fearless filmmaker.

Andy Woodward has a degree in Time-Based Media from the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. A passionate editor and avid screenwriter, Andy dabbles in After Effects, woodworking and rebuilding their 1982 Yamaha motorcycle. An infinitely curious human being.

Director Statement

The writer and producer, Rosa SanMarchi, approached us out of the blue (digitally) to direct this film after a recommendation from a friend. Immediately after reading the script we knew it was something we wanted to work on. It was a thrilling experience to collaborate with someone new, who already had a vision for the film but was looking for other voices and opinions to bring it home. The collaborative spirit of our team really reflected what we were trying to convey on screen, that we are all better when we listen to one another.

2022 Films: To Be Fair

To Be Fair by Cynthia Johnson

Madison, WI (Milwaukee Premiere)

Running Time: 9 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday, Sept 10 at 6:30PM
Documentary

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Pegi Christiansen knows exactly how to end the contentious and increasingly dangerous election cycle for president of the U.S. It's called the National Popular Vote Compact, and this passionate performance artist needs just one minute to persuade you to support it.

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Director Bio:

2022 Films: Pandemic Survival and Revival

Pandemic Survival and Revival by Catey Ott Thompson

Milwaukee, WI (Milwaukee Premiere)

Running Time: 9 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday, Sept 10 at 6:30PM
Experimental/ Dance

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This 9 minute film was taken and edited by videographer Christal Wagner and choreographed by Catey Ott Thompson in collaboration with the Catey Ott Dance Collective (CODC) dancers. This film is an imagistic and abstract manifestation of the emotional landscape through the Covid-19 pandemic. The underlying tones and movement investigations include managing and eventually overcoming feelings of isolation, separation, anxiety, petrification, being tethered, and monotony. The original sound score was composed specifically for CODC by Tim Nohe. The dynamic and expressive CODC dancers include Sarah Chomeau, Rebecca Johnson, and Natasha Posey. The choreography clearly highlights the dancers' strong modern technique, physical endurance, emotional expression, as well as their unique interpretations of the atmospheric movement scores created for this piece.

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Director Bio:

Catey Ott Thompson (CODC director, choreographer, dancer in MKE) has spent 38 years dancing,15 of which included performing, choreographing, and teaching in NYC. Ott Thompson received a MFA and BFA in Dance from UWM. She studied ballet with Christine Wright in NYC for 10 years. Catey Ott Dance Collective started in Milwaukee in 2005. The collective has performed in NYC at Danspace Project at St, Mark’s Church, Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors, DNA, Solar One, Dance Conversations at the Flea, White Wave, WAX, Green Space, 92Y, BAX, Hatch at Muller/The Works, UWM, DanceNOW, Panetta Studio, Spoke the Hub, and Gowanus Arts Building. As a professional dancer in NYC (1995-2012,) she performed with Heidi Latsky Dance, Allyson Green Dance, Bill Young and Dancers, Soundance Repertory Company, Gotham Group Dance, Sean Curran Company, Chris Ferris, Molly Rabinowitz, Cora, Holly Twining, Carrie Ahern and a variety of others. She is currently working on her 24th self-production of her own choreography. She has performed with Milwaukee Opera Theater, Danceworks Performance Company, Wild Space, DanceCircus, and Milwaukee Dance Theatre in MKE. She currently teaches at Milwaukee Ballet and Marquette University.



Director Statement

CATEY OTT DANCE COLLECTIVE (CODC) is a MKE based professional company that embodies modern/contemporary technique, intriguing qualitative movement, and vulnerable yet fierce emotions. The choreography features realness in relationships and clear intention, all inside of an imaginative dimension. The company dancers often collaborate in the investigation of movement. CODC also embraces interactive relationships with composers and visual artists/set designers.

2022 Films: All Eyes On

All Eyes On by Mackenzie Walla

Milwaukee, WI (Milwaukee Premiere)

Running Time: 2 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday, Sept 10 at 6:30PM
Experimental/ Animation

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Everywhere you go you are always being watched, even in the comfort and intimacy of your own home. You don’t know who exactly is watching. The whole world maybe? Some higher being? You can’t escape the watchful eye of nature. Are your eyes even your own?

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Director Bio:

Mackenzie Walla is an animator, digital illustrator, filmmaker and visual effects artist. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film, Video, Animation, and New Genres from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her work takes everyday moments in human life and twists them into new perspectives and layers for her viewers to interpret and enjoy. Walla’s style typically involves saturated colored line work to compliment dark simplistic backgrounds. Her inspirations come from personal feelings and experiences and other art forms that deal with post-apocalyptic-like societies.

Director Statement

Walla's most recent piece, All Eyes On, is a 2D animation environment that brings forth the idea of some greater, unknown entity is always watching people partake in society, even in the private and intimate moments of their own home. These “entities” could be some unseen god, someone you walk past down the street, or even you, as the viewer.

2022 Films: The Coronation

The Coronation by Emily Penick
Melbourne Beach, FL (Milwaukee Premiere)

Running Time: 12 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday, Sept 10 at 6:30PM
Experimental/ Dance

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In this wordless, experimental film, a powerful goddess meets her match.

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Director Bio:

Emily is a writer / director with a background in directing and choreographing stage plays.

In NYC, she has worked at Playwrights Horizons, 2nd Stage, New Dramatists, The Tank, and elsewhere, developing new works for both stage and film. Before Covid, Emily was also a member of Frost Productions, responsible for producing large-scale events like the MET Gala, Tonys red carpet, and film premieres.

In addition to her own projects, Emily assists Tony-award-winning director and MacAurthur Fellow, David Cromer.

Emily is passionate about creating community, fostering positive change, and sharing career-development resources with young artists. During her time as Literary & Artistic Manager at ACT – A Contemporary Theatre, Emily lead the charge to make the institution a Deaf-friendly space, managing artistic programming, inclusive casting, meaningful community partnerships, and capital improvements which included the implementation of closed captioning in both main stage spaces. Also at ACT, Emily founded and managed the Kenan Directing Fellowship, which generously supported emerging directors with mentorship and financial resources.

Through her efforts with RED STAGE, which she founded, Emily has produced the world premiere Worse Than Tigers, and commissioned emerging female playwrights. RED STAGE also shares funding and career development opportunities with artists across disciplines, through their resource library at redstage.org.

With over a decade of experience in clown, nouveau vaudeville, and physical theatre, Emily is passionate about stories which showcase either subtlety or overtly, the modern clown. Two of her upcoming short film projects, The Coronation and Cuffing Season, showcase such work.

As an educator, Emily has adjudicated new play festivals at universities, taught play submission workshops, taught graduate courses in directing, acting, and movement technique, and guest-directed and choreographed university productions.

Recent directing credits include AN ILIAD (Brick Monkey Theater Company), THE WOLVES (Bucknell University), CORIOLANUS: Fight Like a Bitch (Rebel Kat Productions), A Christmas Carol (ACT- A Contemporary Theatre), the world premiere of Worse Than Tigers (RED STAGE), Gregory Award-winning Romeo & Juliet (Seattle Immersive Theatre), Pilgrims (Forward Flux), Snowglobed (Playing in Progress) and Milwaukee Repertory Theater’s The Other Woman, Wandering and their world premiere of the devised play Pot of Gold. Emily has choreographed at Book-It Repertory Theatre (Slaughterhouse Five), Café Nordo (Don Nordo Del Midwest), ACT Theatre (A Christmas Carol), and for the UMO Ensemble's Resistance Cabaret - Resistance is Fertile!

Emily was born in California, raised in New Jersey, attended Bucknell University, and earned her MFA in Directing from Ohio University.

2022 Films: Mold of Malachi

Mold of Malachi by Mtume Gant

New York, NY (Milwaukee Premiere)

Running Time: 9 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday, Sept 10 at 6:30PM
Drama 

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In the suburbs of America, a Black man’s morning jog nightmare exists as a game for others.

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Director Bio:

Mtume Gant is a Director, Performer & Educator hailing from NYC. His career started on stage, screen & TV, most notably as a cast member of the HBO show Oz and one of the leads in the film CARLITOS WAY: RISE TO POWER, where he was featured in the role of "Reggie" next to Mario Van Peebles and Luis Guzman. He made his screen debut as Louis in the Sundance Award Winning Film HURRICANE STREETS. He then moved behind the camera with his film SPIT which went on to win over half a dozen awards (Best Short film at the Coney Island Film Festival) and screened at nearly two dozen festivals across the United States such as Aspen Shortsfest, Woodstock Film Festival and Cucalorus.

His second film WHITE FACE caused an uproar, a film that predicted Trumps America was seen ahead of its time and was one of the more controversial shorts out in the circuit of 2017. It went on to be programmed at few dozen film festivals as well.

Mold of Malachi is Mtume's latest work and he is poised to make his feature film Directing debut in 2022. Mtume is also an Assistant Professor of Film at Purchase College.

Director Statement

Mold of Malachi is my statement on a conversation that I am tired of having, the conversation around Black trauma. What I aim to relay to those viewing is to question who are these explorations Black trauma for? Are they for Black people at large? Or others? And who is benefitting from all this excessive displays of pain and suffering around Black bodies? Mold of Malachi is my most focused work to date and one I feel I am the clearest with in terms of intention. I hope it causes you to question this very industry we have and whats really behind this current interest in Black stories.

Hope the film speaks you all.

And one last thing, make sure to keeping watching until AFTER the credits.

2022 Films: Eureka

Eureka by Miida Chu

Toluca Lake, California (Milwaukee Premiere)

Running Time: 15 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday, Sept 10 at 9:15PM
Drama/ Western

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A young indentured Chinese prostitute must overcome her toxic dependency on the brothel madam on the eve of the 1885 anti-Chinese riot in Eureka, California.

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Director Bio:

Assigned male at birth in Suzhou, China, a culturally underrated city, Miida spent the last ten years in the States, attempting to destroy the identities she has inherited from the Chinese and the American influences. She studied philosophy at NYU and was accepted as a PhD student at UCLA. Her Dionysian side brought her to the MFA program at the American Film Institute.

She was one of the seven finalists of the 2014 National YoungArts Competition. Her shorts have been official selections at film festivals including the Los Angeles Film Festival, HollyShorts, Nashville Film Festival, Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, EnergaCamerimage, etc. Her most recent short, Eureka, won Best Director at SENE Film Festival, and Outstanding Woman Filmmaker at Tallgrass Film Festival. She served on the program committee of Miami Film Festival in 2020 and 2021.
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Miida is also an avid collaborator of theater. She did media design for Round Room Image’s experimental play “Surrounded”, which toured in Longmont, Chicago, and Winnipeg. She co-founded Lamplighter Productions with Jordan Sucher and developed an original play “How to Be a GoodPerson™”, which opened in New York City and toured in Pittsburgh.

2022 Films: Galacta Raider

Galacta Raider by Alexander Eberhage

Milwaukee, WI

Running Time: 14 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday, Sept 10 at 9:15PM
Drama/ Sci Fi/ Neo-Noir/ Mystery

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By finding the past, he discovers the road to the future.

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Director Bio:

Alexander Eberhage is a young filmmaker and prop designer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who explores his passion for the past through art. He enjoys creating short films with satire and humor as well as serious films about dystopian societies and sci-fi worlds. He draws inspiration from the visual look and practical effects of many 80’s sci-fi films, where the worlds are brought to life using old-school effects, miniatures, and matte paintings. Most recently, he has released his short film, "Galacta Raider." This is a film about a group of cosmic archeologists. He plans to attend college to study film and design.

2022 Films: As de Trèfle

As de Trèfle by Henri Kebabdjian
France (Milwaukee Premiere)

Running Time: 10 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday, Sept 10 at 6:30PM
Drama

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Nathan is joined by his daughter Camille by the racetracks. He hopes that by betting on the race, he will be able to afford the school of her dreams. But when Nathan discovers that Camille is admitted in an other school far away, the race takes a whole other turn.

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Director Bio:

As de Trèfle
Short (2021, 4K, 9’)

Aurore, une autre histoire
Short (2006, 35mm, 17’)

Entre Chien et Loup
Short (2004, 16mm, 4’)

Périph
Short (2003, 35mm, 8’)

Director Statement


Question : What is the origin of your story ?

Answer: Before writing and directing « As de Trèfle », I wrote a feature film called « The Centaur » which takes place in the same arena: the world of horse racing, racetracks, passionate gamblers. At the end of the writing of the feature film, I had the feeling that it was necessary to show the cinematographic potential of the film and of this very specific universe. I also felt the need to be confronted with the difficulties associated with filming on a racetrack. Filming horses requires a lot of preparation and thought. There are very strict safety instructions on a racetrack. Everything must therefore be meticulously prepared and thought out.

Question : Why such a special interest in racetracks ?

Answer : In my opinion, cinema has shown very little interest in this universe. Apart from Kubrick's film, « the Killing », the racecourse is almost only used as a secondary setting. The players, the racing world are approached as an anecdotal, secondary representation. Yet it is a particularly captivating place. On a cinematic level, nothing is more beautiful and visual than a horse jumping an obstacle at full speed. Also because it relates to gambling, it is a subject that interests me a lot. Gambling, when it comes to money, is very often seen in cinema or in literature from a moral angle. It is presented as a corruption of society. It then becomes synonymous with perversion (dependence, cheating, unproductiveness, etc.). Yet gambling can be just the opposite. It is synonymous with hope, pleasure, intelligence. This is especially true for horse racing bets.

Question: Was it a complex shooting ?

Answer : Convinced that an important part of the credibility of the film is based on the races, we decided to put the capture at the heart of the device so that « As de Trèfle » is the most successful, the most accurate in its representation. It is a radical but necessary choice in order to render as faithfully as possible the spirit of a race and the power that emerges from it. The race fits naturally into the narrative of the film. The images of horses running at full speed and jumping obstacles are cinematically arresting.

A third of the filming was thus devoted to capturing races. 6 cameras and a team of cameramen were mobilized to be as close as possible to the track and the obstacles. This allowed us to record more than 6 hours of rush.

Question : What were the staging choices for this part ?

Answer : The horse race is narratively perceived from the point of view of Nathan and Camille, therefore from the point of view of the bleachers. However, as we progress through the film, we get closer and closer to the horses in order to illustrate the immense tension that overwhelms the protagonists. The crash of hooves on the track and the ardor of horses soon take over. We are closer to the race, we are now strictly speaking immersed in the race. This helps to illustrate Nathan's confusion and Camille's excitement. Fast pace, nervous cut editing, handheld camera, sound saturation, the staging of « As de Trèfle » is at the service of the issues that the protagonists undergo. Because ultimately, the main challenge of the film is to try to film a form of vertigo...

Question : Tell us about the relationship between father and daughter ?

Answer : In the characters of Camille and Nathan there is something that we will find in all parents/children. It is a mixture of both annoyance, misunderstanding and love. Being a father is difficult, being a child is just as difficult. Relationships are complex on both sides. What interested me was to show this complexity of the relationship between them. It was also important to me at the end that the two characters somehow find common ground to build something new between them. I found it interesting and hopeful. Nathan is a failing father. But a loving father who tries to do the best he can. When he understands that his daughter is going to move away from him, he panics. He realizes that he will have to face loneliness for the first time in his life. It terrifies him. Camille on her side is angry with her father. She has been feeling trapped for a long time. I was extremely lucky that Thierry Hancisse from La Comédie Française agreed to play the role of Nathan. His performance as well as that of his playing partner, Félicie Robert, are very accurate.

Question : What are your future projects ?

Answer : I am working with Jean-Baptiste Jouy, the producer of « As de Trèfle », on two other projects, a feature film and a series. We work together on the development of both projects in parallel.

2022 Films: The Day We Split the Universe

The Day We Split the Universe by David Boffa

Madison, WI (Milwaukee Premiere)

Running Time: 10 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday, Sept 10 at 9:15PM
Drama/ LGBTQIA2S+

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Two strangers who begin an affair through chance encounters on dog walks hope that the laws of physics will help them make a decision.

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Director Bio:

David Boffa is a writer, independent filmmaker, and dog lover currently located in Madison, Wisconsin. For several years he taught art history at Beloit College, after spending time living in Rome, Italy, and Orono, Maine (where he developed a deep appreciation for maple syrup). He is a dedicated fan of nearly all things related to Olympic weightlifting and The Legend of Zelda series of video games. You learn more about his work at ww.davidboffa.com; if you’d like to see a steady stream of beagle pictures you can check out his Instagram at @dr_boffa

2022 Films: She Was Crying Sugar

She Was Crying Sugar by Tommy Simms

Milwaukee, WI 

Running Time: 4 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday, Sept 10 at 6:30PM
Animation/ Music Video

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A candied couple gets into sticky situations as they embark on an adventure through a sugar-coated wonderland.

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Director Bio:

Tommy Simms is an interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker who specializes in stop-motion animation. Earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, his senior animation went on to be showcased at the Festival de Cannes. For years, he taught at art camps across the United States, inspiring younger generations with puppetry and stop-motion. Those classes continued online via Out of Toon Studios - an animation studio dedicated to teaching while creating original content. Tommy's had films featured on PBS, in theatre productions, and at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. His animated adventures continue through the production of independent films and music videos.

Director Statement

Is everything really fine and dandy in the land of candy? Sweetie and Sugar Daddy discover how sour things can get as they set out to rescue their kidnapped pet gummy worm. Inspired by the slapstick humor of the 1930s Fleischer Studios films, SUGAR applies that classic rubberhose cartoon style to stop-motion animation, bringing candy characters to life in a sugar-coated wonderland. Breaking the fourth wall, the Fuzzysurf band members narrate the story as a candyman quartet. Directed & Animated by Tommy Simms, with Live Action Cinematography & Compositing by Joe Ludwig, and Sets by Ann Vollrath, SIMWIG Productions delivers a sugar rush that is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.