2017 Voices Heard Judge: Van Campbell II

Van Campbell II, winner of "Best Wisconsin Film" at the Milwaukee Short Film Festival in 2013 for Mason Jelly Jar, and in 2015 for Hero in Limbo.

2017 Judge: Carey Borth

This Wisconsin born Attorney and LA Producer, Director and Writer has made a career out of helping others achieve their dreams as well as furthering her own career in many aspects of film making; be it as a writing tutor, ghostwriter (Sashay Productions), manager or providing career guidance to up and coming actors, filmmakers and musicians. As well as writing credits on an abundance of projects, she has also worked as a reader of the IFP in Westwood, CA, and managed screenwriters for 6 years in Los Angeles (Gold-Dust Entertainment). She has been a stand-in for Cameron Diaz and worked crew on Jason Alexander's, "The Whitey Show." She has been a Member of the Wisconsin State Bar since 1986 and a Real Estate Broker since 1981.



First gaining recognition as a model from the age of five and later with a certificate from Rosemary Bischoff Modeling Studio's, while still in high school, Carey's other credits include crew and/or acting in a plethora of shorts and student films at her tenure at UCLA Film School. She also wrote, shot and edited her own 16mm films and directed and produced five camera shoots at the House of Blues in Hollywood. This was just the beginning of Carey's love affair with film.


Carey acquired a variety of educational qualifications with three business degrees from UW-Madison, (Real Estate, Finance and Marketing), and obtained her Juris Doctor from Pepperdine Law School where she studied for one semester at the Imperial College in Knightsbridge and one summer at UW-Madison Law School. She has obtained Professional degrees in Interior and Environmental Design, Computer Graphics, Graphic Design, and completed all the coursework for two more, sans the Internship for Culinary Arts and Cooking & Baking at UCLA Extension. She also attended Art Center College of Design Night program for two years in Pasadena, California, studying art history, photography and life drawing. Perhaps her greatest scholastic achievement is her MFA in Film & TV from UCLA, earned from 1994 to 2002.


Since that time, Carey has worked for six years assisting director and actor Mark Borchardt (Northwest Productions), of "American Movie" fame, and produced, cast, acted and did camera on, "Scare Me," and a number of music video's in Los Angeles and Milwaukee, WI. Another such project includes, "The Mark and Mike Show," whereby Jeff Stilson, executive producer of "The Osbournes," followed Carey and her crew around as the subjects of a reality Comedy Central show, during the filming of "Scare Me." Carey made her professional directorial documentary debut with digital projects on racecars, motorcycles and surfing in Malibu and Elkhart Lake since the turn of the century. Her personal blog in 2004 won recognition from AOL as one of the most popular on the Internet.


Carey has gathered critical acclaim as an artist and photographer (Life Masters), selling her works in galleries, private commissions and festivals. She has written a memoir of her 24 years in Hollywood and three books on architecture, art, including one on her personal experiences on traveling alone throughout Europe at age 22.


As a producer, Carey has a hands-on approach while pitching multiple feature films for theatrical release or streaming. She has been a screenwriter or script doctor on at least forty screenplays. A few films are going into preproduction beginning in October in London and Spain, with A-list talent and top music scorers. She is currently collaborating on a book series, “Little Hawk,” with an Australian writer and writing the screenplays.


An avid traveler, Carey loves to visit Asia, Africa and all of Europe. She has visited all of the continental US states, Hawaii, and many of the Canadian provinces. This knowledge of the world helps cherry-pick the finest locations for her filmmaking projects. Carey has expanded her scope of funding to that of commodities, real estate, renewable energy and virtual reality technologies.

2017 Films: Black Ring

Black Ring by Hasan Can Dagli
Turkey (Wisconsin Premiere)
Running Time: 15 minutes
Screening Time: Juried Friday, September 8th 6:45PM
Drama/Horror
 

Siyah Cember (Black Ring) is a short film about a group people organizing a special event in an abandoned mansion. 

The film is produced in Turkey, Istanbul by January, 2016. The film made its local premiere in International Antalya Film Festival and had its international premiere in Screamfest Horror Film Festival, Los Angeles USA.

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Director's Bio:

Born in 1987, Istanbul. While studying political science in university he developed passion to films. He went to New York to study films in School of Visual Arts. Since 2008 he has been working on short films.

2008 - Nightmares on Wax - Short Fiction / 8”
2009 - Underground Fight - Short Doc / 9”
2011 - Everyday - Short Fiction / 7”
2013 - Vultus - Short Fiction / 13”
2014 - Organic Sleep - Short Fiction / 18”
2015 - La Fabbricazione - Short Fiction / 17”
2016 - Siyah Çember - Short Fiction / 15"

2017 Films: Motivated

Motivated by Craig Knitt
Marion (Milwaukee Premiere)
Running Time: 6 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday, September 9th 4:30PM
Drama/Comedy/Motivational 

A strange meeting takes place to encourage a man from the past. He hopes to get himself back on the road to productivity.

2017 Films: Pinhole

Pinhole by Elliot Hatch
Whitefish Bay (Wisconsin Premiere)
Running Time: 8 minutes
Screening Time: Saturday, September 9th 6:45PM
Documentary 

A short about perspective. 
(Budget, $150)


Director's Bio:
Elliot Hatch has been working with film starting at a very young age. Even though in this day and age there is no real "film", he brings the exact same feel to his movies that keeps you coming back for more.

Director's Statement:
I have always enjoyed making mini movies. When at a very young age I got my first video camera, form then on, I only think in shots, and how something would look if it were a film.

2017 Films: In The Magical Forest of Wonder

In The Magical Forest of Wonder by Jayce Kolinski
Menomonee Falls (Wisconsin Premiere)
Running Time: 6 minutes
Screening Time: Juried Friday, September 8th 6:45PM
Documentary 

Many years ago, a village got a hold of a government list that contained the information
necessary to create some of the world’s most powerful substances. It was rumored that one of these substances had the power to topple governments and enlighten all who consumed. 

The elders introduced community rituals that involved all village citizens consuming together. However, once the government noticed the village’s prosperity, they began investigating and took away all citizens that retained the top-secret knowledge. One man escaped, and relayed the knowledge to his great grandson, and encouraged him to practice the rituals for himself. He soon saw the power of the substance, and shared his knowledge with all.



Director's Statement:

I fell in love with the concept of creating something out of nothing in middle school, and since then have used this medium to express the stories I want to tell. Coming from the suburbs of Milwaukee, the stories I told were limited by my experiences and knowledge; however, after coming to UWM I began to gain experiences and knowledge from other communities. The stories I tell now are more open and free then ever before. I find excitement in experimenting different ways to communicate information in new or untraditional ways.

2017 Films: Mrs. Drake

Mrs. Drake by Caitlin FitzGerald
Colorado (Wisconsin Premiere)
Running Time: 15 minutes
Screening Time: Juried Saturday, September 9th 9PM
Drama 

Overworked and overstressed, Laura is a single mother struggling to maintain her own equilibrium while raising her frequently difficult son Jack. When Jack comes home from school one day with a story of his teacher, Mrs. Drake, locking him in a closet, Laura is thrown into a spiral of confusion and guilt—not knowing what to believe or where her responsibility lies. "Mrs. Drake" is a story about blame, uncertainty, and the complexities of a flawed mother as she wrestles with her responsibilities as a parent. In the face of so many myths and fantasies about what society tells us it means to be a perfect mother, this film is a meditation on the complexities of motherhood and the sense of failure that many women feel, but are afraid to articulate.

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Director's Bio:

Caitlin FitzGerald is an actress, director and writer. As an actress her film credits include ‘It’s Complicated’, ‘Newlyweds’ and ‘The Fitzgerald Family Christmas’, ‘Taking Woodstock’, ‘Damsels in Distress’, ‘Manhattan Romance’, ‘Adult Beginners’, and the up-coming features ‘Always Shine’, ‘This is Your Death,’ and ‘A Little Something for Your Birthday.’ Her television credits include ‘New Girl,’ and the role of Libby Masters in Showtimes acclaimed series ‘Masters of Sex.’ Caitlin co-wrote and starred in the independent feature ‘Like the Water.’ She has directed two short films, ‘The Girl with the Jacket’, and ‘Mrs Drake.’ Caitlin’s training includes New York University’s Tisch School and The Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Director's Statement:

"Mrs. Drake" is a story about blame and responsibility and the ways in which we often long to make someone else accountable for darknesses in ourselves that we are unwilling to address. In the end, it almost doesn’t matter whether Mrs Drake is her enemy or ally, Laura just wants the teacher to share the burden of parenthood that weighs so heavily upon her- to not feel so alone in her guilt and shame. This film beautifully illustrates how, when we project blame in this way, it is an inevitably failed project. As Laura painfully discovers, ultimately no one else is responsible for her feelings of helplessness, and relief will only come from a frank confrontation with herself.