IndieWorks - December Recap

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Tuesday evening was our December screening in our 7th season of IndieWorks! The first set of the lineup featured thoughtful & surreal narratives that provoked deep introspection, while the second half were seasonally appropriate horror comedies. It was a visceral, powerful and ultimately fun mix of films. And for a rainy night in a week with many holiday events to compete with, our smaller than usual turnout of 20 people still felt like a full house for the 4 films of the lineup. This is largely because quite a few of the attendees were filmmakers attending for the first time for the event itself, not as part of any particular film; so the Q&A conversations really delved into the craft of the films and clearly created connections in the room. We were really happy to hear the featured filmmakers of the evening tell us that they definitely found some new collaborators in the room for future projects!

We'd like to say thank you to the filmmakers and the audience for coming out to spend the evening with us. We hope all enjoyed the films, as well as the opportunity to network with other filmmakers and film enthusiasts.

We also hope to see YOU at our January screening on the 14th! It’s a moving lineup of films about family and potential outcomes of the future.

See photos from the evening:

The Films of the night:

Power Out (Written & Directed by Ben Myers, Produced by Rachel Pearl)
A group of Millennials' night takes a turn when the lights suddenly go out.... "Cloverfield" meets "High Maintenance" in this 'experimental political-art- dramedy.'

Tina (Written & Directed by Gayatri Bahl)
A surreal thriller about a woman who goes through self-transformation therapy only to be haunted by an Indian classical dancer, forcing her to confront herself in a way she never expected.

Krampusnacht (Directed & Co-Written by Pete Talamo, Co-Written & Produced by Heidi Kikel. Represented by AD/AP Julia Parrott)
After misbehaving all night at a Christmas celebration, young Hans hears the story of Krampus, the legendary demon known to punish children when they've been naughty. Little does he know what awaits him when the lights go out.

Zoul (Written & Directed by Tom Cassese)
In search of a good soul to consume, a sharp-dressed demon decides to kill his assistant's niece. 

Watch our Q&A Recap. *Please know there are some film spoilers - feel free to look for an opportunity to catch the films at a festival or computer screen near you & then come back to watch!

The awards go to...

At the end of the evening, we announced our winning filmmakers for both Audience Choice Award & Silver Whiskers Award. The Audience Choice Award is voted upon by all those in attendance, and the Silver Whiskers Award is judged by the CongestedCat team based on a rating system of 8 categories:   Story, Dialogue/Writing, Direction, Acting, Cinematography, Sound, Editing, and Production Value, along with a nuanced discussion focused on inclusion and originality. The Silver Whiskers winner goes on to screen again at our end of year Best of Fest screening in April. 

The Silver Whiskers winner also receives $50 towards a crowdfunding campaign on SeedandSpark.com should they use the platform and 50% off 4MileCircus' post-production audio cleaning service for a future project. 

The December 2019 winning films were:
    Audience Choice:  Tina
    Silver Whiskers Award:  Power Out


Happy Holidays! Be sure to join us for our January edition on the 14th!

IndieWorks - November Recap

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Tuesday evening was our November screening in our 7th season of IndieWorks! After the decision a few months back to stick with Sanger Hall as our monthly home moving forward, we were excited to see that we finally attracted a few artists in the audience who live in the neighborhood and had never heard of us before. We had 30 people in house for our 5 fantastic films of the night, and it was a really engaging and inspiring evening overall. The first half of the lineup featured an eclectic mix of films that played with form and explored the anxieties and aspirations of an artistic life. The second half featured a pair of comedic dramas that tackled different stages of growing up and responsibility. The films were incredibly thoughtful and relatable. We'd like to say thank you to the filmmakers and the audience for coming out to spend the evening with us. We hope all enjoyed the films, as well as the opportunity to network with other filmmakers and film enthusiasts. We know some collaborative connections were made! (And shout-out to our guest co-host of the evening Jen Bendick, who covered for Ricardo while he had a film shoot. Hope to have her back soon!)

We also hope to see YOU at our December screening on the 10th! It’s a fun lineup of psychological thrillers and comedic scifi pieces.

See photos from the evening:

The Films of the night:

Deep Sleep (Directed & Animated by Sai DiOrio)
A short animation about depression and the inability to sleep when depressed.

I'm Scared But I've Been Here Before (Directed by Benjamin Stillerman, Written by Melissa Lozada-Oliva)
A visualized poem, literally interprets a surreal and playful sequence of four dreams, each revealing different fears. Poet Melissa Lozada-Oliva and director Benjamin Stillerman assembled selections from Melissa's public dream journal to explore daily anxieties (both conscious and not) endemic to living and struggling as an artist, public figure, and role model for young Latinas.

State of Independence (Directed by Erica Mann)
An intimate documentary short following DJ Ghanaian-American Gabrielle Kwarteng. With the backdrop of Paris, London, and New York City, the film is a personal look into her beginnings as a music curator and how she is breaking the mold and defining her own life path through her art.

The Shallow End (Directed by Cynthia Silver, Written by Wendy MacLeod)
A group of teenaged girls jockey for power in the savage summer society of a community swimming pool during the summer of 1984. 

Cheer Up Charlie (Directed by Carmen LoBue, Written by Kara Grace Miller & Anthony Holiday)
A bright-eyed 20-year-old puts her dream on hold to pay her family's medical bills in the fastest way she knows how; dealing drugs. 

Watch our Q&A Recap. *Please know there are some film spoilers - feel free to look for an opportunity to catch the films at a festival or computer screen near you & then come back to watch!

The awards go to...

At the end of the evening, we announced our winning filmmakers for both Audience Choice Award & Silver Whiskers Award. The Audience Choice Award is voted upon by all those in attendance, and the Silver Whiskers Award is judged by the CongestedCat Team based on a rating system of 8 categories:   Story, Dialogue/Writing, Direction, Acting, Cinematography, Sound, Editing, and Production Value, along with a nuanced discussion focused on inclusion and originality. The Silver Whiskers winner goes on to screen again at our end of year Best of Fest screening in April. 

The Silver Whiskers winner also receives $50 towards a crowdfunding campaign on SeedandSpark.com should they use the platform and 50% off 4MileCircus' post-production audio cleaning service for a future project. 

The November 2019 winning films were:
    Audience Choice:  Cheer Up Charlie
    Silver Whiskers Award:  The Shallow End


Join us for our December edition on the 10th!

Ax Wound Film Festival Recap

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I just returned from Brattleboro, Vermont, where “The Gaze” screened at the 5th annual Ax Wound Film Festival. This was my 4th time at the festival. I wrote about how much I love the festival in past recaps from 2016 and 2017, so I’ll keep this one brief.

Ax Wound isn’t a big buzzy festival, but it is definitely one to aspire to be part of because of its heart. Like I stated in my Horrible Imaginings recap, where Miguel’s warmth is what makes that festival stand out, I feel the same about this fest because of festival director Hannah Neurotica (founder of Women in Horror Month). Her kindness sets the tone for the screening event. There’s something so sincere and special about the way she treats filmmakers and gets genuinely excited about the work we’ve made. And the intimate atmosphere she creates makes you really feel part of something bigger than just showing up for a screening; it leads to really nuanced discussions about the craft of filmmaking and our individual artistic intentions. It’s also one of the few times I’m on a stage with a group of filmmakers and get to just represent myself instead of feeling like I have to speak for all woman-identifying directors.

As for this specific year’s festival, it was especially great because I again attended with my mom. Any time I get to spend with her is always a joy. And I got to be reunited with a few filmmaker friends I met at past years at Ax Wound (including Julia Berkey, who was a grip for “The Gaze” and there with her own short), while making a handful of new friends too. The festival was overall well attended, with the early morning and late night screenings pulling in around 30-35, and the rest of the blocks through the day (including ours) hitting nearly 50 people in attendance. The Q&As were timed well and gave everyone a chance to speak, with space to really dissect the creative process. There were rich conversations that spanned themes and processing trauma to practical tips for special effects and working with collaborators. It was a lovely time and one I hope to have again next year.

Also, they have the best swag bags around, no contest. Thanks to all the sponsors who make that possible! And thanks to Hannah, Ashlee Blackwell of Graveyard Shift Sisters and the volunteer team for another wonderful experience screening my work.

-Christina

Local Vegan Treat:

  • Superfresh! Organic Cafe has some tasty vegan desserts, including a chocolate vanilla pie that we enjoyed a slice of!

Catch the film next at:

  • This was it for 2019 screenings. We hear about the remainder of our run through the Spring in early 2020.

BTS of New Short "Shadows"

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This past Sunday we shot our newest film, "Shadows,” a super short horror film that explores living with trauma.

Logline:  a young man finds himself being tormented by a supernatural entity while alone in his house.

The idea for the short was born out of a conversation that I had with Christina and Kelsey, where the discussion somehow segued into me opening up about a certain incident in my life. I later found myself mulling over this traumatic experience again, but from a different perspective. I thought it’d be not only artistically gratifying, but genuinely therapeutic to unpack and explore this experience through genre. That’s when I decided that I was going to write a supernatural horror about this subject matter. Before that conversation had taken place, I hadn’t opened up about this matter to anyone. I brought it up to my mother on the day it happened, but brushed it under the rug and repressed the memory. It was fascinating to revisit this experience, and, when talking to Christina, realized that you don’t see these kinds of stories told often in narrative film from the lens of boys and young men. It felt important to tell my story, even if it wasn’t in an overt fashion where the social issue is obvious. I also liked the idea of telling a story that, if one chose to look into it, would understand the themes being presented… but that someone could also enjoy as a straight up horror.

When we decided to shoot it, Christina came up with the fantastic and ambitious idea to shoot two of our shorts over one weekend. Check out her BTS post on “Game Brunch!” It was such a great two days for me, working first as a Scripty on Christina’s film, which was packed with dialogue and hilarious performances, to directing my dramatic horror that had very minimal dialogue. Thanks to an amazing cast and crew, we made both of our days and saved a heck of a lot of money in the process!

See behind the scenes:

Check out a couple stills from our footage:

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Thank you to:

  • Peter Westervelt, for having the creative fortitude and just literally the physical stamina to take on being a cinematographer for two very different projects over the span of just one weekend. His genuine care and input was everything.

  • Christina, for being the best damn producer and friend there is. I would not have made the film without her continuous support, direction and friendship.

  • Erin Clayton, for literally taking on the position of AD last minute when we had complications with scheduling. She was super attentive and also slated every shot!

  • Vivian Pullan, for being a fantastic gaffer, not only lighting our scenes but also helping us pull off our practical effects!

  • Matt Gershowitz, for helping us troubleshoot our effects and being a part of this story as he will also be editing the piece!

  • Kelsey, for partaking in an impromptu photo shoot with my actor when I realized I wanted photos to be part of the decor.

  • Marlene, Christina’s mom, who has been an asset to literally every single project we’ve made. She provides the food, helps transport equipment and even picked up two of the props I needed for my film.

  • My mom, for always supporting me, and this film in particular, as she knows it is a portrayal of the hard times we have been through and still wanted me to make it.

  • Christina Remley, for pulling focus like a champ during all the more complicated shots in tight spaces (we were literally under a desk together at one point) and having such a great attitude and work ethic!

  • Irina Chernikina for recording sound, and with whom I can’t wait to sit in with and look through hundreds of sounds for the film!

  • And, of course, my wonderful actor, Daniel Strausman. He was such a light on set. It was a pleasure to work with someone so thoughtful and curious. We talked a lot about both of our lives and he really connected to what the story was about at its core.

    I couldn’t have done it without their collaboration. Now it’s off to post! Stay tuned for details.

    -Ryan