MOTHERLOVE played to rave reviews at the September 2020 Documentary Short Film Festival.

1. What motivated you to make this film?

A couple of things. I’d just interviewed parents who are part of FFLAG friends and family of LGBTQ+ children to make some short films to go on their website and social media. Their responses got me reflecting on my own experience with my parents growing up gay, Catholic school, surrounded by the general homophobia of the time and deciding never to come out to them specifically. So actually I hadn’t allowed them to go on the journey that these parents went on. I had one male interviewee so I decided to make it about the mothers journey.

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

I didn’t have any footage so the idea didn’t fully take shape until I had a conversation with a cameraman driving home from another shoot. We got talking about different personal projects and when I told him about MotherLove he offered the photos he’s taken at different Pride events.

Once I had the photos I made about 10 versions over 6 months. I kept coming back to it, I couldn’t leave it alone. One had movement on the photos which I realised got in the way of listening to the voices. Another had the scene from Torch Song Trilogy where he tells his mother he will not tolerate anything but support and love for her, I didn’t think I could clear it. It went through no live action, so many different versions.

3. How would you describe your short film in two words!?

Mother love

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

I think having the self confidence in the story. I didn’t set out to make it, it wouldn’t leave me but I wasn’t sure about the combination of the story and the photos. I was lucky I had an editor who was willing to just pick it up whenever he had down time. Once I simplified it and believed in the power of the still images and the journey the mothers voices were taking us through and then put in the live action, I believed in it.
But is it a gay film?

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

Uplifting, inspiring, I was moved by their reaction. It was a brilliant experience because as a filmmaker you work in the dark until you can hear the connection with the audience. It was fantastic to hear the positiveness and kindness and it gave me hope. Especially at the moment when we’re currently in lockdown.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

6. How did you come up with the idea for this short film?

I couldn’t get the mothers voices out of my head so in the end I cut and pasted them into a script and thought – what is this about. I did another version and then got photos from my friend and time with an editor and just went through it and through it. Until I understood what it was I wanted to say. I think an angrier version would be – ‘you know what if you’re going to have children then fucking well love them however they turn out’ but that’s a long title.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

A film I go back to is Bound. I love the style and the relationships.

8. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway, what are you feelings of the submission platform from a filmmaker’s perspective?

It’s simple enough once you’ve uploaded everything. It’s just expensive to keep sending out the film to many festivals. So I learnt I need a budget

9. What song have you listened to the most times in your life?

Kate Bush The Kick Inside

10. What is next for you? A new film?

I’m working with a wonderful writer Crystal Jeans to make a film based on her book The Vegetarian Tigers of Paradise. It’s really about that moment in your life when you realise you can’t rely on the adults around you, the only person you can rely on is yourself.

1) What is the theme of your poem?

The Shepherd’s Song

2) What motivated you to write this poem?

An Ekphrasis poem is written to describe visual art works. They usually complement the visual impression. I took licence with the form and wrote about a haunting old French folk song Bailero, the composer Joseph Canteloube wrote as a piano piece using the ekphrasis ideal. The Frederica Von Stade version (on YouTube) is one of the slower renditions of Bailero I find hauntingly beautiful.

3) How long have you been writing poetry?

Many would not call my work poetry. It has none of the beauty of traditional verse, rhyme, meter, stanza, or lyricism. I am motivated by imagery and words. I like words.

4) If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?

I do not have heroes because often we find they have annoying traits, but I would like to have had dinner with the polymath Jonathan Miller. Since he is no longer alive dinner with Australian living legend Barry Jones would be interesting for me.

5) What influenced you to submit to have your poetry performed by a professional actor?

No one remembers but recitation was once a valued skill. Actors still have it because it is their function.

6) Do you write other works? scripts? Short Stories? Etc..?

Since I have had time I have. Current events remind my old mind of things that happened “once upon a time.” Out of vanity I am writing about my reactions to things spoke about today for my too-young-to-care grandchildren.

7) What is your passion in life?

I find living agreeable. Good health allows simple pleasures: family, friends, food, flora and fauna (See what I did there?) are all passions.

Watch the Poetry Reading:

Performed by Val Cole

Matthew Toffolo: What is your screenplay about?

Marco Amato: “Displaced” is about how your individuality can oftentimes feel stolen from you when society and even those closest to you in life refuse to accept you for who you are. In a way, it also acts as a cautionary tale that those who feel this kind of oppression also need to speak out when they see it being done to others or risk the consequences of their indifference in the long run. 

 2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

I’d classify it in the Horror/Thriller genre. 

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

I believe the subject matter is vitally relevant to today’s society and our treatment of those who fail to conform to our antiquated standards of existence. Now more than ever in the world, we must not only be tolerant of each other, but protective. Today someone’s rights and sheer existence are being questioned or invalidated. Tomorrow, it could be your own. Do you want to wait that long to find out? Can you even afford to? 

 4. How would you describe this script in two words?

Individualized-Distress. 

 5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?

My favorite film is “The Poseidon Adventure” (1972), so I would have to say that film. I love the disaster film genre because at its core it is about people coming together despite their differences in order to survive and overcome serious conflict. I believe this is a timeless message that cinema should be reinforcing as often as possible in creatively accessible ways. 

 6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

I completed my first draft of “Displaced” in November 2018. I returned to work on it several months later before taking another long break. During the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic in April 2020, I created another draft of it before submitting it to the Wildsound Festival. 

 7. How many stories have you written?

I have written four feature film scripts and over a dozen short film scripts. I have also written sketches for the theatrical stage and co-wrote a full-length play titled “Egoismo” which was performed in the summer of 2018 at a local town hall in Hicksville, Long Island.  

 8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the
 most times in your life?)

I am an avid ABBA fan, and I can’t even give my parent’s credit for that. That happened all on my own. So, I’ve probably listened to the song Mamma Mia in several different covers and iterations over the years more than any other song in my life thus far.  

 9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

Well, when I completed the first draft of the script and showed it to a group of collaborators of mine that I did theatrical work with, it was around the same time that the trailer debuted for Jordan Peele’s “Us” (2019). I was considering having us shoot it as my first produced short film. However, my associates agreed that the use of doppelgangers in both mine and Peele’s film might draw too many comparisons by audiences. I greatly admire Jordan Peele, and I didn’t want people to think I was derivative of his work even though we both utilized the doppelganger narrative device in distinctly different ways and even though I had corroborators who could speak on my behalf and assure others that I was not plagiarizing his work in any way. It was challenging to create and refine the right style and substance within the piece to ensure it was respectful and authentic in its depiction of non-binary and trans-people and that was another challenge I faced as I worked in the revision process. I consulted with a friend of mine that identifies as non-binary to help advise me on the character work. The script wasn’t originally about the LGBTQ Community at all, that was an idea I came up with later as I realized that it would carry much greater thematic significance if it were acknowledging the displacement of a specific group of people. Still, we should all remember that we could all be Devin; that’s why we must speak up when we see people being disregarded and devalued by the community and culture around us.  

10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

I love to read. My favorite genre to read is murder mysteries. I am a sucker for Agatha Christie, and I am so happy they have begun readapting her work for the big screen again as I’ve enjoyed previous adaptions on film and television. I have been trying to expand my literary horizons to begin reading more queer/POC centered books as well. 

 11. You entered your screenplay via Film Freeway. What has been your
 experiences working with the submission platform site?

I found it to be a very convenient software and an overall comprehensive submission process. There are so many nerves that come with submitting a script to a competition, so it is always nice and relieving when the process itself is uncomplicated. 

12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings
 on the initial feedback you received?

I was immediately attracted to the fact that the competition was looking for LGBTQ-centered content. There are unfortunately not many other prominent LGBTQ Screenwriting Competitions out there. Since I had already been considering creating a new draft that would show LGBTQ influences in the storyline, it was really a match made in heaven. The feedback I received was fantastic and very helpful. They were sure to balance the critiques between strengths and weaknesses, and gave not only notes about the narrative but also concerning structure, formatting and grammar, which are all additional essential components to any successful screenplay. I was invigorated to go right into the revision process and make the necessary revisions to the script because the feedback itself was so concise and encouraging. I was extremely grateful, needless to say, to both the competition and the script reader as well.  

Watch the Screenplay Reading:

A gender-bending teenager begins to heed warnings of his impending doom.

CAST LIST:
Narrator: Allison Kampf
Devin: Bill Poulin
Pharmacist/Catherine: Kyana Teresa
Jade: Hannah Ehman
Middle Aged Woman/Mom: Elizabeth Rose Morriss

Matthew Toffolo: 1. What is your screenplay about?

Kenneth R. Conner: When Annie’s life crashes, an armed robber drops dead at her feet. She grabs the money and the chance for a new start, taking refuge with an unflappable stranger who she keeps in the dark. Thrown together, they find a spark but not before the other robber and top dog picks up their trail.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Comedy (romantic, crime)

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

Because it is an edgy, spring loaded romantic comedy with a protagonist who launches the story with a fateful gambit and drives the narrative.

4. How would you describe this script in two words?

Love chase

5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?

The Bourne Identity

6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

Ten months

7. How many stories have you written?

Three

8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)

Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

The usual, work and kids, along with starting with a premise that was too heavy for a comedy and needed dialing back.

10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

My twin boys, advocating for the world’s poorest children, suicide prevention, and Buffalo area sports.

11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?

The platform makes it easy to search festivals, upload scripts, and submit them.

12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

The promise of feedback without paying extra for it, the reviews of the festival were good, and the deadline was right for me. The feedback I received was spot on.

Watch the Screenplay Reading:

When her life crashes, a tempest grabs the money from a robbery gone bad and takes refuge with an unflappable stranger while her pursuers close in.

CAST LIST:
Narrator: Allison Kampf
Gracie : Hannah Ehman
Annie : Kyana Teresa

1. What is your screenplay about?

It’s actually a tribute to the cleverly composed, thriller movies of Alfred Hitchcock set in the historic Village of Harpers Ferry, WV.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Thriller/Mystery

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

I think it’s a very different kind of screenplay with many colorful characters.

4. How would you describe this script in two words?

Cleverly written.

5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?

That’s a tough one. I think like any writer, there are many.

6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

This particular screenplay took about five months to write.

7. How many stories have you written?

Ten.

8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)

Gimme Shelter and Suspicious Minds.

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

There were a lot of dots to connect. I think any mystery is like that.

10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

Life. People. Equality.

11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?

Great platform!

12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

I’ve entered this festival before.

Watch the Screenplay Reading:

Hannah Davenport is having a “good news, bad news” kind of day: A stranger appears in the haunted village of Harper’s Ferry and could be the father she never knew. That’s the good news. The bad news is that he could also be a cold-blooded killer.

CAST LIST:
Narrator; Allison Kampf
Hanna: Elizabeth Rose Morriss
Sunday: Sean Ballantyne

1. What is your screenplay about?

After her fiance gets killed doing a story on ISIS antiquities smuggling, a tough young journalist sets out to finish his story and track down stolen artifacts. She joins forces with an Iraqi archaeologist and an American soldier turned smuggler as her search takes her to the front lines of the fight against ISIS, and they end up in a race against a ruthless private military corporation that will stop at nothing to get the looted treasure first.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Action/Thriller.

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

Primarily because it’s an exciting ride with a lot of action and fun characters, but it also deals with some topical issues like blood antiquities.

4. How would you describe this script in two words?

Real adventure.

5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?

Probably the original Star Wars or Raiders of the Lost Ark.

6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

On-and-off for a couple years, including doing research.

7. How many stories have you written?

A lot – I think the first one may have been a retelling of The Adventures of Robin Hood in my kindergarten class. I stapled some paper together to make a little book and did the illustrations, too, which probably left something to be desired. But in terms of scripts, I have three or so besides this one that I feel pretty good about, and I’m always working on more.

8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)

“The Greatest Show on Earth” by Nightwish. Most-listened-to is probably “Jesus of Suburbia” by Green Day.

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

One of the biggest challenges – but also the most rewarding aspects – was doing research about journalists, antiquities smuggling, and ISIS. I read and watched a lot, and talked to Alexandra Zavis, a journalist who writes for the LA Times, who gave me fantastic insight into what it’s like to be a war reporter.

10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

In normal times, going to the movies! I also love traveling, reading, and ocean swimming.

11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experience working with the submission platform site?

The experience has been great! The site is nice and easy to use, and it’s a valuable resource for finding festivals and competitions.

12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

I was curious about what it would be like to enter a festival with feedback, since I hadn’t done that before. It worked out well – the notes were encouraging and pointed out a number of ways to strengthen the script. Thanks!

Watch the Screenplay Reading:

A hard-charging journalist teams up with a cynical soldier of fortune and an Iraqi archaeologist as her story on ISIS antiquities trafficking becomes a race against a ruthless private military corporation. Inspired by true events.

CAST LIST:
Narrator: Allison Kampf
Jen: Hannah Ehman
Chandra: Elizabeth Rose Morriss

1. What is your screenplay about?

It’s about a girl who, through a video message, invites other women to have sex with her boyfriend, but only if they leave her a review after.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

It’s a quirky thriller.

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

Because it’s different, but not too much.

4. How would you describe this script in two words?

Thought provoking

5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?

Leon – the professional

6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

Three years

7. How many stories have you written?

Quite a few, honestly it’s difficult to quantify if ‘story’ refers to any piece of narrative writing

8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the
most times in your life?)

Sacrilegium by Devil Doll

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

Rewritings have been the most challenging part, to make sure the events in the plot were clear to all readers

10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

Travelling, online trading, the gym

11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your
experiences working with the submission platform site?

It’s great!

12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings
on the initial feedback you received?

The festival looked prestigious and I was excited to receive the initial feedback.

Watch the Screenplay Reading:

In a video message, a girl invites other women to have sex with her boyfriend, but only if they leave her a review after.

CAST LIST:
Narrator: Allison Kampf
Taylor: Kyana Teresa
Denise: Elizabeth Rose Morriss

1. What is your screenplay about?

On the surface, Dragons of the Gloaming is about a group of Dungeons & Dragons players getting trapped in their game world, overcoming obstacles and defeating monsters to be able to escape back to the real world. Under the surface, the story is about the importance of family and friends coming together, putting aside egos and personal conflicts to achieve a larger goal.

2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?

Action/Adventure; Sci-Fi Fantasy

3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

Dragons of the Gloaming should be made into a movie because audiences crave escape, even more so during these times of pandemic isolation and tedium. And interest in Dungeons & Dragons is currently exploding! More than a million YouTube viewers subscribe to Critical Role, where they watch voice actors sit and play actual D&D scenarios and campaigns. Imagine the built-in audience for a fun, live action D&D feature.

4. How would you describe this script in two words?

Thrilling Adventure

5. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?

The Princess Bride

6. How long have you been working on this screenplay?

3 months

7. How many stories have you written?

I have written several short stories, a short novel, and two feature-length screenplays

8. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)

“Never Going Back Again,” by Fleetwood Mac

9. What obstacles did you face to finish this screenplay?

The pandemic presented both an obstacle and an opportunity. I ended up working intensively for a relatively short period of time before being called back into the classroom.

10. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

I am passionate about diversity education and information literacy.

11. You entered your screenplay via FilmFreeway. What has been your experiences working with the submission platform site?

The list of competitions on Film Freeway is extensive and easy to browse. I have enjoyed the ability to edit my profile information and even update the pdfs on file for my completed screenplays.

12. What influenced you to enter the festival? What were your feelings on the initial feedback you received?

I entered this festival for the sole purpose of receiving quality industry feedback on my script. I was not disappointed. The coverage was brilliant. Every point made resonated with me, and I immediately dove into revisions, ideas bubbling.

Watch the Screenplay Reading:

A group of teenage Dungeons & Dragons players get zapped into their game—and into the bodies of their characters. Still scared teens on the inside, the game characters must work together to find a hidden castle and defeat a poison-breathing dragon in order to return to their normal lives—and selves.

CAST LIST:
Narrator: Allison Kampf
Lumbu: Bill Poulin
Gruber: Sean Ballantyne

ARROWHEAD HILL, THE 66 YEARS FROZEN IN TIME played to rave reviews at the September Female Feedback Film Festival.

1. What motivated you to make this film?

South Korea is in a truce. The 1950 Korean War has lasted more than half a century. In the 1950s, the Korean War was fought with guns, knives, tanks, and landmines. Now, it is proceeding with the ever-deepening cultural differences and conflicts between the two Koreas, the history of separated families who can’t meet while living in the South and the North, the sad family remembered for the death of their father and brother, and the ever-deepening cultural differences and conflicts between the two Koreas As such, the Korean War continues. This documentary began with the question ‘What war am I going through in Korea?’

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

To be exact, documentaries about the ongoing Korean War are still ongoing. Part of it, ‘Arrowhead Hill, 66 years frozen in time,’ took a year. It was a short documentary, so there were not many scenes to film.

3. How would you describe your short film in two words!?

The Korean War continues.

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

Finding and filming the arrowheads was the hardest part. Arrowhead Hill is close to North Korea, so ordinary people cannot access it. We received permission to shoot from the Korean military and the United Nations Command (UNC) through several stages. But on the day we decided to shoot, we didn’t find the remains because it rained. In addition, if they were happy to get permission, the permit was revoked due to sudden changes in the international situation and the mood between South and North Korea.

And I was worried about how to talk about the tragedy in one sentence, “The bodies of many soldiers are buried in the ground.” This seems like a very simple sentence, but because it implies many meanings: victory and defeat, war and peace, life and death, joy and sorrow.

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

It was very surprising and touching. I almost cried when I saw people talking a lot of emotions and thoughts in person. They told a wide variety of stories, including story plots, scenes, music, articles, and opinions on the subject. I listened very carefully to their story, and looked at their expressions. And once again I thought it was really proud and happy to make this documentary. The writers who participated in the documentary also said they were “very moved” or “thank you” after watching the feedback video.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

6. How did you come up with the idea for this short film?

‘The remains have been unearthed. The buried soldier’s son is alive’ began with a simple article. When my son, who had been waiting for his father for decades, died, it was noticeable that he was a gray-haired old man who was older than his father. I went to see the dead soldier’s son on the day the buried soldier’s belongings returned to his family’s arms. Contrary to my thoughts that I would cry aloud expressing my exasperated feelings, the expression of my son, who was embracing his father’s belongings, was blank. He looked dumbfounded. His expression inspired me a lot. His face was more than just expression of his personal experience. His face was the face of countless people who had to go through a sad history. It contained the tragedy of war as it was.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

I have a wide variety of stories. It is a pity that Korean films and documentaries are not widely known to the international community.

8. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway, what are you feelings of the submission platform from a filmmaker’s perspective?

Very accurate and concise. Very good

9. What song have you listened to the most times in your life?

I like Korean songs released before K-pop. In the 1960s and 1990s, K-pop has poetic lyrics and lyrical sensibilities. And I enjoy listening to tango and jazz. But above all, it is the sound of nature that gives me strong inspiration and lasting peace, and comforts me exhausted by various thoughts. The song of birds, the voice of the wind, the movement of the waves, the dance of rain. Write this sentence down and I just made a YouTube channel! ‘cozy moment’s sound’. Oh my God!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFU6Qq7i4sL-YQdpvIrTgow

I would like to introduce you to my favorite everyday sounds-peaceful music.

10. What is next for you? A new film?

I am a victim of sexual violence at work. I’ve been having a very hard time for years. A terrible moment’s scene shattered my life. Trauma syndrome, panic disorder, self-esteem decline, distrust of human beings, anger at society… But I live every day believing that the current experience will make me stronger. I want to produce a documentary about the horrors of sexual violence in public spaces. It wasn’t the assailant that hurt me the most. It was a harsh system and company colleagues (who turned away from victim). I believe documentaries and writings have the power to make the world a little warmer. I want to leave a very honest record of victim of sexual violence at work.

La Ráfaga was the winner of BEST SOUND & MUSIC at the LGBT Feedback Film Festival.

1. What motivated you to make this film?

I wanted to tell the stories of the voices that were ignored after Hurricane Maria- the LGTBQ Community was very much ignored in all fronts- health and daily well being. Lots of lonely struggles. A lot of older LGBTQ survivors of the disaster were left with no roof, no care, no one to look after them. The younger Queer community had nowhere to go to express themselves or live their regular lives and the displaceent led to having to become someone else to survive, someone that was not their true self.

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

The short took a few months of thought, but it cooked in my head for over a year, the more time passed after September 2017, the number of victims kept growing and more stories about the LGBTQ communitiy came to the surface.

3. How would you describe your short film in two words!?

Painful Truth

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

A number of people left the project when they thought it was too queer. There was little support offered when we asked as we began post-production.

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

As I mentioned in an international panel before- The love the film has received around the globe has overshadowed the struggle to make it.

Watch the Audience FEEDBACK Video:

6. How did you come up with the idea for this short film?

Friends and family who went through some of the narratives that ended up in the film.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Annie Hall by Woody Allen.

8. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway, what are your feelings of the submission platform from a filmmaker’s perspective?

I love FilmFreeway- they have given us a lot of support and a terrific platform to connect to the world.

9. What song have you listened to the most times in your life?

Sonido Bestial by Ricardo Ray and Bobby Cruz (old Salsa)

10. What is next for you? A new film?

Two new films – a featurrette challenging the value religious institutions assign to gender and a full lenght feature about human trafficking in the Caribbean.