PROJECTSOF 2024
Greetings, film producers and directors in pursuit of captivating films and scripts!
Our team is ecstatic to facilitate direct correspondence between you and the talented auteurs behind these awe-inspiring creations. The most enticing aspect? Our aid comes at zero cost to you. Embrace this golden opportunity to delve into extraordinary cinematic marvels and forge alliances with impassioned storytellers. Reach out today and let us be your guiding light in transforming your artistic vision into a tangible masterpiece at the Barcelona Indie Awards Film Festival.
The Choice
Inspired by a true story:
THE CHOICE is a short film about Tracy and tells the story of their Grandmother, Mrs. “Ruth” Wilson, who is trapped between loving the sinner and hating the sin so she turns to her Priest for guidance.
Stephen Barnett is a Queer Filmmaker.
THE CHOICE is their 21st short film after 20+ years of exploratory no-budget projects of varied length and a few accolades while earning a CUNY Baccalaureate in Theatre & Cinema and a Master’s in Gender, Sexuality, and Cinema Theory. They spent ’22 producing this short film project to socially empower their mother’s choice while mourning the passing of both parents in the Fall of ’21. They just accepted the offer of admittance for the Fall ’24 semester to the Media Producing MA program at Tisch School of the Arts, New York University.
What compels a person to choose a contrary point of view to the only one they’ve ever known? For Mrs. “Ruth” Wilson (Lucy McMichael) it is the tragic consequence of the inherent trap of both loving and hating, which prompts the discussion with her Priest/Father (Alessandro Colla) regarding the main/principal character Tracy (Ruth’s LGBTQ+ grandchild). When writing the script and then working with Lucy, Alessandro, and the collective Crew the mis-en-scene’s objective was Ruth’s communicating from an evolving clarity of self-awareness.
Like an isosceles triangle, the story has three central characters. As the triangular base, Ruth propels the plot while growing and changing along the way and the Priest stalls the plot by reverting to his ingrained historical faith in congruent opposition. Both characters sit beside one another in a church pew facing forward toward the altar with just over a couple of feet between their centers, which literalizes the gap between their perspectives but also exposes the depth-of-breath apex behind them for the audience. Accordingly, the third central character is the apex LGBTQ+ grandchild Tracy; a purposed gender-neutral name. As the film’s main/principal character, Tracy is the reason for the story, the point of the discussion, and the impact of the plot’s conflict. Although Tracy doesn’t actually ever appear they render comparable to Claude Debussy’s writing about how music is not in the notes but in the spaces between them. Tracy is unseen but ever-present and heard within the depth of space between/behind Ruth and the Priest. Further still, Tracy’s unseen personhood acts as the universal/collective LGBTQ+ surrogate for the audience precisely because they are unseen.
On the one hand, seeking examples from film history where the main/principal character is never seen provided several distinct films: A Letter to Three Wives (Addie), Gaslight (Alice), Harvey (Harvey), and Laura (Diane). On the other hand, finding points of reference involving characters sitting and having a real-time conversation was relatively difficult, but not impossible. Influences were drawn from Ingmar Bergman’s, Scenes from a Marriage (1974) but more specifically from Louis Malle’s, My Dinner with Andre (1981). Nevertheless, Grant Wood’s painting, American Gothic (1930), served as the primary visual inspiration and the experience of sitting in a Catholic church being lectured to week after week like an echo chamber throughout my childhood was the inspiration for the resonate affect of their discussion, which was natural to the filmming location and not an added post-production effect.
My intent was to reverberate the tone, mood, and energy of dialog against the visually historic architecture of the Gothic Revival church while keeping them trapped, tense, and confined together as if claustrophobic within the coffin-like frame delineated by the 1:85 aspect ratio. The church interior’s earth tones illuminated by stained glass windows, sconces, and chandeliers lent a soft sepia-like visual atmosphere reflecting the historical nature of religion. The open entry/exit doors in the background provided the bright light of salvation accompanied by the auditory sounds of life out in the world. I wanted the cinematography to primarily move through time and space as if Audience-as-God. Utilizing the simplicity of a tripod and exploiting the 180 degree and its 20 & 30 degree rules for the film’s cinematic sequence focuses the story’s discussion. At times and almost unnoticeably, each seemingly stationary new framing methodically creeps back and forth as a subtle aggressive and digressive means of pushing and pulling at the tension of their transgressive dialog. The characters’ exchange of power is mirrored by shifting focal points. The opening singular shot down on Ruth’s face is as sharp as a 4K tack but then she blinks and now she’s slightly bleary in confusion. The Priest interrupts her, uses her vulnerability against her, and reminds her of her place. Ruth’s uncertainty remains until just as she opens up about her inner-conflict and narrative/monologue. Consequently, when she confronts the Priest with the written words of his belief system it is now he who is left fuzzy in confusion.
Trust the Process
Zoé exists between starkly contrasting realms: the glittering facade of the virtual world and the raw, unfiltered reality. In the digital sphere, she shines as a celebrated influencer, while in the tangible world, she is an immigrant actress confronting the harsh truths of life and self. Zoé’s journey through these opposing landscapes is a relentless pursuit of the elusive essence of true happiness
This short film is particularly special to me because it addresses immigration and the emotions that come with it. I wanted to explore how depression and loneliness can arise in people who, at first glance, seem to have no reason to feel this way. It is a study of internal and psychological problems that are often overlooked in favor of more visible and tangible explanations.
As a director, I am passionate about telling stories from a female and feminist perspective, addressing psychological and social conflicts that affect both women and the LGBT community. I hope this film resonates with the audience and opens a dialogue about the complexity of human emotions and the immigration experience.
Sign of the Times
After all else fails, former N.F.L. star turned sports agent puts all his faith in astrology in order to gain success in business, and his personal life.
Classic trained actor at New World College of the Arts Conservatory, Andrew H. Walker has always had a love for good storytelling be it Theater or Film. Admittedly he will tell you he’s new to the film medium with aspect ratio’s, lenses, and all the technical aspect for making a good production, but he’s confident in the fact that knows the language of actors and how to bring out the best performance in order to translate good narrative.
I wrote this story, because it challenged me to broaden my creative bandwidth as a artist. Growing up in the 80’s I didn’t know the politics of race and imagery, however I did know that I felt just a little better about myself whenever I a witness a character in film or T.V. that was strong, smart, funny and more importantly looked like me. I wrote this film not only to tell a story, but to possibly pay it forward to the next generation who are bombarded with negative images with people who just so happen look like them. There are some seductive elements to my film with money, power, ect. However that is just the candy, the protein of the story involves the family unit in regards to the maturation of the protagonist who like me, comes from a not so perfect family.
四十九 - SEEK
Kyohei Aizawa, an assassin for a covert non-governmental espionage group in Japan called “四十九” or “SEEK”, is grieving over the loss of his girlfriend from a tragic plane accident.
The leader of “SEEK”,Ryo Mikumo, contacts him for an emergency mission; save a fellow agent, recover a new highly explosive liquid called “RDX@“, stop a ruthless Yakuza leader, Sojiro Kotsuki, and his gang before they take over Japan.
Although the Ninjas were thought to have disappeared…the new breed of assassins live on helping to protect Japan and all that is right; the Ninjas are coming soon.
Since I was a child, I have been brought up around the film industry, martial arts, acting and have loved anything to do with movies throughout my whole life.
My father, Sho Kosugi, helped to start the “Ninja” boom around the world in the 80’s and 90’s and my brother, Kane Kosugi, is currently an international famous Action Star as well.
This is a project that all the actors and staff have put their whole hearts into to share to the world that Japan still can create superb ACTION and reboot the phenomenon of the NINJA; Japan still has a lot of life and entertainment to bring to the world.
We started our journey by making a short film in 2023 in order to show the world our intentions and to get funding for this feature film. We would like to raise the bar for quality low budget action films while keeping it thrilling and entertaining to people all over the world.
Toledo, 2023
One of the most difficult experiences for a parent is the day the child leaves home. I was unprepared for this experience, but I know my daughter has found her happy place. Only this and the passage of time heals the empty space.
Naz Shahrokh has worked as an artist and educator internationally in the United States, Egypt, and the UAE. She was born in Tehran, Iran in 1969, she spent her childhood in Paris, France, and adolescent years in Los Angeles, CA. She received a BFA and an MFA in Painting, and an MS in Art History from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY, where she later taught Fine Arts and Art History from 1998 to 2008. She joined the faculty at the Performing and Visual Arts Department at the American University in Cairo, Egypt in 2004-2006, and has been teaching at Zayed University, Abu Dhabi, UAE since 2008.
Naz has exhibited her work nationally and internationally and awards for her work include the Change Inc. (the Rauschenberg Foundation) Grant, Captiva, FL, and the Artist-In-The-Marketplace Fellowship, the Bronx Museum, Bronx, NY. Her work has been reviewed in the New York Times, TimeOut Abu Dhabi, the Connecticut Post, the Advocate and Greenwich Time, Contemporary Practices, and ART PAPERS, and is included in private and public collections internationally.
The natural environment and metaphysics act as an important source of inspiration throughout my practice, and as often as possible, I strive to find a connection that is significant in conjunction to society, the individual, and personal experiences.
I am drawn to the tactile process of assembling, collecting, giving new meaning to materials. The methodology of creating order out of chaos is a meditation that is deeply meaningful. I believe
the artist experience is similar to that of birth where inspiration transcends from the inner shell to tactile matter, this experience being both subjective and objective.
Screaming Silence
In the hauntingly enigmatic and dialogue-free short film, ‘Screaming Silence’, Elizabeth, a young woman in the aftermath of a traumatic event, navigates her world through a haunting soundscape of everyday noises, which ‘peoples’ her world and forces her to face her reality of circumstances and her fear of reaching out for help. As the audience intimately experiences her journey, Elizabeth’s silence becomes a bittersweet force, echoing the profound emotional depth that empowers her to move forward in an altruistic twist of an ending.
Kalyn is an American – Irish actress based in London and Los Angeles. Kalyn became interested in acting at a young age and began training when she was twelve years old. At the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, Wood received a perfect study score. In 2020, she received a BA in History from the University of Mississippi. In 2023, Wood received an MA in Text & Performance from Birkbeck University. Her film ‘Screaming Silence’ has gone on to win 25 awards.
Hal is an award winning director currently based in Bristol in the UK. He’s been studying at Bristol University for the past 3 years where he not only collaborated on a range of short films but also co founded Bristol Collaborative Arts, a Bristol based arts society created to give young artists a space to collaborate on film theatre and music projects. He now works in the British film and TV industry as a floor runner and is looking to work on future projects with like minded creatives.
Metamorphosis
METAMORPHOSIS pictures the life of three old women, each one is the last inhabitant of a mountain village in the centre of Portugal. And there is also a man who, for over 50 years, played the accordion at dances in those villages.
Following a cinema verité approach, the film portraits scenes of everyday life, during which the three shepherdess tell us stories from the past at the same time that the camera records how old traditions are lived and seen today by newcomers.
The film mixes the mood of happy memories – and there are some hilarious scenes – with the misfortune of dramatic memories. But, when engaging in nostalgic reflection, these people report a strong sense of belongingness, show a high continuity between their past and their present; they describe their lives as meaningful; and they indicate high levels of self-esteem and positive mood.
And, from this point of view, more than an anthropological film, METAMORPHOSIS is a reflective documentary. It is a vision of the past, through the eyes of the present. It is about the growing dissatisfaction of the modern societies with the present, the view that the past is an utopia and the future an uncertain destiny, which ignores aging as a natural, dynamic and irreversible process that has been with us since birth to death.
Committed to the reality of the past, the film shows how social mutations arise from the great contemporary forces created by man himself and the need to adapt to their achievements. But it also shows how the search for forms of life that value memory, without being tied to history, without fearing contradictions or the unknown, allows us to overcome the discourses of fatality that sentence the future.
António Luís Moreira born and grew up in Lisbon.
He attended the painting-sculpture course at the Escola Superior de Belas Artes de Lisboa and later studied engineering, where he obtained the titles of doctorate and aggregation. He has developed teaching and scientific research activities at the University of Lisbon, in areas related with energy and the environment.
But he also completed a documentary film course at the KINO DOC documentary film center.
He has produced short videographic works, including 3D animations, about major social causes. Recently he joined the KINO-DOC documentary film group, within which “Metamorphosis” his first cinematographic Documentary Feature Film.
I see documentaries as a way to tell stories about people who inspire me and other people as well.
During a vacation in the interior mountain villages, we were talking to a local resident, the last resident of what is the smallest village, the one at the highest altitude. While we were talking, a family arrived with the intention of visiting her. They had seen her in a television report and came to satisfy their curiosity: “how can you live here alone?”, they asked.
The concepts of modernity associated with globalized and standardized behaviors and ways of thinking often advocate the inferiority of rural men in relation to urban men. Therefore, that question shocked me and led me to look for a different rationale in the history of these places and these people.
If it is true that our personal characteristics and personality traits are influenced by genetics, it is no less true that the environment in which we live defines our history, our behaviors, the dreams that determine our life goals. And, precisely, the environment of rural areas has always been determined by centrally established laws and regulations, based on different political sensitivities, following the principles of sustainability, but almost always without taking into account the feelings and ways of life of local populations.
And these villages underwent a social transformation determined by factors of modernity, during which their inhabitants freed themselves from the social forms of a rural society with ways of life determined by subsistence economies, opening a new field of identity formation and social actions.
In this film I intend to deconstruct the basic concepts and certainties of modern society.
“Metamorphosis” follows three villagers with common ties to tell the story of three villages and the stigmas that their inhabitants carried from years of social transformations associated with environmental changes.
“Metamorphosis” is a film about the relationship between communities with different cultural origins, but above all, about relationships between people, dialogue, empathy and respect for human dignity.
Throughout the research, I frequently came across the name of a man. He was the youngest of four brothers, but the only one who never left the village. He had been a forestry sapper, catechist, beekeeper, shepherd. He was known as a cultured man, despite having only basic education – I often heard that, when he went to the mountains with his flock, he took his books with him and sat under a tree. Maybe that is why he never accepted the fortune of fate. It was he who, with enthusiasm and voluntarism, mobilized the inhabitants of the four neighboring villages for a unique process of recovery, material and immaterial.
The simple story of this vulgar man was the motivation for this film.
In this context, in “Metamorphosis”, I want to emphasize the power of the human spirit in its battle against adversity. I intend to show that it depends on each of us, through the construction of our own history, to be able to play a relevant role in inclusive social development.
When making “Metamorphosis” I intended for the film to have its own language, both in terms of color and structure. I believed that I could make a film that tells the story of what was happening to people in the countryside, making the audience feel the same way I felt throughout my research: the importance of resilience, dissatisfaction, enthusiasm, self-esteem – both individual and collective – in the commitment to building a future free from stereotypes.
As the story of “Metamorphosis” evolved, it became important to avoid tiring the public with dialogues and interviews. That is why I tried to achieve a balance between interviews and dialogues that tell stories from the past, with scenes that portray how some traditions are being transported to the present day, here and there, interspersed with everyday, casual and funny scenes, in a sequence in which the personality of each character contributes to the spirit of the film.
I tried to keep the intimacy and variations of emotion between joy, nostalgia and sadness, through music and color and the interaction between them, and the overlapping of descriptions of the past with scenes from the present that represent the subsequent loss of that world. I tried not to be explicit and leave room for subjectivity.
The Art of Deception
As Apollo, (a very interesting and smart young Yale graduate) makes his way back towards his apartment, his main trend of thought is getting another heist victim??to fall into his web of deception. After going through his list of potential clients he runs across Amanda, a very beautiful & wealthy young lady. After doing an intense research on her, he find out that she frequently visits the 3rd Street Art Gallery. This is where he puts his plot into motion. He waits for Amanda to visit, he makes his way across the street to enter into the Art Gallery. They meet up in front of a very interesting piece of art, and a conversation ensues, and he invites her to meet him at the Rodin Museum on the Ben Franklin Parkway. They meet outside in front of the “Thinker Statue” he gives her very detailed descriptions of the statues they come across in the garden, she is really impressed by his knowledge & enthusiasm of the art work. She invites him to come to her apartment the next day. Apollo goes to Amanda’s apartment the following day, casually dressed, as she opens the door she comments on his outfit. They sit and chat for a few minutes and she offers him some wine. They talk some more and he ask does she have any Brie, as she goes to get the cheese & bread, he mixes something into her wine glass, but Amanda is ready for anything that Apollo might try, so she takes a counteractive drug, just in case. After a few minutes, he ask to be excused to use her restroom. He returns & Amanda is out cold, he starts to ramble through her apartment, looking for the beautiful ruby necklace that was left to her as an heirloom from her grandfather and also some diamonds.
I am Johnnie Baker Jr . Film Director Master
I am deeply engulfed in film production.
Its my life dream, I have had training and many mentors.
Just love working with many young talented actor, editors, cinematographers and music producers.
Born in Philadelphia and live in New Jersey.
My company Platinum Kiss Films at this time just looking for
the right opportunity to present itself. We are prepared to release films world wide. Warner Brothers, HBO, Lionsgate , Sony
Amazon we are autodidacts extreme.
An Extraordinary Place
For anyone who yearns for a human connection to music, this is the story of a quirky radio station in Maine and its eccentric DJs. The 34-minute documentary showcases the people behind the microphone, taking the audience into the heart of the station and its community-first ethos.
Tom is a former reporter for the Anchorage Daily News and the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. He lives in Yarmouth, Maine and works as a photographer and documentary filmmaker. His company is wickedcreativefilmcompany.com
“An Extraordinary Place” focuses on one quirky radio station in Maine, but its themes are universal. Radio is an obsolete technology that should no longer exist. Consumers today can access 100 million songs on their cell phones with online platforms like Spotify. But the digital world has left many people feeling isolated and lonely. Community radio stations like WMPG are beloved because they are powered by humans rather than algorithms. Audiences worldwide are responding to the film because they yearn for community and a human connection to music.
Whorl
Ed… takes a bath?
I’ve been writing scripts since I was 12.
My favorite film is Pulp Fiction. Tremors is a close second.
It’s my dream to entertain.
My screenplays are dialogue-heavy, dark, sometimes mean-spirited, aberrant, and character-driven.
I won’t make everyone happy, so I’ll just make myself happy.
Fleeting Honor
During the Korean War, Kagnew Battalion, the Ethiopian infantry attached to US 7th Army Division, earned mythical reputation in combat only to fall victim to political persecution upon returning home.
Never mind he retired as professor and had a master’s in Radio-TV-Film. His obsession now is to tell the true story of Ethiopia’s Kagnew Battalion during the Korean War. He saw them training and body bags arriving, he participated in the coup that involved them, and later worked with the once hailed and then persecuted vets.
The writer’s goal is to get Fleeting Honor produced to represent voices from the underside of history.
The writer was witness to aspects of the story about Ethiopia’s renowned Kagnew Battalion in the Korean War. He saw the soldiers training near his village and body bags arriving from Korea. He participated in the 1960 aborted coup that involved the veterans. He later worked with the once hailed and then persecuted vets. Get this. This writer is 80 and the vets are in their late 80s and 90s.
MIGRANTS
It’s 2013.
Esme, who has dreams of becoming an American, is raped in Honduras by a cartel member to force her to turn over her brother, who had been kidnapped by them but then escaped. She and her family have no choice but to make the dangerous journey to the United States. After being cheated by a coyote, the whole family risks a hazardous ride on a train flat car and a desert crossing.
The cartel reaches far and Esme knows they have followed her at least through part of Mexico.
She and her brother Hugo are constantly at odds. Even though he saw his friend tortured to death and has his own demons, Esme has little sympathy for her brother’s turmoil. When they cross the Rio Grande, Esme thinks her troubles are over.
But when the whole family is kidnapped and taken into forced labor by Texas vigilantes, Esme and Hugo must put aside their hostility, figure out how to escape their captivity, and successfully conquer the cartel member who has followed them to the United States.
When a headstrong Honduran teenage girl, her younger brother, and her family flee from a honduran cartel, heading to her dreamed-of american life, she and they suffer dangers during the journey until they arrive in the united states expecting all will be better until kidnapped by texan vigilantes and have more obstacles to defeat.
Something Ain't Right
This documentary, with Kevin Sorbo looks at physicians who were successfully treating covid since March 2020. Yet the majority of these physicians through out the world were censored. Countless lives could have been saved had this not happened. Had this censorship not happened, would we have needed the economically destructive lockdowns? Would people be living in fear as they are today? How would our lives be different?
Dr. Susan is boarded in Integrative Medicine and in Psychiatry, is a certified IFM practitioner and certified in the American Academy of Antiaging Medicine. She is on the Psychiatry Consultant Registry (UK). She has Masters Degrees in engineering from MIT and Stanford and a Masters in Public Health from Loma Linda Medical Center.
Based between San Francisco and Bloomsbury (London), she is the president of the cutting edge, Silicon Valley Health Institute (SVHI), has worked in ten countries and studied many healing modalities. Previously, she worked for the NHS in the UK, was an assistant professor at INSEAD (European School for Business Administration), and was a foreign service officer managing alternative energy projects in Asia. She is also a film-maker with two multi award winning films on health. Her interests include medicine, economics, spirituality and making the world a better place.
Censorship is wrong. It may start with healing but won’t end there.
AT THE MERCY OF FAITH
A chilling tale of the internal struggles between the forces of good and evil within oneself, and the invisible universe that surrounds us all.
Marvin Tailor, a disciple of God, falls from grace after the traumatic event he experienced as a teenager, and grows up to be a bitter man, who is constantly being tested by forces, ONLY HIS EYES CAN BEHOLD, battling to claim his soul.
It is only after losing all of the intrinsic components that had forged the stability and identity of his adult life, including the trust of his family, that Marvin realizes he has to… stay on his feet, and confront the demons that has terrorized his conscience for years.
During his “time and season,” can Marvin overcome the harrowing trauma of his past… to reclaim his peace and salvation? Or will his discombobulating guilt continue to spew him down the path of his HELL BOUND demise?
Samuel Lee Taylor served as Associate Minister at Lubbock Street Church of Christ in Texas, from 1980 to 1984. During this time, he wrote and published 2 gospel booklets (“Somebody Help Us Find the Way” and “What Choice Would You Make in a Slippery Situation?”), as well as recorded a gospel album (“What Train Will You Ride”).
But, the catastrophic and life altering traumas he experienced in his personal life, unmercifully catapulted Samuel L Taylor into a disturbing “Twilight Zone” world and for more than 38 years, he struggled mentally, spiritually and emotionally to write, while painfully living, At The Mercy Of Faith!
NATIVE HOPE CHAMPIONS: Riding for the Missing
The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls pandemic is a widespread crisis that primarily exists under the radar. At the Indian National Finals Rodeo, or INFR, participants used their platform to shed light on this issue.
Through a production of our sister station, FNX- First Nations Experience, we have this report, drawn from an 8-minute short film that was shot at the 2022 Indian National Finals Rodeo (INFR) in Las Vegas.
Riders participating in the Native American “Indian” Rodeo Circuit share their thoughts and their efforts on raising awareness for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls pandemic that is affecting the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and many Latin American Countries.
“Riding for the Missing” is a free standing program, but acts as a tentative first installment of a proposed series entitled “Native Hope Champions.”
This reporting was supported by the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Fund for Indigenous Journalists: Reporting on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, Two-Spirit and Transgender People (MMIWG2T).
Frank Blanquet is Yucatec Maya but grew up in the humble heart of Hollywood, California. He is an award-winning content Producer and Director of Television for First Nations Experience, with over 20 years of production and postproduction work in the broadcast industry. Blanquet’s documentary and journalism works have been featured nationally on PBS, Public Television, NBC and The Learning Channel as well as NPR radio stations across the country. He was part of the team that in 2011 helped to launch the FNX Channel (@FNXTV) as the first National Native American Television Channel in the United States. Since its initial launch, Blanquet has helped FNX attain national distribution via PBS member stations, public television broadcasters and Tribal TV stations across the country, helping secure a reach exceeding 74.5 million households, as well as digital distribution for mobile and online applications.
Sekhem
Sekhem, or ‘Power’ in ancient Egyptian, follows two viziers as they discuss the optimal way to care for a garden, a discussion laden with subterfuge and intrigue.
They realize the folly of absolute power is but a path to an inevitable downfall.
This film was created entirely with Unreal Engine and mocap. Several AI tools were used during the workflow enabling me to produce this film alone within 1 week.
As I sat one day at a friend’s play, entranced by the violin notes dancing to the choreography of the conductor’s baton, the vibrant set came alive with the emotion of the actors. The performance awakened a passion within me, something I had misplaced in the cumulative pile that had become my professional life. I was captivated by how all the elements sang in unison to tell a story. Illuminated by a spark of realization, it was then that my life calling became clear; bringing stories to life through powerful, emotive, and impactful experiences. A week later, I left my engineering career behind and embarked on a journey of curiosity, creativity, and storytelling.
That was 2008.
Since then I have studied, experimented, and explored many different disciplines, enriching my toolbelt with more ways to tell stories. With work spanning over 30 countries, I am continuously compelled by the power of storytelling.
Stories live through the form we give them.
That is my passion.
That is my drive.
good
Hostage to AI amid apocalyptic chaos, Eli, Eva, and four colleagues attempt to save the world.
An uneaten apple sits on a desk of the regional headquarters of (not Amazon) Nile.com where a
group of colleagues are introduced:
A. Main Characters – 6 Everyday Personality Archetypes
i. AJ: The Leader (white or mixed, early thirties, brilliant and arrogant (e
Miles Teller or Jesse Williams))
ii. ELI: The Good One (white or Jewish, late forties or early fifties, affable and
easy going (Paul Rudd or Robert Downey Jr.)
iii. EVA: The Clever One (mid 30s, white or mixed, strong (Blake Lively or
Zoe Kravitz))
iv. LEO: The Genius (Middle Eastern or Subcontinental, early forties,
introvert, (Tomer Capone or Rami Malek))
v. LILY: The Bad One (Mid 20s, Asian, or White, petite, fiery) (Tati Gabrielle
or Chloe Grace Moretz))
vi. JOHN: The Introvert (black man, early-thirties, beefy, no-bullshit (
Michael B. Jordan or Winston Duke)
The introduction is interrupted by the abrupt, unexpected, and shocking unraveling of
humankind.
In recent days, the UN Secretary General outed an American non-profit worker kidnapped by
ISIS, who then broadcast the worker being thrown from a building. The US retaliated by
destroying ISIS headquarters in Nigeria. The US strike against ISIS inadvertently killed a number
of Wagner fighters, and in response, Wagner provided ISIS with nuclear material absconded from Ukraine. ISIS outfitted a nuclear weapon onto the private jet of a Saudi sovereign wealth fund
representative, who inadvertently delivered the bomb to the annual shareholders meeting of
Berkshire Hathaway in Omaha, Nebraska, where it detonated upon landing.
FEMA announces the United States is uniquely prepared to meet the moment, as FEMA’s
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fully integrated with the AIs of the nation’s military and critical
infrastructure . FEMA’s AI mistakes a unique mutation bloom of Covid in Arizona as a bioweapon,
and alerts the Pentagon AI to attack China, its deciphered source. A cascade of algorithmic
reactions leads to all-out war. The FEMA AI locks down access to all egress, and the main
characters are trapped inside their work building, as the FEMA AI believes they need protection
from rotating sources of danger outside throughout the movie.
One-by-one, the circumstances of humankind’s downfall team up with the unique character of
each archetype to cause their death, until only two characters remain: EVA/the Clever One and
ELI/the Good One.
EVA/the Clever One, finds a way to stop and even reverse the apocalypse, but to do so the Good
One must die. Tortured by this dilemma, EVA considers letting the world end rather than be
responsible for the ELI’s death. ELI, the Good One, understands the gravity of the situation,
reflexively saying, “Oh god,” to which a bitter EVA snaps back that the situation has proven that
no god exists. Instantly, there is no sound, no wind, no violence, no shaking, all kinetic activity
abruptly stops, and the Good One turns to her saying, “But I’ve been here the whole time.”
Eli/God explains that he is having a “time out,” for the first time in a while regarding humanity,
which Eva/the Clever One quickly interprets as existential and defends humanity’s potential,
despite everything. The characters are then instantly returned to the movie’s critical moment,
and Eva, with surprise help from a character thought dead, saves the world.
The survivors banter with Eli/God as the credits begin and the camera pulls away. And away. And
away, stopping when it reaches a beefed-up international space station. Inside, mega-wattage
actor cameo astronauts observe the ravaged earth below. discussing – among themselves their
plans to restore the planet with the provisions stored there. The film ends with a close-up on the
(bitten) apple.
After the credits, the audience is finally shown the never-shown back story of John, who is
revealed to have previously been an arms dealer in Nigeria (suspiciously dealing in bioweapons),
who had recently transitioned to cyberweapons and was hired by a mysterious consortium to
develop the very machine sought after to save the world in the movie. It is revealed that he is
the one who told Eva/the Clever One the secret password she needed in the end to save the world.
Monte was born in 1977 to a Guatemalan immigrant mother and a blue-collar Texan father who were both divorced and met at a singles party in Twin Peaks, San Francisco. He grew up in the rural hills near Napa, California, leaving at 18 to acquire a bachelor’s degree from Claremont McKenna College, and then a law degree from Harvard and a master’s degree in real estate from NYU.
He has been an attorney in Manhattan for the last 22 years, where he has his own practice and lives with his husband and two sons on the Upper West Side.
This is the first draft of anything creative I have written since high school. The response to the film has been humbling and disorienting to say the least, surpassed only by the joy felt creating it.
Ursula Hanes, an artistic reflexion
“Ursula Hanes, an artistic experience” In this film, Ursula , today 92 years offers us a glimpse into her life and her passion.
Radiant, luminous, determined and lucid, she wins the affection of everyone she meets. She has been able to lead her life with complete freedom, giving priority to her own free will in all circumstances.
Michèle obtient le prix Ilford en 1992 et participe à plusieurs expositions photos. Elle fait carrière comme assistante de mise en scène, puis comme régisseur et enfin directrice de productions. Des films comme “Les Amants du Pont Neuf ” de Léos Carrax, “Le Destin” de Youssef Chahine la « La vie de Jésus » de Bruno Dumont, ou encore “ Y-aura t’il de la neige à Noël “ de Sandrine Veysset, marquent son envie de s’épanouir dans le 7ème art.
Après 10 ans de tournages au service de sociétés prestigieuses, elle crée sa propre société de production, Amphitane Films. Elle assure alors la production exécutive sur des films de fiction et la production déléguée de documentaires tels que “Du jour à la nuit ” ou “Chennaiwood”.
Aujourd’hui, Michelle Grimaud, travaille sur ses propres films et créations photographiques.
“REALISATIONS”
“ Ursula Hanes, une expérience artistique ” Documentaire 60 mn
“ Ursula Hanes, patine d’un bronze” 2019
“ Fraternité, enquête des petits reporters d’Eygalières”
reportage 26mn –Grimaud
“Code name Sally Pen “ Réalisateur Ari Gunnarson
Production 52 MEDIA INC ( Canada)
Partie Française : Interview John Sault
Euh comment dire… court-métrage Award du meilleur court-métrage français au Canada Diversity Film Festival
Sélections:
Erie International Film festival
Moving Pictures Festival
Feel the Reel
Short Film corner cannes
Dark Addiction
This documentary tells the story of people addicted to pornography, their history and consequences in a journey that hits rock bottom of addiction, and their rehabilitation battle to get out of it. For the first time a documentary talks about the physical needs of the human being; a scientific approach to what happens in the human brain and the needs of his soul. A journey back in time from the first alerts in the 60s and the consequences of this addiction to post-pandemic times.
Whitey On The Run
What happens while Whitey Bulger is on the run?
No one who finds him is safe.
Donald Watson is a seasoned stage and film actor/producer/director and president of Auburn Productions. His “Whitey” web series is an award-winner for his direction, producing and acting, notably for Best Web Series at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, among others. He also received awards for his short film adaptation of the acclaimed poem, “Let There Be Peace”.
He recently appeared in Jorge Ameer’s 2023 award-winning mind-bender, “Altered Perceptions”; he wrote, produced, directed and stars in Auburn’s latest film “To Grieve or Not to Grieve”, as a widower trying to move on. He appeared with Jason Clark in “Chappaquiddick” and stars in Auburn’s award-winning short “Memory Lane” as a father with dementia. He performed in the comedy feature “Motorvation”, the series “L.A. Macabre” and more. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1144423/
I was 9 years old when I met Whitey Bulger. It was during the “Irish gang wars” in Boston, mostly Sommerville and Charlestown—the town where I lived. One night, after I finished selling papers and shining shoes in the bars, my older brother was walking me up Bunker Hill Street. A couple blocks from home, we stopped where four guys were standing outside a club next to an idling car. The car was noisy and my brother, a teenager who was good with cars, offered to fix the rattle, but they blew him off. I hit one of them up for a shine, and he said, “Get the f* out of here”. I guess I insulted the guy because I later learned he was always impeccable. I still remember his face and the chilling way he looked when he said it. I’ll never forget it. That was Whitey.
Years later, I met his brother a few times. He was a state senator who said, “call me Billy.” His work didn’t mean he was totally straight, but he didn’t go to jail either. And a friend of mine met Whitey as well. Which goes to say, if you come out of Charlestown, next to Southie, we always have more stories to tell. That encounter affected me, and I followed news about his crimes and life. I knew I’d play him one day. WHITEY ON THE RUN is the second project in which I’ve portrayed him in my career. I hope you enjoy it.
Waiting For Margot
While getting ready for a date, Martin gets a surprise visit from his own anxiety. Things go downhill quickly.
Told through the inner voices of a high-functioning anxious man, this film examines the eye-opening anxiety surrounding even the most straightforward daily events.
Chris Barber is a filmmaker, location scout-manager, and award-winning sound designer residing in Portland, OR. He made his first short film in the 3rd grade, and has been making them ever since. When he was 24, he produced and directed a feature film entitled “Love Sick” which premiered at the Kenworthy Theater in Moscow, ID in 2006. Since moving to Portland in 2007, Chris has worked in animation, live action, and visual effects with a focus on location scouting/management as well as sound design for several features and short films. He has also played percussion since the 3rd grade, specializing in hitting random objects just to see just what they sound like.
Waiting For Margot is a 100% solo short film that kept me quite occupied for a year and a half during the pandemic. It pushed me in a variety of ways; creatively, technically, and emotionally. Margot not only helped me learn all the little things that go into the making of a film, but helped me confront some of the powerful feelings stemming from the uncertainty of life over the past three years. Making this movie was a trip inward; I’m finally ready to put it out there.
Women and Roads. The Way to Yourself. Mallorca.
Three women Russian and Ukranian origine in one car travel around the island with a camera in search of real stories. There are 24 heroines in their film. Women from 20 countries come to one beautiful island to live, to create and to love. Their journey gives hope that all difficulties can be overcome, and there is a place on earth where people from different cultures, nationalities, religions can find themselves. Mallorca is like the big and kind heart of the world.
Kristina Kretova was born in 1981 in Leningrad.
She writes books-bestsellers for childгen and teenagers, which are included in the lists of libraries and become prize winners.
ln 2021, Kristina Kretova publisbed the book “Antifragile: women in the history of Russia”, the continuation of the idea of which was partly а film-rally, shot together with Anna Kameneva about the women of the Baikal region. Thus the project “Women and roads. The way to yourself” was born.
ln 2022 the directors shot а film already оn Ladoga. And in 2023 filming took place in Uzbekistan.
Anna Kameneva was also born in 1981 in Leningrad.
ln 2004 she graduated from the Faculty of Philology of SPbSU, after she received а second higher education at the Faculty of Law of SPbSU. For 10 years she managed а magazine, while in parallel doing business, including PR and event. 3 years ago she returned to songwriting & directing videos for children.
ln 2021, together with Kristina, she filmed her first documentary “Women and Roads. Way to yourself. Baikal” and founded eponymous joint project and А&К Production company.
Both directors live and work in Russia, Spain, Israel and UAE.
Kristina Kretova
The shooting of the film gave us an amazing sense of community of women from absolutely all corners of the planet, the feeling that everything has already been and will still be in everyone’s life. In the knowledge of the world and other people, we get to know ourselves, allow ourselves to live, make mistakes and be ourselves.
Anna Kameneva
Through the diversity of women’s faces and their destinies, as well as through the dynamics of road travel, we reveal the diversity and beauty of our planet.
When Kristina and I were filming our first film on Lake Baikal, our synergy in working on the project itself led to a decision – the film has two directors who mutually understand and complement each other. This, in part, continues the good intentions and goals of our films.
In the process of filming, I “fell in love” with each of our heroines, “admired” each filming location, savored every moment of the trip and work. Real people and their stories. But realism can also be different. And this is the choice of the director, which facet of our diverse and largely imperfect world to show and highlight in his film. Kristina and I chose inspiration, the beauty of the human soul, but honest, without embellishment. Because of this, our films are “alive”, they give ground for reflection, they even give someone hope and faith in their abilities.”
Coney Island Cousins
Two distant cousins reunite in Coney island, but their night out is interrupted when they encounter a dead body with deep pockets which could forever change their lives.
Al Padilla is a filmmaker based in New York who started his career working as a lighting technician on popular shows such as Sopranos and 30 Rock, among many others. Al went on to direct a short titled, Blind Wingman, which was selected at the Cannes Film Festival. He also wrote and directed a feature titled, Best Man in the Dark which garnered the Best Film Award at the Rincon Film Festival. Al continues to write screenplays and is presently releasing a crime-comedy feature titled, Coney Island Cousins.
Striving to include diversity in independent films.
The Soldiers (Mother Ukraine—Layers of War)
This short film is based upon news articles and interviews of the people immersed in a horrific war and includes soldiers from both sides. It begins with a little boy at a train station who is waiting with his mother to get out of the war zone. He misses his father who enlisted in the battle and speaks to his imaginary friend for comfort. We then hear from the soldiers who find themselves entangled in a web of rage, doubt and fear.
An eclectic playwright with roots as a journalist, Linda strives to create situations thwarting alienation in her audience. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, she launched her writing career as a reporter for ‘Newsday’ when she graduated from New York University. Immersing herself in theatre and film for several years, she raised her son singly, rescued four dogs, and taught high school English before receiving her Master of Arts in NYU’s Educational Theatre in Music and Performing Arts Professions.
She wrote over 20 plays and films, many of which she directed from New York to Los Angeles. She was positively reviewed by The Los Angeles Times for her comedy drama, ‘Prime Rib Wedding.’ The Tampa Bay Times wrote a feature article on Ms. Pallotta. She wrote and directed a short film for Orange TV, ‘Envirokids’ in Orlando for the county’s EPA as she taught theatre at Valencia College. She later was adjunct professor at CUNY’s Baruch College in NYC.
Ms. Pallotta was recently thrice selected winner in the IndieFEST FilmAward Festival and 8 times selected a semi-finalist in international film festivals for her short and full length screenplays. She is published in the international journal ‘Literature Today’ as well as ‘Fresh Words.’ During the pandemic, Linda was chosen to be a finalist in the women’s festival of playwrights in New York City’s Crossways Theatre. The playwright volunteers at Red Door Community (formerly Gilda’s Club) for those challenged by cancer, leading an improvisational workshop for both children and adults. She is a member of the Dramatist Guild.
The purpose of my life is to create situations that others can identify with within their own lives, to make my audiences feel less alone. If, through my words, I can make life better for some, to share experiences in order to make others happier, then my goal to thwart alienation will be completed. Hopefully my words will .reverberate and help those who need clarification towards what they’re feeling. Creating a tear, a smile, a retort or a belly laugh makes me know my audience is feeling my words. If my words “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comforted,” I will be an artist, for only then will I have embroidered a live tapestry called film.
Awakenings
During the Pandemic and as we seek humanity everyday in our lives. Awakening of the soul is what will unite us and rise above all the madness of the world. This short video with my poetry has been produced during the pandemic and is dedicated to all humanity and those that lost their loved ones without saying goodbye.
