Issue 028 - WICA 2021 by Film Fest International

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

WELCOME TO THE WORLD INDEPENDENT CINEMA AWARDS 2021 All articles, including all editorial used in this publication (whether printed or digital) do not necessarily represent the views of any of the International Filmmaker Festivals representatives, staff or associates. No part of this magazine, whether printed or electronic may be reproduced, stored or copied without the express prior written consent of the publisher. Requests for permission should be directed to: publishing@filmthemagazine. com. Although we make every effort to ensure all of the information in this publication is up to date and accurate the publisher takes no responsibility for any omissions or errors. The publisher accept no responsibility for the materials supplied including (but no limited to) all editorial and advertising copy and any omissions, errors or matters of copyright.

All materials supplied for use is solely the responsibility of the supplier or suppliers of the material reproduced in this publication whether in mechanical or digital format. Where editorial copy is sent late. We are not able to return the article to the filmmakers for signing off. Film The Magazine Limited is not accepted the responsibility for copy have not been correct. Dear Filmmaker

Carl Tooney Publisher / President of Film Fest International publishing@filmthemagazine.com Adam Tinnion Festival Director Kaoru Kajitani Asia Pacific Representative/Sales Roy Abbot Screening Manager

Welcome to the 2021 edition of our WICA Awards. 2020 & 2021 have been testing times for all of us but we are heartened to see so many Filmmakers & Scriptwriters creating such fantastic content. My team and I hope you have a wonderful time with us at our international awards ceremony. We have been honored to have such a wide selection of films at this years edition and from such a varied & talented selection of international filmmakers. We look forward to the day we will be able to meet in person at a future festival. Carl Tooney President World Independent Cinema Awards

Shauna Abbot Administrator Liam Smith Video Director - Klaxon Creative liam.smith@klaxoncreative.com Chris Joy Marketing Director - Klaxon Creative chris.joy@klaxoncreative.com Josh Denny Graphic Designer - Klaxon Creative Team@klaxoncreative.com

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

How much time did you spend with Father Pedro to figure out what you want to tell and how to do it in your documentary?

OPEKA

Interview of Director Cam Cowan

I knew quickly what I wanted to tell in the film. Recently I was asked to describe Father Pedro. My response was: “Powerful. Fearless. Brilliant. Genuine.” I wanted those qualities to be revealed. I also wanted to focus on him as a humanitarian who emphasizes education, hard work, health and dignity, and who is accomplishing something extraordinary for others at great sacrifice. He knows the political leaders of Madagascar have failed their people. He not only dares to speak truth to the political elite, he backs up his words and shows them by stunning example how to alleviate extreme poverty in their country.

How did you come up with the idea to make a documentary about Pedro Opeka? I met Father Pedro in August 2014 while we were in production for “MADAGASIKARA”, our documentary film about Madagascar’s political, economic and social struggles. I was standing on the top ledge of a huge quarry in Antananarivo, Madagascar’s capital city, because I was interested in filming there. From below emerged a young woman carrying a basket of broken stone on her head and a baby on her back, and I asked her where people working in the quarry lived. She said most live just outside the quarry, but “some live up there”, pointing in the distance to the next hillside. There I saw rows and rows of glistening white buildings on the hill. I had been around the entire country but had not seen so magical a scene anywhere else on the island. I asked her what those buildings were, and she said, “That’s Akamasoa.” I then asked her what Akamasoa was, and she seemed surprised I did not know. Smiling, she said, “That’s Father Pedro!” After doing some research on Father Pedro, I knew I wanted to interview him for the film “MADAGASIKARA”. Two months later we drove to Akamasoa and asked to see him. He had just returned from an exhausting fund-raising trip in Europe and was very serious. I told him I was making a film to try to bring the real Madagascar to the West. I wanted to counter the images created by Hollywood animated films and documentaries that focused on the environment and explore the lives of real people in what, at that time, was the poorest country on the planet, where 93% of the people lived on less than $2 per day, half the population of 24 million were children and half of the children were grossly malnourished. I told him my research revealed that Madagascar had been damaged by national and international political forces – including by my own country, the U.S. – and I wanted people to understand the devasting impacts those actions had, and continued to have, on Madagascar and its people. After my explanation, with a big smile from behind his big white beard he said, “How can I help?”

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

During subsequent filming trips to Madagascar, Father Pedro graciously allowed me to interview him as one of the film’s experts on the conditions in the country. He appears as such briefly in “MADAGASIKARA”. And so I got to know him better, sharing meals he insisted we eat with him, seeing him conduct Mass with thousands of Malagasy people attending – not just from Akamasoa but from everywhere in the area and from all and no faiths – touring the villages, meeting the people of the Akamasoa community and learning about his fascinating life story. I soon realized that I wanted to make a documentary about Father Pedro. There have been documentaries made and books written about him, but I knew that he was not well known in much of the world, particularly North America. And I wanted to try to change that through a quality film that focused on his life and his extraordinary achievements as a humanitarian. Why? Because he is one of the most remarkable people I have ever met. He is bigger than life. He is a force of nature who passed up an opportunity to be a professional football player in Argentina so he could dedicate his life to social justice for the poorest people on the planet. And he has demonstrated by action - audacious and overwhelming action - that poverty is not inevitable, is not fate. I also saw that his story would be the perfect companion to “MADAGASIKARA”. That film is about survival, “OPEKA” is about hope. My intention is that the two films – as a duology – will have a poverty problem/solution impact beyond Madagascar.

Importantly, too, I wanted to present him as a complete person and try to avoid indulging in hero worshipping. If there were warts, I wanted them revealed. If there were opinions he had that might ruffle feathers, I wanted them heard. He is not a superhero doing an ordinary superhero thing. He is a human being doing something truly extraordinary, and I wanted his story to inspire us all to try - just try - to help others in a meaningful way. All of these considerations led me to the title, “OPEKA”. I didn’t want “Father Pedro” with a tag line about being a friend of the poor, or something like that. I wanted the title to be as powerful as he is and to capture the full measure of the man. A tag line can’t do that. “OPEKA” does, I believe. How to tell the story took much more time. Much more. In a profile film such as this, often the director will rely on people who know the subject to tell much of his/her story. I wanted to do something different. I wanted the viewer to be with Father Pedro on his 50-year journey in Madagascar, and even further back to his youth in Buenos Aires. After months of collecting verité and finding archival footage, I decided the best way to be with Father Pedro on his extraordinary journey was for him to be the narrator of that journey. And so, after he put up significant resistance, I persuaded him to let me interview him on camera to capture his full story, from his parents’ lives in post-war Slovenia to the present. We spent weeks interviewing him in his small study, in 3- and 4-hour sessions, and he truly disliked the experience. He hates talking about himself, preferring to expansively and emphatically talk about the children and poverty and politics, national and global. So, one of the things I am most proud of in our filming was being able to persuade him to keep on going with the interviews.

How did Father Pedro react when you asked him if you can make a documentary focused on his experience in Madagascar? He resisted at first. His life has been devoted to others, and he doesn’t like talking about himself and certainly doesn’t like talking about his private thoughts and experiences. But I believe I was able to persuade him that if we could make a quality film for a Western audience, reaching regions like North America where his work is less well known, it would be an opportunity to raise money for Akamasoa. I recall he eventually said, “If it could help the children, then I will do it.” Everything, always, to him is about helping the children. Later, without Father Pedro’s knowledge, our production company – Sohei Productions – established a U.S. charitable organization dedicated to helping the children of Akamasoa: MadaKids.org. While “MADAGASIKARA” was in the 2018-19 film festival circuit, we were able to raise tens of thousands of dollars in the U.S. and send all of it to Akamasoa. Now, with that film scheduled to be released to the public in late June, and with “OPEKA” in the 2020-21 film festival circuit, we are hoping to raise much more. There are similar organizations in many other countries that are dedicated to raising money for Akamasoa, and we hope this film will assist those efforts as well.

I also wanted to use a device of some kind that represented being with Father Pedro on this journey he narrates. And because we spent so much time with him while he drove us around Antananarivo talking, we realized during editing that driving in his truck would be the perfect “vehicle” for this. One of our posters for the film tries to capture the idea.

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

Can you share with us an anecdote regarding the documentary, something the camera did not show and that you would like to share with the audience? In late 2015, Father Pedro came to the U.S. to receive the Spirit of Service Award from St. John’s University. My wife and I attended the awards dinner, and a couple of days later I visited Father Pedro while he was staying on the St. John’s campus. We went on a tour of the campus, and when we got to the varsity soccer field, he was asked by one of the guides, knowing Father Pedro’s background, if he would like to kick a few goals. The field was made of artificial turf, and that appeared to be the first time he had been on that surface. He took off his shoes and started to do some warmup exercises while the guide went to fetch a soccer ball. When he returned, Father Pedro said to me, “Cam, you go in the goal.” He and I had already developed a competitive banter, so of course I said I would. I had played soccer in my youth and felt I could keep him from scoring. He placed the ball on the outside of the penalty box – 18 yards from the goal. He looked up at me and said, “Cam, I am sorry. I am sorry.” He then began to fire the ball at me with his feet. Either foot, left or right, the balls kept coming at me at intense speeds. And students in the area began to gather around and watch, because they heard the crack of his stocking feet hitting the ball and saw a man in a gray suit with a mane of white hair and a big white beard doing the kicking. I was able to keep most of the balls out of the goal, but my ungloved hands were on fire from the power of his kicks. He then took a short break, put the ball back on the outside of the penalty box. He again said, “Cam, I am sorry. I am sorry.” He then started to loft the balls in a perfect arc over my outstretched hands and into the goal, almost every time and to the applause of the crowd.

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

In late 2019, I wanted to capture him on film kicking goals at Akamasoa. So, I challenged him to a repeat of that day at St. John’s. The result was about the same, except this time, even with goalkeeper gloves on, I came away with a damaged left finger that took weeks to heal. I like this personal anecdote because it reveals Father Pedro as highly competitive, still very athletic, and always fun-loving and playful, traits which might escape notice in the film. In our film, Father Pedro makes reference to the St. John’s field. I won’t spoil the scene by saying more. Also, in the trailer and the film, we have clips of Father Pedro kicking goals that day in 2019 in his Argentina football jersey.

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

Theatrical distribution in 33 cinemas in Country of Production

MILLION LOVES IN ME From a Real Life Court Case to Securing International Distribution

What is the film about? Is the film a love story?

The production of the Hollywood version

Million Loves in Me is certainly a film about love. Through the message of love between a not-so-ordinary relationship between a mother and daughter and the daughter’s journey of finding true love, it emanates into other important messages in life. The message of love is the major theme being conveyed throughout the movie. First of all, the love between the mother and daughter is inseparable. Katy and her mother both suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). The poor daughter only has the intellect of a young child and is indeed unable to live an independent life as a normal person. Likewise, the mother is unable to cope with her compulsion to control and is unable to detach herself from her daughter. Furthermore, there is a major love story line in the film between Katy and a guy Anthony. Katy, with her gullible character, easily falls for the guy’s warmth and care when she is offered support in taking care of the pets and a push to get away from the absolute authoritative supervision of her mother. She feels that she has found that someone but at the end, is it truly real?

The Hollywood version of Million Loves in Me begins when the two original producers met a producer who has a number of Hollywood movies under his title in a major film festival in Los Angeles. Having reviewed the film, the Hollywood producer was of the opinion to have it to be further edited in order to tailor the North American audience. As he is also a music producer and owned a recording studio in Los Angeles, he also feels that the score in the film can be more “Americanized”. The making of the American edited version is a time consuming process but an invaluable experience. The original producers worked closely with the Hollywood editor and two US producers for days to decide what should be condensed and what should be left as it was so as to generate what’s the “best” for the audience both visually and emotionally. Finally, all parties reached their consensus as to the final product of the version after a good full month of hard work.

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

With a gradual change in the tastes and flavor of the general public and with more online platforms and Video-On-Demands available and accessible in the market, we all hope that in the very near future, more impressive works will come to light and be appraised by everyone.

Like most independent film producers, the producers of Million Loves in Me already have the expectation that they need to face many challenges ahead, even the film has a cast of renowned and award winning actors and actresses taking major roles (i.e. Lead Actress Koon Lan Lo, (Hong Kong Film Awards Best Supporting Actress winner) and Supporting Actor Hiro Hayama (who had a couple of blockbuster films made in Hong Kong)), in order to secure distribution and have the film shown on the big screen. As Million Loves in Me was originally shot in Malaysia, the producers think focusing their energy in securing a theatrical distribution in its country of origin is the way to start. The film was also fortunate enough to be recognized by the Malaysia Book of Records as the title holder of winning the most number of awards by an independent feature film after travelling to a number of film festivals around the world and receiving world recognition. During its release in Malaysia, the film was named by a well-known cinema chain as one of its top five films together with four other Hollywood blockbusters. Million Loves in Me is not your typical type of film with heavy commercial blockbuster contents which attract audience’s attention by itself. It needs the audience to really “feel” the film to generate positive and truthful reviews so as to build its audience through positive word of mouth. The film has had a number of audience’s comments that the film has stayed and looped in their minds for days after seeing it. The film wrapped up its release by finishing in fourth place in the country’s daily box office with some major cinema chains in Malaysia.

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

老奶奶與無名子

INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM

THE UNKNOWN MOTHER

Cast:

The Unknown Mother

John Y as John the Son Susan Shaw as the Mother Chung Chi Deon Cheung as the Restaurant Manager

Best Actress & Best Actor winners , Best International Short Film & Best Original Screenplay In their daily lives, John and his mother always engage in fights and arguments over minor matters – the mother never likes the smell of cheese that John loves, and he never likes the way his mother throws things randomly at home and always messes up his date of birth. Prior to shooting the short film, John wrote the script together with another script writer, who has been an associate director of a number of commercial films in Hong Kong. The film focuses on an adopted son and a mother and it is quite tricky to put forward the message of love between an adopted son and a mother who quarrel most of the time in their daily life in a short film. This important theme is being delivered to the audience through the eyes of the restaurant manager who acts as the media to convey to the audience what he sees.

There is a scene in the film in which the fight between the mother and the son seems to be nothing new to the restaurant manager. However, John’s behavior is somewhat absurd to the manager this time. Due to the importance of the manager role, the producer recruited a seasoned TV veteran, Deon Cheung Chung Chi, who has a number of TV dramas and movies under his title, to play this manager role, complementing the heart breaking performances of the mother and the son in the film.

PRODUCER

DIRECTOR

WRITTEN BY

KENNY CHAN

WAI YIN WONG

JOHN Y & STAN CHOW

邵音音

SUSAN YAMYAM SHAW

虞日新 JOHN Y

The Unknown Mother is an award winning short film -- Best International Shorts, Best Actor (John Y), Best Actress (Susan Shaw), Best Director (Wai Ying Wong), and Best Original Screenplay from a number of film festivals in the United States and Europe under its belt.

PRODUCED BY

JK SUCCESS LTD

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

RUN THROUGH THE RAINBOW BRIDGE/MIRACLE OF CHRISTMAS

DRIVING MISS DOHA Screenplay written by Ricard Spencer Interview with the Screenwriter

In his second screenplay, Driving Miss Doha, Richard Spencer takes us on a trip of a lifetime. This script is set in modern-day Saudi Arabia and gives new meaning to a road trip movie! It’s comedic, action packed and heartfelt —and is based on the momentous historic significance of women being given their driving rights around the same time that the public cinemas reopened throughout Saudi Arabia. Richard Spencer, screenwriter, is also a successful magazine editor in the USA. But there is no better way to learn more about him and Driving Miss Doha than in this interview, as he tells us his story in his own words.

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

We've cultivated the best with giving lots of thoughts in these films. Whatever the difficulties we've met, I surely thought we had to elevate everything to produce a wonderful film. I had a strong feeling and will to get over everything to make impossible possible. I’m grateful to be nominated for our feature films in your film festival where the longing artistic fantastic place. I really appreciate everybody in World Independent Cinema Awards Film Festival. Now, I made 2 more MV and I’ve been awarded 24, and nominated in 55 film festivals. The story is about people who have trauma and complexed feelings will try to find true love, dreams, justice, courage, and hope to arise dramatic events towards Christmas. There contains lots of messages to overcome adversities by believing themselves, changing ideal into the reality, saving the weak, hoping for the international peace, equality of the world, various love and friendship. Moreover, I’ve done not only directing and writing, but also doing cinematography, editing, English subtitles, acting guidance, works, costume, painting, supporting MA, music and color for the artistic creativity. The miracle of carrying through everything positively with a bright hope is because of all casts include over 100 and stuffs’ cooperations. I’ve studied Performing Arts with Music at University of Chichester in England. I’ve acted for films, TV drama, CM, theatre and sung my original songs as well. Aboue all, I love art! In my abroad life, I’ve experienced a variety of splendid things, for instance, to find lots of new sense of values, feelings, the importance of each personalities, way of thinking, and admit everyone in the world to wish for equality and the peace of the world. I found real favorite myself more to elevate my personality, talent and imagination freely in the abroad. That’s truly new myself and marvelous awakening in my life! It’s a treasure to open new me and enhance the world for the future. Love creat Art, and Art produce various Love. In my near future, I’d love to make artistic films more to convey moving love and great messages for the world.

What drives Richard Spencer? The curiosity of the human spirit. Of course in life, but particularly when I’m writing. I’ve always been fascinated about what people say — and don’t say. There are so many fears and hopes that we are reluctant to reveal honestly — to even our close friends — and I think we wait for situations and events to help bring these revelations out.

Where does travel fit into your busy life? I used to think the older I became, the more I would travel. But little did I know that the more responsibility you get, the less available you are to travel. But now with the global Pandemic we are living with, traveling through films is the best way to do it.

What actors do you envision in Driving Miss Doha? The gutsy American truck driver in “Doha,” who teaches the women how to drive I wrote with Sandra Bullock mixed with Melissa McCarthy in my mind.

Fed by their mutual fascination of American movies, the central characters, four female Saudi friends, had started their own movie club to watch films in the privacy of their homes before the cinemas were reopened. Now that the films which showed them the world beyond Saudi Arabia are available to them on the big screen—and women are able to learn to drive —they head out on the highway, armed with their favorite film scene memories and quotes—hence the screenplay’s title Driving Miss Doha. So fasten your seatbelts as the four Saudi friends, plus one American female trucker turned-driving-instructor, hit the road!

Is there anything else you would like to share with us? You can never have enough gloves, shoes and bags! Remember that line from AbFab when a petrified Patsy had to appear on live television and that’s all she could mutter? Seriously, to filmmakers, keep telling stories. There are so many to tell. And be patient.

BUMPING BLISS Does the recipe of happiness exist? The “wheel of happiness” rolls down the hill, and a Man runs, runs and runs after him. Running with all his might. - “Stop” - the Man shouts. And then it stops, falls to the ground. A Man runs up and picks it up, but this is not a wheel. This is a mirror. The Man stares for a long time, peering into himself. This is what a cheerful author Arkady Averchenko wrote about in distant Russia at the beginning of the 20th century. He was known in the world and at Home he was called “The king of laughter.” The creative team under the direction of Nesterenko Roman dedicates light, sparkling full-length comedy “Bumping Bliss” to the 140th anniversary of the master.

A light comedy about happiness, life path,mirages and consciousness. Sinopsis: St.Petersburg at the beginning of the twentieth century. The boss of unexpectedly visits the office of a comedy magazine « Karusel» This is a good chance for a talented writer Kukushkin. He is ready Suddenly everything goes wrong — the owner receives a note… the plot spring is lowered: intrigue, love, treason and sparkling humor — the humor of the «King of laughter» of the early twentieth century A. Averchenko brings Kukushkin towards his happiness. Director -Roman Nesterenko — Born in 1978 year in the city of Riga. In 1995, he entered the Theatre Institute «School of Russian drama» Igor Olegovch Gorbchov. After graduation, he worked in theatres. He played in performances on F. Dostoyevsky, A. Chekhov, A, Ostrovsky, W. Shakespeare and etc. Even in the film with John Malkovich - in the film Tom Roberts “In transit.” But he wasn’t enough. In 2017, he graduated from the Higher School of Directors and Scriptwriters in St. Petersburg . Today he presents his film on Milan International Filmmaker Festival 2021.

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

JEAN-MARC BRIGNOT AND THE THINGS OF SADO

Synopsis

Nominated for: best cinematography in a documentary, best director of a foreign language documentary, best foreign language documentary

Off the shore of Honshu in the Japanese sea is Sadogashima, the island of Sado. Once an exile ground for insubordinate souls, Sado kept its rebel spirit and unique traditions. Six years ago the island welcomed a newcomer, who decided to leave Europe to voluntarily exile himself: Jean-Marc Brignot, a renowned French natural wine maker. On a soil that never grew wine, Jean-Marc is starting from scratch surrounded by the islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s magic and its friendly inhabitants.

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

LEFT OF CHOPIN Director Yoshino Takemoto

Producer Shuhei Kondo

Rinko Kondo(18) and Kentaro Sudo(18) have known each other since childhood and are both students of the same high school music teacher, the distinctive looking Daruma(60). Kentaro is one of Daruma’s brightest students - he also composes music. His large hands enable him to play Rachmaninov beautifully and he is the most technically skilled. Rinko, on the other hand, loves to play but is less skilled and must practice diligently. She especially loves Chopin and pursues music sincerely. Rinko excelled in playing lyrically while Kentaro was skilled technically. Daruma told his two promising students daily that “Menheki Kyu-nen” or accomplishing one thing by ceaseless hard work is important. The morning of January 17th 1995. The Kobe Earthquake hits Nishinomiya Kitaguchi. Kentaro’s home is destroyed and his mother, his only family, is killed. He injures his left hand and cannot enter the competition. Rinko must go instead of him. Rinko feels uncomfortable but Kentaro insists she must go. She agrees and plays a piece by Chopin with all her heart. She is praised for her performance and is given the chance to study in Poland. Rinko works hard in Poland. Kentaro does not get a chance to study in Japan but gets composing work through Daruma. After finishing her education Rinko decides to study under Tatiana Paluch(42), a piano teacher known for raising many competition winners. Rinko returns from Poland to her hometown, Nishinomiya. However, the city had changed since the disaster. Kentaro had become confined to writing music for the students of Tatiana to practice. His attitude toward Rinko had become cold and distant. His personality seems to have changed since his downfall as a pianist. Rinko is shocked as she still held romantic feelings toward him.... Production company: Office Hassel Co., Ltd, Japan

THE LEGEND OF THE WHITE IBEX (Switzerland, 2019) Director Markus Otz 41 min / Color / Italian original language - English subtitled

“A dreamlike white ibex and a bizarre character call Lukas to repeat the deeds of a brave warrior.” "The Legend of the White Ibex" is a poetic-philosophical tale of existential stamp, with a simple structure but rich in references presented lightly and powerful in meaning. Collecting 15k Swiss francs over a crowdfunding project to create a 28 min. long short, the production was extended to a 41 min. featurette. “Film shooting is a deep descent into the nature of things and a constant surprise over the unexpected / Markus Otz.”

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

THE ISLAND OF DOCTOR MORON® WICA marks the eighteenth international film festival for this film which has brought joy and excitement to audiences across eleven countries (5 times in the USA), received numerous nominations and awards, and overwhelmingly positive audience responses. Such is the journey of this unique film. And it truly is unique. It is the first and only film of its type to have been produced in Australia to date. “Moron” as its creators lovingly call it is a hybrid cinematic film of a live, original rock musical of the same name. “Our aim was to smash through the ‘fourth wall’ and put the viewing audience up there, on stage, with the action, the singing, the dancing,” said Chris Dockrill, the writer/director of the film. And the film does just that. Australia’s ‘father’ of theatre and film, Jack Thompson AM, said of the film, “The Island of Doctor Moron has breathed new life into live musical theatre. I witnessed the live show work its magic on a full-house audience of all ages. The film of the show is amazing; it has captured and amplified that magic. The energy and fun the film produces is irresistible.” The live show premiered in a disused cinema in Paddington, Sydney, Australia in late 2014. The producers leased the building and converted it into a live theatre venue which they called The New Olympia Theatre in deference to the original name of the turn-of-the 20th century building. “The live show went from an ‘unknown’ to being sold out by the end of its third week. Its fame spread mainly by word-of-mouth and social media,” said Dockrill. “We used fourteen cameras per shoot to film many performances and 10 months to edit,” said Dockrill. The result is an amazing film of an equally amazing show. The film premiered to a sell-out audience 100 metres from the Sydney Opera House. Dockrill’s wife, Lyn shares the glory of Moron as she is the musical talent behind the show. Together, they make a great team, having created five musicals to date. “Chris comes up with these amazing ideas,” said Lyn. “He creates incredible, fictitious worlds out of his imagination, peoples them with unforgettable characters and works out the lyrics and rough structures of the songs and then gets me to put melodies and arrangements to them,” she adds. The show follows the adventures and misadventures of Edwyna and Douggie who are shipwrecked on this mysterious island, captured by a band of Rastafarian natives, sold to Doctor Moron and compelled to be part of his insane experiments. With a roller-coaster plot, 21 original songs, relentless choreography and vast array of larger-than-life characters, the film sweeps viewers away for two hours of joyous entertainment. World famous action writer, Matthew Reilly, says of the show, “Moron is fun. If you want a good night out, go and see Moron!” “We are deeply honoured to have been selected and nominated by the selection committee for WICA,” said Dockrill. You can find out more about this unique project and contact the creators by visiting the web site: www.theislandofdoctormoron.com

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

USED AND BORROWED TIME The alluring sin of film is expansive like the wide navy-blue of shores and the wild emerald landscapes of our universe. It is a medium which has shaped my very existence from an early age—from the youthful dislocated refugee, émigré innocence of my tender years extending to the ripe age of my frazzled, dazed and disenchanted maturity. The fascination and intoxication with a human tale, especially the true lamentable, deplorably shocking incident which had transpired during a dark blotted moment in American History where ignoble bigotry, racism, segregation, anti-miscegenation statutes, separate and unequal legally sanctioned ways of life reared their ugly physiognomies and utterly dismantled my psyche. Negligent biases heaped upon the marginalized of society rained on my utopian parade and propelled me to make this film, in the first place. Used and Borrowed Time, alludes to the surreal yet pained precious moments in the life of two lovers who were mercilessly bullwhipped by white supremacists in a torn and tattered Birmingham, Alabama, at the heart of the brimming Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s. While an interracial love-affair is at center stage of my film; there exists a concentration on the meaning of the past in the future tense, on sacred memories, on ebbing moods and on the folly of faltering lost hearts. The main theme of this film may be stated thus: while a white supremacist back-woodsmen clan unleashes war upon an unsuspecting young couple in love; religion sits judgmental upon its high throne, casting the might of pseudo righteousness upon pure earthly yet ethereal desire. As self-proclaimed White Aryan Americans leaning on the alt-right as a prophetic crutch capture the bold protagonists on Christmas Eve and hold them hostage; this broken warped medley of a family, (a metaphor for a warped American dream), emerges as the “holy of holies,” while unveiling a scheme of perverse atrocities which culminate in a cacophony of deep-throated tragedies. It was the direct aim of this motionpicture to break and expose that tragic time not through black and white

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

historical photos but through the story of an unsuspecting couple who knew not of the harsh deprecating world that put their romance to the ultimate test before a prejudicial guillotine. Presented through the keen and sharp prism of the camera, Used and Borrowed Time, excavates the past which still looms menacingly ahead and arrests the conscience of the soul, while reeling in the universal spirit of seeping time as an aging eccentric New York actress, in phantasmagorical fashion, is transported through the portals of her youth to face the demons haunting her existence. The spectators are invited to open the Pandora’s box, viscerally experiencing a naïve girl’s journey as she is conscripted to come of age in segregated Alabama, enraptured in a maddening passionate whirlwind while clinging to her beloved poetic and fearless civil rights activist, who is much to Birmingham’s chagrin, an African American. it is with the goal of formulating a change, making a pledge to unravel negative history while striving for equality in the decades to come, that I have bravely probed this horrifying yet candid tale. Used and Borrowed Time, while obviously breaking the fourth wall and toying with eclectic film and theatre genres assures that the audience will breathe in and breathe out, while slowly subjugated to the mercy of the majesty of moving frames, immersed in the juggling jiving pictures shuffled in endless locomotion—depicting a myriad of emotions, hijacking the senses—yet above all, nonconforming to any particular style in an exposé kaleidoscope of a taunting bitter reality. In summation, I am aware that there exists a niche in film festivals that specialize in motion-pictures of a particular subject: human rights, LGBTQ, environmental, ecology, music, anthropology, ideology, dance, holistic cinematic affairs—niche films run the gamut. Used and Borrowed Time is an experimental film which does not belong to any distinct genre just like each individual bears the beast of burden of their own individuality and can never be pigeonholed. This film project has been a true labor of love during the turmoil of a devastating pandemic. I would like to thank World Cinema Milan 2021 for bestowing upon my film the most honorable accolades!

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

Paul Grammatico Forbidden to see graphic films as a child and limited to edited TV movies, Paul received his horror information second hand through stories from older friends and siblings. He also vacationed in a desolate cottage, raised in houses with creepy basements, and lived in an apartment with a “full torso apparition”. Inspired by his experiences, Paul is a multi-award-winning screenwriter with an affinity of the weird and unexplained.

Interested in reading the script? Contact Paul Grammatico Email: gramm66@hotmail.com Twitter: @paul_grammatico IG: paulgrammatico

SIX BULLETS AT SUNDOWN Logline for the Screenplay

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

THE RADICALIZATION OF JEFF BOYD A businessman from Switzerland, Jeff Boyd, dreams of living in Australia where his friend Morton, a crazy bakery shop owner, has already settled down. Morton tries to persuade him to join soon and help in the shop. Frank, who lets Jeff stay at his place while he’s abroad, advises investing money with a commodity trading firm he knows. When Jeff signs the investment contract, he’s full of hope to leave the country with a pocket full of cash. After a phone call with his trader and a heavy argument with his boss at work, Jeff’s world collapses. That’s when he meets Wendy who’s also in a delicate state after losing her job. They discover they are soulmates. Their worries about the world and what it develops into comes more and more to light. They want to make a change and develop a dangerous plan. The film exposes the dilemmas in life about wrong and right choices we make, sticking to one and wanting more which eventually contradicts the law of life we all have experienced, like greediness, illusions and unrealistic dreams. Different interests collide, as we see it only our way, until they clash, each having their own history: family matters, financial independence, wanting to change the world and looking for the easy way out. Until we wake up and realise that it’s too late…

A stranger arrives looking for Jericho Jackson and his gang of outlaws that have terrorized the local town for twelve years and who owe him something other than the bounty for their heads.

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

What was the most difficult part in making this film?

CIRCUS SAM

Rayner Wang: Besides the hot conditions during principal photography, I’d say it might have been the editing process in post-production. It took several weeks to cut the movie down just a few minutes. My brilliant editor Kaitlin and I had to be rather brutal and take out some wonderful scenes from the film that unfortunately didn’t end up in the final cut. I feel bad about it sometimes, but it was due to time constraints.

How did you get Cary Elwes to star in your film? Rayner Wang: My producers in the US knew the actor and they suggested that I offer him the role of the English teacher, which was a splendid fit. It was a joy working with such a talented and professional actor.

How did the idea of the titular character Circus Sam originate?

What was it like working with professional actors?

Rayner Wang: I’d say the character of Circus Sam originated much from the past actor/comedian Robin Williams, especially after his tragic death. It really makes you think about how somebody so utterly charming and amusing, who never fails to put a smile on everyone’s face, can be in so much pain deep down inside. They say the funniest people are often the most depressed in life, and I truly believe that. Also, John C. Reilly’s acting was another muse in terms of creating the tone of the character.

Rayner Wang: I was a little nervous at the start. Being new, the actors were very patient and considerate with me, and I highly appreciate them for that.

What was it like working with the talented Ellery Sprayberry? Rayner Wang: I knew of her work and asked my LA casting people to track her down. I think she’s an up-and-coming star talent. Her face is extremely expressive and she connects to a deeper truth for such a young actress. The innocent charm she delivered in Alice’s character is really what captivated me.

What was it like working with Don Bluth to do the animated segments in your film? Rayner Wang: Don Bluth is an amazingly talented artist and a wonderful person. I’m respectfully grateful that he was willing to dedicate his effort and time to contribute, and I was incredibly delighted with his results. He is as vital today and as relevant as in his heyday. Traditional 2D hand-drawn animation is a long and strenuous process to create, and Don Bluth delivered his work to perfection.

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

Who are your influences? Rayner Wang: To name some, I’m humbled to say Ang Lee, Hayao Miyazaki, Mamoru Hosoda, Joe Johnston, Guillermo del Toro, Stanley Kubrick, Don Bluth, James Wan, Charlie Chaplin, Richard Williams and Tim Burton, all of whom hold immense talent. But the most major influence has to be Steven Spielberg, no doubt. I know a lot of filmmakers have said the same thing, but if you analyze his films, it’s clear to see why. He truly is one of the most influential and inspirational directors of all time.

Are there any new lessons you have learned through this production over past ones? Rayner Wang: I’ve learned that a director must always be on his feet, and to know what he’s doing and what he wants done through each step of production. Not everything is going to go precisely the way you intend it to, so you must try to think of solutions, alternatives or even better, try to be persistent with your own vision. If a director doesn’t care about the film, the film most likely won’t be any good.

Why did you choose to have a full original score, and what was it like having the music recorded live? Rayner Wang: Again referring to Steven Spielberg, I wanted my film to acknowledge his work in some way. Hence I desired to capture that feeling of a grand music score, akin to John Williams. Chris Anderson of Workshirt Music was the composer to step up to that challenge and he did a beautiful job indeed.

If you had to do it over again, what would you do differently? Rayner Wang: I would have loved to shoot on the American coast, as originally intended, but doubling US for Tokyo was a challenge. My sincerest compliments to the scout team.

What did you learn about directing films? Rayner Wang: It’s one heck of a job that requires your full and undivided attention. You have to know precisely what you’re doing and be prepared to be constantly bombarded with multiple questions from the cast and crew. It’s a great privilege to have that control of creativity on a film, but it does come with a heavy responsibility and you must work extremely hard for it. No question.

Where do you see the future of your film career? Rayner Wang: Oh, I really don’t know for sure about that, and that’s always bound to change at any time. But as of this moment, I have the desire to make various movies internationally. That’s all I’ll say.

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

IF WE HAD TOMORROW (2019) – Kyiv, Ukraine

“Behind door is always another door.” If We Had Tomorrow is a film not only about the Russian-Ukrainian war - it is a film about possibilities and our ability to choose… A soldier is sitting in the trenches and looking at the flame of his lighter. The flame is coming from a candle now where two people are having their first date. We observe a short sequence of their romance. Suddenly, an explosion occurs - we understand that all the memories that he had were imaginary. It is a metaphor for the way his life could have turned out if there hadn’t been a war. The film has been selected by 30 international film festivals with 61 nominations and 34 awards/honorable mentions, including Best Short Film at Barcelona International Film Festival and Switzerland International Film Festival, Best Director at World Cinema Antwerp, Best Leading Actress at World Cinema Milan, Best Cinematography at London International Filmmaker Festival, Best Editing at Nice International Film Festival, and many more. Throughout 2020 – a year filled with uncertainties, closed borders, and lockdowns – our short film, as part of its world festival journey, was lucky to visit almost all the continents from North and South America to Australia. If We Had Tomorrow premiered in Italy (Milan, Naples), UK, Switzerland, France (Nice and Paris), US (Texas, NY, LA, Washington DC), Belgium, and Ukraine.

If We Had Tomorrow was born from an instant thought, “A man, a woman, a child, and a dog.” Four elements – four characters. In the spring of 2019, Anastasiya went to see Dorothea Tanning’s exhibition at the Tate Modern museum. It inspired her in various ways, but there was one specific painting that stood out – “Birthday” (1942); it portrayed an endless corridor of doors. The idea was to approach this project the same way as surrealist artists created their art. This film should be viewed the same way as a surrealistic artwork in a museum – each person should determine its meaning. It is open to interpretation. The main two terms that Anastasiya used in her process were ‘automatism’ and ‘dreams.’ She started to develop images in her head such as a hot air balloon with a bath attached to it, a passionate dance in the water, and etc. The Russian-Ukrainian war (2014-present) is a very important subject for every Ukrainian citizen. Therefore, Anastasiya was motivated to find a soldier who participated in the events of this war to portray our man in the movie. All different metaphors and symbols can be interpreted into different meanings by the spectators. The only thing that should stay the same is that in any scenario of our soldier’s life – war can burn down all doors and all the corridors of opportunities.

The film was shot in 3 days in Kyiv region by a crew of Ukrainian filmmakers. The whole process took 75 days. Written and directed by Anastasiya Yevchenko. Produced by Sergii Sushon, Patritsiia Kuznietsova, and Anastasiya Yevchenko. Cinematography by Eugene Kirey. Production design by Nadya Jupiter. Costume design by Shura Ryazantseva. Hair and make-up by Gosha Matskevich. The sound design was done by Aleksey Olshevskiy, editing by Vitalii Liashko, color by Valentyn Vernyhor, and VFX by Kirill Udovenko.

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

We are excited to announce we just acquired distribution for our feature film “Flesh Is Heir To” on Amazon Prime. Look for it!

cinemaeveritellc.com

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

THE SUBJECT Whenever I speak about The Subject, people ask if it is based on a true story since it feels so real. It is inspired by life, but it comes from the imagination and genius of Chisa Hutchinson. She wrote it while in graduate school for playwriting, and then turned it into a screenplay. In fact, The Subject has deep theater roots. I met Chisa while producing a play she had written more than a decade ago, and we luckily stayed in touch. I first saw Jason Biggs, our lead actor, on stage in The Graduate nearly two decades ago. I’ve seen cast members Carra Patterson and Caleb Eberhardt in Broadway plays, Jitney and Choir Boy, respectively. Aunjanue Ellis, Nile Bullock and Anabelle Acosta all have theater backgrounds too. And Phil’s film crew in the movie is composed of actors Chisa and I have worked with in theater–Brian McManamon, Nick Abeel and Zack Calhoon. Three members of our producing team–Executive Producer (and Tony nominee!) Megan Kingery, Producer Gahlia Eden and Associate Producer Jolene Noelle–have worked with me in theater too. We shot parts of the film in East Harlem, near the East Harlem Tutorial Program, where I volunteered for many years as a tutor upon first moving to New York City. That neighborhood is a second home to me, and I wanted to properly represent it. The biggest compliment is when a fellow New Yorker or another audience member mentions how the film accurately captures the Big Apple. That means the world to me and the crew. We wanted to get the story right. We wanted to portray our city right too.

THE SUBJECT SYNOPSIS

The Subject isn’t a ripped-from-the-headlines story, but it does speak the truth.

The Subject follows a successful white documentary filmmaker (Jason Biggs in a dramatic role) as he deals with the fallout from his previous film which caught the murder of a Black teen on tape. As he films a doc series for a major TV network, someone videotapes his every move, threatening his idyllic life. Emmy nominee Aunjanue Ellis, Anabelle Costa, Carra Patterson, Nile Bullock and Caleb Eberhardt also star in the film.

What happens when two people, who are looking for two different things, meet? Living in a hectic world we can easily lose sight of the fact that we yearn for connection. Does the longing for these connections make us take more risks? At what cost? I’m fascinated with watching people and how they move through a space. I like to catch snippets of conversations, some of which I used in the script. It is amazing to me at how unaware or oblivious people are to what is happening around them. The reality is that we live in a world where some of our most personal moments are “Shared” with “Friends”. We are much more captivated by flashing notifications on our mobile phones than what we are actually living. Bob Celli and Laura Delano the award winning team who form DELANOCELLI PRODUCTIONS. Together they have worked extensively in New York City as producers and as actors. They made the switch to telling stories on film as a way to have their work be seen by more audiences globally. Bob has appeared in Gotham, The Blacklist, The Onion News Network and various independent films. Laura has appeared in Fame, Slow Dancing in the Big City, The Warriors, The Chosen, and Stardust Memories.

WWW.FILMFESTINTERNATIONAL.COM

THE KEEPER Synopsis A lonely widow yearning for connection, meets a collector of art at a speed dating event. What they are looking for in each other is vastly different. Writer/Director: Bob Celli / USA / Run Time: 13:54

Issue 028 - WICA 2021

Articles inside

John Yiu