Film Focus #01 by fusionfilmfests

@FUSIONFILMFESTS NORTH EUROPE EDITION LONDON 2019 ISSUE: 01

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT

MATTHEW SAUVÉ Hollywood awaits Canada’s Award Winning Actor! See Page 4

THE

PATAGONIAN BONES A Documentary by Ricardo Preve

A Welsh Woman’s Story in Patagonia. Find it on Page 10

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EDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHY: STUART WATSON

WELCOME TO FUSION…! Dear Filmmakers & Scriptwriters, It is our absolute pleasure to welcome you to our inaugural North Europe International Film Festival in London as part of the Fusion International Film Festival group. We have been truly blown away and overwhelmed by the amount of support we have received and the number and breadth of films and scripts from all over the World, many of whom will be supporting their projects at our festival. We have a vision and passion to support, encourage and connect creative minds from across the globe, this is why we chose the name “Fusion” and to bring creative’s together all in one place. Yes, our vision is wild but we went for four festivals each year from the off – to truly make our mark on the independent film festival circuit. Independent filmmakers and creative’s need independent film festivals and film festivals certainly need you and film festivals in the 21st century

FILM FOCUS IS PUBLISHED BY FUSION FILM & MEDIA EUROPE LIMITED Steve Grossmith Editor & Co-Director steve@fusionfilmfestivals.com Dan Hickford Festival Coordinator & Co-Director dan@fusionfilmfestivals.com Stephen Mina Graphic Designer/Illustrator & Head of Technical mina@fusionfilmfestivals.com

are meeting places for filmmakers and people who are interested in the world in its variety, different approaches to life, with film as an art form, a medium and of social expression. Our festivals are here to offer filmmakers an opportunity to introduce their work and discuss topics shown in the film as well as the filmmaking process. This also includes playing a significant role as an alternative distribution channel for non-commercial films and we are certain that you will view some fascinating and surprising films. Our international film festivals will provide an excellent opportunity to meet like-minded individuals and industry professionals with networking opportunities with others from within the film industry. This also offers the perfect platform to share advice, tips and information on topics from a vast array of subjects including technical aspects of filming, casting, directing, editing, location hints and script writing. We know from running international film festivals for a number of years that introductions are made and collaborations born. In our inaugural year, we are excited to connect and meet with you all.

All rights reserved, no part of this publication may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any other means including (but not limited to), electronic ,mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the express prior permission of the publisher. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained in this publication is accurate and up-todate, the publisher takes no responsibility for errors or omissions. All supplied articles – including adverts – that are published in this magazine whether printed or in digital form are not necessarily the views or opinions of

the publisher and it is the sole responsibility of the supplier of this said material to ensure that they have the right to use all text and images that we use. By publishing in this magazine you agree to indemnify and hold harmless Fusion International Film Festivals and Fusion Film & Media Europe Limited and their agents, from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to all legal fees, and any and all court costs) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, publicity, screening, defamation, slander & disputed data.

Festival Directors Steve Grossmith and Dan Hickford have been on the circuit for a number of years and felt the time was right to bring their own project forward. Back in late 2017 Fusion International Film Festivals was created and we have spent a year bringing all aspects together. One year, Four European Cities, Four boutique film festivals full of memories to last a lifetime.

A huge thank-you to our festival ambassadors Laura & Colin Graham who have shown us the most amazing trust and were willing to join us from the outset on this brand new (ad)venture. We also want to recognise the hard work of our small team and in particular Stephen Mina our technical & graphics director whose willingness, enthusiasm and shared vision have been invaluable.

Movies are great. They make you laugh, make you cry, and make you feel every feeling in between. They can teach you about people you don’t know, people you do know, and even help you better understand yourself. They are created by some of the most brilliant artistic minds and can be exciting and important and we truly want you to enjoy your experience with us.

We would also like to thank our entire Festival Jury for their commitment and honest feedback. Film really is subjective and we think it is important to have a diverse Jury to really allow for maximum consideration of all projects.

We’d love to chat about the industry, answer any questions or offer advice or useful contacts that we might have and to know that we are available to reach out to at any time.

And finally thanks to you and all of those that entered some incredible films and scripts into our festival, we are sincerely grateful to you all. Dan Hickford & Steve Grossmith – Festival Directors

MATTHEW SAUVÉ IN AN INDUSTRY WHERE GETTING YOUR BIG BREAK CAN BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, ONE ACTOR IS WORKING HARD TO CARVE HIS OWN PATH INTO HOLLYWOOD.

FILM FOCUS SHOOTS SOME QUESTIONS AT THE TORONTO BASED AWARD WINNING ACTOR. FF: 2018 WAS QUITE THE YEAR FOR YOU- TELL US ABOUT THAT JOURNEY AND YOUR TIME SPENT IN EUROPE? Wow yes....I was in Europe for 31 days. It started in Spain at the Madrid International Film Festival where I was nominated and won ‘Best Lead Actor’ in a Short Film. I had 10 days to travel between Madrid and when I needed to arrive at the next International Film Festival in Amsterdam. I made good use of that time. I went to Barcelona for 5 days which was just simply an amazing place to be. I visited the mountains went on tours and ate amazing food. My next stop was Paris, France.... ironically my agent Marla Mann was on vacation with her bestie who also happens to be a close friend of mine too. The talented actress Celestine Carravagio who is also repped by Marla. We met up and toured Paris on one of the days. I laid on my back right underneath the Eiffel Tower and remember just being mind blown looking up. After Paris, I took a scenic train ride to Amsterdam to attend the second International Film Festival. I toured Amsterdam, went on a bus trip to Bruges....and just like in Madrid got to watch some amazing films at the festival and make new friends. I was nominated again in Amsterdam for ‘Best Lead Actor’ in a Short Film....and I won again....it was surreal!!! When I finally arrived back home in Toronto, I was back on a plane 3 weeks later to the Austin Revolution Film Festival where I won ‘Best World Actor’ the day after my 40th birthday. I don’t know what to tell you buddy, it was amazing...surreal...and I need to buy a lottery ticket because I was nominated against some incredible actors so I’m humbled, grateful and take none of this for granted. FF: SO LET’S GO BACK TO WHERE IT ALL BEGAN! WHO FIRST INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME AN ACTOR? There wasn’t a “who”, there was just a love for movies in the beginning. Some of my fondest memories as a child were actually going to the movies with my 2 older brothers. I remember feeling like it was such a special event. The smell of popcorn, the carpets in the lobby, the posters of movies that were ‘coming soon’, the sticky

floors in the theatre while taking our seats, the coming attractions before the movie. I fell in love with the experience of going to the movies. That was the beginning of the quiet voice in my heart whispering to pursue acting. FF: SO YOUR AWARD WINS HAVE SEEN YOU BECOME HOT PROPERTY....TELL US ABOUT RECENT PROJECTS AND ANYTHING NEW THAT’S ON ITS WAY? Yes, the wonderful Kerry-Lee Finkle hand picked me as the lead in the short film “Endgame”. Kerry-Lee Finkle is a producer and director. She produced the feature film “Goliath” and was an actor opposite Matt Damon in the feature film “Downsizing”. The film “Endgame” was written and directed by the talented Magalie de Genova. It’s an amazing script and I got to have a lot of fun with my character ‘John’. We filmed it last month (Jan 2019) and I have to say what an honour it was to work with the Director of Photography on this project Simon Riera. He’s brilliant and has worked with some serious heavy weights in this business like Director Peter Jackson. Watching him work was a gift for me and we had some good laughs during filming. I’m really looking forward to seeing the final product of this film. FF: YOU PLAY THE LEAD IN ‘ONE NIGHT STAND’...A GREAT SHORT FILM THAT HAS QUITE THE MORAL DILEMMA AT THE CLIMAX!! TELL US ABOUT THE SHOOT AND WORKING ON SET? “One Night Stand’ will always have a special place in my heart because it gave me 2 of my closest friends in my life. Trish Rainone who is nominated for “Best Lead Actress in a Short Film” (her 5th nomination for the role), and Voitek Pendrak the Director of Photography who was nominated in Madrid. What can I say, I love being on set and filming projects...it’s fun!!!There’s always lots of laughs and some very funny bloopers. I’ve learned to enjoy the process, and be in the moment when filming. It makes everything that much more special when you look back once the final product is being seen around the world at International Film

CONTINUED

6 Festivals such as this one. FF: IF DESTINY WAS DIFFERENT AND BEING A WORKING ACTOR WASN’T THE CAREER... WHERE WOULD YOU BE? This is a trick question....it’s impossible for destiny to be different. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, I’m an actor and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Nice try with the trick question though. FF: I KNOW I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE THINKING IT....HOW OFTEN DO YOU GET COMMENTS ON YOUR RESEMBLANCE TO CLIVE OWEN...AND JAKE GYLLENHAAL? It happens, that is true. A few years back I was at an event during TIFF and I met Clive Owen. He was super nice and came up to me and shook my hand and said “great seeing you again”....we had never met before...clearly mistaken identity...perhaps he thought I was Jake Gyllenhaal. FF: SUCH A CLICHÉ QUESTION BUT I’M ASKING IT....WHAT ROLE/ROLES DO YOU ENJOY PLAYING THE MOST? It’s a cliché question because it’s a great question to ask. I enjoy the roles where the

character is below multiple layers of the onion. For example, the movie “Drive” with Ryan Gosling, his character who remains nameless for the entire film doesn’t even say his first words on screen until 12 minutes into the film. In the 12 minutes (which I consider to be one of my favourite cinematic opening scenes), we learn everything we need to know about his character. This is an excellent example of when great writing meets great acting...the “less is more” rule couldn’t be more perfectly executed in this film. Don’t even get me started on Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance in “The Departed”, just spectacular!!! A dream role for sure, and just an amazing film all together. FF: YOU CERTAINLY HAVE THE SUPERHERO LOOK ABOUT YOU!! WHAT WOULD BE YOUR SUPERPOWER? Why thank you for the kind words, you made me blush. Another great question by the way, you’re on fire!!! Let’s see...maybe my superpower could be the ability to have major Hollywood studios package entire superhero franchises around yours truly...now wouldn’t that be a great superpower. FF: WILL WE EVER SEE YOU TAKE THE STEPS TO BEHIND THE CAMERA AND DIRECT A MOVIE? 100%, in a lot of ways the wheels are already in motion. Most actors and actresses choose their path to be storytellers...directing is just the next logical step into the realm of storytelling. FF: CELEBRITY CRUSH? Halle Berry...next question please.

CONTINUED

FF: HOW DO YOU BALANCE BEING A FATHER AND WORKING AWAY ON SHOOTS? Easy, my daughter Anne is my world and she knows that. I have brought her with me up north while I was filming the TV Series Carter (which by the way has been renewed for a second season). She has the best mom in the world Rowena, and they are both so proud of me and I am so proud of them. I wouldn’t be where I am without the love and support from them both. FF: TORONTO OR LA? Eventually I will live in LA, but for now I have a daughter to raise here in Toronto. When the timing is right I will make the move. Matt is represented by Marla Mann agency. MARLAMANNAGENCY@GMAIL.COM

IMDb

DRAMA

RUN TIME 12 MINUTES

“I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF GOING TO THE MOVIES.”

THE PATAGONIAN BONES A DOCUMENTARY BY RICARDO PREVE

In 1995 a coffin with human remains was found in southern Argentina. Who did they belong to? Could they be those of Catherine Roberts, the first Welsh settler to die in Patagonia after her arrival there in 1865? After 20 years of investigation, these questions are answered by a team of scientists. Ricardo Preve is an accomplished Argentinean filmmaker with a roster of work that covers both narrative and documentary movie-making. We were privileged to meet and film an interview with him in London where he shed light on the background to this extraordinary event in Argentine – and Welsh - history.*

HOW DID YOU COME ACROSS THE STORY OF THE UNIDENTIFIED BONES IN PATAGONIA? I am often asked that question, and I must admit that I wish I could give an answer that makes me look more insightful than I really am, as though I arrive at the subjects of my films through a process of intense research. The truth is much more prosaic: I came upon the story of Catherine Roberts, as I have done for several other of my films, completely by chance. I was visiting a friend who lives in the southern Argentina town of Puerto Madryn, which happens to be the spot in Patagonia where the Welsh settlers landed in the southern winter of 1865. She knew several people at a very interesting institution: CENPAT, which is the Spanish acronym for National Patagonic Center. CENPAT is a dream come true for a documentary film maker: a multidisciplinary institution dedicated to studying Patagonia under a holistic approach. Experts in history, anthropology, biology and many other disciplines all work together to study that fascinating corner of the world. And chance also played a big part in making sure that the story of Catherine Roberts, the first woman to die among the settlers who arrived in 1865 on board the ship “Mimosa”, was not lost to human memory. Because Catherine along with her husband and children, and about 150 other Welsh settlers, landed (and shortly afterwards died and was buried) less than a mile from the current location of CENPAT.

So when in 1995 a contractor accidentally bulldozed to the surface a wooden coffin containing human remains, it was luck that Dr. Silvia Dahinten, an anthropologist, and Dr. Julieta Gomez Otero, an archaeologist, both employed at CENPAT, could come over to the discovery site quickly, and insure that the remains were preserved for future study. And that is how the mystery started… TELL US MORE ABOUT THE BONES, AND THE STORY ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. When the bones were unearthed in the course of the installation of some utility pipes, it became apparent that they were ancient. Dr. Dahinten examined them in her CENPAT laboratory, and determined that they belonged to a woman of European origin in her thirties. Dr. Julieta Gomez Otero confirmed that the coffin was made of European wood (likely obtained from a nearby wreck of a whaling ship), and that a golden wedding band was present on her left hand. So, it was clear that the person buried in the sands near the CENPAT was not an indigenous person, a member of the Tehuelche native tribe that inhabited Patagonia in the 19th century, but someone who was a European settler. It is here that Dr. Fernando Coronato, a historian specializing in the history of the Welsh in Patagonia, and a CENPAT staff member, intervened to try to help his colleagues identify the remains.

Dr. Coronato knew from the diary of the Welsh settlers who travelled on the “Mimosa” that shortly after their arrival on the frigid shores of Patagonia, a woman named Catherine Roberts had died, and had been buried near the site of the landing. But the passage of time in such a desolate spot, and the shifting sand dunes, had obliterated all traces of her grave. And while the grave found in 1995 could have been that of Catherine, Dr. Coronato explained to me that many ships that plied the waters off the coast of Patagonia in the 19th century, whether for whaling, sealing, fishing, or trading, carried women as part of the crew. It was entirely possible that the remains found were those of one of these women, perhaps someone who had died at sea and been buried on the shore, and not those of Catherine Roberts.

WHY WAS IT SO IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHETHER THE BONES WERE THOSE OF CATHERINE ROBERTS?

Chubut. So Catherine, as the first settler to die in Chubut, carried a symbolic importance of great relevance to the Welsh.

For the Welsh, the diaspora of their people away from the United Kingdom to other lands, in search of the religious and cultural freedom that was denied to them by the English, is a huge part of their national identity. And the thousands of descendants of Welsh settlers who arrived with Catherine Roberts to presentday Argentina remain the largest Welsh community outside of Wales. Furthermore, owing to the physical isolation of Puerto Madryn from the rest of the world (the town is about 1,000 miles south of Buenos Aires), the Welsh descendants in Patagonia today still speak Welsh, and practice the religion of their ancestors in small chapels scattered across the Argentine province of

IF THE EVIDENCE FOUND ON SITE WAS INSUFFICIENT TO PROVE THE IDENTITY OF THE REMAINS, HOW DID YOU PROCEED TO IDENTIFY THEM? The only course of action was to extract DNA from the bones and then attempt to match the DNA sequence to that of a known descendant of Catherine Roberts who would be willing to be tested. But that was easier said than done. First of all, extracting DNA from bones that are about 130 years old is not an easy task. Fortunately, the CENPAT scientists enlisted the help of Dr. Carlos Vullo of the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (EEAF for its

CONTINUED

acronym in Spanish), a geneticist with a vast amount of experience in identifying remains with even minimal physical evidence present. Dr. Vullo was in fact able to extract from the bones a type of DNA known as mitochondrial, the only kind present after such a long time. The problem was that mitochondrial DNA is only transmitted through the female genes, so it became necessary to find a woman who was a direct descendant from Catherine through an unbroken, and documented, line of females. And while Catherine did not have daughters, Dr. Coronato travelled to Wales and was able to find genealogical data that showed that she had a maternal great-aunt and, from there, trace a female line through nine generations to a woman who was living in Wales in 2015, which was when we produced the film.

SO, YOU FOUND A FEMALE DESCENDANT OF CATHERINE ROBERTS WHO CARRIED HER MITOCHONDRIAL DNA? Yes, Dr. Coronato did, and was kind enough to share with me her contact information. So, I called her on the phone, out of the blue, to explain the film to her, and she turned out to be a wonderful and cooperative fire fighter from a small town in northern Wales who not only agreed to appear in the film, but also to take her annual leave to travel to Argentina and have herself tested to see if her mitochondrial DNA matched that of the bones. Since we knew that she was a descendant of Catherine, a match would have proved that the bones found in 1995 were indeed those of the emblematic first Welsh settler to die in Patagonia. And that is how Nia Owen Ritchie came to be the main character in the film. WHERE DID YOU SHOOT THE DOCUMENTARY? We filmed in both Wales and Patagonia. It is always a challenge to shoot internationally with different DPs, as you need to keep an aesthetic and visual unity to make sure the story blends seamlessly between the two countries, particularly if you are trying

to show the connection between Welsh culture in Wales, and in Argentina. I was very lucky to have Irene Lopez Marco, a young and talented Mexican DP, shoot the Wales scene, and the equally fantastic Alan Steinberg behind the camera in Chubut. AND WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Well, you will have to watch the film to find out (smiles). FAIR ENOUGH, BUT TELL US WHAT HAS BEEN THE REACTION TO THE FILM. I am proud to say that the film has received a number of awards in different countries, thanks to the work of my talented production team. For example, at Argentina’s digital television awards we won Best Production thanks to the work of Executive Producer Ramon Cardini, and Post Production Supervisor Sergio Albertoni. We also won a nomination for Best Original Score through the beautiful compositions of Ricardo Tursarkisian, our talented Music Supervisor. The film has screened in different countries such as Argentina, Uruguay, and our distributor Off The Fence even managed to sell it in Thailand. It was really fun watching the film dubbed into Thai, of which I don’t understand a word!

AND WHAT HAVE WELSH AUDIENCES THOUGHT OF THE FILM? Unfortunately, the film has not premiered in Wales. Shortly after we completed the production, we held a private screening for Nia, her family, friends, and neighbors, in the town of Landrillo in Wales. But in spite of our best efforts, no Welsh broadcaster has wanted to air the film. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS? I really don’t know, but I remain hopeful that one day Welsh audiences will be able to watch “The Patagonian Bones”. * To view the entire interview please visit www.fusionfilmfestivals.com/news/ricardopreve

SHORT DOCUMENTARY

RUN TIME 52 MINUTES

WWW.PREVEFILMS.COM

DADA ON VACATION WRITTEN, DIRECTED, PRODUCED & EDITED BY ERRKAA

This 28-minute art film was conceived on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Dada art movement. Its focus is the North German performer and poet Emmy Hennings and the author, poet and artist Hugo Ball, who would later become her husband. The film is a fictional portrayal of the early stages of their relationship. They go on vacation together for the first time, travelling to a deserted village – absurdly – on Segways. All of the houses are empty. Only large-format paper works of art hang on the facades of the buildings. This Dadaesque vacation film is shown at a party in Hugo’s flat. The two meet there once again, while all around them the party continues. The story is partly told using Dadaist stylistic devices such as absurdity (for example, the film within the film, whereby Emmy’s arrival in film time links seamlessly with the vacation film), masquerade, stylisation, slowmotion sequences, and special colouration. One part of the film is set in modern-day Hamburg, whereas the deserted village is situated in the open-cast coal mining area of Garzweiler. While the Dadaists (the real ones as well as those enacted in the film) playfully give themselves roles – for example that of the lift operator or of the servant and champagne waiter – in their distant stylisation, Hugo Ball and Emmy Hennings remain true to themselves, right up to the balcony scene with fireworks at the end. The closing credits, which last for more than five minutes, are a mélange of film fiction, credits and making-of. Only now, almost at the very end of the film, does the viewer realise that

the strangely deserted village is a place that has been depopulated for big money, a place that was destroyed by the huge bucket excavators of the Garzweiler II open-cast mining complex just a few days after the completion of filming. Here, if you will, we see the political, socially critical side of Dada. Although more than 80% of the film is under-laid with music, it’s also a silent film, with just the same two words being repeated manifold on two occasions: Hugo and Emmy.

DIRECTORS STATEMENT - ERRKAA “The film is a fictional portrayal of the early stages of DADA`s founder members Emmy Hennings and Hugo Ball`s relationship set in the present time. Dadaist stylistic devices are used throughout the film.” WHO IS ERRKAA? Born in Hamburg, Errkaa studied at the University of Hamburg and Art College HfBK under Prof. Gustav Kluge. He has now launched several exhibitions and is a Member of the Professional Association of Fine Artists and since November 2016 has been a curator at the artists` co-operative gallery at BUNKERHILL Galerie.

ART

RUN TIME 28 MINUTES

WWW.BUNKERHILLGALERIE.DE

WWW.ERRKAA.DE

MILLION LOVES IN ME A STUNNING FEATURE FILM BY KENNY CHAN & JOHN Y

Multi-award winning film, Million Loves In Me made its debut onto the big screen in cinemas in Malaysia on 24 May 2018. Million Loves In Me follows the story of a wealthy mother and daughter who suffer from the psychological issues of obsessive â&#x20AC;&#x201C; compulsive disorders, and their controversial private lives are exposed to thepublic through a charge of their animal hoarding behavior by the police. The story begins when Katy, the 45-year old daughter, is charged with animal cruelty after the police discover more than a hundred dogs and cats being hoarded at her apartment. Following her trial at the court,the abnormal lives of Katy and her mother are unveiled. Behind their weird appearances, the mother and daughter live an extremely well-off life, with an uncontrollable urge to shop excessively for clothes, handbags and petsâ&#x20AC;Ś..

Million Loves in Me has already received over 100 awards worldwide since February 2017. Million Loves in Me is produced by Kenny CHAN and John Y, first time producers of a feature film. It is interesting to note that John Y was the lawyer acting for the real life Katy in the court case. He has empathy towards the real life Katy that prompted him and gave him inspirations into writing the original screenplay of the film. This debatable drama about animal hoarding, mental disorder and confinement of life is the acting debut of John Y The mother, Mami is played by LO Koon-Lan , a famous and renowned actress in Hong Kong. She is a frequent winner of acting awards in stages and films. She has been a professor of the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. Million Loves In Me has received positive reviews and feedback upon its release. Different audiences have different feelings about the film. Some like the comedic part and some have sadness leaving the cinemas. Most of the audience commented that upon watching, they do not have a single question as to why the film has received so many awards. The producers of the film have scheduled the film to be released in Los Angeles, USA and have already edited a US version of the film fit for an American audience.

DRAMA

RUN TIME 110 MINUTES

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/MILLIONLOVESINME

AN UNTOLD STORY OF PAPERBOATS & ALL ABOUT SEC 377 BY THE CREATIVE GYPSY

Neeru Khera, the powerhouse behind these two films in competition in London gives us some insight into the production company which she founded and that has now produced a raft of exceptional movies. Greetings to my fellow filmmakers! This is Neeru Khera from India. My production company is The Creative Gypsy and we produce short films, documentaries, features, commercials, music videos and more. I am honoured to have a short film as well as a web series nominated in various categories for this wonderful festival. An Untold Story of Paperboats is the story of a bright school boy who gets drawn into the dark life of child soldiers. It ends on a tragic note and was shot in the Naxalite infested jungles of Bengal. This dramatic film touches hearts and has won awards in India as well as Cyprus & Nice. It was also selected for the Short Film Corner at Cannes. The web series All About Sec 377 is the first LGBTQ web series made in India and has garnered accolades from audiences and critics alike. It was the first LGBTQ series to be shown on Indian national television. It has won awards at Mumbai, Delhi, Berlin and New Zealand and racked up over 3 million views on YouTube in a short span of time. We have made films for organisations like The Eye Bank Association of India, Kalakankar Foundation,Hitachi etc. Our works have a strong Indian flavour… they are colourful, musical and are shot at beautiful locations. We have a team of talented young director’s, writer’s, cinematographers and editors who are very passionate about their work and help in creating world class quality entertaining cinema. Participating and winning in prestigious film festivals all over the world has given us a massive boost at international forums. We make films in various Indian languages and are the first production house to

have their short films shown as a series called Through the Lens on TV. Our latest projects are a documentary Samarpan which shows the devotion of a lady devotee to her Guru Mauni Baba who did not speak for more than 50 years and lived to the age of 108.

We have also signed a contract for a multinational film for which we are collaborating with the Chinese filmmaker Malcolm Tan. Corporate’s are increasingly using web series to showcase their products and we are working with companies like Hitachi and Fenesta for the same.

Another short film Command and I shall Obey is in the process of editing. It is our constant endeavour to keep creating meaningful and entertaining content. We are also privileged to have signed contracts with Shorts TV, Hungama and SonyLIV to showcase our films and make them available worldwide. But, this is not the time to rest on our laurels but rather forge ahead. Our presence at the Short Film Corner at Cannes has given us exposure in the international markets and we have been approached by various institutions in Dublin and London to make films for them.

The next year promises to be extremely busy and we are looking forward to doing some excellent work with the help of our talented crew. One cannot predict what lies ahead but I am determined to do my best and carry on the work. All this would not have been possible without the support of my husband Naveen Khera and my children Radhika , Priyanka and Dhruv And to end a very big Thank You is extended to all at Fusion Film Festival especially Steve and Dan for promoting and supporting Indie Films and talent from all over the world.

ALEXANDER CHERNEGA

THE UNDERWATER STORY

All men dream, but not equally . . .

Ballad of a Righteous Merchant Filming Herzog ďŹ lming . . . A film by Herbert Golder

THE CARD ROOM CHRONICLES EPISODE 2 | CAR POOL POKER

It’s not a game of chance.

WRITTEN AND PRODUCED BY DENIS CRAMPTON

SYNOPSIS A silver utility vehicle stops in a quiet inner city back street, the driver and leader is Charlie ( Paul Barber) an ex military vet and he’s accompanied by three of his comrades, Ray (Joe Mcgann) Sam and Lenny. Charlie’s accepted a lucrative but highly suspect contract, and to make matters worse he’s arrived early, which is a major problem, because Ray and the others consider it to be a sign of bad luck. Charlie tries to placate them, but the old boys are not having any of it, they start to eat, smoke and joke about and the final straw is Ray pulling out a pack of cards. Charlie loses his cool and reminds them of their recent sloppiness, especially Sam. To make matters worse, Lenny drops another bombshell, they’ve just about had enough of working for him. Charlie has only one option left to make sure they all complete the job.

DIRECTORS STATEMENT I was looking forward to Car Pool Poker after the success of episode one, The Last Hand. With a brilliant cast including Paul Barber and Joe Mcgann and a cracking script I knew there was a good chance I could create something special. My approach was to give the actors space by keeping the cameras out of the vehicle, observe them closely but not be in the car with them. Also I believed that the comedy elements of this script should be filmed in medium to long shot.

SHORT COMEDY DRAMA

RUN TIME 10 MINUTES

WWW.THREEINONEPICTURES.COM

PRAY-ER A POIGNANT SHORT FILM BY JOEANN CALABRESE

Legendary producer/guitarist Gerry Leonard (David Bowie/Suzanne Vega) performs a prayer of hope for us living through these divided times. Recorded live at Rockwood Music Hall in NYC after the horrible tragedy in Charlottesville, VA, August 12th, 2017. This film has won 3 film awards and has screened in NYC multiple times, Lagos, Nigeria and Biloxi, Mississippi. DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY JOEANN CALABRESE Award-winning, NYC-based filmmaker Joeann Calabrese started her filmmaking career while working at MTV Networks as a technical director. She then moved to the historic Kaufman Astoria Studios while completing graduate studies at Columbia University’s Teachers College. Her films are created in a documentary/

educational style and have been screened in NYC, London, Berlin, The Russian Federation and Lagos, Nigeria. She has received 14 film awards since 2017. Pray-Er (the song) is written and composed by legendary guitarist/ producer Gerry Leonard. DIRECTOR STATEMENT Everyone was feeling down and confused after the horrible incident in Charlottesville in the summer of 2017. Shortly after the incident, legendary guitarist/producer Gerry Leonard performed in a NYC club, and he dedicated Pray-Er to all of us, to help us through our divided times. We made this documentary music film to help us feel hopeful; we are glad others find it helpful too.

DOCUMENTARY/MUSIC VIDEO

RUN TIME 4 MINUTES

WWW.2112PRODUCTIONS.ORG

WINFIELD HISTORICAL AFTER THE STORM TIMES... AND OTHER ODDITIES But for this gifted woman, life was rarely easy; for most of her childhood, she lived out a secret nightmare. Throughout BY AVA ST.PIERRE COGBURN her teen and young adult years, Ava had to learn how to break the effects A BEAUTIFULLY MADE TV PILOT of debilitating mental illness that her BY JULIA COWLE mother suffered from and effectuated in violence toward her and six siblings. Even as Ava witnessed her mother’s steady An award winning 8 minute documentary short decline, and through her attempts to film about one family’s struggle with mental illness, protect everyone in this terrifying path how Ava ST.Pierre Cogburn’s journey takes her from ‘Winfield for years, she chose to follow her father’s tragedy toHistorical triumph inTimes…And the hope of Other helpingOddities’ people offers an unexpected glimpse into the life of 14 year old lead—to live a life of genuine, empathic globally seek better mental healthcare. Chloe and her quirky neighborhood in the fictitious, compassion and enlightenment, helping whimsical town of Winfield. All goes awry when Mr. others survive after their own storm and DIRECTOR STATEMENT Gladstein’s coveted newspaper speaking up for the helpless and haunted. Mental illness, child abuse and liferepeatedly struggles goes missing. Chloe volunteers to find all theover thief.the The short First time director Ava never played victim; are global events that happen film/TV pilot features colorful about Using her voice as a tool to help others world. Together, we can makevignettes a difference in Chloe’s neighbors, revealing their to secrets, she conducts has become her mission and Ava is a bringing greater awareness these as platforms her discreet buta thorough Thesilent. film By poses the mother of two, a grandmother of four and by championing voice and search. not staying question ‘what normal?’ Chloe, who suffers is married to her high school sweetheart. doing so, we showisnobody is alone. There is help by from anxiety, realizes that there is no ‘normal’. She In lives nestled in the majestic Rocky sharing and erasingquickly the stigma. fact, she may be the most sane person in the cul de Mountains of Colorado. sac. As a multi-title pageant holder, Ava ST. Pierre learned *This film is based on Ava’s autobiography, how to achieve her best on stage with focus, vigor, AFTER THE STORM - Breaking The Cycle poise and exquisite beauty. As a star athlete from With Conviction, Connection And age of eleven, Ava learned how to optimize the Compassion. power of physical strength and mental endurance.

SHORT DOCUMENTARY

RUN TIME 8 MINUTES

WWW.AVASTPIERRE.COM

WINFIELD HISTORICAL TIMES... AND OTHER ODDITIES A BEAUTIFULLY MADE TV PILOT BY JULIA COWLE

‘Winfield Historical Times…And Other Oddities’ offers an unexpected glimpse into the life of 14 year old Chloe and her quirky neighborhood in the fictitious, whimsical town of Winfield. All goes awry when Mr. Gladstein’s coveted newspaper repeatedly goes missing. Chloe volunteers to find the thief. The short film/TV pilot features colorful vignettes about Chloe’s neighbors, revealing their secrets, as she conducts her discreet but thorough search. The film poses the question ‘what is normal?’ Chloe, who suffers from anxiety, realizes quickly that there is no ‘normal’. In fact, sheplaying may be the most person the cul on de The star Chloe, is Taliasane Ryder who in appeared sac. Broadway in the musical, Matilda. ‘Winfield Historical Times...And Other Oddities’ was directed and written star playing is Talia RyderThe who appeared on byThe Julia Cowle andChloe, shot by Tim Toda. film was made Broadway the musical, Historical through the in support of NYUMatilda. as Julia’s‘Winfield thesis project. It is was directed and written a Times...And collaborativeOther effortOddities’ that combines the specialties and by Julia by Tim The film was talents of Cowle a wide and rangeshot of visual andToda. performing artists. through thefrom support offinish NYU by asVera Julia’s thesis Itmade was storyboarded start to Berkshire project. It isthea characters collaborative effort who brought to life withthat her combines insightful

the specialties and talents of a wide range of visual and performing artists. It was storyboarded from start to finish by Vera Berkshire who brought the characters to life with her insightful animations. The animations. The piece is theatrical piece is theatrical in nature and has in nature and has a substantial, a substantial, originallysoundtrack. composed originally composed It integrates animation, Itsoundtrack. integrates animation, VFX, VFX, typography eye-popping typography andand ananeye-popping color palette. palette. The The costumes costumes are are color particularly standout standout and and reflect reflect particularly each characters characters vibrant vibrant and and eclectic eclectic each personality. personality.

TV PILOT

PILOT RUN TIME 31 TV MINUTES

WWW.WINFIELDHISTORICALTIMES.COM RUN TIME 31 MINUTES

WWW.WINFIELDHISTORICALTIMES.COM WINFIELD.HISTORICAL.TIMES@GMAIL.COM

www.instagram.com/julia_cowle WINFIELD.HISTORICAL.TIMES@GMAIL.COM

Night In Venice ALEXANDER CHERNEGA

LIGHTS AND SHADOWS A MESMERISING MOVIE TELLING FOUR BEAUTIFUL STORIES BY FILMMAKER OLIVIER NOLIN

In its dreamlike approach to everyday life, this is an extraordinary film with surprising images. He tells us about shipwrecked love. With its echoes, its correspondences and its symmetries multiplied with pleasure like a partition of chamber music where dominates an atmosphere of voluptuous torpor, it evokes four passionate love story where the shade underlines the lights of the souls. “Some there be that shadows kiss, such have but a shadow’s bliss.” Shakespeare – The Merchant of Venice

JUDITH A young baker who’s infatuated with a prostitute, sells his bakery to marry her and takes her to live with him. MAYAH & TOVAH A young sculptress, Tovah, lives with her muse a passionate love story until Maya, the model, finds out that Tovah occasionally prostitutes herself... MYRIAM & AZAZEL The devil invites himself into Myriam’s life who occasionally prostitutes herself. AVIVA While looking for a forgotten memory, Daniel will discover love. Four stories weaved together to tell about the romantic encounters of our very young heroes and heroines who are seeking for an almost impossible happiness, because they imagine that it is easier to get it from others. Intimate, paroxystic and tempestuous relationships, in which good and evil, death and love are side by side, and merge occasionally, in unexpected ways. Moments and places, where the search for THE absolute, or reckless rage and love leads to the darkness of the soul.

DRAMA

RUN TIME 81 MINUTES

OMBRESETLUMIERES.ONLINE

THE RADICALIZATION OF JEFF BOYD WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY UWE SCHWARZWALDER

This drama is about a businessman, Jeff Boyd, who dreams of living in Australia. When he signs an investment contract, he’s full of hope to be able to go with a pocket full of cash. He soon realizes that it’s not that easy. And after a heavy argument with his boss, Jeff’s world collapses. That’s when he meets a young woman, Wendy, also in a delicate state. Their common worries about what the world turns into comes more and more into light, and they decide that they want to change that with a dangerous plan! The cast includes Uwe Schwarzwalder, Yessica Sanchez, Zarina Tadjibaeva, Jörg Reichlin, Julian Booth, Brian Pinkus, Freigeist van Tazzy, Leonard Kocan, Patricia Sluka and many more. Uwe Schwarzwalder wrote the story in late summer 2014. When meeting the actors, he tried to connect on a personal level instead of the usual audition process. The core scenes were shot within a few weeks early in 2015 while adding additional shots continuously until 2016. Post production was eventually a very long process, in co-operation with 4 musicians, Michael Klubertanz, Paco

Periago and Brendan Gillespie who also wrote and performed “Fall” and Amanda Ply with “Waiting”, who all underlined the film with an unusual score. This is his first film as a director. He tried to bring out the essence of each character and to stay truthful to the moment. (So truthful, that one time a real police SWAT team showed up as they suspected a hold up. Always call the police to inform them whilst shooting dangerous scenes!) Also important to him was the logical aspect of the story being told. All

had to make sense and be believable as it would be in real life. And it becomes the real life - with weaknesses, vulnerabilities and objectives. DRAMA

RUN TIME 117 MINUTES

WWW.THERADICALIZATION.COM

Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day The forgotten victims of Death Row Directed By Linda Broocks

ALEXANDER CHERNEGA SCRIPTWRITER EXTRAORDINAIRE

Fusion Film Festivals are passionate about creative’s: whether filmmakers or script writers, we are genuinely amazed by the level of work entered from all over the world and the Ukrainian author Alexander Chernega is a shining example of the level of excellence that we welcome. An accomplished writer with “A Night in Venice” nominated at this year’s Festival in London, Alexander has included the synopsis of three of his scripts – all which show not only his ability to cover vastly different subjects but also that he has an incredible talent married to a vivid imagination.

A NIGHT IN VENICE The young poor musician Luigi lived with his mother in the suburb of Venice. He passionately loved music and dreamed of becoming a wellknown violinist. Uncle Marcello supported his talented nephew by paying his fees for the conservatory. During one weekend, Luigi played his violin of a work of Antonio Vivaldi in Saint Mark’s Square. On one such a day his attention was drawn to a beautiful young lady (Countess Amelia Tozzi). Nobody had listened to him play before with any attention and pleasure, except for St. Mark’s Basilicas and the Palace of Doges. At the end of his recital Amelia left, without having left a coin in his hat. Obeying a sudden rush, Luigi followed the stranger. This day he remembered well – Luigi, climbed through a window into the room of the hotel where Amelia lived, and disappeared with an expensive necklace. The musician felt offended by the behaviour of the lady, but having recovered from the incident, he threw the jewellery into water. Thanks to an accident, the young Countess became a witness to the event; however the sudden mutual feeling of love to the poor musician prevented her calling the police. Many years passed and Luigi has become the well-known violinist. On day of the concert in Venice, he as he had done as many years before climbed through a window into the room of the hotel of the Countess with flowers and same necklace. The table was set – Amelia waited for her beloved. THE PHARMACIST Autumn 1536, Paris. Margarita Bizagni and her four-year-old son, arriving from Avignon, stayed in a large spacious house. Agrippa’s mother, an Italian by birth, immediately plunged into a carefree life in the capital. Their house was full of visitors every day - a conceited Italian set up her own salon. After some time, Margarita Bizagni squandered all the money brought from Avignon, and at the age of eleven Agrippa had to become an apprentice to the pharmacist Pierre Friend. The boy always remembered the last kiss of his mother - he never saw her again.

The lonely old man took care of the boy and gave him all the secrets of his skill. Case Pierre Friend flourished thanks to orders from the RoyalPalace. The truth was that the old pharmacist supplied Yekaterina Medici with poisons. Once, having returned from the market, the young man found a teacher lying unconscious - the pharmacist took poison. Unexpectedly, there appeared creditors demanding to pay money for the house, giving ten days to delay the heir to the pharmacy. Years later, Agrippa found a cache in the wall in which the records of recipes and the diary of Pierre Drouzé were stored, from which it became clear that the pharmacist was blackmailed by some lady. All the money he had, the teacher gave the messenger who came on her behalf every month. Otherwise, she threatened to reveal his secret to powerful people whose families suffered from his poisons. From the teacher’s diary, Agrippa learned that the mysterious lady signed her notes in three separate letters. He recognized in them the initials of his mother, which he had seen on a scarf as a child. It remained exactly seven days before the expiration of the payment of the debt, when in the evening one person had come to the pharmacy, whose face was hidden by a veil, and demanded from him a remedy for a venereal disease. Agrippa did not have such a medicine, and he did not know the recipe, but the young man was silent about it. He took a regular herbal infusion, which his teacher used to have pains in his stomach, and, looking at the lady, said in a firm and confident voice: “Madam, this is a very strong medicine — it will destroy the illness in a matter of days. It takes months to manufacture it. Unfortunately, this is all I have - showing a small flask of yellow liquid, said Agrippa, - therefore, the price may be too high.

A whole week of waiting seriously undermined the health of the young man, decorating his head with a gray hair. However, the result exceeded all expectations. On the seventh day, the maid brought Agrippa a purse tightly filled with gold. Notwithstanding, the money received from the ladies was barely enough to buy the house. Agrippa was able to convince a lady that she could get rid of the disease, but he was unable to cure himself. He became very sick and went to bed for a long time. Having recovered, Agrippa Bizagny began a new life - sweet and risky at the same time. Sometimes, it seemed to him that he got involved in a protracted adventure. The young pharmacist found a narrow-minded servant and he lived a closed life, which aroused great interest among people. A carriage belonging to grandees often came behind the gray pharmacist, and after a while came back. A halo of mystery always surrounded Agrippa. Afraid that others would learn about his secret, the pharmacist did not even make acquaintances with the girls, and only occasionally interrupted by chance meetings. He lived and enjoyed the wealth that gave him the gift of suggestion, lived and suffered from fear and loneliness. He rarely appeared in the church, and it is probably why the rumor easily counted him among the Huguenots. On August 21, 1572, the famous Parisian pharmacist Agrippa Bizagni visited the old Marquis de Rochefort, bringing him medicine, and was unequivocally warned that the Huguenot should not stay any longer in the city. In the evening, the pharmacist hired a carriage to Blois so as not to arouse unnecessary suspicion. From there, he decided to go to Saumur, to the castle of Philip du Plessis Mornei, the safest place for a Protestant in all of France. THE UNDERWATER STORY In the Underwater Kingdom lives an evil sorcerer cramp-fish Godefried, who wants to overthrow Neptune and take his place. One day, with the help of witchcraft, he manages to find out that the military frigate “Vega” is returning from the country of Lept with valuable cargo in the hold. Godefried comes up with a cunning plan to seize Bereon, a wish-fulfilling stone. He kidnaps Neptune’s pet, the sea bass, and convinces the king that fishermen had caught him. Neptune is enraged and turns his anger on sailing ships and boats. The military frigate “Vega” does not withstand the onslaught of the elements and goes to the bottom. Knowing that the stone will never serve the one who has evil intentions, Godefried prepares a metal frame on which he has cast a spell and, together with his entourage, approaches the ship. However, the revived warriors do not allow the sorcerer to take possession of Bereon.

Godefried retreats, but does not give up. He knows a strong spell that can suppress any resistance, but an assistant is needed - an evil boy. One day, the cramp-fish sharks dragged off into the sea a boy Gideon Marten. However, instead of black cramp-fish Gideon turns into a blue dolphin and gets the ability to transmogrify seamen into blue dolphins by saving their lives. After years a boy Arno has been born in the family of Marten. One day, he and his father go out on a boat into the sea. While fishing they get into a storm and the boy fall overboard, but the blue dolphin Gideon rescues him by turning Arno into a dolphin like himself. The boys do not suspect that they are brothers. They want to remove the curse of Godefried and regain human form. Arno and Gideon seek advice from Neptune, who directs them to the oracle Pirus. The hermit crab explains to the boys that only Bereon is able to fulfill their desire. Blue dolphins set off on a long journey to a sunken frigate. By order of Neptune, they are accompanied by the perch Blick. The travelers

reach the ship and take possession of Bereon. However, a surprise awaits them here - Blick leads Godefried behind him, accompanied by white sharks, and blue dolphins are trapped. The King of the Seas and the oracle Pirus are there to help. Godefried attacks Neptune and dies, struck by a trident, along with the traitor perch Blick. Oracle Pirus helps blue dolphins to use Bereon. The magic stone fulfills the wishes of the boys and returns them home. Having assumed the human form, Arno and Gideon, one after another, find themselves in the house of the Martens, where happy parents suddenly find their sons missing at different times. After ten long years, the Marten family is reunited. By order of Neptune, Bereon is returned to the ship “Vega”, where he still rests - hidden from view, deep at the bottom of the sea, under the watchful guard of a thousandth army. UNIVERSAL9202@GMAIL.COM

THIS IS NOT THE TIME A FILM BY JOEANN CALABRESE

Here, Film Focus were lucky enough to catch up with Joeann Calabrese the filmmaker & Paul Mills the composer behind their thought provoking short documentary film that has so far won 10 awards. FF: PLEASE CAN YOU TELL US WHAT IT IS YOU WERE HOPING TO CAPTURE WITH YOUR FILM? JC: The film is literally trying to capture the mood on the street around the Presidential election (November 2016), particularly the night of the Vice President’s speech and as you can imagine there was a lot of discussion going on all around our country and I tried to make it so that I was more like a commentator and observer and as time went on we really started thinking what had just happened now which led on to thinking about what has happened in American history.

FF: PAUL, PLEASE CAN YOU TELL US WHY THE SONG USED IS SUCH A STRONG PART OF THE FILM? PM: The song is about my feelings, about political activity and artistic activity. Which is the need to get out there, and act. Do something rather than succumb to the cynicism and despair which one can feel with the state of the World today. You know I could have had any number of songs to use but this was the reason behind us choosing this particular piece for the film. And here it was with this song, this message of defiance whilst at the same time setting aside discouragement or obstacles and there was this sense that we had to try and defy the forces in our society. To try and get someone elected who would help us to rectify the situation and hopefully bring people freedom and a better life.

DOCUMENTARY/MUSIC VIDEO

RUN TIME 8 MINUTES

WWW.2112PRODUCTIONS.ORG

DAWN HASN’T COME BY NISREEN AL SBEIHI

There is a place in this world where children die with their toys looking at them. There is a place in this world, where parents die leaving their children alone, permanently looking for them. There is a place in this world that has been in war for more than three years; its people die burning; they die of starvation and disease.

“Dawn hasn’t come,” a movie by director and filmmaker NisreenSbeihi, features the children of Yemen, the victims most affected by the war. It displays more than 10 cases of children who lost their whole family, or a limb, and suffered psychological trauma because of the war. Children are silent victims--victims that fail to defend their rights. Parents carry that responsibility, but when the war takes them away, the children are left without protection. War has murdered their childhood and deprived them of their natural right to life. This film is an outcry and appeal to spare children the atrocities of war. Stop the war!

This place is called Yemen, the home to mocha coffee.

SHORT DOCUMENTARY

RUN TIME 29 MINUTES

NISREENALSBEIHI@GMAIL.COM

THE PHARMACIST ALEXANDER CHERNEGA

JUNICHI KAJIOKA “IMPHAL 1944” & “DARK HIGHLANDS”

Junichi Kajioka is an award-winning writer, director and actor based in London. He acted in lead roles in both “Dark Highlands” and “Imphal 1944”. His directorial film “IMPHAL 1944” has received three nominations at the Fusion North Europe International Film Festival 2019. “IMPHAL 1944” is a short drama based on the Battle of Imphal, when British troops fought against the Japanese army. Although it was a turning point in the Second World War the subject matter has rarely been portrayed in film. The focus of the film is uniquely based on reconciliation between British and Japanese veterans. Junichi was inspired by the activities of Mr. Masao Hirakubo OBE. He was the founder of the Burma Campaign Society (BCS) and dedicated himself to reconciliation work for over 20 years after his retirement. This film was made for the 70th commemoration of the Battle in 2014. Junichi is currently making a new documentary based on the Battle of Imphal. He has already interviewed historians and a few remaining survivors in Manipur and is planning to interview survivors in the UK and Japan to complete the project. It is intended that a short documentary based on these initial interviews will be screened at the ceremony for the 75th commemoration in Imphal this year. For his acting career, Junichi has been nominated for Best Lead Actor for a Scottish horror feature “Dark Highlands”, made by Hats on Sticks Pictures. He is also one of the producers of the film. Hats on Sticks Pictures, is a UK based film production company founded in 2014. Their first feature “Dark Highlands,” a chilling survival horror set in the bleak Scottish Highlands, has already received awards for Best Feature and Best Scottish Director and is nominated for a further nine awards in this year’s Fusion North Europe Film Festival. The movie stars London based Japanese actor, Junichi Kajioka (47 Ronin, Johnny English Strikes Again) Steve Campbell (The Planet, Captain Phillips) Mike Mitchell (Freight, Dragon Kingdom) and the voice talents of Emmy award-wining Scottish actor, Brian Cox (Troy, Churchill). This is the 3rd feature by the team of producer Michael G. Clark and writer/director Mark

Stirton - their previous movies “The Planet” and “One Day Removals” having received international distribution. Dark Highlands, completed in 2018, was acquired by US based Gravitas Ventures and released in North America last year. The movie is now seeking representation in other territories and is hoping for a UK release soon.

IMPHAL 1944 - RUN TIME 19 MINUTES DARK HIGHLANDS - RUN TIME 85 MINUTES

JUNICHIKAJIOKA@GMAIL.COM

MICHAEL@HATSONSTICKS.COM

BALLAD OF A RIGHTEOUS MERCHANT A STUNNING DOCUMENTARY FILM BY HERBERT GOLDER

A fresh and candid glimpse of one of the great masters of cinema at work, by his longtime friend (of more than 25 years) and collaborator (on 10 films) Herbert Golder, BALLAD OF A RIGHTEOUS MERCHANT chronicles Werner Herzog’s making of the feature film, MY SON, MY SON, WHAT HAVE YE DONE (co-written by Golder), which was nominated for a GOLDEN LION at the Venice Film Festival, and which stars Michael Shannon, Willem Dafoe, and Chloe Sevigny. MY SON, MY SON, WHAT HAVE YE DONE was inspired by the true story of an actor who acted out in reality the crime he was supposed to enact on stage in a production of an ancient Greek play: he murdered his mother. BALLAD OF A RIGHTEOUS MERCHANT explores the process through which this true story, itself inspired by a fiction, is transformed back into a fiction—that is, a narrative feature film—once again. Unlike other documentaries which have been made about Herzog, in which he stares almost defiantly into the camera and, in his inimitable way and in his famous voice, articulates his views on life, this film shows a side of him known only to his friends and close collaborators. Although refreshingly candid and surprisingly revealing, this portrait in no way diminishes Herzog’s mystique—quite the contrary—but it does deepen our appreciation of his humanity, and offers, through Golder’s running commentary—as much part of an ongoing conversation with Herzog as a conversation with the viewer—an insider’s insight into his craft. Even as we come closer to knowing Herzog more intimately in this film, we also become increasingly aware of his privacy and the deep solitude that in some essential way defines him. Herzog’s idea that film should be, not analysis, but an “agitation of the mind” informs the telling of the story that unfolds here. Not without its moments of humor and warmth, BALLAD OF A RIGHTEOUS MERCHANT nonetheless manages to explore, through what we see taking shape on screen and through Golder’s voiceover narration, some of the most abiding and deepest themes of Herzog’s films.

DOCUMENTARY FILM

RUN TIME 63 MINUTES

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BEYOND TRANSPORT & ALEXX FINDING HOME BY CHED LOHR

Ched Lohr is a director and writer who connects with individuals across the globe and within his hometown to learn about cultural trends and promote understanding. His two nominated documentary films are stand out works that cover two very different subject matters and we were lucky to be able to feature a short interview for “Alexx Finding Home” to give us some fascinating background as to why he decided to make this moving documentary. BEYOND TRANSPORT Beyond Transport is a multi-cultural investigation of our openness for direct conversation in the personal device era. In this short documentary, first-time filmmaker Ched Lohr travels to each of the continents to interview taxi drivers and other professionals in the transportation industry on the subject. The idea for Beyond Transport developed during a 2015 backpacking trip in Australia when Lohr observed fellow travelers preoccupied with personal devices and less available for conversation. Prior to departing for home, a casual conversation with a taxi driver led to the man sharing details of his legal career prior to his career driving a taxi. Lohr believed connecting these contrasting experiences would be an interesting and timely topic for a documentary, especially interviewing taxi drivers in multiple cultures. Beyond Transport’s stage includes many alternates beyond the conventional yellow cab including a purple 1950’s Chevrolet in Havana, a limousine in Ho Chi Minh City, and a Bike Taxi in Charleston, SC. The collection of interviews is balanced by spectacular footage of the various cultures during this extensive pursuit. Audiences gain insight on our preferences for communication while passing by public exercise parks in Cambodia, on top of a mountain in Chile, in front of grazing giraffes in Tanzania, and into frigid water beside a host of penguins in an amphibian-like vehicle that transports the small number of travelers making their way onto the glaciers of Antarctica. Lohr calls on taxi drivers, viewing these professionals as a qualified resource to characterize social trends due to the variety of clients who pass through their vehicles.

Having a keen intuition is beneficial and many taxi drivers are also master conversationalists. Their expertise is confirmed through interviews conducted in 14 countries during 16 months of filming. The drivers share insight on passenger’s openness for social conversation and how it has changed in the last 5-10 years, as personal devices have become more integral to our lives. The score for the documentary is every bit as eclectic as the footage but appropriately fits into the background and reinforces focus on the primary point of the documentary- our dialogue. Beyond addressing the primary objective of this documentary, drivers share their own personal stories on topics ranging from family to love to friendship to struggle. These conversations verify the common threads of life that connect us all. We may not know the future ramifications of distraction from habitually checking our phones but we are reminded of the vital importance of continuing to practice the art of conversation. This documentary’s theme is not to disavow personal devices. Instead, the theory that there is no equal substitute for direct interaction is affirmed. Lohr hopes audiences will consider mindfulness after viewing his film to balance use of technology with an openness and interest to converse with fellow human beings. We all have a story to tell; our stories connect us.

DOCUMENTARY

BEYONDTRANSPORTFILM.COM

FUSION FILM FESTIVAL OFFICIAL SELECTION

Nominated . Best Short Documentary . Best Editing of a Short Documentary . 2018 Amsterdam IFF

Photo by Emily Teague

7 CONTINENTS. 18 TA XIS. ONE HUMAN STORY

ALEXX FINDING HOME Twenty-seven year old Alexx Collins fears delivering her first child on the street. Homeless since 14, the responsibilities and challenges to get home seem insurmountable for a woman without a job, bank account or identification. Alexx Finding Home captures the unsheltered circumstance, the primal instinct to protect family, and the determination to achieve one’s goal, at any cost. With an extraordinary capacity to love and a community uniting to help, Alexx’s journey home shares the power of determined individuals once connected.

AN INTERVIEW WITH CHED LOHR HOW DID YOU LEARN ABOUT ALEXX COLLINS? Alexx’s story made the front page of a local newspaper in my hometown of Chico, CA. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. It was a calling. WHAT WAS IT ABOUT HER STORY THAT COMPELLED YOU TO MAKE A DOCUMENTARY? Alexx’s story is primal, pregnancy inspired her to find a home after being homeless since 14. Alexx encountered seemingly insurmountable challenges but through determination and the support of a community, she accomplished her goal. Alexx’s story also offers insight into the homeless culture and I believe this is valuable. WAS IT DIFFICULT TO CONNECT WITH HER? Yes. After initially reading the article, I wrote to the newspaper writer but did not get a response. After 6 months, I reached out to a social worker from the article. We met and

I was relieved to learn Alexx was well and still in Chico. The three of us met for dinner and I finally got to share my idea for producing a documentary about her journey home. WHAT WAS ALEXX’S INITIAL RESPONSE TO BEING THE SUBJECT OF A DOCUMENTARY? She didn’t understand the power and uniqueness of her story. WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU LIKE VIEWERS TO TAKE FROM YOUR DOCUMENTARY? Best summed up by Alexx’s comment during our first encounter: We’re all just a couple of bad weeks, shorted paychecks, and a few emotional breakdowns from being the same. DOCUMENTARY

RUN TIME 56 MINUTES

WWW.ALEXXFINDINGHOME.COM

Evolutionary Films is a vertically integrated film and television production, international sales and UK distribution company based at 3 Mills Studios in London. The company is actively engaged in co-production on numerous high quality film and television projects, can offer bespoke production service deals and has a slate of in-house features in various stages of development and production, which are financed internally. As well as handling international sales and UK distribution for its own projects, Evolutionary Films represents a strong catalogue of completed titles under licence from other producers, and attends all the major film markets around the world including Berlin, Cannes, Toronto and the AFM in Los Angeles. John Adams said: “At Evolutionary Films we aim to offer investors a more business-like way of approaching film investment; and producers a more transparent and effective way to get their product to its audience. Because we are putting in place the infrastructure to sell our own films internationally and to point of sale in our domestic territory, we are able to offer third-party producers the type of representation we as filmmakers ourselves have always dreamed about having.” In the UK, Evolutionary Films releases feature film titles theatrically in cinemas nationwide, has a strong track record securing DVD placement in major retailers and has licensed content to all of the major digital platforms including iTunes, Amazon, Sky, Google, Microsoft and Virgin. Titles released by Evolutionary Films include“Let Me Go”, a moving drama based on the true story of Helga Schneider staring Juliet Stevens, Jodhi May and Lucy Boyton, “Looking for Lennon”, a documentary exploring the early life of John Lennon, featuring interviews with the people who knew him best, “AUX” an action horror starring John RhysDavies (“Indiana Jones”, “Lord of the Rings”), the award-winning, actionpacked revenge thriller “Vengeance”, which world premiered in Times Square, and World War One drama “Eleven”, based on the final hours of the Great War. The company will also be distributing upcoming features including portmanteau drama“A Life Lived”, starring Denise Richards and Jennifer Taylor, and “Acceptable Damage” a hard-hitting drama touching on the topical themes of bullying, gang culture and generational abuse. Evolutionary Films also has strong relationships with television broadcasters for both sales and commissions and can bring top-level marketing expertise to our releases via an exclusive partnership with the legendary Soho-based creative agency Feref. The team behind Evolutionary Films have produced numerous awardwinning titles and have a strong track record in delivering commercial, quality features and television shows for worldwide audience.The CEO John Adams, is a film entrepreneur whose focus is primarily on the business side of the industry, and has amassed over 70 film and TV credits. Diane Shorthouse, Managing Director, is highly experienced across the film and TV sectors and has line produced several acclaimed television shows. She is highly capable of planning and managing multiple drama shoots on location and in the studio, supporting the creative vision, and is a member of the Production Guild. Ross Boyask, Creative Director, is an award-winning genre filmmaker whose films have been released in more than 20 countries and is the epitome of knowing and understanding your product. He is well known on the film festival circuit and has strong relationships with international buyers. Alistair Audsley, Marketing Director, is a highly respected international marketing consultant who has developed a global reputation as a marketing-focused executive producer in music and film.

WWW.EVOLUTIONARYFILMS.COM

CROWNSVILLE HOSPITAL FROM LUNACY TO LEGACY

A UNIQUELY MADE AND THOUGHT PROVOKING DOCUMENTARY BY R. TODD STEVENS

Crownsville Hospital: From Lunacy to Legacy is a featurelength documentary film highlighting the history of the Crownsville State Mental Hospital located in Crownsville, MD USA. Drawing on many documentary works such as “The Thin Blue Line” and “Night and Fog” for inspiration, the film utilizes archival footage, animation and original music to unfold the story and evoke a mood. Both exterior and interior presentday footage and photos have been combined with exterior/ interior archival footage and photos to capture the changes to the hospital through its 96-year lifespan. In addition, interviews with historians and former hospital workers as well as patients help to round out the experience. Constructed in 1910, Crownsville State Hospital, formerly known as the Hospital for the Negro Insane of Maryland, was the third asylum in the U.S. designed to house only African-Americans. In 1962, Crownsville began to accept all mental patients regardless of their race. Crownsville Hospital Center closed its doors on June 30, 2004 and has since sat vacant.

MORE INFORMATION ON THE HOSPITAL’S HISTORY CAN BE FOUND AT THE ADDRESS BELOW: EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/CROWNSVILLE_HOSPITAL_CENTER

R. Todd Stevens, wearing the hats of Producer, Director, Cinematographer and Editor had this to say, “I am very excited about the completion of this project and would not trade its 5-year production schedule for anything. I consider it my greatest life lesson and achievement and I am so pleased to now be sharing it with the rest of the World. I used to live within two miles of the hospital and would drive past its dilapidated buildings often. Every time I did, it cried out for its story to be told. It was a film waiting to happen and I am grateful for the opportunity to be its vessel.” Most of the talent and crew involved with this project donated their time and their efforts. This film would not have been possible without their creativity, experience, and positive attitudes. What the audience is left with is a historical snap shot that captures the ambiance of a state mental facility, its surrounding 500acre campus, and the lives it touched.

DOCUMENTARY FILM

RUN TIME 108 MINUTES

WWW.CROWNSVILLEHOSPITALFROMLUNACYTOLEGACY.COM

THE CONDUCTOR A FILM BY XAVIER GUIGNARD

Winner of Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress. “A masterful and opulent piece to be swept away by.” UKFilmReview “Intriguing and unpredictable.” Utah Film Festival “It is not very common to find a short film done with mastery.” Prisma Film Awards

Can a we forgive and forget? Emma (Anne Ribiere), a French woman from Paris, comes to London to work as the assistant of one of the world most renowned conductors (Jean-Loup Horwitz), but she carries a deep secret from her past. With a sense of effortless warmth and grace, the Conductor combine sumptuous visuals with immersive music, and two great central performances “UK Film Review”. Official Selection at the 2018 Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival. This is the second film written, produced and directed by Xavier Guignard following “Little Thief 2016” which received many awards.

SHORT DRAMA

RUN TIME 22 MINUTES

WWW.ESSAYPICTURES.COM

LEMON & LETTER A SHORT FILM BY KEIKO UMENOKI

This was filmed with a focus on the scenery of Ogi Island, found within the Seto Naikai area and with a focus on the people living there. “W&M”, my previous film portrayed the lives of individual women visiting the island.

But during the creation of this film I had in mind the children, who’ve moved to the island and their growth and struggles regarding their future. My desire is to continue to show these films, both inside and outside of Kagawa, as a means of revitalising the islands of Seto Naikai and Kagawa prefecture. SYNOPSIS Kijima Kaito (grade 5) moved with his family to Ogi-jimah, where his father was originally from, because of his mother’s illness. After the death of his mother, he lived with his father and grandfather. Eventually his father left the island to go back to work as a photographer. Yuu Takagi (also grade5), who recently moved to the island, smiles at him in the midst of his loneliness. The two of them grow up together and are now high school students. This is a story of two children who moved to the island, fell in love, and grew up together.

Cast Makoto Shinada as Kaito Kijima Kyoko Ujihara as Yuu Takagi Yoshiyuki Ito as Denjiro Kijima Akiko Kinouchi as Michiko Takagi Takaki Obayashi as Kaito Kijima’s Child Aoi Kobayashi as Yuu Takagi’s Child Crew Writing & Director Keiko Umenoki Director of Photography Tomoaki Iwakura Editor Takeshi Iwamoto Music Main theme guitar Music [Beyond the sky] by Howdy Music tomy M Ending theme song [Instead of saying good-bye] by Maiko Piano music [Dream diary] by Haruna Okada

DRAMA

RUN TIME 30 MINUTES

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INGO FILMS = R. TODD STEVENS Œ

From Lunacy to Legacy _ ADRIAN BOND e R. TODD STEVENS @ R. TODD STEVENS < BRYAN MCCOLLOM p R. TODD STEVENS Ž MICHAEL ALLEN, VAL FULTON, YVONNE CHAN { SHILKE a PATRICK O’CONNELL k R. TODD STEVENS crownsvillehospitalfromlunacytolegacy.com

THE REVIEWS ARE IN “AN EXCELLENT AND EXHAUSTIVE LOOK “THE ONGOING DYNAMIC NATURE OF “A COMPREHENSIVE DOCUMENTARYTHE PROPERTY IS COMPELLING.” TRIBUTE-EXPOSE OF CROWNSVILLE.” AT CROWNSVILLE HOSPITAL.” - MICHAEL N. ALLEN - DOUG STRUCK - STEVEN SUNDAY

“THE WRITING AND DIRECTING OF THIS IS HIGH CALIBER FOR SURE.” - WINDFIELD FILM FESTIVAL

THE FILM SERVES A HIGHER GOOD, ON MANY LEVELS.” - BECKY ESTEP

DIRECTOR RICHARD TODD STEVENS REPRODUCES THE MOODY ATMOSPHERE.” - FILM VOICE

”YOU’VE HELPED TO PAINT A RICH PICTURE OF CROWNSVILLE.” - TODD R. SMITH

I WATCHED EVERY SECOND OF IT AND TRULY ENJOYED IT.” - VELMA TUCKER

BEAUTIFUL, DIVERSE, FUN! A DOCUMENTARY FILM BY EDUARDO RAMIREZ

Filmmaker wants viewers to discover Provincetown By Kerry Cole

Provincetown, Massachusetts was the site of the Pilgrims’ Mayflower Compact. Today it’s a thriving arts community, but to many it remains a hidden gem. American filmmaker Eduardo Ramirez hopes to change that, one viewer at a time. His documentary, “Beautiful! Diverse! Fun!” is part of this year’s ‘Fusion North Europe International Film Festival’ in London. “When I told people about Provincetown, so many people had never heard of it, and I found that strange because it has such a great art community,” said Ramirez, a graphic artist in San Antonio, Texas, USA. “You would think a lot of people, especially in the LGBT community, would know about it. Some of them do, but most of them didn’t.” In fact, Ramirez initially set out to depict the thriving LGBT community of P-town— as it’s commonly known—but found so much more to include in his documentary. “That was the original idea,” he acknowledged, “but as I found out more and more information, I thought, ‘I need to include this. This is amazing.’” Part of that information is Provincetown’s rich and unique history, starting with the arrival of Pilgrims on the Mayflower in 1620. They stayed in P-town for five weeks before moving on to the better known Plymouth, Massachusetts. The film showcases the town’s Pilgrim Monument, the largest granite structure in the United States, which rises high above the Cape Cod community, as well as museums that capture the town’s history.

Gay and lesbian professionals have for years, and it is a same-sex marriages, highlights in his film.

artists and other flocked to P-town popular location for which Ramirez also

it hosts throughout the year,” the film’s narrator says of P-town. Indeed, it is that diversity that has attracted Ramirez to the community for the last ten years. That inspired him to create his documentary.

The film also highlights P-town’s welcoming of artists and bohemians who enjoyed the town’s beaches and atmosphere.

Ramirez was born and raised in Mexico before moving to the United States as a young man. He is excited about his film’s wins in multiple film festivals, both national and international, and the increased exposure it will receive in London.

“I want people to know more about the culture of Provincetown,” he said. “It’s a very diverse culture, and that’s what I wanted to show. Some people are afraid of diverse cultures for some reason, but it’s great for the town.”

“During my first visit, I saw all of these amazing galleries. As I was doing my research, I learned that the American Theater and the American School of Art were born there. It was fascinating.” I thought, “no wonder there are so many galleries here.”

He started researching his film about a year ago, pausing only when facing budgetary and footage licensing issues. He persevered because he wants others to know about this melting pot of cultures, beliefs, and sexual orientations. “It offers something for each of the diverse visitors

SHORT DOCUMENTARY

RUN TIME 10 MINUTES

WWW.FUSIONFILMFESTIVALS.COM/NEWS

THE SERPENT IN THE APPLE DIRECTED BY NATHAN LUTTRULL & WRITTEN BY NICHOLAS JAYE STAUFFER

Four young filmmakers decide to put their trust into the hands of a stranger who promises success beyond their wildest imaginations. The characters awake one morning to find that their fifth roommate has unceremoniously disappeared for good, leaving only a note. Amidst this sudden life change, the remaining four roommates decide to band together and pursue their one common goal- to become great filmmakers, no matter the cost. Very shortly after, the group stumble upon an opportunity that will send them on a whirlwind ride no film school could have ever prepared them for. “The Serpent in the Apple” is an absurd satire that relentlessly holds a magnifying glass over the realities of what it actually means to be an artist in our modern society. There is laughing. There is crying. There are also mild acts of what some may refer to as ‘magic’.

LIL’ TIGER A SHORT FILM BY NICOLA FAN

SHORT COMEDY

This is director Nathan Luttrull’s second official short. His first, With a Little Less Help, ran the festival circuit, screening in downtown New York. He currently resides in uptown Manhattan. This is writer and producer Nicholas Jaye Stauffer’s first film working behind the camera. He is an actor who also resides in New York, NY. He would love for his next big project to be a feature film with these characters.

RUN TIME 18 MINUTES

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@REALLYSATANNOW

Based on true events, the film follows a Hong Kong teenage girl, on her first day out of juvenile detention center. Lil’ Tiger takes a glimpse into the hidden and buried issues that marginalized Hong Kong teenagers face at home, school and society. ABOUT THE DIRECTOR

ABOUT THE FILM There exists, what many say, the reckless impulsiveness of youth. Perhaps more often directed towards the teenage demographic, it is made to seem like rash decision making, getting into trouble, and overtly casual attitudes towards anything; therefore easily dismissed by the greater masses and society. However, is there no genuine consideration given to what circumstances might be driving it all?

Nicola Fan is a Hong Kong based graphic designer and award-winning filmmaker. Her first feature length documentary She Objects, was official selection for 2016 Sundance Film Festival Hong Kong. It was awarded “Best Scientific & Educational Documentary” at 2017 Nice International Film Festival. Recommended by Hong Kong International Film Festival, her music video The Eve was sponsored by Create HK to be sent to film festivals worldwide from 2014-2015.

She works as a Creative & Art Director for marketing and advertising campaign design; and a Director for commercials, music videos, documentaries and short films. Her clients included Red Bull, Sunkist, Lee Kum Kee, Dior, Samsung, New Balance, J. P. Morgan, Time Warner.

SHORT DRAMA

RUN TIME 16 MINUTES

WWW.NICOLA-FAN.NET

www.ProgressiveLeftPress.com

From the author of The FBI War on Tupac Shakur and Black Leaders

FILM BY JOHN L. POTASH JOHN AL. POTASH FEATURING

PROGRESSIVE LEFT PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS “DRUGS AS WEAPONS AGAINST US” TUPAC SHAKUR KURT COBAIN JOHN LENNON AND JIMI HENDRIX WITH BERNARDINE DOHRN BOBBY SEAL FRED HAMPTON FRED HAMPTON JR JAMAL JOSEPH JANIS JOPLIN DIRECTED, WRITTEN FILM EDITOR AND NARRATED RESEARCH AND PRODUCED BY JOHN L. POTASH CO-PRODUCER BRENT HANNIGAN BY DOUGLAS BARRON ASSISTANT ASTRID GALVIS DRUGSASWEAPONS.COM FACEBOOK/DRUGSASWEAPONSAGAINSTUSMOVIE PROGRESSIVELEFTPRESS.COM

MINIATURE WARGAMING: THE MOVIE

MATT & ADAM

ANDY BRYANT

CHRIS NICHOLLS

DIVE INTO THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF MINIATURE WARGAMING, WHERE WE DISCOVER THE HISTORY BEHIND ONE OF THE BIGGEST HOBBIES IN THE WORLD.

A FEATURE DOCUMENTARY BY JOSEPH PIDDINGTON

recent clashes in Afghanistan and Syria. Even more popular are games set in entirely fictitious worlds portraying fantasy and scifi settings, with huge numbers of gamers enjoying battles between, for example, orcs and elves or human space marines and aliens. Also unlike Chess, wargaming does not have a single over-arching rule set used in all games; instead, each games company, and even individual, writes their own rules to cover a particular historical era, fantasy setting or style of game.

Miniature Wargaming: The Movie is the brainchild of Director/Producer Joseph Piddington who became a wargamer himself in his youth. The hobby of collecting, painting and playing with miniatures, often dismissed as “playing with toy soldiers”, forms the fascinating backdrop to a number of real-life stories of individuals and businesses deeply involved in this popular pastime. A series of interviews, coupled with highlights of the hobby’s history and its literature, are presented in a way which is both informative and entertaining. The viewer quickly comes to realise that this is a thriving activity with a rich history reaching back over centuries, but which has really come into its own since the release of the much-loved and inexpensive Airfix plastic kits and soldiers in the late 1950s. This transformed the hobby from the idle pursuit of relatively few well-off lead soldier connoisseurs into a mass market pursuit, supported by its own magazines and an increasing library of books, which is now worth hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide.

Piddington interviews a host of people whose livelihood is based in and around the hobby, these include Rick Priestley, the eminent games designer who, in his time at the hobby’s colossus Games Workshop was responsible for creating the world’s most popular wargame Warhammer 40,000. But the heart of the movie can be found in the engrossing stories of four people: Andy Bryant, a British Army veteran who served in the 1998-99 Kosovo conflict, which left him suffering the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); Chris Nicholls, the owner of a small gaming business fighting to survive in a highly competitive market in order to secure his family’s future; and two gamers, Matt and Adam, as they prepare to travel to Scandinavia to fulfill their dream of competing in an international wargaming tournament.

Unlike Chess, wargaming comes in a huge variety of forms, ranging from tiny skirmishes to huge battles and even longlasting campaigns, and covers conflicts from the ancient world right up to the most

It is in these interludes, particularly in the second half of the film, that Piddington’s skill as a compassionate storyteller is obvious, as the participants reveal their very personal, moving and occasionally harrowing lives in which the miniature wargaming hobby has played a key part. For them, this is not a frivolous pursuit—wargaming is shown to provide not only an entertaining hobby and vital source of livelihood, but also a key psychological support structure, both in terms of the engrossing nature of the skills required to prepare for and play the games, and in the network of close friendship it provides amongst like-minded people. By the end, we have been given privileged access to some candid and heartfelt revelations and come away with a much deeper understanding of what motivates them to participate in this extraordinary pastime. It would be easy to dismiss Miniature Wargaming: The Movie as a niche exploration of a nerdy and fringe pastime, but that would be a huge mistake—here, we have a highly accessible, fascinating and frequently moving portrait of a world inhabited by intelligent, creative and sensitive souls that deserves every minute of the loving attention lavished on it by Piddington and his team.

RICK PRIESTLEY

HENRY HYDE

FEATURE DOCUMENTARY

RUN TIME 107 MINUTES

WWW.MINIATUREWARGAMINGTHEMOVIE.COM

DRUGS AS WEAPONS AGAINST US THE CIA WAR ON MUSICIANS AND ACTIVISTS

A POWERFUL & CONTROVERSIAL DOCUMENTARY BY JOHN L POTASH

This film covers the CIA’s involvement in drug trafficking and the promotion of drugs for social control. It details evidence of the CIA’s Project MK-Ultra manipulating musicians and activists to promote drugs. It also details evidence of U.S. intelligence “neutralizing” these figures when they sobered up. It further shows the evidence that U.S. intelligence mostly targeted anti-war and anti-racism activists, such as leaders of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and The Black Panthers. The musicians it covers includes Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, Tupac Shakur, Janis Joplin, and The Rolling Stones, among others. DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY - JOHN L POTASH John Potash is the author of Drugs as Weapons Against Us. He released this book in May of 2015. He has used this book to make his first feature length film for which he is seeking international distribution, Drugs as Weapons Against Us: The CIA War on Musicians and Activists, in

2018. He had previously published The FBI War on Tupac Shakur and Black Leaders in 2007 which he made into a film in 2009. He did his graduate studies at Columbia University. He has published articles in Z magazine, Covert Action Quarterly, The Baltimore Chronicle, Rock Creek Free Press, and The Free Press. He has been featured on hundreds of radio programs in the U.S, England and New Zealand, including Coast to Coast AM. He was also featured on C-Span’s American History TV, The Reelz Channel, and on the A&E television networks. He has worked counselling people with mental health problems and addictions for over 25 years. To be shown on Sunday Feb. 17, Screening Room 3 at 1:10pm & looking for a U.K and European Distributor.

FEATURE DOCUMENTARY

RUN TIME 120 MINUTES

WWW.DRUGSASWEAPONS.COM

ASCENT A BRILLIANT SHORT FILM BY MARK BROCKING

Ascent is the story of Valerie, a Spanish artist living in London, who is dealing with the death of her dearest grandmother. She inherits a mysterious gift which results in a very unusual turn of events. Valerie is sent on a journey of self discovery and has to overcome her own fears to gain a new understanding of what her grandmother’s life was really about. What will Valerie do with her new found knowledge? ASCENT DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT – MARK BROCKING The idea for Ascent came to me while playing with an antique folding mirror that hangs in our bathroom. This, combined with a few life experiences, formed the backbone of the short script. I believe it is an expandable concept where, while being a short story in itself, Valerie’s adventures could be expanded upon much further. Ascent was filmed over four weekends, mostly in a wonderful old Victorian building near Brick Lane in East London. Here was the notary’s office, Valerie’s studio, her bedroom and the dark staircase that lends the

film it’s spooky atmosphere. We also filmed in two cemeteries and the beautiful English countryside where we ended up being mobbed by a herd of cows. There was extensive post production work in terms of editing, special effects and grading that took a lot longer than the pre production and the actual shooting of the film. We tried to produce a higher production value than the previous films without ever getting in the way of the story. Overall I believe we succeeded and I’m very happy with what we achieved with the resources that we had.

SHORT DRAMA

RUN TIME 10 MINUTES

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ASCENT

MOTHER’S DAY THE FORGOTTEN VICTIMS OF DEATH ROW

A POWERFUL SHORT DOCUMENTARY BY LINDA BROOCKS

As controversy rages about the efficacy of the ultimate punishment, as the Supreme Court of the United States is called upon to issue eleventh hour stays of death sentences, public awareness of the issues surrounding the death penalty has never been greater and public debate never more heated. The filmmaker’s approach was to include mothers whose children reflect the general demographics of death row in the United States: four men, and one woman--two African American, two white, and one Hispanic. She also interviewed a leading social scientist, Elizabeth Beck, the author of “In the Shadow of Death: Restorative Justice and Death Row Families,” who explains the social and psychological phenomena that result from society’s treatment of these mothers. Linda Broocks made documentaries about social issues in college, but then pursued a career in civil trial law while maintaining her interest in criminal justice issues and the power of film in promoting social change. In doing pro bono work involving the death penalty, Linda found her heart

being saddened by the stories of the family members of death row inmates, particularly the mothers, whom society was often quick to blame for the troubles of their children. While continuing to practice law full time, Linda researched and recruited five mothers whose stories she wanted to feature, interviewed them, and created a compelling presentation of the problems and sorrows facing them as a result of their children’s incarceration and death sentences. This timely film addresses an important but missing component in the public discourse on a major moral issue of our time.

SHORT DOCUMENTARY

RUN TIME 27 MINUTES

LJBFILMS@YAHOO.COM

SCHMOOPIE BY MARY C. FERRARA

Schmoopie was a labor of love for Bostonbased Producer, Director, Writer and Actress Mary C. Ferrara. Inspired by a break up and her love of animals, she wrote Schmoopie to hopefully inspire others to break out of a rut in their lives as well as to overcome sadness just by taking chances. Filmed and edited by Award-winning Cinematographer Tim Labonte, it stars Mary herself along with actors Michael Maggiani and Stephanie Eaton. It was completed in March of 2018 and has been an Official Selection of over 50+ festivals and won over 30+ awards. To keep up on news about the film, go to callitawhimproductions.com/schmoopie After almost 20 years of performing, in both theater and film (with some directing and writing thrown in), 2018 opened up an opportunity for Mary to produce for the first time. She helped produce and direct a SAG film as part of the January 2018 Actor’s Green Room Film Challenge in NYC, the award-winning film Candlestick Justice

(a First Time Productions film). After that she decided to produce, write, direct, and star in Schmoopie. Under the umbrella of her own production company, Call it a Whim Productions, she has continued to write; she wrote the award-winning short script Red Shirt (a nominee of Best Short Script at the North Europe International Film Festival). It’s about a woman who goes on a blind date not knowing anything about her date other than he has a red shirt; she then runs into a high school classmate before she can meet him and chaos ensues.

SHORT COMEDY

RUN TIME 7 MINUTES

WWW.CALLITAWHIMPRODUCTIONS.COM

DATA BREACH A SUPERBLY WRITTEN, HUMOROUSLY SCRIPTED STORY BY BETHAN REES

A short film about Brexit. A first screenplay by Bethan who was fed up of negative International opinions about Brexit and her beloved country whilst living in Italy. Data Breach was written as some weird sort of healing therapy. Brexit is on everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mind, so this was created in typical British fashion by attempting to find the humour in awful situations. It is comedic and strange with a political message at its core. Set in a design space, the office team are working after a night out. They are confused about the strange on-goings at their computer desks. Aliens on planet Neptune watch the situation unfold in the UK and after having some fun stealing data for kicks they have a moral and ethical crisis where they take pity upon the Brits. Will they find a solution that could help solve things? Are the Brits as daft as they seem and what will happen to these alien criminals? A bit of fun to cheer everyone up during Brexit.

BETHANREES5@GMAIL.COM

SHAO STUDIOS & SFILMMAKER.COM Shao Studios is an international promotion, production and distribution platform dedicated to connecting media outlets around the world to media producers, distributors and financiers in China- the world’s largest media market. Based in Beijing, Shao Studios was founded by film director Joanna Shao who saw the potential to reach out to China’s diverse independent film-makers and give them an international outlet. Shao Studios’ markets of distribution include, but are not limited to: Internet channels, mobile channels (via telecommunication providers), theatrical channels, air media channels (aboard commercial airplanes) and digital cable providers.

Sfilmmaker is Shao Studios’ film festival registration platform, with over 10,000 film-makers registered to the platform and hundreds of festivals from around the world. Sfilmmaker addresses the problems many small independent Chinese filmmakers have in getting their work into competition and the problems international festivals have finding true Chinese independent cinema. Coupled with Shao Studios’ Young Director Patron Programme and it’s online media education platform which connects Chinese film students with movie experts worldwide, Shao Studios aims to be a voice of development and a bridge between Chinese Media and the World.

POWER PLAY INTRODUCING THE SCREENPLAY POWER PLAY & BASED ON THE NOVEL BY F. ETHAN REPP.

A cancerous political suspense cocktail, based upon deceit, revenge and envy. Our young, handsome mayoral aspirant, Collier Winthrop, is recruited by a crusty old political boss, Al Caso, to upset the status-quo. He soon is faced with opposition from within and without. 1970’s. Before, House of Cards, there was Power Play. SCREENPLAY WRITTEN BY COLIN STEWART, “I wrote the book Power Play in 1978, following a failed run for the US Congress at the age of 33. Full of remaining adrenalin and loss of all consuming activity, I spent the next 4 months writing. Once finished I really didn’t know what to do with it. The popular Mayor of NYC, John Lindsay, a good friend, passed it around to a few publishers, who were complimentary but passed. The work needed editing. I put the typed book away forever. Two years ago, I told my grandson about the book. He wanted to read it. (Pause) The manuscript was buried somewhere in the garage and I didn’t really know what

shape it was in anyway. I rescued the work and began to read. I had forgotten the story but realized, hey this is good stuff. It is real. First Edition Design publishing immediately wanted to publish and claimed that they could scan the typewritten work to Word. We published in 2014, 36 years after being written. Amazon has 12 million books. It is impossible to get noticed. I decided to turn the work into a screenplay. Through the Internet I found a screenwriter anxious to transform my book into the desired format.. As well as being nominated at the Fusion London International Film Festival the script has been nominated and won at several other film festivals including at the Nice International Film Festival. Young handsome, charming Collier Winthrop, heir to Winthrop Manufacturing is enticed by a crusty old political boss, Al Caso to run for Mayor of the City. The scheme is to utilize the reputation of a prominent family to split the opposition party vote majority. But there is a threat of losing some of his own party base through the disappointment of not being anointed themselves. Caso is running a risk and it could be his head if he is not successful. In this story, they talk, up front and personal”. - F. Ethan Repp.

THE GRAY WOMAN ONE CALL CHANGES EVERYTHING…

BY HANNI BERGESCH & TÂNIA MARIA RODRIGUES PETERS

Hanni Bergesch is a successful journalist. She took her first steps into TV at Globo and Mercedes-Benz in Brazil. Since 2000 she has lived in Hamburg, Germany. In 2002 she developed the format “TV Ipanema”, which is still a reference for international, outstanding TV journalism. From 2010 to 2016 she took a break with her TV production to fly to LA to study acting. The German Brazilian is also a scriptwriter, director, cinematographer and editor. In Germany, Hanni Bergesch is a member of BFFS (Stage, Film and Television Association), WIFT (Women in Film and Television), Crew United, Filmmakers, Cast Forward, Friends of the Hamburg Film Festival and a friend of the German Film Academy. The actress has starred opposite Mario Adorf and Dominique Horwitz in films that include “Gegengerade- no one triumphs at Millerntor” as well as in “Man in the Splits” alongside Clemens Schick, Meret Becker and Oli Schulz.

As an actress she won the Gold Medal Happy Times Coca Cola at the International London Competition in 2014, in the role of a woman in the style of the 1960’s. As a film producer, Hanni Bergesch has won two awards in 2017 in New York and one in Canada. THE GRAY WOMAN HISTORY Whilst Hanni was is in Austria, visiting her friend and writer Tania Maria RodriguesPeters (and between a few glasses of wine!) she remarked how beautiful it was as in Hamburg everything is gray in winter “The worst thing is that this gray goes under the skin! Everything is going gray! The humor is gray! We turn gray! We work, but we do not find joy in anything anymore. And when the sun comes out, people seem crazy, they want to live and they want to stay outside on the street!” Hearing this Tania remarked “you know this could be a story”. Tania who is a successful painter & writer and whose works include “Mozart in the Future“ developed the idea for the film. Hanni Bergesch wrote the script, and was the main producer behind the film. Tania Maria Rodrigues-Peters also helped to produce; and they both worked as directors in a changing position on the short with Hanni editing.

SHORT DRAMA

RUN TIME 15 MINUTES

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THAT’S OPPORTUNITY KNOCKING WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY CHARLES PELLETIER

Comedy based on a true story wins 22 film festival awards! “The keen ensemble performances make this funny production hilarious.” Huffington Post Writer/Director Charles Pelletier got the idea for the script “That’s Opportunity Knocking” by an anecdote told by one of the actors, Thomas Anawalt, at a bar after a play in which they were both involved at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Thomas had been living in New York, and one night got home with his roommate, and went to bed, only to find the next morning that he had been robbed, and the burglars had been in the apartment the whole time they had been home. Hiding. Somewhere. The true story became a comedic “tall tale” in which two wanna-be thugs attempt to rob an apartment; everything goes awry when the owners show up early for a little latenight sex. Toss in the third wheel roommate, fresh out of the mental hospital and comedy was created. “Brilliant writing that is perfectly performed by an extremely strong cast.” Movie-Blogger.com DIRECTOR CHARLES PELLETIER’S NOTES: I was anxious to write a project for some of the very gifted actors I had worked with at the Hollywood Fringe Festival (C. Stephen Foster, Charlotte Gulezian, Moronai Kanekoa, Satchel Andre and Thomas Anawalt), mostly recent graduates of the USC MFA Acting program. Cynthia Webster read the script and was immediately excited about producing it. As a cinematographer, she had won two Emmy’s, so when she agreed to be the DP, it was a perfect scenario for me, as a first-time film director. Since she owned her own studio, we were able to have many rehearsals over a period of weeks, on the set, and find the characters, in the way you would direct a play. My philosophy is to cast the right people, and stay out of their way. The state an actor is in, when he or she is acting well, is vulnerable. I believe great actors will eventually find their way, if given a safe space and a morsel of guidance, but that journey is largely an internal one.

SHORT COMEDY

RUN TIME 22 MINUTES

THATSOPPORTUNITYKNOCKINGTHEMOVIE.COM

THURSDAY NIGHT BASIC A MUSIC SHORT BY MIKE HAY

The video tells the story about a man who is changed and ultimately transported to another place - maybe even another dimension - due to watching some strange 8mm footage and drinking something even stranger! DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY

DIRECTOR STATEMENT

I have been writing and recording music for a number of years which has led to this Eyes Above project. The music is high energy heavy rock infused with my other loves of synth, electronic music and film scores. My background in and love of underground music has instilled a strong DIY ethic in me over the years. We live in exciting times as far as a myriad of resources and tools go for both music and film production, so I felt compelled to put something together that celebrated my love of music and film.

The project is by first time filmmaker Mike Hay who is also aÂ musician who performs under the moniker Eyes Above. The goal of the project was to produce something exciting to watch that matches the adrenaline rush of the music; something that looks like a mini sci-fi film with decent production value that punches well above its shoe-string budget. Most of the shoot was limited to indoor locations but I decided the theme leant

itself to striving for some sense of scale and spectacle by mixing the use of wide angle lenses, high contrast lighting and use of CGI to bridge and enhance the themes of inner and outer space. For Thursday Night Basic, I have attempted to take as a hard a swing as my limited experience will allow and produce something that is fun, exciting to watch and hopefully exceeds its extremely low budget and DIY approach. MUSIC SHORT

RUN TIME 5 MINUTES

WWW.EYESABOVE.CO.UK

EMPTY HOUSE BY CHENG DONGHAI

In Shijiaping, China in a mountain village, Shuimei and Shanwa are representative of the children left behind. The mother and father who worked outside haven’t been home in two years. They watched the empty houses every day, just as they watched the people from the docks outside the village, hoping their parents would return one day. Both Shuimei and Shanwa care for their sick grandmother and also for their younger brother. The young children have become the family’s backbone, with the face of their age that does not match their maturity. The younger brother, Shanwa, was a little naughty and rebellious and rarely wanted to stay in this empty house without the warmth of a family. In addition they are forever looking for information of the world outside the mountain where their parents lived.

FEATURE FILM

RUN TIME 91 MINUTES

WWW.SFILMMAKER.COM

SEED OF VIRTUE A FILM BY LIU YIYANG

A female police officer interrupts two gangsters as they attempt an escape in a rural railway station. In the ensuing gun battle the police woman is mortally wounded and the gangsters take a woman with a heart condition hostage. The policewoman’s father, the commander of the local SWAT team, foils the gangsters’ hostage ploy but at the cost of the life of his daughter. Despite his grief he agrees for her organs to be donated, a practice many Chinese traditionally abstain from for spiritual reasons. Two years later his daughter’s heart has saved the life of the hostage he rescued from the gangsters.

SHORT DRAMA

RUN TIME 17 MINUTES

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SUNDAY | 17TH FEBRUARY

SCHEDULED SCREENING TIMES

ROOM 1 10:30

ROOM 2 21 mins

Glitter Model 10:55

16 mins

18 mins

9 mins

26 mins

9 mins

15 mins

26 mins

111 mins

52 mins

The Patagonian Bones 16:00

29 mins

80 mins

12:20

13:20

14:55

Mouth Harp In Minor Key: Hamid Naficy In/On Exile

16:00

17:20