5 Questions for FirstGlance Film Festival Filmmakers 2020

by Le Anne Lindsay, Editor  (Originally posted October 11, 2020)

Jump To Films Featured: Band Ladies |Icarus | Kensington In Crisis | Marian Anderson | Monday | Progeny | Shepherd’s Gate | Woke

PROGENY
Filmmaker : Justin Daering
Website |Instagram | Facebook

Synopsis: Progeny is a sci-fi/body horror short film made at the AFI Conservatory as a thesis project.

Justin Daering intro…

T&T: In a nutshell what was the main inspiration for your film and/or the theme that is the heart of your film?

Justine Daering : The idea for Progeny came to me around the summer of 2017. It was a time when there was a lot of legislation being pushed throughout the county to limit reproductive rights. This legislation was being advocated for primarily by men, who themselves would never be in the situations they were trying to control. I wanted to see one of these men be put in that situation, and so I devised a world where that could happen.

The story was initially very simple, with an unlikeable protagonist being made to suffer as a kind of poetic justice. This idea would have been fine for a five minute short, but it didn’t have the legs to tell a broader story about the larger social forces at play. When Kenda Greenwood-Moran came on to write with me, she pushed me to tell a story that was more nuanced, and gave us a team of sympathetic protagonists we would want to go on a journey with, and who exist in a larger world that can tell a more insightful narrative.

T&T:  Tell us a bit about the music of your film? OR Does food play a big part in your film? Or answer both.

JD: Michael Miller did the score for Progeny, and the film would not work without it. Michael did an incredible job elevating the movie and bringing out the emotional tension in every scene. I had worked with Michael before on one other short, and on that film he was brought on by the producer/editor. I wasn’t sure if I would be able to get him for this film, but when it worked out I knew that we would be in store for something really special. Michael is an incredible collaborator who has a deep understanding not only of music but of storytelling. Working with Michael was like working with a cinematographer almost, with our discussion about music always emerging from a discussion of “whose story are we telling in this moment” and “how will this reveal the hidden inner life of this character?”

T&T:  Was there a point where you almost didn’t finish your film? And if so, what pushed you forward? OR What’s been the most memorable response you’ve received thus far from anyone after seeing your film?

JD: At the premiere screening of our film, I had invited some filmmakers who were friends of mine. One of them had his family visiting from Italy, so he invited them to come with him. Apparently his mother is not a fan of horror films–avoids them at all costs–and so he hadn’t told her anything about the film. Once the show started, it didn’t take long for her to realize this wasn’t the movie for her, but she didn’t want to be rude, afterall she was at a premiere, with the filmmakers present, in a foreign country, so she stayed in the theater and didn’t cover her eyes. She made it to about the 21 minute mark, but during the scene where Tanner attempts to remove the parasite himself, the visceral nature of the film simply became too much for her and she fainted. She fully collapsed, out of her chair and right onto the ground, stretched out in front of like four seats. She stayed on the floor until the film ended, and we actually had to delay the start of the next screening about 20 minutes so she could recover and walk out of the theater. It was a horrible experience for her, but I can’t help but smile. I always say, it’s the best review I will ever get.

T&T: Give a quick shout out to your creative team and anyone who helped get your film from an idea to the screen.

JD: This movie would not be possible without the collaboration of a few key players. Kendra Greenwood-Moran, my co-writer, is someone who I have worked with on 3 films now, and who I hope to keep working with for as long as she’ll put up with me. She is a consummate professional and just the very model of the kind of writer who every director longs to have a partnership with. Similarly, Greg Schroeder, the film’s producer, moved mountains to make this production possible. The scale of story we were telling, on the budget and production schedule we had, was absolutely insane, but Greg never flinched for a second. Only after we wrapped did I learn how many insane hoops he had to jump through and needles he had to thread to make our whole crazy circus come together. TJ Thickett, our cinematographer, is not only an excellent DP, but also one of my best friends, and someone who helped me through this project every step of the way. In addition to crafting a stunning, cinematic look for the film, he was someone who I went to set with nearly every day, feeling like a brother-in-arms, who I knew I could count on no matter what. Evan Welch, our production designer, basically had his pick of any of the 24 thesis films coming out of AFI our year, so we were extremely lucky when he chose to work on our film. After seeing his artistry, technical knowledge, and work ethic  first hand, it’s no wonder he’s become a rising star in the Production Design world. Christine Douglas the film’s editor, was perhaps the most serendipitous addition to the team. Before working together, she had heard that I was a difficult person to work with, and I had heard the same about her, so when we first met, there was an anxious tension in the discussion, like dogs waiting to see who would bare their teeth first. But we had a wonderful time working together, and I really valued her tastes and insight throughout the weeks in the edit together. Most importantly, she wasn’t afraid to push back when I wanted to keep in stuff that just made the movie long or self-indulgent, and you can thank her for having a final runtime that’s under 30 minutes. I already spoke about Michael Miller our Composer, so I won’t repeat myself, but I must mention Jim Ojala, our Creature FX artist. Jim and I share a common love for the world of practical FX, and so despite working with a limited budget that prohibited any kind of robotics or advanced puppetry, Jim always found an ingenious way of using simple, practical mechanisms to achieve exactly the effect I wanted to see in the film.

T&T: What does it mean to you to screen your film at the 23rd Annual FirstGlance Film Festival

JD: Our dream for Progeny has always been for the short film to serve as a proof of concept for the feature. Screening in festivals like First Glance that have an established tradition of being an incubator for these kind of indie short-to-feature projects is a great way of not only attracting interest to the project, but also validating it as the kind of film that is right for expansion, and ready to grow into that longer format, and so we can’t wait to share it with this festival’s audiences.

Kensington in Crisis
Filmmakers : Jill Frechie & John Ricciutti
TRAILER | Website |Instagram |Twitter

Synopsis: The U.S. is in the midst of an opioid overdose epidemic. Once upon a time the nation’s homeless and drug user was connectedto poverty or “poor character.” Today all of society shares in its deadly path. Kensington, a Philadelphia neighborhood lingers in its wake.

T&T: In a nutshell what was the main inspiration for your film and/or the theme that is the heart of your film?

Jill Frechie & John Ricciutti: Our mission at MainLineTV.org is to pursue subjects that are socially driven. The inspiration for our  Kensington in Crisis film project was to bring an eye-opening view to the opiate epidemic that plagues the Kensington neighborhood of North Philadelphia. While Producer/ Director Jill Frechie of MLTV.org @pjfrechie found on Twitter was working with Rock Ministries in Kensington, a group that provides meals for the children of active addicts, we became overwhelmed at the sights and sounds of heartbreak and knew then that we had to do something to bring this crisis in our community to the forefront.  

T&T:  Tell us a bit about the music of your film? OR Does food play a big part in your film? Or answer both.

JF & JR: The music serendipitously provided by Dave Uosikkenen formerly of the Hooters magically drove the chapters of the film. A perfect interstice of unscripted, unedited street scenes, still shots, woven through the music sealed the viewers eyes to the screen. The placement of the music also acted as a introduction to each chapter of the film.

T&T:  Was there a point where you almost didn’t finish your film? And if so, what pushed you forward? OR What’s been the most memorable response you’ve received thus far from anyone after seeing your film?

JF & JR: There was never a point in our project where we ever thought of not finishing. The more layers of the plague that we peeled back, the more our hearts cried. The parents and children we met. The many caring people who otherwise would be going unnoticed drove us on. 

T&T: Give a quick shout out to your creative team and anyone who helped get your film from an idea to the screen.

JF & JR: First, Jon & Jill Powell of the Powell Foundation who were moved by and believed in, and got the project launched so it became a reality.  Jill Frechie Executive Producer/Director, and I as Co-Producer, were the eyes and we enabled the viewer to see what we saw. Isaac Mell organized and edited endless scenes and interviews. Behind the scenes were Janet Mernick overseeing costs and expenses, and Madeleine Sayko of the Psychoanalytic Group of Philadelphia who offered suggestions and ongoing support. To further spread the word about our project, we created @Kensington_in_Crisis on Instagram. How do we begin to thank all the people on the streets who opened their hearts to us?

T&T: What does it mean to you to screen your film at the 23rd Annual FirstGlance Film Festival

JF & JR: Our initiative with   @kensington_in_crisis was to get as many eyes on the story as possible. Following initial showings at Montgomery County Community College and Radnor Twp Public Building and many requests to present the film we were interrupted by the Covid. We are ecstatic to have the film publicly shown at the First Glance Film Festival because the situation has become so much more dire since the Pandemic, it Is more important than ever to get it out there.  If one person sees the film, we might save one life. 

MONDAY
Director : Craig Thomas Screenwriter : Marvin David
 Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Synopsis: There will be moments in life that will leave you emotionally scared… Friends and Family will offer encouragement but honestly, your healing process is a solo mission. Coming to grips with your new reality… Some people are such a driving force in your life that when removed it feels like you lose your purpose… Life hasn’t been the same… yet I remain

T&T: In a nutshell what was the main inspiration for your film and/or the theme that is the heart of your film?

MC: “Monday” was written in pain and love… unfiltered emotions… an organic reflection… but was also written with a new found appreciation that ultimately puts things in a hazy state of sorrow… I’ll never get the chance to show My Mother that all her sacrifices didnt go in vain… she’s not here to experience “her heart”, her granddaughter’s growth and maturation. She will never get the opportunity to see the man that I’ve become, but I still strive to make her proud even in her physical absence.

T&T:  Tell us a bit about the music of your film? OR Does food play a big part in your film? Or answer both.

MC:  The music was the inspiration, the music was the sole driving force behind turning it into a film/video… the music was everything, powerful, raw emotion.

T&T:  Was there a point where you almost didn’t finish your film? And if so, what pushed you forward? OR What’s been the most memorable response you’ve received thus far from anyone after seeing your film?

MC: Never… initially  “Monday” was never intended to see the light of day as it pertains to the general public. I sent the song to close friends and family and they urged me to release it to the public… so I thought about it, and was somewhat reluctant but I build up enough courage to move forward… brainstormed with my team and made the video as authentic as possible.

T&T: Give a quick shout out to your creative team and anyone who helped get your film from an idea to the screen.

MC: I (M.C) wrote the record and we pretty much followed the song and used that as the basis for the treatment, Craig Thomas was the director and Mathew Goodman was the director of cinematography both had ideas that contributed to bringing the project together.

T&T: What does it mean to you to screen your film at the 23rd Annual FirstGlance Film Festival

MC: Honestly, it means a great deal to be able to honor my mother at the film festival, my mom is a legend, she’s solidified but I wanted to honor her in a way that brought comfort to others that are dealing with the loss of a loved one. It’s OK to hurt… the fact that the film was choosen makes me proud that I’m honoring her properly and it was received well.

WOKE
Filmmaker : Dr. Jules Lipoff
Website | Facebook | Twitter |Twitter

Synopsis: When Derek shares a racist slur with his Black co-workers, he is fired but given the option to keep his job if he participates in an experimental trial for a pill that cures racism.

Jules Lipoff Intro…

T&T: In a nutshell what was the main inspiration for your film and/or the theme that is the heart of your film?

Jules Lipoff, MD : Woke is a satire that asks, what if there was a pill that cured racism? The reality is that racism is such a complex issue deeply embedded in our culture and society, that of course no simple pill could ever cure it.  But many of us might accept that solution far too quickly, or focus on the superficial signaling of so-called “wokeness” rather than fight for structural change.

Our hope is that our film is a seemingly light-hearted way to start conversations about deep and important issues.  I was inspired by (1) the fact that despite all that we know, somehow I keep seeing stories of employees being fired for using the n-word at work …
(e.g. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/jonathan-friedland-exits-netflix-1122675, https://www.inquirer.com/philly/news/20150615_Former_TV_anchor_loses_N-word_lawsuit.html), and (2) the long and disturbing history of medical experimentation using Black bodies, which our film subtly tries to subvert.

T&T:  Tell us a bit about the music of your film? OR Does food play a big part in your film? Or answer both.

JL:  The music in our film combined original music by Philadelphia local composer Dan Matz, and licensed tracks by Jahzzar.  We were lucky to find music that complemented both the emotional beats and captured the transitions in our film so well.

T&T:  Was there a point where you almost didn’t finish your film? And if so, what pushed you forward? OR What’s been the most memorable response you’ve received thus far from anyone after seeing your film?

JL: The majority of our film was shot on a single day that ran almost until midnight.  We were all exhausted, but somehow we kept it together as a team.  I especially credit our cinematographer, Eric Lovett, Jr., and our lead actor, Billy Klein, for sticking with it through that last shot.

T&T: Give a quick shout out to your creative team and anyone who helped get your film from an idea to the screen.

JL: I cannot tell you how amazing and generous our entire team has been, from production to post-production.  First and foremost, I must credit my co-producers Sam Watson and Page Peter Wilson for their teamwork – the three of us came together to meet in a café in summer 2019, set a goal, and we made it happen.  Sam’s instincts on the script, and Page’s instincts with the casting set the tone for an excellent shoot. Eric Lovett, Jr., our cinematographer, brought his passion and drive for perfection to each shot, and our actors, especially Billy Klein, Tatiana St. Phard, Page Peter Wilson, Johnathan Davis, Wellington Talkpa, Evelyn Maria Dia, and Rowaida Badio brought their craft and passion to every moment.  Our post-production team was star-studded, with Xavier Coleman’s touch with editing, and Ben Wong’s sound mixing, Jeff Galyan’s color correction, and original music by Dan Matz.  I would be remiss if I didn’t also thank my wife Renee, and my two daughters, Zadie and Tess, for putting up with me as I devoted so much time to this project.

T&T: What does it mean to you to screen your film at the 23rd Annual FirstGlance Film Festival

JL: We are incredibly excited to screen Woke in Philadelphia, where most of our cast and crew including myself live, and where we shot the entire film on location.  In particular, to be selected by a festival as renowned as FirstGlance is both validating and a reward in itself.  It is our hope that not only does our film get some laughs, but also that it in a small way may start productive conversations.

Band Ladies
Director : Molly Flood
Writers: Kate Fenton & Dana Puddicombe
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Trailer

Synopsis: 5 disenchanted women, fed up and on the cusp of middle age turn their book club into a punk band, twenty years too late

Band Ladies Intro

T&T: In a nutshell what was the main inspiration for your project and/or the theme that is the heart of your series?

Band Ladies Team : Punk, humor, rage. Giving voice to women in their 40’s who are fed up and tired of being ignored and passed over or disregarded and are demanding space.

T&T:  Tell us a bit about the music? OR Does food play a big part ? Or answer both.

BLT:  Punk offers an outlet that is screaming tossing fits of emotion and anger at looking at your life and deciding to make a change, realizing you have the power to change your life.

Our Props Master Michelle Haid created so much amazing food for our shoot! So many cupcakes! But the music is the beating heart of Band Ladies for sure. The creators (Kate, Molly and Dana) wrote the songs with Christian Hansen, and they are now available wherever you stream music. The music was written specifically to further explore each of the women’s journeys. In preparation for the shoot, Kate and Dana took lessons to play our instruments so just learning to play was such a massive part of this experience for us!

T&T:  Was there a point where you almost didn’t finish ? And if so, what pushed you forward? 

BLT:  We were so lucky. The pandemic hit and we went into lock down, but the series was almost complete and in the finishing stages of post production. We had to scramble to find a new sound engineer with an in-house studio, but otherwise, we were only a few weeks off schedule.

We had to shift our schedule a few times in order to make all of the puzzle pieces fit together, but we had such a great team, we were able to accommodate every twist and turn. Launching the show in May was totally different than we’d planned, but it was pretty amazing to see how flexible and creative our team was to help get the word out. 

T&T: Give a quick shout out to your creative team and anyone who helped get your series from an idea to the screen.

BLT: We received funding from the Independent Production Fund and BellFund, HighballTV came on early as our distributor and broadcasting platform, our Producer Breann Smordin is the reason production and post production ran as smoothly as it did. TARO PR got us great coverage, Dana Puddicombe has curated a stellar social media presence, Director Molly Flood and Cinematographer Keiran Crilly shot a gorgeous show and brought what was on paper to life! Our tremendous cast, Lisa Michelle Cornelius, Kirsten Rassmussen, Vicki Kim, Dana Puddicombe and Kate Fenton made these women relatable, funny, heartbreaking and incredibly fun to watch! Along with shoutout performances from Tricia Black, Natasha Negovanlis and Kris Siddiqi.

We also have a stellar design team who were able to really stretch our budget and elevate our looks. Andrew Sinclair transformed the spaces we used with his team and our Costume Designer Tala Kamea and HMU Designer Larissa Palaszczuk made the fashion on Band Ladies an extension of the characters that just took it to the next level. We couldn’t have made this show without so many awesome artists.

T&T: What does it mean to you to screen your project at the 23rd Annual FirstGlance Film Festival

BLT: It is an honour to have a series showcased beside so many incredible artists. To be a part of such a rich community of independent filmmakers, it is more than we could ask for!  We are stoked! We want to share Band Ladies with as many eyes and ears as we can! Thanks for having us and we hope you enjoy your experience as much as we did!

Once in a Hundred Years: The Life & Legacy of Marian Anderson
Director: Bill Nicoletti
TRAILER | Website 

Synopsis: Marian Anderson, whose contralto singing voice of great range, dazzled international audiences, a gifted African American woman who had to surmount innumerable, unwarranted obstacles before eventually achieving her dream and also becoming the first African American woman to sing at The Metropolitan.

T&T: In a nutshell what was the main inspiration for your project and/or the theme that is the heart of your series?

Bill Nicoletti : The quote from Marian Anderson “ When I sing I don’t want them to see that may face is black. I don’t want them to see that my face is white. I want them to see my soul, which is colorless “  When I heard this at a Marian Anderson Scholarship Gala, it captured my attention, and urged me to learn more about just who was Marian Anderson.

T&T:  Tell us a bit about the music? OR Does food play a big part ? Or answer both.

BN:  Both Marian Anderson‘s Classical and Spirituals performances are featured in Once in a Hundred Years. A very rare scene of a Frank Capra directing Anderson singing “Ave Maria” with conductor Arturo Toscanini is featured in the opening of the film.

How can you make a film about Philly and not have food in it ? Yes, one of the chapters of our film takes place at Victors Cafe, an Italian restaurant in South Philadelphia that features opera singers.

T&T:  Was there a point where you almost didn’t finish ? And if so, what pushed you forward? OR What’s been the most memorable response you’ve received thus far from anyone, after seeing your film?

BN:  Yes. As we began working on licensing and clearances funding, which we had very little to begin with, ran out and I needed to take a loan to get the film finished. Knowing that we were so close and we also had a commitment from The Kimmel Center for the premier and 6ABC and WHYY to air, I had no choice but to finish the film.

My very close friend and art professor from St. Joes who sadly passed this spring Fr. Dennis McNally wrote me the most beautiful note along with a comprehensive breakdown of the film and how he saw it as a work of art. That was very meaningful to me, with the amount of love and respect I had for him.

T&T: Give a quick shout out to your creative team and anyone who helped get your series from an idea to the screen.

BN: Dexter Gresh, you are the man ! Bob DeMento I could not have done this without you.

T&T: What does it mean to you to screen your project at the 23rd Annual FirstGlance Film Festival

BN: Very grateful to have our film showcased at this great festival, at one of the regions most elegant venues.

ICARUS
Filmmaker: Eymeric Jorat
TRAILER | Website |Facebook 

Synopsis: In the twilight of the 21st century, the Earth subsists in a post-apocalyptic era. Animals and plants are dying. Humanity is in decay. A man is wandering alone in this place. He travels the roads by day and hides from dangers at night. His sole purpose : surviving

T&T: In a nutshell what was the main inspiration for your project and/or the theme that is the heart of your series?

Eymeric Jorat : The world around us and the current events represent the main inspiration for Icarus. It was imagined in 2018 and I didn’t think that 2020 will be so close to the movie’s central theme : the survival of humanity. Actually, for me, Icarus’s story would rather take place in 2035 – 2040.

T&T:  Tell us a bit about the music? 

EJ:  Music plays an essential role in Icarus because it truly sets the rhythm of the film, which has no dialogue, the music is telling you what the character is going through, it’s even a story inside (the) history. Loïc Schütz was in charge of the music and the editing, and he made these two steps simultaneously. As these two stages work together in parallel with each other, it creates this very particular rhythm to the film. In my opinion, Icarus is more a sensory experience than a film.

T&T:  Was there a point where you almost didn’t finish ? And if so, what pushed you forward?

EJ:  When you self-produce a film, these moments are very frequent – you often have moments of doubt. First of all, I would say that people around me pushed me to the end by helping me every day they are my greatest strength. Then, if the project stops, everything that has been done will have been for nothing. How do you know what the film is really worth if you don’t go to the end ? I don’t want to hide behind excuses, whatever the excuse, so as not to finish a project. You have to go to the end no matter how long it takes.

T&T: Give a quick shout out to your creative team and anyone who helped get your series from an idea to the screen.

EJ: Big up to the sound team because everything in the sound was made in the studio (footsteps, breaths, atmospheres…). Due to the shooting conditions, impossible to take a sound team on set. But the whole team deserves praise! Icarus is a film that was made and created together. Many of the ideas about the images, the sound, the acting, or the music are not mine. I really like that each person working on the film can suggest ideas and bring his artistic vision too. Icarus is all teamwork.

T&T: What does it mean to you to screen your project at the 23rd Annual FirstGlance Film Festival

EJ: It’s a real chance for me and the whole team to screen Icarus at the 23rd Annual FirstGlance Film Festival, in Philadelphia It’s a big festival that defends independent films, with a great program. It is also an American premiere for Icarus, meeting another audience, who is not French and does not necessarily know our landscapes. I am very curious to discover how the film will be received and to know what people think of a French film that does not speak. Obviously, It is also a real chance to be able to maintain a film festival in this health context. We are very glad of it, because showing and sharing our films is one of the reasons why we do this. Thank you to the FirstGlance Film Festival !

SHEPHERD’S GATE
Filmmaker: Billy Higgins
 TRAILER | Website |Facebook | Twitter

 Synopsis: When a corporate executive, Monika, is threatened by her estranged friend and protégé with a resignation, she’s forced to confront a mysterious past. Across town, a social worker at a women’s shelter struggles to make the right decisions for a young girl under his supervision.  What is the connection between the two stories?

T&T: In a nutshell what was the main inspiration for your project and/or the theme that is the heart of your series?

Billy Higgins : The main character of Monika is based on a very inspiring professional woman who is a VP in my department at work. As a department, we consistently have done volunteer projects at a local women’s shelter named Shepherd’s Gate. I did not know why we had the relationship with the shelter until I found out it was because this woman was tied to the organization in a way I did not expect. Learning this story inspired me to make the film.

T&T:  Tell us a bit about the music? 

BH:  I utilize the film scoring talents of Julia Newmann and Cody Westheimer when I can. I know them from my days at the University of Southern California and I actually write my short film scripts while listening to their music. As for the end credits song, we licensed music from a very well known alternative rock band for festival use (watch the film to find out which one 🙂

T&T:  Was there a point where you almost didn’t finish ? And if so, what pushed you forward?

BH:  We were originally going to shoot principle photography in late 2018 in Livermore, CA (the town where Shepherds Gate’s main campus is located). After preproduction was smooth sailing for months, a myriad of logistical issues came up at the last minute—-including bad weather forecasts and my wife becoming unexpectedly pregnant with our third child. I was determined to make the project happen and needed to do it before baby #3 was born and February 2019 turned out to be the most realistic option. Because it was pilot season and our lead actress Michelle LaRue was no longer able to travel to Livermore for the shoot, I moved half the production to Los Angeles in order to make the project work. Thankfully I keep hearing from audiences (even ones who live in Livermore) that you can’t tell that half the film is shot in LA!

T&T: Give a quick shout out to your creative team and anyone who helped get your series from an idea to the screen.

BH: I worked with many talented people on this project. Since this is a film about a women’s shelter and because women are underrepresented in the film industry, I wanted to give a special shout out to the women who worked hard behind the camera. Andria Chamberlin is a brilliant director of photography. Susan Bradley made my script sing and also made my visual dreams come true with her production design work. Michelle LaRue collaborated on the script (as well as portraying Monika). The script called for very specific makeup work and Trish Ward and Molly Gardner exceeded my expectations. Also, Sophia Harbo was great as a 1st AC in our LA unit.

T&T: What does it mean to you to screen your project at the 23rd Annual FirstGlance Film Festival

BH: The FirstGlance film festival is a great festival to be a part of. I actually have a long history with the festival as my last short film GPS played in the Los Angeles festival and my short before that Not Alone was in their online contest. This will be the first time I’ll have a short film play in their Philadelphia festival, so this is a very exciting fall indeed!

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