A man keeps receiving strange phone calls from a supernatural presence whilst waiting at a bus stop.

What motivated you to make this film?

I took some time away from filmmaking, and when I decided to come back, I was very conscious about doing it in a sustainable, practical way. Instead of jumping into something ambitious, I wanted to make a contained, execution-focused short that I could bring from concept to completion. That's what motivated me to make Hello. It was also a chance to retrace my creative roots and reconnect with the kind of horror that first shaped my taste, particularly the influence of J-horror. In that sense, the film works both as a proof of concept and a creative reset.

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

I wrote it around 2012–2013 under the title Boo. It sat with me for years, and in 2024 I found it was the right project to pull off the shelf and develop properly. From there, the actual production was very focused, efficient and smooth. We shot the film in three days, and post-production wrapped in September 2025. So while it took a while, the finished film came out better than I expected, so I'm proud of that.

How would you describe your film in two words!?

Oh fuck...

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

Post-production was the biggest obstacle. I wasn't supposed to edit the film, but when our editor ran into hardware problems and funding fell through, I had to take over. Going from director to editor is challenging because you lose that outside perspective and start second-guessing the film in new ways. On top of that, the VFX compositing ran into some issues of its own which required bringing in compositors on Fiverr and finishing a good portion of the work myself. It was a very hands-on, problem-solving-heavy post workflow.

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The Ancient Time Piece, 5min., UK
Directed by Justin Walker, Islien Walker
Lily, a teenage girl is stuck in a monotonous cycle, perhaps this is connected to an old eerie clock she found in her family’s basement, a clock that was still ticking when she found it…. how long had this ancient Time Piece been ticking!

https://www.instagram.com/illy_pheebs_productions2012

Get to know filmmaker Justin Walker:

What motivated you to make this film?

My daughter Islien (co-director and lead actress) wrote the short story The Ancient Time piece when she was 11 years old, now she is 13….the short story was published in the compilation book ‘The glitch twisted tales’ which resides in the national library, London UK. Myself and my daughter had discussed making a short film based on her story for sometime… eventually we commenced production this summer.

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

Haha, well shooting only took 2 days, post production, editing, effects, score sound design took approximately 2 months.

How would you describe your film in two words!?

Time Reflective

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

Well being amateur/smartphone filmmakers who produce short films on a zero budget you are always working with restrictions and limitations…..often you ‘think’ big during concept/pre production but find in reality you have to work within your means….however you do tend to be more creative due to these restrictions. The major obstacle is finding the time between my full-time job and family life to shoot and complete post production is always a challenge. Obviously there is a challenge in having the final product look a quality piece/semi-professional on limited resources.

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Watch the best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtEe_5Vpqzo

Omar & a group of boys manage to escape the Sudan Civil War & make it to America after experiencing the most horrific fight for their lives.

What is your screenplay about?

It’s about the Sudanese civil war. The lost boys of Sudan and highlights the terror the orphans went through. Based on true events.

What genres does your screenplay fall under?

action/adventure also war if those count as one.

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

a story that is not often told from a country where stories are not often highlighted. Tells the story of how to overcome loss and the power of community in that process. Something people can relate to on a global scale via current events.

How would you describe this script in two words?

survivors guilt. Two brothers going on parallel journeys and struggling through a catastrophe.

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Watch the best scene reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2VAxv7qARQ

Lee is hired to bring the seducer of a young woman to daddy for his particular vengeance. Daddy is an Arizona drug baron. The seducer works for daddy’s Mexican partner. Then too many people with guns and the wrong ideas intrude. And the job just got complicated.

Get to know the writer:

What is your screenplay about?

I will place the logline here for reference:

A down-on-his-luck enforcer is hired to bring a young woman’s seducer back to Daddy for a particular vengeance. Daddy is an Arizona drug baron. Seducer works for Daddy’s Mexican partner. Then too many people with guns jump to half-baked conclusions. And the job just got complicated.

And now, what is the story really about. And that is that people often draw the conclusions they want to, and will not be dissuaded by facts. They will rely on preconceptions and assumptions, and jump to the most comfortable, palatable conclusions. The cliche line would be “go with your gut”, the $20 version would say “cognitive bias”.

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A secondary idea is the danger of mixing personal beefs with business (especially when the action is based on those faulty assumptions).

Our protagonist, Lee, the above-mentioned enforcer, tries to figure out what is really going on while others are going off half-cocked (with loaded guns).

Those are the ideas that underpin the story. Or we can just enjoy the action, the guys, the gals, the guns, the big old cars, and maybe even spot the hommage à Peckinpah – think The Getaway meets Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (the vibe, not the plot points).

What genres does your screenplay fall under?

a) Action

b) Crime, in the sense that all the characters are involved in crime or related to criminals, and law enforcement

c) Contemporary western, in its setting, and the number of wannabe gunfighters

Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?

Because, if done right, it would be a fun 110 mins, with enjoyable characters in a crazy action-packed situation.

And those who choose can ponder the deeper meanings of the film.

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The world of a blissfully detached woman turns upside down when she’s forced to adjust to the ordinary life that exists beyond working at an off-the-wall lesbian bar, and its rivalry with the gay club across the street.

https://instagram.com/theboxtrapmovie

What motivated you to make this film?
Inside jokes between me and my friend Gabby, unfortunate life experiences and the uncontrollable urge I felt to make a feature-length film.

From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
The idea was developed in 2023 and I started writing it as a dramedy, which I don’t know why I did because I hate dramedies, and I ended up rewriting it a bunch of times throughout that whole year until it became what it did. We shot it in 2024 and it took me around 10 months to edit the whole thing. So, roughly 2 and a half to three years.

How would you describe your film in two words!?
Chicken wings.

What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
I think I had many obstacles that felt like the end of the world at the time but seem so small when I look back at them now. The main obstacles are typically the same in every set: actors or crew calling out last minute, technical difficulties, unlucky weather and having to stay on schedule through all of it. We were doing an overnight shoot on one of the Box Trap set days, and it was like 5am. The goddamn birds would not shut up outside. It took us way longer to film a super short outside scene that I had dedicated two hours to on the schedule. Among that, almost everything that could’ve went wrong that day went wrong and we ended up having to plan a reshoot day, which was an extra $5,000 or so over budget. Looking back now, I am thankful that everything went the way it did because it gave us extra time to really focus on the smaller scenes. But at the time, I almost gave myself a stroke and did not sleep the rest of that filming week.

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Vagabond in Red: Iquitos, 52min., USA

Directed by Tom Lonero

A recovering addict and filmmaker from Pittsburgh sets off across Peru on a personal healing journey in the aftermath of a global pandemic. Shot entirely solo with modest gear, Vagabond in Red: Iquitos blends raw handheld imagery and poetic narration to explore the human condition through history, culture, social issues, and resilience. Legendary Amazonian landscapes provide the backdrop, but it’s the people Tom meets along the way who reveal quiet truths about survival, faith, and connection. This is not a luxury travel film—it’s a lived-in journey into what remains when the world goes quiet and we start listening again.

https://www.hardmonkeyproductions.com/

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Shanaya's Path, 54min., Netherlands
Directed by Frank Röhrig
Shanaya’s Path follows the intimate journey of Shanaya, a young person from Darjeeling who identifies as a woman and dreams of transitioning despite immense social and familial resistance. Since gender norms are rigid and visibility for trans people is scarce in her home town, Shanaya leaves for New Delhi, but her desire to become her true self is met with hostility, shame, and fear.

http://frankrohrig.com/

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He/She/Us Short Film, 19min., USA

Directed by Susan Kelejian

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575877610548

https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-he-she-us

Conversation with the creative team of the award winning short film.

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When the fourth wall breaks, a young filmmaker must find his inner creative confidence and take control of his story before it takes control of the world around him.

Short film completed at Loyola Marymount University.

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Guillotine, 22min., Romania

Directed by Alexandru Hosu

https://www.instagram.com/hosu_de_biciclete/

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Hannah Ehman chats with actor Irini Katz on the making of the award-winning film. Her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/irinikatz/

Follow Interviewer Hannah Ehman on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ehmanhannah/

Watch Hannah’s commercial spots: https://www.ispot.tv/topic/actor-actress/bP8/hannah-ehman

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Now it's better, 12min., Romania

Directed by Alice Ioana Nicolae

In a world where it is easier to tear down than to build, to blame rather than to take responsibility, there are still resources for a better life. Although very painful and seemingly unique to each couple, the stories of our protagonists are almost universally valid, or perhaps very relevant in our current social and political context.Will the protagonist couples save their relationships? We will see in the short film 'Now It's Better.'

www.instagram.com/alicenicolaehl

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Hannah Ehman chats with actor Adrian Teampau on the making of the award-winning film.

Follow Interviewer Hannah Ehman on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ehmanhannah/

Watch Hannah’s commercial spots: https://www.ispot.tv/topic/actor-actress/bP8/hannah-ehman

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Feet Don't Fail Me Now, 7min., USA

Directed by Fuzhi Zhao

The sun will erase your memory. If you don't want to become nobody, you have to keep running.

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In the forgotten corners of the city, a young homeless addict named JD drifts through nights haunted by silence, addiction, and disconnection. Alongside Max, a hardened street survivor, and Luna, a mentally ill woman caught in a cycle of delusion and innocence, JD stumbles through a grim urban purgatory. When tragedy strikes under the glow of streetlights and stars, JD is forced to confront the cost of invisibility — and the fragile spark of hope that may still exist.

"Under the Stars" is a haunting, poetic portrait of those society ignores, where even in the darkest moments, humanity flickers like a lighter in the night.

Conversation with filmmaker Jason G. Mercado, with his assistant Nadine Emrich.

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1. On September 22, 2025, Chef Matthew Biancaniello embarked on one of the greatest challenges of his life: a 21 mile swim from Catalina Island to Palos Verdes, CA. While his journey is inspiring on its own, he didn’t do it just for himself. The swim was a vehicle to raise money and awareness for Indivisible Arts, a nonprofit dedicated to teaching consciousness and creativity to kids.

2. Project Links

3.  Website

4.  Instagram

5. 
   What motivated you to make this film?
   
   
   This is the 2nd film in a documentary series I’m directing called Rhythms, which is all about the unseen rituals of inspiring people. I learned about Matthew Biancaniello’s marathon swim to raise money for Indivisible Arts through Robert Wemischner, who’s both a friend and was the subject for the first Rhythms film. 
   
   
   I was immediately intrigued, but then I spoke to Matthew as well as Rafael McMaster, the founder of Indivisible Arts, and I was so inspired. I knew I had to tell this story in some way, and thankfully everyone was excited to have me involved in this capacity. Indivisible Arts is a remarkable organization, teaching creativity and consciousness to kids. The first time I went to their space in Hermosa Beach I was taken aback. These kids are able to explore their own sense of self in a way that’s rare, as well as build vital mindfulness and emotional intelligence skills. Coupling that story with Matthew’s intense swim, 2 years after major back surgery, was something I felt deeply moved by.
   
   From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
   
   
   I learned about the September 2025 swim in July. By early September we were confirmed to shoot, with production beginning on September 22. We completed the film and released it online on November 2, so it was about 4 months in total.

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GHEE, 21min., India

Directed by Romi Banerjee

A quiet lunch turns upside down when a secret recipe sets off a chain of surprises.

https://www.instagram.com/ghee_theshortfilm

Director Statement

Ever since I could remember, I was obsessed with the idea of “control.”

Do we really have control, or is it just a trick of the mind hacking away at us, desperate to be seen, heard, and felt?

With Ghee, I wanted to make a film which touched upon the topics of control, power, and ambition.

While writing this short film, I aspired to create a rather simple world. Don’t get me wrong - It’s a simple world, but it is a world where Gods feast on Gods.
Structured chaos is the name of the game.

I sought after creating a radically dark story without using violence, gore, and external mayhem.

I tried to birth an antagonist that was arguably worse than the cruelest dictators of yesteryears - a smiling devil. The kind of devil that sweet-talks you into jumping straight inside boiling, hot lava - all that without lifting a finger.

Would you want to live in a world where something like "Enthrallium" has federal approval? A world where conscious thoughts are obsolete? Where hope is a relic?

My love for monochrome knows no bounds. I wanted this film to have zero distractions. Also the black and white format allowed me to capture the complex shades of grey that mirror the human psyche reflective of the characters inside the film. The world is grim, and impatient to innocence.

This is more than just a story about control; it’s a narrative about the madness required to thrive in a chaotic world.

Because in this world, only the truly insane survive.

Our Threatened & Endangered Species: Allegheny Woodrat follows the Pennsylvania Game Commission and partners as they fight to save one of the state’s most elusive mammals. Once common across the Appalachian Mountains, the Allegheny woodrat has declined for decades due to habitat loss, disease, and the disappearance of its ancient ally—the American chestnut tree.

What motivated you to make this film?

Allegheny Woodrats is Episode II in a series on Threatened & Endangered Species. These films aim to educate folks on the challenges surrounding species conservation, and what people can do to get involved and actions they can take at home to help all wildlife. Wildlife conservation and management is complex, involving hard work, creativity, tenacity and human politics. If we tell the story well, we can ensure all of our native species persist into the future—because people will not protect what they don’t understand and they certainly won’t protect what they don’t know.

The efforts surrounding saving the Allegheny woodrat are complex and involve partnerships across state lines, with varying agencies, non-profits, institutions and universities. There are over 15 groups involved in seeing that this species persists into the future. But the challenges the species’ face is multi-faceted: from the effective extinction of the American chestnut, to habitat fragmentation that cascades into genetic isolation, inbreeding and population loss, and finally the increasing raccoon population as a result of habitat fragmentation. To save a species, we must address all of the challenges. The effort, creative thinking and dedication to our wildlife fills me with hope. Despite all the things going wrong with conservation on a bigger scale, these stories are so impactful and clearly state that we can and will affect change if we just act even in small ways.

I am driven to make a difference with the films I produce. Documentary film is a powerful tool that helps change hearts and minds—even for species or issues for which are foreign to many people. This species is a particular challenge because of the stigma in its name: it isn’t ‘just a rat’ and I hope this piece sheds some light on the importance of all wildlife, despite the name we have assigned them.

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

I started documenting field work with woodrats—actually translocations—in August of 2020. So, shooting took place over five years with the bulk of it taking place in 2024. I began editing full time in late summer 2024, and tried to do re-shoots and all the interviews in early 2025. Altogether the editing process took 18 solid months.

I am one person and do all of the things: from research to writing, shooting and editing, it’s a monumental task of dedication.

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Night security guard Tom monitors storage units in Chicago with only his chair and radio for company, until he witnesses regular tenant Mrs. Jones lead a man into her unit who mysteriously vanishes.

Conversation with writer/director of the award-winning feature film SHIFT, Max Neace

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Starring: Angela Alise, Cathleen Kaelyn, Rosanne Limeres
Written & Directed by Max Neace
Cinematographer: Robert Reed Altman
Composer: Crystal Grooms Mangano
Production Designer: Jevon Dismuke

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GINNY’S ENTERPRISE, 18min., Canada
Directed by Suzanne Marie Moreau
She boldly goes where no girl has ever been allowed before! How a young Star Trek fan foils her family’s restrictive roles for girls by becoming the Captain of her own starship.

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

I was motivated by my own coming of age experiences as a girl growing up in the sixties Cold War at a time when gender roles were strictly enforced by a generation traumatised by war. This origin story is a version of my own loss of innocence and a stark recognition of truth as an enigma. It is a reckoning of how I coped with injustice and intergenerational, complex trauma over a lifetime – like Ginny does in the film, at times inappropriately. The film is very meta. It’s a path towards forgiveness of self and others, and of healing. It’s how I found a way, through storytelling,to those who may have experienced their own version of trauma, to offer a glimmer of hope.

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

Ginny’s Enterprise was one of several short screenplays I began writing in 2019. The screenplay was selected by Toronto and Montreal film festivals, and became a festival finalist in Vancouver, New York, Vienna and Paris, France in 2021. After launching my first short film, Blood Buddies (2022), I began pre-production in summer 2022 and wrapped filming in October that year. Ginny’s Enterprise completed post-production and made its debut in film festivals in early 2023.

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Guns in Paradise is a South Korea–set short film that blends fantasy, action, and romance through a metafictional lens. Trapped in routine, a DVD store clerk imagines a violent, passionate love story between two doomed assassins — unaware that the fantasy she’s creating might hold the key to rewriting her own life.

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

In my recent projects, I’ve been deeply hands-on, taking on nearly every imaginable role within the filmmaking process. Over time, I’ve worn almost every hat—except one: set design. That gap stayed with me. Wanting to push myself further and expand my visual language, I decided to build a set for the first time.

This wasn’t just about learning a new skill. It was about deepening the knowledge I’ve accumulated over the years and becoming a more complete filmmaker. While I don’t intend to keep doing everything myself forever—I’m very aware that this approach isn’t sustainable long-term—I do believe strongly in understanding every department at a fundamental level. That understanding is what allows meaningful collaboration. When I work with seasoned professionals in the future, I want to communicate my vision clearly, elevate their strengths, and create work that feels unified rather than fragmented.

That creative momentum was amplified when I acquired a dream camera: the Canon C700 shooting RAW. I’ve been a Canon user my entire life, and finding an affordable C700 at auction felt like a sign—fuel added to an already growing desire to create something ambitious and uncompromising in quality.

At its core, this project is a love letter to cinema itself. It reflects my personal relationship with movies—the inspiration they’ve given me, the hope they still represent, and the quiet sadness I feel about the current state of the medium. It’s both a tribute and a reckoning, born out of admiration, concern, and an enduring need to create.

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

This project took two years to make. In general, my short films come together in about two months, featurettes take closer to two years, and full-length features require a minimum of four years.

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Reach for the Stars, 22min., Australia

Directed by Dylan Randall

After her mother’s passing, young Madeline is struggling with coming to terms with her grief. One night, when a small spacecraft crashes in her backyard, she meets B3R1, a stranded visitor from the stars.

https://www.instagram.com/outatimepictures

Director Statement

Reach For the Stars is a project that I hold very close to my heart, as the idea came after the passing of my Grandad, and how my family and I dealt with the grief that followed.

My film aims to be a light-hearted, wonder-filled adventure with emotional undertones that helps us explore the idea of how different people deal with loss, and how that can be overcome.
When bringing this story to life, I was heavily inspired by the wonderful work of the ‘Industrial Light and Magic’ studio and the puppets created for the original Star Wars, and I began to wonder how I could incorporate these techniques into my story. The emotional weight of this film is carried by B3R1, our little robot friend, while also bringing wonder to your screens. B3R1 acts as an emotional bridge for our audience to connect them to the story and to act as a sense of hope that people may need.

Reach For the Stars is a heartfelt, nostalgic, science fiction tale that I hope brings you joy, wonder, and lets you know that it is okay to miss somebody, because that means you really loved them.

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