Lucia & Nicole, 10min., USA
Directed by Marlene Emilia Rios
On the cusp of adulthood Lucia finds her childhood friend Nicole living on the street. Houseless after coming out, Lucia’s mother Ximena invites her into their home. However, Nicole’s re-appearance into their lives raises questions about their own daughter’s identity and how to respond to Lucia and Nicole’s re-connection.
https://instagram.com/huelgamedia
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
I wanted to make this film because growing up I had this idea of romance that came from my grandparents’ stories of how they met, their serenading—and I’d sit in my living room and watch ‘A Walk in the Clouds,’ and I’d dream of romance. As I grew older, I realized there were no depictions of this for queer love. There wasn’t a vision of the future to latch on to. It seemed to only exist to me in vague, whispered possibilities. Very rarely do we actually get to see romantic films about queer relationships. I wanted to make something that was an ode to those moments and those films I loved as a child, ‘A Walk in the Clouds,’ ‘Pride & Prejudice’ but that existed in a world that was grounded to me. And I knew I wanted to showcase the beautiful community of Albuquerque that had welcomed me as a student and seems to be in constant celebration of identity. I wanted to make the kind of story you could imagine your grandmothers or your cool old aunts telling you someday about how they met long ago, and how their romance blossomed over the years.
What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I was pleasantly surprised to see how people connected with the story, this film is a departure from my previous work, and I think of this film as coming from the more romantic and idealistic part’s of myself and I’m glad to see that recognized. I’d love to live in a world full of empathy and community care and I very consciously chose to reject certain narratives and stereotypes when writing and directing this project because I wanted to show that, and it’s really gratifying to see people appreciate that. It’s always meaningful to see when your intent comes through and when people are able to connect to a story that feels so personal to you. As storytellers we always strive to connect with people and stir an emotion within them, but with shorts, it’s often hard to gauge impact. Sometimes they live only in private screenings or online. Being able to hear from an audience is especially valuable in this sense.
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/
https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod
--------
EP. 1454: Filmmakers Ben Berry & Brooke Bechtold (BEEHOLD)
Beehold, 18min., USA
Directed by Ben Berry
From his work with local nuns looking for answers about their barren apple trees to his consulting with golf courses in natural habitat management to classrooms, and his own design workshop – he is a true beeliever in the good story – the gospel of abundance as taught by bees and he’s helping protect Wisconsin’s beloved pollinators. It’s called Behold and our story starts here. Humm Productions, in collaboration with Mtn Craft Productions, has pioneered a new media format called DocuPod™. It combines the power of short, immersive documentaries with engaging podcast audio to create a captivating 360-degree experience for audiences.
https://www.hummproductions.org/episodes/
https://www.instagram.com/impactually_show/?hl=en
Get to know Director Ben Berry & Producer Brooke Bechtold:
What motivated you to make this film?
Brooke: Our team wanted our proof-of-concept DocuPodTM to be of a very special person serving his community at large with dignity and focus. We had just finished our Beehold podcast, and we knew that if listeners had the opportunity to see Charlie and feel connected to him that a short video documentary would be the perfect complement. We hoped audiences would adore and respect Charlie’s work protecting pollinators as much as we do.
Ben: As Brooke mentioned, we wanted to shoot a proof of concept for our DocuPodTM. Once Brooke found Charlie, it was off to the races. Our goal is to approach every DocuPodTM we do thoughtfully—with a certain slowness. We want to allow the audience to be with the character and walk a mile in their shoes. Once Charlie agreed, our motivation became about showing Charlie’s passion and how that passion is lived out day to day.
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/
https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod
--------
EP. 1453: Filmmaker A.L. Pruitt (The Rich Kid Rules)
The Rich Kid Rules (Ep. 1: 362 Rules of a High School Dropout), 59min., USA
Directed by A.L. Pruitt, Makenna Perkal
A new kind of coming-of-age crime drama series with horses, dance, a dysfunctional family, and an upstairs/downstairs romance with a reverse Cinderella story twist.
http://therichkidrules.com/
https://www.instagram.com/therichkidrules
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/
https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod
--------
EP. 1452: Filmmaker Moriah Doepken (COOP)
COOP, 19min., USA
Directed by Moriah Doepken
After sustaining a bad injury, a stubborn retired sheriff must learn to talk with his estranged son as they build a fence together, or risk losing the relationship.
Get to know the filmmaker:
What motivated you to make this film?
I love Western films and one day had the idea of “What happens to the sheriff of the town after he’s retired and the town no longer needs him?” And working with the brilliant writer Jeffrey Hein, we expanded this idea into what you see now. We both loved the idea of a man stuck in the past and whose toxic masculinity could be the basis of a lot of problems for him in a more modern world.
What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I loved seeing people take all sorts of interpretations away with them after watching it, because what x, y, and z may represent to me comes across totally differently for each viewer, which is so cool. And I want there to be discourse on if the characters made the right choice or what the coop itself represents!
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/
https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod
--------
EP. 1451: Filmmaker Joy Shannon (ROCK ISLAND PRISON 1864)
Rock Island Prison 1864, 7min,. USA
Directed by Joy Shannon
Guarding Confederate POWS in a Civil War prison, a runaway slave now Union soldier, desperately fights for power, or faces returning to slavery.
https://www.rockislandprison.com/
https://www.wildsound.ca/videos/audience-feedback-rock-island-prison
Subscribe to the podcast:
https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod
https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod/
https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod
Polska