Autore: Dreamate Demo

-Who is Cherie Kerr? 

Cherie is an award-winning indie filmmaker. She was a founding member of the legendary  comedy organization, the L.A. Groundlings whose many performers went on to major shows, most notably “Saturday Night Live.” Kerr went on to found her own comedy organization 33 years ago, The Orange County Crazies, which has received rave reviews for both its sketch work and improvisational comedy shows. Over the past forty years, Kerr has written 450 sketches, 5 original screenplays, one Broadway musical and two of the three films she produced were all improvised (according to a strict storyline/scriptment). Two of her films–“We’ve Got Balls,” a quirky family-firendly bowling cult movie, and “The Show Can’t Go On!” are available on many streaming platforms. The sequel to “The Show Can’t Go On!” “The 3rd Annual Matricher Falls Internationel Film Festival,” is currently seeking distribution. In sum, her films have recieved 19 awards along the film festival circuit. Kerr co-stars in her latter two movies–the first about a failed sketch comedy show’s director’s angst when the show encounters one disaster after another–the second, a sequel, which sees the three main characters making a valiant effort to cobble together surveillance tape from the sketch show and fashion it into an indie feature. Both films are mockumentaries. Kerr also founded and still heads KerrPR, an “all things communication”  publicity firm that has continued to garner accolades for its work and awards.

Kerr has also written 15 books, 11 of which accompany her public speaking and communication skills training company, ExecuProv (for Fortune 100 companies); three of her books are how-to books on comedy. They are sold around the world in17 languages. Kerr also starred in her own one woman show, “Out of her Mind,” where she played several original characters. She also authored “Charlie’s Notes” a memoir about her father’s life as a jazz musician. She hopes to raise funding to adapt the book into a film.  Her film company, Ree-invent Films founded in 2013, has a mission statement: “Provide a satirical look at the world in which we live and to leave audiences with a strong moral messsage long after the laughter subsides.” Kerr is also the mother of Drake Doremus, a filmmaker who won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 2011 for “Like Crazy.” Doremus grew up on Kerr’s stage studying and performing improv most of his young life before attending AFI at age 19. He has since gone on to make a number of indie films with actors well known.

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?   

I loved the work we were doing on stage, but with the advent and ease of making indie films, I wanted to parlay my expertise into the film format. It seemed like a natural progression in my comedy career.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society? 

Absolutely. People are profoundly influenced by visual storytelling and I think with more humor and more reminders that we are all in this together, we might spark a greater interest in peace with our fellow man around the globe. I believe there is nothing more bonding that humor, except love. Humor is universal. And, it’s so healing. When engaged in it, it even changes your brain chemistry, in a most positive way!

-What would you change in the world?  

I would like to find a way to bring harmony to all mankind. No more wars, no more illness, no more strife, just efforts to make the planet the home base for more spirituality. I also would make sure that people had a ample dose of humor in their every day life.

–Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years? 

There will always be films, but I think we will watch most things digitally in time. We’re certainly headed that way. While I love the big screen, I’m not so sure theaters will be in existence in the next 20-30 years. But stories and interesting characters always will be. That will never change.

-Who is Federica Alice Carlino?

Federica Alice Carlino was born in 1991 not far from Milan, Italy. She showed her love and passion for movies at the age of 3. Her family moved around Europe for work, so she had the opportunity to meet new cultures. She grew up in the Netherlands until she was 6, then moved back to Italy for most of her education, she also studied in London at Richmond Upon Thames College. She studied filmmaking, photography, and makeup in Milan and makeup prosthetics in Rome with Dario Argento’s makeup artist, Sergio Stivaletti. She is a New York Film Academy BFA graduate. She worked with Warner Brothers and Netflix. She has experience in directing, casting, writing, and acting. She works in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Milan, and Los Angeles.

–What inspired you to become a Filmmaker?

I was 3 and I asked my dad how they get to have dinosaurs in Jurassic Park if they were forever gone. He told me it was cinema magic, the next day he found a VHS with extras and we watched it, I finally understood what was behind it. I told him that I wanted to do this when I grew up and both my parents thought it was just a phase, but here I am today. I guess it’s exactly it, the fact that with movies you can make everything happen, even if it would be impossible in real life. Achieving the impossible is what drives my perseverance, for sure. As an adult I’d say being relatable to your audience, we have different lives, we grow up in different settings, but we happen to live the same emotions, what is even crazier, is that we happen to meet the same people, the toxic friend, that horrible teacher, a great mentor, a narcissist relative, the goofy and funny friend, first loves, first kiss, a fight with a parent, a sudden death, we grieve, we cry, we celebrate… If you use these elements to hold your audience’s hands and to bring them into your world, telling them your story through familiar emotions is already 80% of the work done there. I also tend to take inspiration from what happened to me and I then create a fictional world around it, if I have a real input to start from I feel like I can tell my story in an authentic way. It works with your characters as well. Think about that weird uncle you have or a good friend of yours, or your first love, what about that old lady you see every day at the bus stop? Think about real people in your life, start from there, and then create a new person, give them a zodiac sign, a hobby, a favorite Spotify playlist, you can truly use little things you already have around you to create a good movie. If your character is not perfect it is even better.

-Do you think cinema can bring a change in society?

I guess it did somehow in the past and it still is, but I see it more as a trendsetter and it has the power to bring people together, to create communities, and with that, I can confidently say that it does. Pop culture especially comes from music and movies, I can bond with a stranger in the streets about my Harry Potter house anytime if you know what I mean by that. My personal goal is not necessarily to change society, I want to spread my messages and tell everyone they are not alone in this ride. To create a community. This world is very individualistic, it’s a solo ride, and if people put some effort into knowing someone better, they would know they have so much in common with so many individuals.

-What would you change in the world?

So many things, especially the way women are still treated nowadays. We are not owners of our bodies, we still don’t have the same power that men have. I’m not someone who hates men, I just want equality. I still see it on some sets, if I’m in a powerful position, it’s still hard to be respected and seen as an authority and I’m doing my best to create a name for myself and create a brand to identify with. I’m glad so many women are stepping in to be directors, cinematographers, and producers.. Something is changing and I hope for the best. My goal for the future is to also give an opportunity to young filmmakers, young people that love the craft and want to be part of it.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

I hope for more emotions, and fewer visual effects, don’t get me wrong, I love a good movie with visual effects. I see less plot and more attention for films to be pretty. I am afraid cinema will become vertical one day, which would be cool to see on few occasions, for special projects and events designed for that, but I hope it won’t become the new definite way to make movies, we worked so much to evolve from that little square to panoramic shots.

-Who is Colette Standish?

I am an English painter, filmmaker, and photographer based in San Francisco.

Although a multi–disciplinary artist, I am fundamentally a painter with a painter’s sensibility that extends to other mediums depending on what I am working on. But I always come back to painting. I received my painting degree at St Martins School of Art in London and went on to exhibit extensively throughout Europe and the US. I then returned to school to do my MFA in Studio Art and Film at the San Francisco Art Institute. Over time I have worked with many bands and musicians as a photographer and a cinematographer. I also contribute frequently to, A Cafe in Space: Anais, a Literary Journal, an annual journal based on the writer Anais Nin. My poem,”A Letter,” published in volume 8, was made into a music video entitled, I Was in Love… Still Am, by the avant-garde collective EPI based in Manchester, UK, and Florence, Italy. Last year I completed a semi–autobiographical film called Viaggio: A Journey, and where it is now gathering momentum around the festivals in Europe. My film has been awarded Best Experimental film by the Naples Film Festival, Paris Film Festival, and the New York Neo-Realism Festival. I am currently working on a film project based on the silencing of women’s voices.

–What inspired you to become a photographer, painter and experimental filmmaker?

As a painter, I was significantly influenced by artists who extended their vision into films, such as the Surrealists and Jean Cocteau. I was also Influenced by the transgressive and erotic prose of Anais Nin, which lends itself to film. But it was the films of Philip Kaufman, notably, The Unbearable Lightness of Being and Henry and June, that inspired me towards film, and after seeing Blue Velvet by David Lynch, I bought my first camera. Last but by no means least, the most important – my mother, who painted, drew, and wrote every day of her life. An early feminist that communicated and installed in me the importance of women’s rights from an early age. Thanks, mum!

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

Yes completely. Film is art reflecting back on society, good and bad, but always open to interpretation, and cinema is the tool, the mirror that holds it up. But it is also a place to dream. Ask anyone who has sat in a dark auditorium in anticipation and excitement about a film they are about to experience. There is this magical belief that anything can happen, and for that limited amount of time, you get pulled into a world where everything is possible.

-What would you change in the world?

It would be easy to say more peace love and understanding, but I believe the world and nature tell us what it needs at specific times. As humans we are too absorbed in living and existing, and I mean that with all good intentions. At times we are either too sensitive or not sensitive enough depending on cause and survival.  We still have a lot to learn, and I believe that nature and the world will still be around in some form or another after humankind has gone. So, I wouldn’t really know what to change in the world, but to humankind, I would say slow down, be a filmmaker or an artist and enjoy the time you have here because the world is a pretty cool place.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

I see films being more interactive with their audience. For example, audiences will have the option of playing alongside holograms of actors. Reality and fantasy become intertwined. There will be no central film industry it will all be independent. Everyone will have their 15 seconds of fame at a push of a button or a click on a screen. Who knows, but my imagination is having a lot of fun thinking about it.

-Who is Terry Podnar?

I am a graduate of Kent State and a screenwriter who currently lives in Akron, Ohio, U.S.A.; however, I do have the flexibility and luxury to move. My passion for films started at a young age when I wrote and filmed many independent films. During that time, I had a full time job, went to college at night, had a family to support and wrote and made films. Something had to give: I was forced to make a living. An opportunity was offered to me to become the founder and CEO of a successful business that distributed metal throughout the globe. Eventually, I returned to my first love: writing screenplays, and now, I’m in it for the duration. In the past year, I have written eight award-winning screenplays: four feature length screenplays and four short scripts. One of my feature screenplays, The Red Zone, was placed on Coverfly’s The Red List in January of this year. My newest script, Richard Spong, won Best Feature Script at the 8 & Halfilm Awards, which was its first festival submission.  Many of these disparate experiences, influences and education formed the person I am today.  

-What inspired you to become a screenwriter?

My inspiration for screenwriting began when I was assisting a friend who was making a movie. I was fascinated by the manipulation of images, scenes, editing, dialogue, etc. in a purposeful manner to move a reader or an audience. To create your own world where a story is conveyed in your own way is an exciting challenge. I strive to take an inchoate idea and develop it through a writing process. When a reader grasps and appreciates what I’m trying to convey, it gives me deep satisfaction. It feeds the inspiration and encourages me to create something greater and different. 

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

Absolutely. But the change can be good or bad. There is no question of the influence of cinema that affects all of us. A good example is when people often quote dialogue or describe scenes in movies. That person has been impacted in some way, good or bad. I agree with British empiricist, David Hume, who said people constantly change imperceptibly every moment. The experience of cinema compacts or accelerates that change in a two hour period. The experience leaves the audience indelibly affected whether they like the film or not. After the movie experience, the person is not the same as the person who went into the theatre. An extreme example is when Hinkley shot U.S. President Reagan because of his obsession with Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver. The effect of cinema on society is irrefutable.

-What would you change in the world?

It’s my wish to see peace achieved by tolerance. There is some hope as the world becomes smaller through technological advances. Several years ago, for example, I never would have thought to submit a screenplay to 8 & Halfilm Awards because of the distance and communication; however, the world has become a global society. I frequently text and communicate to people all over the world. It’s unfathomable to think that someone who befriends you will also hurt you because you’re different. I may never see the merging of societies, cultures, beliefs, etc. in my lifetime, but I’m hopeful of the future. Most of my scripts always end looking toward a better future.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

The film industry constantly evolves into something impossible to predict. It’s in a state of constant flux where new developments happen every year. No one in the silent era could imagine what would transpire now and that was only 100 years ago. Unpredictable catastrophes, wars, trends, technology… transform the journey forward. I believe moving forward and looking to the future unafraid is uncertain and exciting. Writers and filmmakers in the future will inevitably face the same problems we face today: find new ways of telling well-worn stories. I believe the unique and innovative people in the film industry will adapt and write and make movies accordingly. We always do.

-Who is Sergio Nazzaro?

A curious person who now has more doubts than certainties. The only antidote to doubt is continuous study, research. An antidote that fortunately does not work, and so doubt remains alive and fuels curiosity. I am wary of those who possess any kind of variety and envy those who have certainty, doubt is like the sea, it is constantly moving, deep, fascinating but also overwhelming. Writing reflects this state of mind whether it is analysis, investigation or storytelling.

-What inspired you to become a writer?

Foreword, I do not consider myself a writer. I have read too many books to think of myself as a writer.

If I think of my favorite authors, no n can even remotely imagine me near shelf or bookstore. by now everyone writes, even one book and talks about it for decades. We get the picture from the contract on, as an imperishable testimony to nothingness. It’s not for me. I am fortunate enough to have been the voice of compelling, public interest stories. Listening is more interesting than writing. Writing is a duty to give voice to those who don’t have one and especially to give voice to those who cannot be heard. Today it is a bad habit not only to steal the story, the voice, but even people’s lives. Writers, journalists whose lives are miserable and who usurp the lives of others as if they had lived them, instead of staying in the background as the true masters of reportage teach. But it is the endless age of selfies and everything becomes a 15-second show.  

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

Absolutely, like any artistic action and production. And I think this is a daily action. Every day we are surrounded by artistic stimuli. The real problem lies in its production. Always so complex, exhausting. Even after a long process, you always have to convince a producer, a publisher, a gallery owner of the goodness of your idea. I also agree that one always has to fight for one’s ideas, for one’s productions, but it is also tiring to always have to convince someone, while then always running after the new social phenomenon. There is no longer a time for slow production, for details. It’s a constant grind for an inattentive audience, or at least it seems to me that’s what you want. Quality takes time, and you can’t waste it convincing but working on the project itself.

-What would you change in the world?

This is a wonderful question. You only ask it to children now, instead of asking it also and especially to adults, to those who at the end of the day have a chance to be able to really change things. I would change the desire to change the world, change by trying to teach the small but plural steps. Small steps of millions, hundreds of millions together change the world. Yet we live in world that has yet to defend the rights of women, the Lgbtq+ community and so on. This is shocking, we are all citizens of the right to live and to exist, to live, to love, and yet even after a pandemic we stand there warring and suppressing minority. This questions me, how do you change the world, if the worst ones start wars and oppressions and they are a minority, what do the majority of people do? Does it remain silent?  

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

I’m not an expert, I’ve written a few things for film and TV, such as a series on the Nigerian mafia, but it’s still stopped. I hope and speak for the Italian world, I repeat I am not an expert, but I have the privilege of knowing and being friends with many young filmmakers, who may have the space to be able to make their ideas true. We see too much nonsense, trivial film or TV series productions, why don’t we give space to what is just beautiful? And here we come back to the critical point, that having to convince those who are in the position to decide. And that seems to me to be a very good parallel to those who wage wars and oppression, a few in the wrong positions.

-Who is Kevin Foster?

That’s a tough question to answer. I’d say… “A Dreamer who gets the job done by turning his dreams into realities, because as we all know, ‘Dreaming is a Serious Business.'” More about me can be found at… Kevin-Foster.com.

-What inspired you to become a producer?

I’ve been in the business of show now for 60 years, in all capacities… Broadway and Film actor, writer, producer, Guinness World Record Holder (New York Subway)… I even rode a bicycle for 12 years (winning the 1990 Cyclist of the Year) and had more fame and fortune in that than I did in the theatre / film business. Upon my retirement in 1998 as an Adventure Cyclist, I continued with my philanthropic work and in 2004, I was given the opportunity to Produce, Write and Star in my first feature film, YESTERDAY’S DREAMS, about a middle aged man who yearns to meet a good woman to settle down with and raise a family.

From there, I produced a friend’s feature documentary called, HOLLYWOOD ON FIRE, about the Christian influence in the film industry, as well as a friend’s music CD called SABER BYTES that reach #1 on college radio in the Summer of 2009 in North America. I was also involved (as an investor) with a short documentary that won that 2008 Academy Award (Oscar) called SMILE PINKI.

In 2019, my own life story, AGAINST THE WALL, came out as a Documentary Short and the worldwide response was incredible, qualifying us for the 2020 Academy Awards. Our latest Documentary Short, A PERFECT LOVE, about a Kentucky, USA family who adopted six children with special needs from China over the span of eight years, is just having unbelievable success on the festival circuit. In the first 10 weeks of 2023, the film has been selected into 21 film festivals, winning 10 of them and qualifying for the 2024 Academy Awards. People have been very drawn to the story.

I have found over the years that I enjoy Producing than the other fields of acting and writing (and hopefully soon, will be able to Direct a film) as Producers are the ones who build the ship and do the hiring to guide and bring that ship into port. Once the film is complete, I then lay out a strategy on how to guide the film to it’s greatest potential.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

I grew up in the Theatre, so that’s my background, but the same principles hold true for film and any other medium (music, painting, writing)… stories have the power to change society for the good or the bad, depending on what the storyteller’s goals are. Man has been telling stories for thousands of years and will continue to do so in whatever new and creative mediums are out there. Cinema has been changing society for over a hundred years, one film at a time.

-What would you change in the world?

Since Cain slew Abel some 6000 years ago, the world has never known peace. We’re long overdue for a cleansing and a rest.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

I don’t even see society, with the way it’s currently going, to last another hundred years, so it is with the film industry. Society wants, demands, FREE content and we, as artists, have to figure out how to give the public what they want and still survive. There’s so much content out there now, most of it is junk… how can we shock an audience more? How long can we assault an audience’s senses? Studios today want to get 100% of the public, but that impossible, and because of that mindset, there’s a lot of wasted effort and money. We need to return back to the old ways and really get back to telling compelling stories and stop with the checklists (okay, let’s make sure we have all the different diverse groups, etc…). Filmmaker’s you are not going to get every group. Not even God can do that, so don’t bother. Just zero in on the group you’re going for and tell your story in such a way that the audience will want to see it and be happy to pay for the experience.

by Michele Diomà

Working as a producer, I am lucky to discover new filmmakers and screenwriters from all over the world every day. It is always a joy to see that human being has boundless creativity and imagination! Since I began working as a producer, it was the first time I saw a movie written by Artificial Intelligence founded by Elon Musk.

‘Connie Lynn’ is directed by English director and actor Lee Westwick. The movie was listed in the Official Selection of the Sundance Film Festival and won the 8 & Halfilm Awards.

Following: my chat with Lee…

– Who is Lee Westwick?

Lee Westwick is an Actor and Director from England.

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

As an Actor portraying various characters I am inspired by Thomas Brodie Sangster, Dylan O’Brien and Cole Sprouse. As a director I am inspired by James Cameron. I wanted to instead of having peoples stories chosen which is still good as I get to research different topics, I truly wanted to be able to give more people a platform to have their stories told. The creating is truly amazing. 

With the movie Connie Lynn we decided to create a movie using Elon Musk and Sam Altman’s Artificial Intelligence GPT. At the time we did not even know if this was possible as it turns out it was. We worked with the Artificial Intelligence and within 2 hours GPT had produced a full script. Recently the use of Artificial Intelligence in film making has raised some concerns especially with the WGA (Writers Guild of America) however I agree with Elon Musk, yes Artificial Intelligence can be dangerous however it does not have to be that way. A.I did not take over we worked with it, alongside it, creating with it.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

I asked my co Actor Kate Hargrave from the movie Connie Lynn her thoughts on this question and I have to agree with her “The most powerful movies show new perspectives and broaden the minds of the views. A society filled with open minded empathetic people can only be good.

-What would you change in the world?

I would make a law in place preventing artificial intelligence being used for harm and wrong doing. 

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

At the moment I am seeing a lot of doubt about technology used in film however I strongly believe we can not fight against what we are creating. I believe we should be working with technology and specifically Artificial Intelligence to create more magic, and interactive experiences for the audiences and I see the film industry doing just that.

-Who is Indri Shiroka?

I am half Italian and one hundred percent Albanian. I would describe myself as an obstinate, incorrigible stubborn young man. I strongly believe our life is a unique, unspeakable gift and it’s a shame not to fully commit ourself on it. I believe in God, in emotional intelligence, I believe in Love and I believe in the power of Beauty. Hard work and count on your strength is the key, hard work allowed me, among the other films, to play in Lionel Baier’s “Au Sud”, by which I had the opportunity to go to Cannes as the film was part of the official selection of the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs 2022.

-What inspired you to become an actor?

Bit of my Ego, bit of the need to make my grandfather (one of the greatest actors of Albanian history) proud of me, bit of my need to exorcise my shyness and generally speaking the idea that I can ensure myself and my family a wealthy life through this job. Ultimately being a filmmaker is a means to an end, through it I can leave something tangible to this world.

-Do you think the cinema can bring a change in the society?

Not just a change, a revolution! I will say more: the Cinema has the duty to bring a change, whether large or small, because it is a form of art that has the unmeasurable power to engage the senses more than any other equal artform.

–What would you change in the world?

The Mediocrity, the erroneous idea that our earthly life is eternal and above all the end of season of “Game of Thrones”.

-Where do you see the film industry going in the next 100 years?

I have no idea. What I know for sure is that film industry will always be there, raising our spirits, maybe changed, according to the mutations of the society (Covid-19 Pandemic docet), but still there.