Author: Dreamate Demo

-What has been the greatest difficulty you faced in producing your project?

My dreams and intuition give me the direction where to go and what to create. It all starts with a feeling coming to me. When I do nature walks, images start appearing in my mind. Then I do a meditation and start to develop a musical theme. I stay a few months with that and the musical variations of the theme. I play keyboards, piano, guitar, flute and sax. Then images start coming strongly to my mind, the archetypes of the images and the script to the video come with the images. After the music is ready, I do a draft and then the whole video starts taking life. The difficulty is to stay with the process until it is complete. I have a team work for Sound design, Pedro Tavares, Jeff Silverman  and Matthew Shell and for image design, myself and Marcio Alves , and my creative consultant is Suzanne Doucet. 

-What was the greatest source of inspiration for creating your project?

The greatest source of inspiration is the Transcendence in the Universe. As a Director I like  to have sounds , music, images in an integration of the senses, which is the perception of the moving universe which is impermanent and vibrates. -We need to overcome our limitations and open other galaxy gates on the Path of Evolution. But for me still remains the meaning of Existence by itself. I still have questions that are understandable only by the eyes of perception and feelings, not by the mind or intellect. Transformation through the vibration of Music and images gives harmony for the emotional movement of the movie and brings the audience an inner encounter of the Self. It is  the birth of civilization and of the Earth evolution with humankind.

-Do you think the film industry today has been damaged by political correctness?

Yes. Art should be free of politics! Art is assisting the evolution of mankind as humans, facilitating Ascension to elevate the body vibrations : physical, emotional, spiritual and the evolution of senses and perception of the universe in motion. Fantasy is the most real aspect of the inner feelings of a person. The creativity and imagination work together to build other realities that translate an inner feeling that would be possible in what people call reality. We dive into mythologies, the archetypes appear and we work from that on to enhance humankind. The story of mythologies and archetypes are  present in all civilizations. What is real or not depends on the angle you are looking and from which dimension you are approaching them.

–What do you think of the Wild Filmmaker platform?

Streaming services have disrupted the traditional distribution model of movies, challenged the dominance of theaters and altering the way films reach audiences. The rise of streaming services and independent platforms  has affected the film industry and content creators in several ways, influencing production decisions, creative freedom, and financial stability. As a result, filmmakers are increasingly drawn to long-form storytelling or episodic formats, impacting the diversity and scope of movie production. Streaming services can play a crucial role in supporting independent filmmakers and promoting diverse voices. Dedicated initiatives, funding opportunities, and curated sections for independent films on streaming platforms would encourage the production and discovery of unique content. If I didn’t exist, I wouldn’t have been able to fulfill myself as a filmmaker and have the opportunity to send my work to all continents. I’m very grateful to your platform organizers and the jury who are receptive to my work, thus providing the opportunity to reach the general public.

-What has been the greatest difficulty you faced in producing your project?

I would say putting together the cast, coordinating the dates, and checking on everyone in the cast and crew to make sure everyone was taken care of and was doing their part efficiently.

-Do you think the film industry today has been damaged by political correctness?

I would say at least the mainstream film industry but for independent filmmakers and anyone involved in the independent film market political correctness doesn’t matter and what matters more is making original films with great story telling that the audience seeks in cinema. 

-What was the greatest source of inspiration for creating your project?

My greatest source of inspiration for creating “Dojo” was a combination of my favorite films of all time, and its story; such as “The Last Samurai”, “The Matrix”, and “Blood Sport”, as well as my own background experience in martial arts training and competition, and to bring everything together to create a unique story of my own to recapture the cinematic mysticism that the audience wants. 

-If you could ask a question to a great director from the past, who would you like to talk to and what would you ask them?

I would talk to director Tony Scott and ask him how he would think and vision on how his movies would flow as he directs his films.

-What do you think of the Wild Filmmaker platform?

I believe the Wild Filmmaker platform is doing a great job by showing amazing independent films out there for the world to see and that they are expanding as a film festival network all around in many countries.

-What has been the greatest difficulty you faced in producing your project?

When the late Emile Haris (who was my filmmaking partner for 20 years) and I began making the short concept film Routine (with the feature film sequel Staycation in mind), we had to begin to think how to raise the monies for such a feature film. We began with investing in a camera package, and then reaching out to investors who were receptive to our previous five feature films (P.J, Chasing the Green, The Legends of Nethiah, Occupants, American Wisper). We also devised an Indiegogo campaign to get additional monies and were fortunate to raise around 200% of our goal. But the main difficulty was we filmed Routine in April 2020 at the height of Covid and it was only one actress (the great Paige Laree Poucel), myself as producer/director, and the late Emile Haris (who was the cinematographer, editor and writer – he would go on to do the same for Staycation). Once we filmed and completed Routine (with the help of wonderful voice actors Bill Victor Arucan and Alan Courtright), around the Summer 2020, it convinced the investors to go onto doing the feature film Staycation, which we began filming in November 2020 with name actors such as Olivia d’Abo, Sean Kenney, Tracee Cocco, Laurene Landon, Kelli Maroney, Eileen Dietz, and because of the Covid restrictions, we had to film piecemeal until November 2022. We also brought back the original three wonderful Routine actors (Paige, Bill Victor, Alan), tying Routine closer to Staycation. Then Emile Haris passed away unexpectedly in July 2023, and it set the film back a couple more months as he was working on the visual effects and had the master files, as I then had to pick up the pieces and find a new visual effects artist and editor (Brian Barsuglia). Currently, it is in the final sound design stage with our sound mixer Sean Fahimian and is around 2 months away from completion. It’s taken 4 years and over 100 cast and crew members to make Staycation a reality and I will never forget each and everyone person who helped complete this lengthy journey.

-Do you think the film industry today has been damaged by political correctness?

I think in some ways yes because one element of storytelling is to tell your story but if you are politically correct, you cannot always say what you want. In other ways, I totally understand the need for balance.

-What was the greatest source of inspiration for creating your project?

I think it was the Covid pandemic and all the trials and tribulations that came with it. In fact, both Routine and Staycation are about a global pandemic and how the world deals with it, but in a more horror genre-based way.

-If you could ask a question to a great director from the past, who would you like to talk to and what would you ask them?

What was their own inspirations for making their wonderful pieces of art.

-What do you think of the Wild Filmmaker platform?

I love it and thank you for having me throughout the years.

-What has been the greatest difficulty you faced in producing your project?

I am not sure there was a ‘greatest difficulty’.  The challenges we had included making sure my home (our set) was ready for the 1 Day shoot. Clearing the living space to prep for the film.  Then challenges with post production had us re-do the VFX we wanted during pre production to make something else work.  Sound was a bit of an issue as foley done was not quite done the best way possible.

-Do you think the film industry today has been damaged by political
correctness?

I think life around the world has been damaged by political correctness. We have gone from one extreme to another.  We worry about saying or doing the right thing that we have lost sight of what is the right thing.  We are more focused on doing rather than being… like being kind, being respectful, being grateful, being helpful.  At the same time if we do not focus on being politically correct (or put another way – respectful of all sex, race, creed, colour, heritage, culture, etc.), there is the chance we stay with our stigmatisms of hate, prejudices, phobias, etc.

I heard Viola Davis talk about how she has done some amazing things – that even top Meryl Streep… yet Viola does not get paid the money Meryl when she does a movie.  Why is that?  I am the old white guy – and according to my daughter my archetype (old white men) is the cause of the problems we have today … so I am not allowed to say anything.  But here is what I know.  The world owes each of us nothing.  We need to work for it.  Each of us need to go after what we want.  We cannot control other people only ourselves.  So we should consider letting people do them – while we do ourselves.

Specifically to the film industry, movies derive from experiences people have in life AND life experiences come about from things like we see in movies.
There should not be political correctness… this art.  It is very subjective.  We all don’t like the same things.  And that is ok. Keep creating and sharing your stories is what I say.  It will make a difference to somebody and hopefully get them to be their best.

-What was the greatest source of inspiration for creating your project?

Greatest source for me is my son.  I went to film school at the age of 57 in 2021.  My son was working at Toronto Film School after he had graduated from Video Game programming in 2019.  There I met my business partners and we created MARKD Productions.  This came after my son had left TFS and
decided to get a degree in comp science.  He went to Lakehead Univ and did what he did in college.  He was top of his class.  He got 2 part time jobs. The only difference was he burnt the candle at both ends.  On Nov 6 2021, he had a car accident and passed away.
My heart was crushed – but somehow he became my driving force in this industry. The Package was the first production outside of school that we all did.  It is a short silent film.  It was made to remind us to be careful what you wish for.

-If you could ask a question to a great director from the past, who would
you like to talk to and what would you ask them?

I am a real newbie in filmmaking and the names I know of are still alive… Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Christopher Nolan. They are the most important to me right now.  AND my questions are really simple – What would it take for them to consider co-directing or consulting with me on a feature
musical that I have written with the music of a well know 70s band?  What would they do if they were starting out as a director in film today (and at the age of 60)?  

-What do you think of the Wild Filmmaker platform?

The first time I became aware of Wild Filmmaker was in 2022.  My team and I attended TIFF and had the privilege to help provide a story about what was happening.  I think the platform continues to grow and gain notoriety.  I like seeing how it shines the light on those striving to do good in this industry.  I am grateful to have been acknowledged and considered to share my thoughts and insights that I have learned and been exposed to.

-What has been the greatest difficulty you faced in producing your project?

This film was made with unused footage from a previous project. In this particular case there were no particular difficulties. I was presented with this idea while reviewing all the footage in the archives.

-Do you think the film industry today has been damaged by political
correctness?

Political correctness is a contrivance contrived with the specific intention of not telling things as they really are. I am not politically correct, I am politically correct ( in the etymological sense of the word ) and the film industry should return the art of film to the hands of artists.

-What was the greatest source of inspiration for creating your project?

The feminine universe and the depth that lies beneath it.

-If you could ask a question to a great director from the past, who
would you like to talk to and what would you ask them?

I think it would be interesting to reverse the parties. I am sure that a filmmaker from the past ( Tarkovsky for example ) addressing a contemporary mainstream filmmaker would give him a giant question mark.  

-What do you think of the Wild Filmmaker platform?

Wild Filmmaker represents one of the few realities able to give voice to independent and extraordinary artists ( there are many ) who otherwise would have no way to express their creativity freely and without pressure. One of not many opportunities to reaffirm that filmmaking is not dead and that, indeed it still has a lot to give.

-What has been the greatest difficulty you faced in producing your project?

The greatest difficulty I faced in producing my project was finding the right balance between creative vision and my x always telling me to stop dreaming and tell everyone, I was a wanna be and an epic failure… It was challenging to bring my artistic vision to life while managing limited resources effectively.
From being put down every day… Telling me I am going to go no where… This made me more determined to succeed…
In My vision and go forward.

-Do you think the film industry today has been damaged by political correctness?

I believe that the film industry today has been influenced by political correctness. While there is a push for more inclusive and diverse storytelling, there are instances where excessive political correctness may hinder creative freedom and authentic storytelling. Finding the right balance is crucial for the industry’s growth and evolution.

-What was the greatest source of inspiration for creating your project?

The greatest source of inspiration for creating my project was personal experiences and emotions. Drawing from real-life stories and human connections fueled my creativity and gave depth to the characters and narrative. I have been blessed to have actors that go and went far beyond my expectations. My actors , Tony Nicholas, Jenny Meehan, Hayden Clarke,  Alice Benfer,
Brian Jewell, Tina Currah , Marcel AG, Sue Dobbins , Tarynn Roach, Murray P and Mark Wainwright…

Have brought Catalysm Down Under to life with there amazing skills of acting…
And have fueld this feature film with plenty of action and suspense.

-If you could ask a question to a great director from the past, who would you like to talk to and what would you ask them?

If I could ask a question to a great director from the past, I would like to talk to Stanley Kubrick. I would ask him about his meticulous attention to detail and his unique approach to storytelling. Understanding his process and creative decisions would be enlightening and inspiring.

-What do you think of the Wild Filmmaker platform?

I think the Wild Filmmaker platform is a valuable resource for filmmakers at all levels. It provides a supportive community, opportunities for networking, and access to resources and knowledge sharing. The platform fosters creativity, collaboration, and growth within the filmmaking community.

-What has been the greatest difficulty you faced in producing your project?

ALTA CALIFORNIA, an Award Winner in the Wild Filmmaker Competition, is a challenging script that explores the history of the “Mission Era” in California. The idea for my exploring this topic developed soon after my immigration to the US. Born and raised in Cardiff, Wales, I had a preconceived European
way of studying historical events. History was not just a series of unquestionable and unquestioned facts. Those “facts” were often as interpreted by the “victors.” As such, they were open to a challenge by later
ages. I expected warring plots, domination, and the political rivalries that dictates history.
After emigrating to the US, I took at class on American history. It comprised solely of manifest destiny and the Constitution. Nothing more. And so began my exploration of the clash between the Spanish conquistadores and the indigenous peoples of California, which resulted in ALTA CALIFORNIA.
Despite the script’s many national and international awards, I am often confronted by that niggling reality that some critics may not be willing to confront the topic. My answer as of this writing is that many are willing, but some are not.

-Do you think the film industry today has been damaged by political correctness?

Historical scripts such as ALTA CALIFORNIA must find that sweet spot, that exists between truth, such as it is, and entertainment. Some of the critiques I have obtained reveal the reader’s unwillingness to confront truth, saying instead, very well-written script but is the film industry prepared to accept the topic: a script that confronts the honest treatment of the indigenous peoples by the Spanish padres and soldiers?

-What was the greatest source of inspiration for creating your project?

I wanted to know, to really know what had happened. What was the truth behind the sanitized story, the fiction, between first contact between the indigenous peoples and the European invaders. What I found, and what my script speaks to, is that those men and women who seek an alternative, humane treatment for the native population are hidden beneath, even obliterated, by the chosen “truth.” And so, the history of this period is dominated by the “Good Padre” Junipero Serra. Captain Felipe de Neve who challenged Serra’s dictum by presenting an alternative vision for the future of California’s native population is
forgotten. My central character, Paco Palido, in ALTA CALIFORNIA is not, however, either of these figures. Instead, I created a fictional character, a semi-indigenous young man ripped from his mother and tribe. His is an existential journey, trying to discover who and what he is in this radically evolving, historical period? All safeguards for attempting to live a life worth living have been stripped from him. These new ways of seeing place him as “the other.” The script is divided into three sections.

-In the pre-Santa Barbara (Chumash) section, we learn of Paco’s past: village destroyed, mother murdered and life in the Franciscan school. We also witness the attitude of some Spanish soldiers to
natives, especially the women.

-Chumash period. Paco is captured by the Chumash. Here he learns the truth of his people and their beliefs.

-The post Santa Barbara section explores the future, post-Spanish era, for the mission Indians (“neophytes”). Serra has one vision, Neve (supported by King Carlos) another. Only one can succeed.
Paco learns of the subterfuge Serra adopts to assure his vision succeeds.

-If you could ask a question to a great director from the past, who would you like to talk to and what would you ask them?

I would love to meet any director who has struggled to bring an historical past, particularly a meaningful, controversial one, to a contemporary audience. For example, what thoughts went through Werner Herzog’s mind as he filmed “Aguirre, the Wrath of God”? How did Martin Scorsese decide upon “Killers of the Flower Moon”? What obstacles did he face, historically and artistically? How did he overcome them? Did you consider the audience’s reaction to your interpretation of a particular historical moment when making your movie? What were the obstacles?

-What do you think of the Wild Filmmaker platform?

I am delighted there is a Festival that recognizes many writers seek truth and meaning in their work. As Horace advised in his “Ars Poetica,” artists should strive to both delight and instruct. In ALTA CALIFORNIA I explore the question, What is historical “fact”? Is it only, as many historians note, the version presented by the victors? I thank Wild Filmmaker for recognizing I was dealing with a transitional moment in history. I am not an historian; I am a dramatist, exploring that historical moment through my characters. As the quotation says, “Before Columbus, your god did not exist in America!” Thank you, Wild Filmmaker, for recognizing I was trying to explore that moment in ALTA CALIFORNIA.

-Who is Lucio Arese?

I’m an architect, composer, guitarist, pianist, visual artist and award winning filmmaker. I work as a professional in various fields of visual arts and film since 2008. My work has been showcased at many festivals over the years, including onedotzero Adventures in Motion, Ars Electronica, SIGGRAPH, Interfilm Berlin, SICAF, FICUVAQ, The Lovie Awards, MTV, Vimeo Staff Picks, The Webby Awards, the 23rd Saatchi New Directors Showcase and many others.

-What inspired you to become a visual artist?

I had a solid musical formation in my youth and a definite creative attitude since a very little age. Parallel to my studies in piano, composition and vocal music I graduated in architecture, where I developed a great passion for 3D graphics applied to architectural design first, and pursuing it on my own after. While completing my studies, a strong inspiration to specifically pursue a career as a visual artist came to me from two works of the early 2000s: Gantz Graf, famous music video of an Autechre song created by Alex Rutterford, and Sometimes, a short film by the French collective Pleix.

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

I believe that cinema has the enormous power to make the spectator identify with the most diverse situations, to make him experience profound emotions and stimulate countless reflections. So yes, cinema has the power to strongly influence its audience, the public and in some way society, and not only for the good. I also see a lot of bad cinema, which creates bad consequences for the public. That’s why I think filmmakers and the whole industry in general should feel a stronger sense of responsibility towards the consumers they create for.

-What would you change in the world?

I will respond with a series of cliches, but I would love to see the world as a safer, more cooperative place, with more equality and prosperity for all. Unfortunately, in today’s world, new walls and iron curtains are being put up. Unfortunately, I am not optimistic when I think about where this will bring us.

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

I think this is an impossible question to answer, especially considering the speed at which technological innovation moves today. I think we will be in a very different place than we are now. Perhaps some forms will retain a resemblance to what we have today, but many things will be totally different. I would certainly be very curious to be here in a hundred years and see what has happened!

-Who is Margreet Kramer?

I am a Dutch cinematographer and  I took documentary courses for 3 years before going to Art School for 5 years in Amsterdam The Gerrit Rietveld Academy. Graduated at the Audiovisual Department. My themes are broadly: seemingly insignificant rituals/actions of everyday life. Here I literally zoom in on human actions with my camera.     

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

For me it is very important to look differently at the world around us as it were in micro format to zoom in on human actions and execute it macro. Film is about time and movement which I find exciting.  It’s magic. Inspired by Ingmar Bergman, Agnès Varda, Jeanne Dielman, Tarkovsky and Chantal Akerman

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

Cinema can definitely have a lot of influence on the way we think and act. The ability to touch souls in the briefest of moments and contemplation.

-What would you change in the world?

I would like to change the world in its speed and amount of stimuli and information. So being more aware of the small.

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

I hope the film industry will develop more attention to Art Film but for now I don’t see it happening so soon. There are no less cinemas in the future. Which I regret. Everyone watches at home with a laptop or projector. And in The Netherlands there is less money to make nice productions.

-How was your project title ‘The Panharmonion Chronicles’ born?

The title of my graphic novel and music video is made of three parts. The first one is “The Panharmonion”. I’ve imagined that this could be a harmonic frequency that contains the fundamental “code” of our reality. This frequency could be accessible by some humans, under rare circumstances and expressed through a musical score, which then could be shared with everyone on the planet.

“Chronicles” is from the Greek word “Khronika”. It usually refers to the record of past events, real or imagined. As stories are usually produced by “cause” and “effect” I’m wondering whether there could be circumstances where causality could be reversed. It’s a complicated mental exercise but fascinating on a creative and philosophical level.

“Times of London” is a play on words. This refers directly both to my fiction story and to official history. When we talk about London, we usually assume that it is the city, capital of England. But there is another “London” located in Ontario, Canada. It is also a city with a river called Thames, located between Detroit and Toronto. The city and the river were named in 18th century by British general John Graves Simcoe, as a statement to claim Canada as a colony. In my novel, I postulate an alternative history where events are changed in the 19th century and therefore in the 21st century, with surprising results. Because history in my story is changed by the actions of the protagonist, we follow an audio-visual narrative that blends technology, fiction, and reality into an aesthetic style that I call “Electro-Steampunk”.

-What goal do you dream of achieving?

The Panharmonion Chronicles is a long-term project. I started writing the story five years ago and more than 2000 pages later, I’m still writing. There is a main story arc covering 160 years with many branches into the past and the future. Each branch can be developed with specific characters, locations, and events. The first story “Times of London” is now out as a 200 page graphic novel. The second one, “Ghosts of Sound”, is being illustrated now and will be published early 2025.

In the meantime, I’m polishing a script for a pilot and an outline for an eight-part TV show, for which I’ve started creating a library of visual assets for props and set design. I’ve also written a few songs and electronic music tracks to create a particular soundscape for the story. In future, through my production studio Supanova Media, I want to collaborate with other international professionals to develop the multiple strands of this fictional world in as many media as possible, including games, animation, feature films and live performances.

Ultimately, I want “The Panharmonion Chronicles” to fund a charitable platform to sponsor literacy and education in art and science, across the world, especially for disadvantaged demographics.

-)What inspired you to create your project?

It’s an idea that had been evolving over 10 years. It first started to form after I visited Toronto and Montreal several times. The two cities are relatively close geographically but are culturally two worlds apart. I was intrigued enough to start researching the history of Eastern Canada and what I found was a complex web of colonial conflicts over centuries juxtaposing the actions of Britain, France and the USA which were conflated with immigrants from all over the world and with a large diversity of First Nations indigenous people. So, I started writing a novel based on that, when separately, as an interior designer, I was also working on the development of several Victorian houses in the borough of Camden, London. The idea was to create a boutique hotel based on an alternative history of Scotland. As we were digging the basement I found a strange artefact and could not find any explanation or references for it in the British Library. So, I decided to create my own origin story and connected the object to a new plot in my existing novel, which became a time-travel mystery thriller.

Then, because the main protagonist of my novel is a music composer, I thought it would be interesting to write songs and produce music related to The Panharmonion Chronicles and start filming music videos. The first video is a synthesis of many arts coming together, what in German is called “Gesamtkuntswerk”. I’m the writer, director, producer, editor, actor, set designer, sound, special effects and props designer. You could say it’s the ultimate indie microfilm, but also it’s much more than a music video: it’s a teaser and “proof of concept” to give a flavour of what a future film or TV show might look like.

-Which awards have your project won?

The music video is still going around the festivals, having been selected by many. So far, it has won “Best Music Video” from “8 & HalFilm Award”, “International Gold Awards”, “London Movie Awards”, “Milan Gold Awards”, “4 Theatre Selection” and “Cine Paris Film Festival”. It also won “Best Sci-Fi short” at the “Florence Film Awards” and “Best Production” at the “Europe Music Video Awards”, “4 Theatre Selection”, and “Cine Paris Film Festival”.