Author: Dreamate Demo

–Who is Jordan Mears?

I am a filmmaker living in Little Rock, Arkansas. I was born and raised in the small town of Russellville, which is about an hour and fifteen minutes outside of Little Rock. I graduated from the University of Central Arkansas in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Filmmaking. For the last six years I have been working in the commercial world as a videographer and editor. Before that, I worked in production on numerous feature films across the state and in Los Angeles. 

But to really answer the question “who am I?” – I think I’m still figuring that out, and will be for the rest of my life – as will we all. Simply, I’m a film geek who loves everything about movies – the history, the technical aspects, the philosophies and theories. I’ve been obsessed with movies since I was a kid. Outside of filmmaking, I like long walks on the beach, deep, meaningful conversat – oh wait, this isn’t a dating profile. Hahaha. Joking aside, I’m just a guy who likes to have fun in all aspects of his life. I like to travel and go on adventures, see and try new things. The older I get, the more monotonous things seem to get – as we all fall into the routines of daily life. So I like to do anything I can to shake it up and make things interesting. And I have seen how this also bleeds into the films I make. It’s so easy to make a movie these days – and most stories being told are just ones being recycled over and over again –  so to me, with my approach, it’s about giving the audience something unique, fun, and interesting that they hopefully haven’t seen before. That excites me and drives me, and hopefully the audience shares in that excitement, too. 

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

Ghostbusters, Terminator 2, Wayne’s World, Jurassic Park, Tales From The Crypt. All of these came out when I was a kid, and all of them impacted me a great deal. When I was about 4 years old there was just something about movies that drew me to them. I don’t think I found them, I think they found me. I would watch everything I could – for hours and hours and hours. And then I would mimic the actors and actions that I saw. I would dress up like a Ghostbuster and pretend I was catching ghosts around the neighborhood, or I would dress up like Ash from Evil Dead and act like I was vanquishing demons. One time I even ran around pretending to be Nicolas Cage in Con Air while Phil Collins’ song In The Air Tonight played on repeat. From then on, I was just obsessed with movies. My parents and grandparents would take me to our local video stores (RIP) every weekend and let me roam around for indefinite amounts of time. I would look at all of the VHS boxes and study the artwork, who acted in the films, who produced and directed and distributed them, when they were made, so on. As I got older, I realized “Whoa! You can actually do this for a living!” So around the age of 13 my parents gave me my first camera (complete with editing software). I would roam my suburban neighborhood filming anything and everything. My buddies and I would make crappy little movies that were spun off of well known films – like Blair Witch Project. This all allowed me to learn the fundamentals of filmmaking early on – the ins and outs, if you will. So, to wrap back around to the actual question, I was inspired to make movies because creating stories and garnering reactions are fun. It’s what drives me. Everything I watched growing up had an impact on me and garnered a reaction from me. It was fun to get lost in the worlds that these filmmakers created – so much so that I wished they were real and tried to act like I was a part of them. I have just been trying to replicate those feelings and experiences for others with the works that I now make. 

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

Answer: I do think that cinema can bring a change in society. We’ve seen it happen before and it will continue to happen. Filmmakers, since the beginning, have used the medium to tell stories to bring to light injustices in the world. Get Out, Schindler’s List, Do The Right Thing, Boy Erased, Dog Day Afternoon, etc… The list goes on and on. These films spark a conversation that can then spark action and change – even if it’s someone just looking deeper inside themselves and reflecting on who they are or wish to be. Films can spread awareness on issues and problems that are hindering and impacting us all, whether we realize them or not. Let me put it this way – it all starts with one person and one film. One person can see a film and it can inspire them to lead a movement that then changes the world. Nelsen Mandela is a perfect example of this. While in prison, he would watch In The Heat of the Night and was confused when the film randomly and abruptly cut in the middle of one scene to that of another. The scene in question was when Sidney Poitier’s character Virgil Tibbs slaps a white man after being insulted by him. The slap had been edited out. So, when Mandela found out what exactly was missing, it lit a fire under him and helped him keep going during his prison sentence. Mandela then went on to end apartheid in Africa. Cinema and art has the power to change things. 

-What would you change in the world?

I would change inequality. It’s 2022 and racism and sexism are still running rampant. It shouldn’t be that way. We’re all just people. We all live, we all die. No one is more special than the other. And so it really steams me to see marginalized groups of people continue to be abused by the systems of government and by people in general. Look, there’s no way we can ever eradicate racism or sexism. As long as there’s good, there will be bad. But I wish we lived in a more tolerant world, and we’re inching towards one. But it seems like every time progress is made, something happens that then sets it back two steps. Women shouldn’t be told what they can and can’t do with their bodies, it’s no one’s business but their own. And if a kid is gay, or trans or anything other than what they were born – then let them be. If it makes them happy and it’s not harming anyone else, then it shouldn’t matter. We all just want to be happy and live our lives the best ways we can. Our time here is limited, so I think it’s all on us to do and be what makes us happy.

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

Oh, man – 100 years from now, there’s no telling. The earth may have melted by then. I’m kidding (kind of). But really, just in the last 15 years alone we have seen a major shift in what we thought cinema was and could be. Netflix went from mailing out DVD’s to streaming all of their content, which then led to others doing the same. Now mid-budget films that we would have had in the 1990’s (like Good Will Hunting) are being made specifically for these services while theaters are reserved for $150,000,000+ budgeted comic book and action films. A lot of people are even watching movies on their phones or iPad’s now. It’s crazy. We also had the big 3D fad that came roaring back from the 80’s with Avatar. And now we can even bring the dead back to life to act in our movies or make older actors look young again (looking at you Star Wars). I think the technology will continue to improve and get better and better, of course. I think that most movie theaters in the next 10 years will just offer spectacle films – whether it be a big budget Marvel film or a low budget horror film (those make the big bucks). I hate to say it, but it feels like most things will be on streaming services. Which is sad. A lot of them look at entertainment these days as “content” which I don’t agree with at all. By calling it content, companies are devaluing the artistry. Content feels very throw away – something you easily digest and then move onto the next thing. That’s how a lot of great things become forgettable or even lost in the mix. On the flip side though, services like Netflix are giving world renowned filmmakers their chances to make some o their films. No one would have given Scorsese his $150,000,000 budget to make The Irishman other than Netflix, because a studio would be worried about eating the loss of that cost – understandably. Honestly, I wish things were still like how they were in the 90’s (the early Sundance days) – low to mid-budget films could be picked up at a festival that would launch a career and end up in theaters making a ton of money. Now the only low budget films in the theaters that turn that kind of profit are horror films or Oscar bate. All that said, I’m hopeful. It’s never been easier for someone to make a film and get it out into the world – the only catch with that is that the market is so saturated you need to find a way to stand out. With James Cameron getting ready to release his new Avatar films, I wouldn’t be surprised if we watched films via hologram in the next few years because of the tech he has been creating. I guess we’ll see, though!

–Who Is Karen Stefano?

Karen Stefano is a native of the island of Jamaica She is an award-winning actress/writer/director/producer who now lives in the New York/New Jersey area. She started her directing and acting career in the primary school directing and acting skits for her classmates, family and friends. After emigrating to the United States, she continued directing and acting.

She has been acting since the age of 6 with her first role playing Mary the mother of Jesus for her 1st grade school concert. She has studied at some of New York City’s finer schools: Lee Strasberg Institute and The Acting Studio; and has worked in such venues as Lincoln Center, playing Sondra in Lulubelle and Sydney on the Lower East Side, Carnegie Hall, and Yale University, playing civil rights activist, Fannie Lou Hamer in Scenes and Songs from Fannie Lou Hamer.

She directed her first documentary titled “Church Hurt”, followed by her short film “Why Wait”, which won numerous awards.

Karen’s new feature film After The Wait is the sequel to her short Why Wait and has also garnered a few awards on the festival circuit.

Karen received her Masters’ Degree in Scriptwriting for Film and Television from Regent University, and her BA in acting at Nazareth College of Rochester.

-What Inspired you to become a filmmaker?

I don’t think I ever intended to become a filmmaker per say. I was auditioning a lot but not booking anything and it was becoming discouraging. I was doing a play and had a conversation with one of the other actress’ who told me she was going for her MFA in acting. I thought about it for a second and then wondered why not? But in thinking it over, I thought why not create work for myself. So, I researched some colleges for script writing and found one that suited me perfectly. I enrolled and found that I loved writing as much as I loved

acting. After my first class assignment, writing my first script, I decided to produce it. And thus began my journey into filmmaking.

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

I believe we all have the capacity to create change in our little part of the society. Whether we choose to do so is another matter altogether. As a Christian, the films I create speaks to the heart of people. The struggles that we all face, and how we overcome those struggles, trying to do the best we can in our circumstances, Christian or not. I would like to see the love of Jesus change people’s heart. Think about it, if we all had love in hearts for other, just imagine what the world would look like.

–What would you change in the world?

I believe the better question would be, to as how I would change the world. I would like to continue making movies that inspire others to live their best lives.

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

Hmmm, good question. I’m not sure. Right now, we see a shift in how we view movies. It was always a big deal to anxiously wait for the release of a movie so we could rush to the theaters to watch it on the big screen. But now more and more movies are having limited theater releases and going straight to streaming networks; or just heading straight to a streaming network. As a filmmaker it’s always been my dream to have a theater release, to see myself and the work I’ve created on the big screen. I would like to say the shift might change, but with all the streaming networks out there, more and more people are inclined, it seems to watch a movie from the comfort of their sofas.

-Who is Arturo Márquez?

Arturo Márquez is a scrawny-looking guy from Mexico City. He is very empathetic, someone who knows how to listen, and enjoys it. He is somewhat contradictory, he feels; both introverted and extroverted, passionate and easy going, happy and sad, everything at the same time, and he’s still trying to figure out how’s that possible. Arturo is a pretty vulnerable and sensitive person, someone who cries easily with movies and books, and is always willing to help others.

–What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

I’ve always wanted to tell stories, I think that has been the great constant of my life. I have watched movies for as long as I can remember, they have always been there for me. When I was little, I used to imagine all these little stories in my head, and I always pictured them as movies. I wanted to draw them, but I wasn’t very good at drawing. I wanted to tell them, but I’m not that good of a speaker. When I discovered filmmaking, I realized that it was the only medium I didn’t feel limited, that it offered an infinity of stories and ways to tell them. 

I don’t know who would I be without the movies that made me, that defined my worldview, that defined my personality and the way I think about other people. I think that’s why I want to make movies, “cause the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse”. I just gotta figure out what would my verse be. 

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

Roger Ebert once said that movies are a machine that generates empathy. For me, our purpose as civilization is to be able to empathize with other people, and movies let you understand a little bit more about different hopes, aspirations, dreams and fears. I want to make movies because I want to speak to people like movies have spoken to me.

-What would you change in the world?

I think every person out there, deep down, is a pretty vulnerable, shattered and damaged individual. Someone who wasn’t allowed to express their opinion or their emotions. Someone who might have been humiliated, or gotten hurt. Someone told them once, “you, and everything you are, don’t matter”. Emotions, opinions, worldviews, memories, are the most wonderful things we own; they are what make us humans. And there are millions of people that were taught to never show them. If I could change anything in the world, it would be that; I would make people realize that they matter, that their emotions matter, that they have a story to tell and that there are millions of people out there willing to listen to them.

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

I think that filmmaking has been extremely democratized, and that’s a beautiful thing. Movements like the Nouvelle Vague or the New Hollywood from the 60s also came from more democratized ways of filmmaking, like easier access to filming equipment. I think that we are entering a new age of the film industry, one that is going to answer to an over-saturation of the film market with blockbusters. We as independent filmmakers might not have access to huge budgets or an army of a hundred vfx artists, but we have more than what we need to tell a great story. I think that the film industry is directing to more honest, grounded, realistic stories, that address what actually is going out in the world. Maybe the audience is going to divide and many niche markets, some for blockbusters, some for indie films, that I don’t really know. What I do know, though, is that art, that filmmaking, that life, always finds a way. 

-Who is Gabriela Dyminski?

An actress, director, writer, screenwriter, producer, editor, poet, illustrator, mother, LGBT woman, and reassuming indigenous. She graduated in Performing Arts and does not believe in overview, which makes her a developing multiple artist, complete and abundant.

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

From a very young age, I dealt with frustrations, sadness, happiness, and love by writing. There was in this writing certain loneliness stumbling upon the frustration that is to close the notebook. When my daily life was getting too small for me, I searched for an acting course and from there I understood what is the meaning of my life. Nowadays, the Brazilian audiovisual sector suffers from many political attacks on budget reduction and censorship. However, it has always been a place of difficult access and I realized that if I want to act and see stories that represented me and other minorities, I would have to make my own movies. In the beginning, it seemed impossible, because there is a premise that making a cinema is too expensive. But thanks to people like Rodrigo Brum, Felipe Koury, and André da Costa Pinto, I learned a way of making cinema in an independent way. And besides these amazing teachers who gave me strength and inspired me to do what I do, I also extend my thanks to the people who surrounded me after and keep supporting me, empowering me to continue, like my partner from Disgrama Filmes, Letícia Catalá, and my partner in life, Henrique Patuá who embraced with me the challenges since my first movie. These people are part of my beginning and current path through the audiovisual.

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

Absolutely. From the poetic scope to the social. If it wasn’t such hope, I wouldn’t work with it. I refuse to do things in vain. As my friend Copioba wrote in the description of our audiovisual production company goals: “Our movies have not only the purpose to entertain, but aim to promote discussions/dialogues for the comprehension of society and paths for the plural beauties claim.”

-What would you change in the world?

Can I say the whole story? Well, I think there is a lack of love in the world. It is not about romantic love, that one sought since the Industrial Revolution, I talk about love as empathy towards the other. I would change everything. Power detention, I would put the minorities ahead of everything.

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

In technological matters, I could not even imagine. But I hope in social and access matters, and cultural retake, it will be millions of steps ahead.

Frankenstein’s monster was an experiment constructed by infusing dissected body parts
together and brought to life by an unspecified process. Ever a champion of auteur theory, it is as
fitting as one of the creature’s fused limbs, that near the end of Jean-Luc Godard’s 2014
Goodbye to Language there is a sequence of Mary Shelley finishing her famed novel.
I was lucky enough to see Goodbye to Language as a theatrical release when it came out in 2014.

Not that Godard’s films do not get screened at revival theaters often. In fact, I had just
watched a double bill of 1960’s Breathless and 1964’s Bande à part at Quentin Tarantino’s New
Beverly theater at the end of August. But what made seeing Goodbye to Language particularly
special, was the opportunity to see a new Godard film in theater. It is not overstating his
legendary status, having influenced a number of the best contemporary filmmakers today, from
Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Steven Soderbergh, and the aforementioned Tarantino (whose
production company ‘A Band Apart’ is a riff on the title Bande à part). Although this week day
screening wasn’t pacted, didn’t warrant a stand by line, nor was it built up as a momentous
occasion, it felt like being part of history. It’s like getting to see The Rolling Stones in 2022. Sure,
it’s not the American Tour 1972, but you will forever get to say you were witness to something
culturally significant, important.
In the spirit of Godard’s filmmaking career starting with Breathless, which popularized jump cuts
for how unabashedly bold he was with his unconventional usage of them, his second to last
feature film, Goodbye to Language radicalized the usage of 3D technology. Although Breathless
is occasionally incorrectly associated with inventing the jump cut, Godard and his
cinematographer Fabrice Aragno, quite literally created a new shot in filmmaking. The shots are
two events happening simultaneously, overlapping with one another, and then eventually
syncing up. There was no word for it. Aragno referred to it as “separation”. I saw Avatar and
Gravity on IMAX in 3D and to this day I have never seen anything like what Godard did at 84
years old.
When I saw this movie, in theaters, in 2014, in San Francisco, I was 23.

I was in film school. I was young, I am American, I love stories and plot. I probably walked out with a snide comment about what the hell I just watched, (although I do remember acknowledging the ‘separation’
shots at the time as revolutionary, which they were). Jean-Luc Godard passed away yesterday. I did not go back to celebrate his seismic impact on the history of this medium by revisiting A
Woman is a Woman, Vivre Sa Vie, Pierrot le Fou, or any of the classic films he made during La
Nouvelle Vague. I went back to Goodbye to Language, the Godard movie of my 20’s. And
although the actors in the film didn’t end up being the next Jean-Paul Belmondo nor Anna
Karina, they will forever be in a Godard film.
This is a film made by someone who has nothing to prove, but who has to create. Who is
excited, not afraid of technology. Who even in the face of new technology has to challenge
himself and his audiences. I couldn’t help but think of making films as a teenager and turning up
the high contrast or negative film effects on iMovie. It’s the thing either an amatuer would do, or
a master completely giving into the freedom of experimentation would have the nerve to.
And it’s something only Godard could have made. An auteur till the end, in the 69 minute run
time it is pieced together, like Frankenstein’s monster, all of what you want from a Godard film:
Dialogue that reads more as existential philosophy, perfectly subtitled that you could make a
screenshot of any line and it would get thousands of likes on any artsy influencer Instagram
account. Abrupt noises with harsh cuts to silence. Commentary on society, war, politics. A loose
plot involving an affair. And of course, a girl and a gun.

-Who is Richard A. Delgado?

I am a Visual Development Artist/Writer/Director. Born in Monterrey, Mexico. Raised in Houston, Texas and now living in Los Angeles, California. Holding a BFA in Media Arts and Animation, and an MFA in Visual Development. Also a part time actor. I’m in Los Angeles to pursue my career as an artist in the entertainment industry. Working and collaborating with other local talent and celebrities. However, my biggest goal is to one produce my own animated and live action features, and novels. 

-What inspired you to become a writer?

Watching movies, cartoons, and enjoying the stories of those before me. But one day, I had ma y ideas and visions as a young teenager that I knew I had to write them all down. So, that’s how I began to officially write my stories. 

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

I believe yes. In fact, for the last one hundred years cinema has already done that and currently doing so. We have had tons of movies throughout yhe decades that had inspired us all, and still do to this day. I believe cinema is a very powerful way to bring about changes, and lessons to many around the world in many ways. 

-What would you change in the world?

Darkness and unhappiness. If I can somehow make anyone smile with my work then that’s what truly matters to me as an artist. 

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

I’m not too sure. I’m sure it will keep going forward with many more movies, and more entertainment. However, I believe as technology advances things will change and I hope for the better. But I believe the film industry will keep on existing. 

For the first time since 2019, the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is in person and welcoming the world with film premieres, information sessions, networking opportunities and fanfare.

The city of Toronto has come alive with streets blocked off and the theatre district filled with visitors from international, national, regional and local marketplaces. As co-founders of MARKD Productions we (Matt, Alex, Robert and Kevin) had the opportunity to be in the heart of the event.

If you are a filmmaker or “wannabe” filmmaker this is arguably one of the best festivals to be at. Sure, like other festivals the stars come out and films are played in theatres… but TIFF offers a little bit more.

A) It lends itself to business getting done with buyers and sellers of all genres.

B) It provides networking opportunities that country representatives can share their value and incentives to filming their.

C) They put on industry info sessions that bring leading authorities to panel discussions who share best practices, tips and stories from around the world.

Here is where TIFF is a little bit more.

Did you know Toronto, Ontario, Canada is one of the most unique cities that offer multilingualism, exceptional financial benefits and numerous studio square footage for filming.

It is where filmmakers come to shoot their productions.

Our participation so far has allowed us to watch the coming-of-age world premiere of “Soft”, directed by Joseph Amenta (feature film debut). And, of course, we stopped at the red carpet. To our surprise we saw Viola Davis and John Boyega (The Woman King), Jennifer Lawrence (Causeway), Kathryn Hahn and Kate Hudson (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery). The industry sessions allowed us to listen to panelists Ram Bergman (Producer – Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery) Uri Singer (Producer – White Noise) and Nicole Brown (President – TriStar) share tips and insights about what they look for in a production. Telefilm Canada put on a panel discussing the evolving eligibility criteria and decision-making process to access funds for film productions.

Visually, TIFF is so inviting with streets blocked off and local vendors offering special fan appreciation items. If you are wondering about the basics, food and accommodations is all around the theatre district.

You can see everything here at TIFF. It is made for all level of filmmakers.

ABOUT MARKD Productions

In 2021, founders Matt Worthington, Alex Belke, Robert Smith, Kevin Huhn & Diego Aldana met at Toronto Film School in the Film Production program. In a matter of a few weeks, they recognized each other’s talents and shortly thereafter started MARKD Productions. Their energy and passions ignited and ideas began to flow. In 2022, they started to take their work to the outside world. Teen Across Canada (a short documentary film) gained recognition winning and being selected at international festivals. Their success is built on the foundation of excellent work.

Neorealism was one of the most original key film movements of all time. Many directors who represent the history of American cinema, first and foremost Martin Scorsese, consider Italian Neorealism a point of reference for their inspiration. But what is left today of that way of producing cinema, based on the expressive freedom of the authors? A question that producer Michele Diomà tried to answer with his movie “Dance again with me, Heywood!”.

Michele Diomà is 39 years old, he is Italian, he directed “Born in the U.S.E.”, with the special participation of filmmaker Francesco Rosi – widely celebrated for the movie “Salvatore Giuliano” which was listed  by Martin Scorsese as one of his twelve favorite films of all time. 

Later he directed the Nobel Prize-winning actor and playwright Dario Fo, in a satire film dedicated to the subject of press freedom in Italy and presented at the New York University in October 2017. After that film Michele Diomà founded the New York Neorealism Factory, a work team which takes inspiration from Neorealism’s production ideas to make films in the Big Apple. 

Diomà said: “I consider New York to be the cultural synthesis of all that once was Western civilization and this is why I chose to start from the Big Apple to recreate a new Made in Italy cinema”.

   
“Dance again with me Heywood! ” is the Manifesto of New York Neorealism.

 What follows is the synopsis:
 
“Dance again with me Heywood!” is a fairy tale set in contemporary Manhattan, built on two intersecting narrative paths: the pure fiction, in which we witness the surreal life events of a young man named Heywood who lives on a rooftop in New York City, and the documentary, where the Academy-Award winning James Ivory…

…shares his thoughts about what Cinema has been so far and what it could become in the future.  In the film, enriched also with animations, there is a continuous game that involves shifting from a cinematographic language to another, through which the two protagonists – Heywood and the woman with the imaginary “Moon Butterfly Syndrome” – face a metaphysical journey.

Such a journey will lead them to understand that often, even the (apparently) most real aspects of our existence, are just an illusion. At some point of the film it is posited what may be a fascinating historical-artistic discovery concerning a painting exhibited at the MoMA – Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

-Who is Jennifer East?

I am a mom, wife, sister, friend, and a creative. I went to school for graphic design and photography. I was happy with this career choice, as a freelance designer and photographer for many years. Then my daughter and I spent nearly 5 years in Los Angeles, CA, (L.A.) in front of and behind the camera. I shot hundreds of headshot sessions, was a talent agent, an art director, and a stand-in on nearly all the backlots in L.A. In 2018, I joined two other talented women to create the charitable organization, bUneke (pronounced be Unique), where I’ve been honored to put my skills as a director, videographer and editor to work to help other charities.

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

Working with many directors in L.A., I watched and learned from the top directors. It was the best exposure a person could get. Talent and crew grumbled about the long hours on set, while I smiled, took notes, and studied. When I returned to Florida, I knew I needed to try filmmaking for myself.

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

I definitely do. The film you are honoring with Best Editing, Forgotten Enchantress, was the catalyst that brought in more than $250,000, of which 100% went to the nonprofit, and moved the hearts of an entire community and outside the community to come, visit, and donate to the cause. That nonprofit had been working toward for more than 10 years before the film came along. Within months after the film was first shown, they had the necessary funds to apply for a matching grant to save the home from demolition. The nonprofit I helped create and manage is all about helping others, which got us involved in the first place.

-What would you change in the world?

Hearts. I’d change the hearts of people so there is more positivity. I’d like to see more vegans and more people learning about a low-waste, sustainable lifestyle. I think everyone should learn about saving our earth and climate change. Again, these are all things our nonprofit teaches and advocates. I would also love to help encourage more females to be involved in production, in all the roles behind the camera. I love to mentor young women who may not have realized they actually prefer being behind the camera and I help them understand that it’s natural and good for them to be there.

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

The film industry has changed so much in the last 50 or even 20 years. Big, funded projects will probably persist, but the low and no budget filmmakers will continue finding ways to use their craft to help others and nature, which I think is a great idea. The industry will probably continue to open up with affordable streaming options so unknown filmmakers and screenwriters will continue to make wonderful contributions to the art form. Critically acclaimed low-budget films will continue to be offered screenings at notable film festivals, such as yours, and they will experience a prosperous award season. My dream is that low and no budget films will receive the necessary attention for funding opportunities. The budget for Forgotten Enchantress was donated craft, borrowed wardrobe, and volunteers’ personal equipment. Some of our volunteers drove long distances just to be involved in the project.

–Who is Roel Swierenga?

I am a sustainability pioneer and founder of the Hansa Green Tour Foundation in the Netherlands, organizer of events, filmmaker and speaker.

I’m a tech- and innovation loving optimist with a strong interest in the latest sustainable solutions. I love fast electric cars, epic road trips and, before the covid pandemic, I used to travel the world to find, document and showcase sustainable solutions. Bringing like-minded people together that can make a difference by organizing events, study trips & trade missions for business and government delegations and filming these events is what I do in my day job.

We film and document our Hansa Green Tour events and places that we visit in northern Europe. Showcasing sustainable solutions in Scandinavia, Iceland, Germany and the Netherlands. During these events we interview people with inspiring stories and make short documentaries to share these stories.

More info about me and what I do is available on my website www.roelswierenga.com

-What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

All our annual Hansa Green Tour events are filmed and documented since 2011 by our team for personal and client use. Not with the intention of making commercial film or video productions but just to document what we do, to document the interesting places that we visit and interview people to hear their stories. As event director I was mostly guiding our camera team, busy behind the scenes but not behind the camera myself. Due to the covid pandemic all our events were cancelled, allowing me the time to train myself in filmmaking and think about how I could use the network that we had build over the past 10 years, all

the amazing places, people and sustainable initiatives that we had visited all over northern Europe. That made me decide to pick up the camera myself, learning the craft of filmmaking and learn from my regular cameraman Frans Adema and photographer Martijn Heemstra and challenge them to start making our own productions. I like epic roadtrips, using electric vehicles if possible that sometimes brings us in adventurous situations. We have seen so many beautiful places, we have met so many people with amazing stories, people who want to contribute to a better world. That inspired me. I want to capture those stories on film. Now it’s time for me to connect the dots and bring those stories to the screen.

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

Yes I do! I do believe that cinema can bring change to society. We are overloaded with images and impressions every day in the media, on our mobile devices checking social media. But most of these images get in and out of our brains without leaving any impression at all. Information overload, most of it is rubbish, irrelevant. Like, can you tell what news or social media posts you watched 2 days ago? Probably not. But if you go to the cinema and watch a good movie or see a documentary with a strong story, your brain will remember it for many years. That is the power of cinema and film.

My short film PUSHBACK was my first entry in the world of film festivals and won the Stockholm City Film Festival June 2021 and several awards in Europe and USA followed shortly afterwards. A story about boat-refugees trying to reach Greek islands in the Mediterranean Sea, blocked with brute force by border guards, towing these boats back to the open sea, knowing that many will not survive. The film is not a cinematic masterpiece, but a horrible story that gets into your brain, leaving the viewer with a troubled mind. “How can you sleep well, knowing this is happening? Don’t look away, we have to act!” addresses Marian van Voorn at the end of the film. Damn. You have seen the movie, listened to the story and you’re asked to not look away from it, but to act upon it… Damn. An uncomfortable story, but you feel the need to do something with it. This film made an impact on people and this effect we would not have achieved by telling this story in an email newsletter or by posting it on social media. It made impact thanks to bringing this story to cinema.

This gave me the confidence and motivation to make my new film ’48.000 Names’, a story in cooperation with MiGreat about the deadly borders of Europe, about the protection of human rights and dignity. A story I feel that is important to share and film is one of the most beautiful ways to do this. And with my experience with our Pushback film I am convinced that cinema has an important role to play and yes can bring change to society.

-What would you change in the world?

That’s a difficult question, there is no easy answer to that. But if I was in a position to change the world I would try to stop war and violence and create a new start with equal rights and opportunities for all.

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

Interesting question. In recent years cinema has lost ground due to the pandemic and world wide lockdowns, prohibiting people to go out. In parallel social media and digitalization, streaming services have grown tremendously. But both do not replace cinema. Social media and streaming services make it easy to consume film individually but are less suited to impress your brain and create a long lasting experience. Watching a film on a mobile device does not offer the unique experience of watching a movie on a big screen and impressive sound in the cinema together with friends.

Film industry might evolve over time and technology might make it much more easy and accessible for more people to make films and consume films individually om smart devices. But I hope and think that the unique experience that only cinema can provide will survive the coming 100 years. Film industry might change over time, but its core function in creating films with the best cinematic experience will never change. I would not want to miss that so I am positive that the film industry and cinema will still be around in 100 years.