FRAUD Director Zen Pace “Both Shira and Andre are full, complicated human beings, and both Dana and Babak were able to bounce off each other and create layered meaning within the story”

Director Zen Pace’s debut narrative short FRAUD starring Dana Aliya Levinson (STARZ’s American Gods) and Babak Tafti (Showtime’s Super Pumped), subverts the crime thriller genre by centering marginalized characters grappling with identity, love, and immigrant experiences. Levinson also wrote this timely tale. The Tribeca Film Festival is FRAUD’s World Premiere and the film is screening in competition. First of all I would like to congratulate … Continue reading FRAUD Director Zen Pace “Both Shira and Andre are full, complicated human beings, and both Dana and Babak were able to bounce off each other and create layered meaning within the story”

THE WAKE Director Luis Gerard “I read about the number of mass shootings in the US, so I thought of writing a film that revolved around the subject, but I wanted to do it from a different angle, a simpler one.”

Luis Gerard‘s THE WAKE shares the story of a young deaf boy Martin (played by Zander Colbeck-Bhola) who looks up to his older brother and follows him, even at times when he shouldn’t. Zander Colbeck-Bhola comes from a large deaf family. All the cast learnt sign language for this film. This is truly an amazing film. What was the inspiration behind this timely short? I wrote … Continue reading THE WAKE Director Luis Gerard “I read about the number of mass shootings in the US, so I thought of writing a film that revolved around the subject, but I wanted to do it from a different angle, a simpler one.”

The award-winning Writer/Director Eitan Pitigliani’s SISSY was inspired by his own personal story of losing his mother. This heart-wrenching tale shares the story of Luca (Vincenzo Vivenzio) and the young girl (Dea Lanzaro), played by a 7-year-old little girl, who was the one that saved the director’s life after his mother’s passing. SISSY is her debut screen role. I understand this must have been a deeply … Continue reading Sissy Director Eitan Pitigliani “Realizing that my mom as well as all our loved ones, are not gone for good at all, and even if they’re not physically here and we don’t see them, they live within us”

This evocative short film was inspired by the director Mary Ann Rotondi‘s visit to her home state of Montana, where she frequently encountered the Confederate flag, despite the state not having a large black population or any meaningful connection to the Civil War. What is it about this symbol that is so powerful, and what does it say about the loneliness and isolation so many people … Continue reading QUEEN OF THE DESERT Director Mary Ann Rotondi “Everyone really Showed up for me and this story. I believe the story itself – finding a way to talk to one another; make room for one another’s humanity; heal some of the angry divisions around us right now – touched a lot of people and made directing easier”

I AM is a short film by German director Jerry Hoffmann. It explores the necessity of human connection in a world that is growing increasingly more isolated. The topics of isolation and loneliness are well known to most; especially following the global pandemic. Hoffman expands on these concepts with great skill. The film follows the story of a woman, Noé, and a robot, Ela, whom … Continue reading Jerry Hoffmann’s “I AM” Examines the Relationship Between Humans and Our Ever-Growing Relationship With Technology